Struise Black Damnation V - Double Black

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: Imperial Stout
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

Trade from Doodler, thanks man. Black body with a medium brown head. Aroma is syrup, coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, sweet, alcohol. Flavor is alcohol, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, roasted malt. Cloying

On tap at Trappist Provisions. It pours very dense and black with a small, yet tight, dense tan head. The aroma is surprisingly balanced and pleasant with some light notes of bourbon and a lot of dark chocolate and roast. The flavor, however delves into craziness with dark chocolate milk shake, salty alcohol burn and an ashy, dirty cigar like finish. The body is incredibly thick and syrupy. Hard to choke down, but not in a gross way. More of a difficult transfer from point A to point B kind of way. I could feel it still making it’s way down my esophagus about an hour later. Seriously. There is virtually no bourbon flavor here, which isn’t really a bad thing either. I was worried about getting a blast of fusels and soy sauce, but those elements are surprisingly missing as well. In fact, I’m doubting whether or not this is really 26%. The flavors meld well, and hit you in waves rather than all at once. 4 or 5 ounces of this was about perfect. All in all, this was a testament to the talent of the brewers to keep this balanced and somewhat drinkable, but I can think of many other imperial stouts I’d rather drink.

On tap at Trappist Provisions. Aroma is a touch muted, but what is there is quite complex. Some nice roast notes that take the form of coffee, smoked meat and a hint of teriyaki. Lots of rich, dark chocolate. Good dark fruit character with cherries and prune. The alcohol is well hidden in the aroma - no heat at all. Pours a very dark black with a thick mocha head that recedes quickly. This beer is viscous with huge legs. Flavor starts with lots of thick sweet chocolate and a touch of dark chocolate. The chocolate fades and the roast takes its turn with some nice coffee and meat notes - a hint of a soy sauce note. As you swallow the alcohol hits you - lots of spice and here and in the finish is where you start to get the esters. Light raisin and cherry esters. Low to moderate bitterness and low astringency. Mouthfeel is very full bodied with low carbonation. Astringency is surprisingly low. This beer obviously has high alcohol warmth. Overall a very nice beer. It does an amazing job of hiding the alcohol behinds layers of dark malts and dark fruit esters. I'm a bit worried about oxidation creeping in and turning this into expensive soy sauce though. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Mini glass at the Struise shop. Very dark, very thick, big golden head. Aroma is smoky, booze, whiskey, dark and roasty. Taste is sweet, not so boozy up front, liquorice, coffee bitterness. Pretty nice, but a small one is probably enough as the booze catches up.

Bottle: The aroma consists of chocolate, molasses, roast, vanilla, dark fruits, and light alcohol (nowhere near 26% though). It pours a dark brown with no transparency and virtually no head short of a few stray bubbles. A quick swirl leaves some nice legs on the side of the glass. The flavor starts with chocolate, molasses, dark fruits, and some sugary sweetness. It finishes with some raisin, roasted coffee, light burnt notes, and light alcohol. It’s full bodied with minimal carbonation and an oily mouthfeel. Overall, it’s shocking this is 26% as I would not call this hot at all...nor is it as sweet as I would expect for such a big beer. Definitely a beer meant for small doses.

Very beautiful dark colour, darkbrown foam. Full of aroma. Dark fruits, chocolat, very bitter (roasted) and sweet. Also roasted. Very long aftertaste. I still tasted it 10 minutes after the last sip.

On tap at the Struise beershop in Bruges. It pours deepest, darkest black, with the largest, heaviest-looking tan head I’ve ever seen. The head seems to keep falling into itself under it’s own weight, but never thins. The nose is charcoal, varnish, paint stripper, sesame seed, soy sauce, caramel, toffee, coffee, vanilla and lots of dark fruit. The taste is sesame seed, wood, soy sauce, brown sugar, plum, dark cherry, fig, liquorice, wood, tobacco, dark chocolate, some coconut, vanilla, and burnt sugar. It is rich, complex and the alcohol is somehow well-hidden. Huge stout, worth seeking out.

Bottle shared between our small beer club supplied by Etre Gourmet. Poured blacker than black! with a very minimal tan head,more a lacing on side of the glass.Roast malt aromas,dark chocolate too and toffee with oak and dark fruits.Tastes of all the above with roast coffee and liquorice too.Big bodied beer with lots going on but alcohol content completely covered by all that is going on.Lovely.I wonder how i would re rate it if i had the whole bottle,one to consider for future re test.

thanks Mike! poured dark brown, very syrupy. smell of dark fruit, rich malt, cocoa nibs and booooooozee. taste is sweet, malty, pine, hoppy, spice from the booze. overall this was pretty smooth for having a 26% abv. glad i was able to taste this!

2010 Bottle thanks to alen. Pours with an iodine hued head that shockingly lasts, pitch black body, completely glass coating. Looks like thick iodine. Aromas are estery, baked biscuits, fudge, estery, alcohol, fruity, nutty chocolate. Flavors are nutty, boozy, dark fruit, burn nuts, very sweet and fruit with lots of roast. Extremely thick mouthfeel, creamy and almost chewy. Warming as expected. Looks great, feels great, but the flavors are pretty messy, but something one can expect on a monster like this.