I wanted to include a classic imperial stout in our winter pack. There are lots of sweet, dessert-style stouts but I really wanted something that was more dry and roasty. After looking at our stock holding I decided on this beer from De Molen.
We have included this beer in our packs once before – way back in November 2016. Since that time, De Molen have made a full sale to Swinkels Family Brewers, the founders have left, as have several of the brewing team and our agreement to import De Molen beers into Australia stopped (two years after the take over in 2020) and we got them back on our list last year. What hasn’t changed in that time is this is one fantastic beer.
I think this is De Molen’s flagship beer, the one they are most well-known for. And with a name that translates to ‘Hell & Damnation’, it is a beer people remember.
It pours black with a brown foam, which I think is always a hint that your imperial stout will be a good one. Lots of roasty malt and chocolate in the nose thanks to the five different malts used. The flavour is rich and full of the same starting sweet and full and then slowly transitioning to a drier, spicier taste with a hint of nuttiness. The beer is so well balanced, defying the big ABV which is is nothing more than a gentle warming feeling and the aftertaste lingers long. Then you just want another taste of that delicious beer.