Robert the Great | Russian imperial stout 10.5% ABV 57 IBUs

Struise Brouwers Brewery Oostvleteren 🇧🇪

Ordered from @greatbeerexperiment 🇸🇬

There’s a lot of similarity with De Struise’s Belgian quadrupel, Pannepeut: it’s malty and sweet. It doesn’t have that much of that soy sauce character you get with a lot of imperial stouts either. I wonder if De Struise’s house yeast is so distinct that it causes their dark beers to end up mostly alike.

What sets Robert the Great apart is the vinous note imparted by the time it’s spent aging in port barrels — surprisingly, De Struise doesn’t make a bigger deal out of this, considering how noticeable a difference it makes to the nose and palate. It’s sweet, subtly tart and moreish. On top of that, it stands up well to the salty funk of blue cheese; a pairing that enhances the flavours of both components.

The bar for imperial stouts keeps getting pushed higher and higher (and more crowded) these days, so Robert the Great may not be as impressive or competitive in comparison. Instead, it may find its audience among those who will enjoy pairing it with chocolatey desserts or cheese platters that will bring out the best of its subtle flavour profile.

@hopviously