Charbon Smoked Vanilla Stout
Don’t let the name of this brew from Belgium’s Brouwerij de Dochter van de Korenaar. There’s no smoked vanilla within its dark depths. The light char influence on Charbon comes courtesy Weyermann oak-smoked wheat — it imparts that distant campfire character. The vanilla comes into the mix twice during the brewing process in the form of Madagascar and Réunion beans.
Beyond that, I don’t know much more about this beer or the brewery. I just happened across this bottle on a shelf a while back and thought it sounded interesting. And it is. The mixture of the yeast, char, chocolate and vanilla makes for a rather unique flavor that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Appearance
A dense head of brown foam sits atop the opaque, charred black brew.
Aroma
Distant campfire, chocolate, anise and a touch of vanilla all linger cleanly.
Taste
A soft, acrid smokey char leads the way for roast coffee, cocoa, anise, light vanilla and a hint of tobacco. The brew is full-bodied and smooth on the tongue. A bit of yeast mingles playfully within the mix. A light sweetness fades slowly to a dry finish.
Overall
All in all, Charbon is a pretty solid beer. It’s got a nice roast and an interesting yeast character that sort of turns things on edge a bit. It’s a unique brew that I certainly wouldn’t mind having again.
Rating: 3.75/5
