Black Damnation III Black Mes (De Struise Brouwers)

I've a thing for thick, black stouts. There's something about the style that's both massively macho, yet at the same time almost daintily boyish, which I find quite charming.

There's quite a bit of discord and misinformation floating about concerning stouts, and ironically, many of the classic stouts known the world over (I'm looking at you, Guinness), aren't very, well, stout. In fact, they're often (by today's standards) quite mild.

De Struise Brouwers were among the first in Belgium to embrace the American way of brewing stouts true to their name: massively roasted malty monsters, with the Black Albert as a flagship example. Using this exemplary beast, DSB have made themselves a mission: to brew a dozen beers (and I'm quoting the label here) "black as hell, filthy rich in the nose and with massive taste".

Even when I'm sort of partial to a brewery as I am to these guys, that's some bold cock-strutting which needs verification.

Black as hell: check 

Oh it pours like a big bad stout alright: oily and thickly viscous. Gloopy, yet with a surprising bit of head. Most of that head's gone after about two minutes, but what was there was a froth of large bubbles with a deep tan hue. That's one third of the label's claim accounted for.

In the nose, however, not much is happening at first. In fact, it smells a bit weak and irony. Not ironic, I mean iron-like. It takes several minutes of airing our before the nose starts to slowly blossom, and the iron turns into darkly roasted barly. Not much malt going on, and just a tiny hint of coffee/chocolate. A nice and surprisingly mild backbone of whisky peers through, but it's struggling. Odd, because this is (and again I'm basing this on the label which I can only hope to be correct in spite of a few grammatic errors) 100% Black Albert, aged in Caol Ila whisky barrels. Now both the Albert and the Caol Ila are bold and aromatic beverages, but the Mes smells, for want of a better word, a bit pinched. Restrained, rather than aromatic.
It really pays off to take your time though: once the beer warms up, so does its fragrance, and the smokey peatiness of the Caol Ila does come through eventually.

What a decadent mouthfeel! Thick and oily, smooth and velvety, almost spoonable.

If your eyes were in your mouth, then this what you'd be feeling.
If that makes sense.

Covered by this thick duvet of smoothness, there's plenty of aromas trying to grab the attention: burnt caramel, slightly bitter but mostly sweet, black roasted barley and of course whisky. Oak and smoke and, nicely subdued, a bit of peat. A lingering, acrid bitterness settles in the beginning of the throat, mildly alarming the uvula slumbering in its recesses.

Not only did you not know that little wobbly with was called uvula,
I bet you didn't  know people pay good money to have theirs pierced.

The heavily malted base only barely manages to offset to bitterness with an enduring sticky-sweet residual mouthfeel which is a bit anticlimactic when compared to how the beer entered the mouth. There's enough whisky notes going about to give credit to the lads at Caol Ila, but when compared to the actual dram itself, it's ultimately underwhelming.

Now don't get me wrong: this is a fine stout, and definitely recommendable to any beer lover with an interest in stouts or/and barrel aged brews. Coming from DSB, I'd expected a bit more.

Having said that, I realise that many of DSB's legendary brews have left me a but unsatisfied. The Black Mes is no exception, and while I certainly will not decline when offered one, this is not the go-to stout I'd be namedropping when thusly prompted.

But hey, finishing this glass is no chore. Not by a long shot.


Beer: Black Damnation III: Black Mes
Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Style: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
ABV: 13%
EBU: 78
EBC: 300+
Served: 330ml bottle


Greetz

Jo