A beer from the second of our new wholesale portfolio partners – La Calavera from the Catalunyan region of north-eastern Spain. It’s a lovely area to visit, and we now have an extra excuse to go there (when we can travel again that is!)
They’ve been quietly doing their thing since 2011, when two friends turned their homebrewing passions into a business reality. And over that time their experimental nature has fortunately led them into the realm of sour and barrel aged beers, with a strong tendency toward using Brettanomyces.
And while it is these barrel aged, ‘Bretty’ beers that grabbed my attention, we’ll start with something a little more mainstream – but still a little left of centre.
In making this imperial pastry stout the team have added vanilla, toffee and dry dates. When pouring it is thick and the dark aroma immediately hits home. It smells sweeter than it actually tastes.
Vanilla, chocolate and the toffee present early, but there is also a fruity sweetness of dark dried fruits. It does thin out, and there comes the really interesting and unusual flavour of the dates. It finishes without being too sweet and all the flavours are nicely in balance.
A big Imperial Stout, dark fruit, chocolate and a hint of sourness
A big and tasty imperial stout brewed with cacao, vanilla and orange peel
An imperial stout brewed with cacao, vanilla and orange zest, aged in Brazilian Amburana wood oak barrels
A luscious big imperial stout with cocao nibs and roasted peanuts
The name translates as 'lubricating oil', and that is a fair description for this rich and smooth imperial stout
Another 2019 Boreft Festival Beer, this is an imperial stout with chocolate nibs and fresh mint
This Borefts Festival beer from 2018 is an imperial stout with amarene cherries, finished on cedar wood
The flagship imperial stout from De Molen - 'Hell & Damnation'
De Molen's 'Hell & Damnation' Imperial Stout
De Molen's flagship imperial stout has been given a hazelnut twist
De Molen's 'Heaven & Earth' - s smoky, peaty Imperial Stout
De Molen's 'Malt & Mocha' is their winter seasonal coffee imperial stout
De Molen's 2018 Boreft Festival '9+1' beer is an imperial stout with added aloe vera
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A slightly sour imperial stout with walnut extract, caramel and salt, aged in Bowmore Whiskey barrels
A blend of two of De Molen's imperial stouts, then aged in various barrels, blended again and spiked with a wild Brettanomyces yeast
A delicious Imperial Stout with the addition of Rooibos, a little lighter and drier than a typical IS
by Brouwerij Emelisse/Slot-Oostende
It is Creme Brûlée - dessert in a glass
by Brouwerij Emelisse/Slot-Oostende
A rich and luxurious Imperial Stout infused with coffee beans from Italy
It's a big dark lager, in the form of an imperial stout. And it is delicious!
Really this is more a cross between a Belgian Quadrupel and an Imperial Stout
A massive Imperial Stout, with loads of roasted malt, chocolate and coffee
A delicious imperial stout with oat flakes in the malt bill, and coffee beans, vanilla and chipotle and mulato chilli peppers
A wintery imperial stout with roasted chicory root
An oatmeal stout with a rich, creamy and luxurious chocolatey flavour
A delicious dessert beer, this is like caramel fudge in a glass
A really interesting, slightly sour Imperial Stout that has been barrel aged for 12 months and spiked with wild Brettanomyces yeast
A delicious imperial milk stout with the addition of coffee beans, cocoa beans and lactose
An imperial stout aged with American oak from bourbon barrels
A big and tasty imperial stout that balances the sweetness with a good level of roasted malts and hop bitterness
Four malts, roasted barley and two hops create a beautiful Imperial Stout - with a Belgian twist.
This Bourbon barrel aged imperial stout is a three-way collaboration with Alvinne (BEL) and Velka Morava (RUS) brewed at Brouwerij Kees
Imperial pastry stout with vanilla, coconut and lactose
An oatmeal imperial stout with the addition of Jamaican coffee beans and orange peel
Imperial Pastry Stout with vanilla, coconut and lactose
An imperial milk stout with vanilla, cinnamon and lactose
A massive imperial stout with the addition of vanilla, marshmallows and lactose
A Belgian Imperial Stout, rich in chocolate, roasted malts and coffee
