De Meester set up in 2016 in the former premises of the ‘t Gaverhopke brewery. It was only a small scale facility, producing a maximum of 100,000 litres of beer. Then in 2022 they moved to a much larger facility in the town of Lendelede.
They aren’t exactly traditional Belgian brewers in terms of the styles they brew, seeming to favour the big, dark beers. And while there is a nod to Belgium in the yeast character, there are many non-Belgian styles such as imperial stout, porters and barley wines.
And this first De Meester beer we will taste is this big imperial stout.
I found the aroma really interesting, full of chocolate and brown sugar, a definite hit of coffee (particularly before the beer warmed) and then something interesting that I couldn’t decide on. It was like a woody, slightly smoky but a little herbal note.
The taste was much as the aroma. Early sweetness of dark malt and brown sugar, with the roasted malt bite coming in mid-palate. Toward the back the beer dries out with a level of bitterness and a herbal hint of licorice that stays in the lingering prickly finish.