It has been a few months since we’ve featured a De Molen collaboration brew, so time to rectify that with this beer. The good people at De Molen were paid a visit by the brewing team from Poch’s Cervesa Artesana; a small brewery and brew pub located in the north east of Spain in the area of Girona.
Many small, young brewers pay a visit to De Molen knowing their reputation for brewing dark beers, their use of smoked malts and their experience in barrel aging. So it is no surprise that this collab. uses smoked malt as one of the ingredients in this smoked dopplebock.
It pours a dark brown, and the waft of smoked malts immediately jump from the glass. There is also a soft fruity smell of stewed dark fruits.
Straight from the fridge, the flavours are a little subdued, but as the beer warms it opens up well. The early dark fruit sweetness gives way to roasted malts. The smoked malt is not as strong in the flavour, though definitely there. It finishes with a solid bitterness and a little roasted malt astringency that makes it dry and moreish.