Hel & Verdoemenis (Aged in Scottish Barley Whiskey Barrels)

I do not drink a lot of scotch. However, I have enjoyed mostly every one I have tried. I find the rich, smoky flavor, as well as the vast differences between the blends and the single malt scotches to be particularly fascinating. I do not typically buy a lot of scotch because I buy a lot of beer. I have been told that once you really get into single malt scotch, it becomes a very expensive venture. I already have that with beer, I can't justify both. However, I got a chance this week to try a beer that brought both worlds together. From Brouwerij De Molen in the Netherlands, a variant of Hel & Verdoemenis(Hell & Damnation) combined scotch & beer by taking a smoked imperial stout and aging it in Scottish barley whiskey barrels. The bottle also describes the beer as “heavily peated,” and I would want and expect no less. Everything here sounded fantastic but if you read my blog, you know I have said that before to disappointing results. So would these complex flavors work well together? Or would this purchase be another expensive mistake?

If I had to describe this version of Hel & Verdoemenis in one word it would be smoky. That dominates the aroma, as well as the flavor. Charred caramel, dark chocolate and a lot of alcohol also come through in the aroma as well. Actually drinking this beer was a bit of a journey. Initially the strong flavor of peaty smoke, caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla and oak delighted my palate. The 11% ABV was very noticeable as well, especially in the finish but it worked here. As I made my way through the glass I began to notice a sea salt-like finish begin to come through. I know that some scotches have a slight saltiness to them, so this was nothing unusual. Unfortunately, it just did not work in the context of this beer. The more it warmed, the more the salt water flavor clashed with the smokiness, chocolate, and caramel of the stout. The finish also began to develop a sort of vegetal flavor which I am assuming is seaweed. The more it warmed, the stronger this got. It got so potent, I began to dread taking a sip for about the last third of the beer.

As I finished the beer, I could not help but think of what a missed opportunity this beer was. I was hoping not to say it, but the truth is I did not like Scotch Barrel Aged Hel & Verdoemenis. However, this is a style I definitely want to see more of. Bourbon Barrel Aging is wonderful and I believe Scotch Barrel Aging has potential to do some really nice things in the beer world. I really want to see more breweries taking chances on the style like Brouwerij De Molen did here.

Overall I would rate Hel & Verdoemenis Smoked Imperial Stout aged in Scottish barley whiskey barrels a 2/5. There are some really nice flavors here, unfortunately they just do not work well together.

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Dogfish Head Beer For Breakfast Stout

I have never eaten scrapple. Actually I do not believe I have ever seen scrapple. In fact, it took a quick Google image search for me to actually see what it was. Now that I know, I wish I had not seen it. If you are like me and are curious what scrapple is, I can save you the trouble. It is an unappetizing looking meatloaf made of mushy pork. To be more specific, according to Wikipedia, it is made from unused parts of the pig during butchering. So obviously the perfect place for this completely unappetizing looking meatloaf is in a beer, right? Well, Dogfish Head thinks so and it's an ingredient in their latest offering, Beer for Breakfast Stout. Obviously I am a huge fan of being creative with beer but my initial reaction to this particular one is, “Why?” By the time my glass is empty, I hope to see any reason to justify this beer's existence.

Pouring a rich black with a tan head, the aroma of Beer for Breakfast is actually amazing. It is a blast of coffee with a nice smokiness, liquorice and some chocolate. With an aroma like that, I think I'll be able to completely disregard the image of that horrendous looking meatloaf. The taste fortunately is very much like the aroma. It is a blast of coffee & smoke accompanied by dark chocolate, liquorice, pepper and a splash of cream. There is a tiny hint of maple sweetness in the finish along with a lot more smoke. Much like Singlecut's Barrel Aged Heavy Boots of Lead from a couple weeks ago, I wanted more maple in this beer. Still, the coffee & smoke flavor really work for me here. Obviously I do not get any meat from the beer, as clearly this is more of a gimmick than anything else. Perhaps the flavor of the meat added to the smokiness but since I have no further interest to learn any more about scrapple I'll move on.

I think Dogfish Head did a pretty solid job with this beer. It is a bit more complex than their Chicory Stout. Unfortunately, I can't for certain say it is better. It is definitely worth a try if you like coffee & your beer smoky. If you do not prefer the latter, I would just stick with Founders Breakfast Stout. It really is an amazing achievement in beer.

Overall I would rate Beer for Breakfast a 3.25/5. It's a nice coffee forward beer that I fear will only be remembered for the fact that scrapple is an actual ingredient in it.


Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter, Instagram & Untappd at @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://www.acraftylook.com

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!