The six hundred and sixty-sixth entry on my blog. Well there was only one thing for this: the bottle of Black Damnation II that Stephen from The Beer Club gave me. As is usual for this sort of super-rare imperial spoogebeer, you'll have to give me a whole paragraph while I explain what it is.So, we have a blend of three imperial stouts, starting with 50% Struise Black Albert which has been aged on Colombian coffee beans. Add in 25% of De Molen Hel & Verdoemnis matured in Jack Daniel's barrels, and fill out the rest with Struise's Cuvée Delphine. They've subtitled it Mocha Bomb. Oo-er.
I'm guessing it never occured to them that they had all the makings of beery Irish coffee, but that's sort of how it's turned out. Yes there are hops, lots of them: deliciously bitter with plenty of fresh green veg flavour. But under that you have some pleasantly mild coffee, sweetened with brown-sugar-like malt and boozed up by the whiskey. A smooth creaminess really adds to the effect as well. Rounded, warming and exquisitely balanced, it's not a mocha bomb, it's a purring fireside pussycat.
Imperial Irish coffee. Satan in an aran sweater. Lovely.
Heh. Satan in an aran sweater. Your prose just gets better and better, and this beer sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteDawww, fanks.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly better than the first BD which was a straight blend of Black Albert and Hel & Verdoemnis. But I don't think either are as good as any version of pure Hel & Verdoemnis I've had.
Borefts Beer Festival in eight days and counting...
Bailey beat me to it! "Satan in an Aran sweater" brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI've got mental images of The Spinners with horns and pitchforks :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent beer, this one. I've still got one bottle (or maybe BD#1) that I'm saving for a very special occasion.
Now I've got a Manowar cover version of "In My Liverpool Home" stuck in my head. Thanks.
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