This is another of De Molen’s special, one-off festival beers from their Boreft Festival late last year. As usual, the brewers have taken license to experiment, and the result is an interesting – if slightly unexpected – beer.
For fans of tea IPA’s (think Yeastie Boys’ Gunnamatta, or even De Molen’s Dag & Dauw), please don’t think this is an IPA with a hint of tea. This beer is much more about the tea and smoked malts, than it is about highlighting hops.
Bergamot extract and smoked malts take centre stage, with an aroma of wood smoke, leather, smoked ham, lightly toasted tea leaves, sweet malts and a slight grassy, herbal character.
The beer is sweet at first, with caramel malt and a light bitterness. The smoked malt and tea combine to accentuate the smokiness, with any hop character really overpowered by the smoke and tea.
This beer may be a little divisive – as smoked beers can be. For smoky fans though, as well as those partial to an earl grey tea, this beer is a tasty little experiment.
The name translates as 'Scents and Colours'!
De Molen's annual spring time release is 'Day & Dew' - an IPA featuring a bevy of US hops and bergamot fruit
De Molen's first take on the currently trending north-east IPA
The spring seasonal offering from De Molen is technically an India Pale Lager
A beer sitting between a pale ale and an IPA, celebrating 50 years of Maris Otter malt
An old-school IPA, the gift of De Molen's brew team to John Brus for his recent marriage to partner Petra
A west coast IPA from one of California's early microbreweries
by Brouwerij Emelisse/Slot-Oostende
20% rye, 10% smoked malt with Simcoe and Cascade hops
A clean, crisp and sessional IPA from the team at Troubadour
An English-style IPA from the third generation Martin's family brewery
An IPA featuring a bevy of different hops, with a big caramel malt body
An IPA from Kees, finished with a French saison yeast for an interesting mix of beer styles
Kees' version of a NEIPA - or at least a hazy IPA - full of Citra, Mosaic and Loral hops
Pineapple, coriander and szechuan peppers plus a little lactose make for an intriguing milkshake IPA
An IPA which mixes the influences of both the Anglo-Saxon and US versions of this style
A deliciously fruity and aromatic IPA featuring Centennial, Chinook and Columbus hops
A Berliner weisse with hibiscus flowers and fresh blueberries
A big, juicy American style double IPA, dry-hopped with Amarillo
An American-style Pale Ale-ish, featuring Columbus & Amarillo dry-hop
An American Strong Ale, a big malty body, lots of fruit flavours and a pleasant hop bitterness
A combination of English and German smoked malts combine in this rich, tasty dark treat
De Molen's annual spring time release is 'Day & Dew' - an IPA featuring a bevy of US hops and bergamot fruit
De Molen's first take on the currently trending north-east IPA
A Double IPA made for Boreft's, featuring hops from De Molen's own hop fields
A barley wine with smoked malt and three varieties of chillies. Different but delicious!
A simple, traditional style porter 'made they way porters used to be'
De Molen's take on a Belgian Tripel style - lots of sweet malt and generous hop bitterness
An English Strong Ale, like a smaller version of a Barley Wine
The flagship imperial stout from De Molen - 'Hell & Damnation'
De Molen's 'Heaven & Earth' - s smoky, peaty Imperial Stout
An imperial banana choco porter, this is one of the 2017 Borefts Festival beers from De Molen
The spring seasonal offering from De Molen is technically an India Pale Lager
Essentially an American Pale Ale, with a decent caramel malt body
De Molen's 'Beautiful & Ruthless' is part quadruple part imperial stout
De Molen's 'Malt & Mocha' is their winter seasonal coffee imperial stout
This collaborative brew between De Molen and Omnipollo is an Imperial Pineapple IPA
A session bitter, nudging toward an IPA dry-hopped with Amarillo
One of De Molen special 'Bereft Festival' beers from 2016, a Red Rye Ale
A beer sitting between a pale ale and an IPA, celebrating 50 years of Maris Otter malt
An old-school IPA, the gift of De Molen's brew team to John Brus for his recent marriage to partner Petra
A delicious smoked dopplebock is the result of a collaboration between De Molen and Sound Brewery of Washing State USA
De Molen's farewell to their European summer is this hoppy wheat ale
A light and refreshing summer style Berliner Weisse, dry-hopped with Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra hops
De Molen's Imperial Porter - all the sweetness and complexity of an imperial stout, without the roasted bitterness
A classic Belgian style saison, with a twist - dry-hopped with Cascade & Amarillo
A bottom fermented India Pale Lager, dry-hopped with Simcoe & Citra hops
A saison with winter-type spices added including timut and szechuan peppers, mustard seeds and juniper
A refreshing India Pale Lager, dry-hopped with Cascade for a fruity, bitter bite
A massive Imperial Stout, with loads of roasted malt, chocolate and coffee
A collaboration between De Molen and Reketye (HUN), this dopple bock features smoked malts and smoked paprika powder
A collaboration between De Molen and Beavertown (UK) sees a beery take on the traditional Gin & Tonic
