No 73 - Hercule Stout (Belgium)

A lovely, creamy, dark nose with notes of freshly grounded coffee, tar, candied orange peel and muscovado sugar. Very deep, pure and hedonistic good! Sweet coffee. Very, very good.

The taste is big and steady with lovely notes of wood smoke, spicy coffee, sweet licorice and asphalt. A lovely warmth. Long and intense with a beautiful spiciness. A great stout!

94p   (tasted from bottle - 2011/01)

No 72 - La Trappe Dubbel (Netherlands)

A deep, creamy nose with notes of milk chocolate, almonds and orange peel. Some wet undergrowth appear afte a while. Deep but not that complex. Good though.
The taste is rather big with a nice sweet yellow fruit and notes of milk chocolate, road dust and orange peel. The bitterness in the finish is nice. Good fruit. Very good.

87p   (tasted from cask - 2011/01)