Smuttynose Big Beer Series: Zinneke
Named in honor of the doggy denizens of Brussels, this hybrid beer is a mix of what we love best in a big, roasty stout, but fermented with a Belgian yeast, which brings out a beautiful, fruity nose.
This relatively new sub-style combines Belgian, American and English influences to create a beer whose total is more than equal to the sum of its parts. Here’s how Zinneke breaks down and adds back up. Start with a strong stout. This is the Big Beer Series after all… then “Belgianize” it by altering the grain bill and fermenting the wort with a Trappist yeast strain. We backed off the heavy caramel and roasted malts to create a more complimentary flavor profile for the yeast, which contributes fruity esters and a light body. These parts combine to create a beer with dark color and light body with prevalent flavors of dark fruits, vanilla and toffee, while subtle chocolate flavors appear in the finish.
This relatively new sub-style combines Belgian, American and English influences to create a beer whose total is more than equal to the sum of its parts. Here’s how Zinneke breaks down and adds back up. Start with a strong stout. This is the Big Beer Series after all… then “Belgianize” it by altering the grain bill and fermenting the wort with a Trappist yeast strain. We backed off the heavy caramel and roasted malts to create a more complimentary flavor profile for the yeast, which contributes fruity esters and a light body. These parts combine to create a beer with dark color and light body with prevalent flavors of dark fruits, vanilla and toffee, while subtle chocolate flavors appear in the finish.
3.6
222 reviews
Hampton, United States
Community reviews
Bottle. Pours dark and thick. Not much of a head. Smells wonderful. Chocolates and coffee, dark fruit, creamy vanilla. Taste is alcohol, coffee, vanilla, chocolates, dark fruit. Yum.
(Bottle, 0.65 l, at laiti’s, 20150613) The beer poured very dark brown and clear. Its head was medium sized and white. Aroma had malts, molasses and yeast. Palate was medium bodied with medium carbonation. Flavours were malts, sweetness, yeast, bread, grass and bitterness. Aftertaste was sweet and mildy bitter. A nice malty brew
660ml bottle - thanks VastActiv! (6:4:6-:4-:11=3.1--)
Ruby glints, tiny head. Aroma has some mushrooms. Sweet and sticky body. Both drying and sweet. Nutty sweet and messy taste. What is this? (Apart from a bit of a weird mess, that is.)
650ml bottle @laiti’s, thanks. Dark brown color. Tiny to almost no head. Malty, hops, sweet, roast, sweet notes in aroma. Roasted malts, sugar and chocolate in taste. Sweet roast in aftertaste. Way too sweet for me!
Bottle 0.65l at Laiti’s, Helsinki. Thanks to Jow! Colour is black with very small head. Aromas and flavours: Coffee, some chocolate and roasted malts. Quite fruity easy imp stout. Nice drinkability.
65 cl bottle @ home
Aroma has licorice, cardboardy tones and some licorice. Flavour has herbal tones, licorice root, sweet toasted sugary tones and mild milk-coffee tones. Too sweet and sticky but not that bad. Does not feel like an IS, close to a sweet stout. Pairs well with Marie cookies.
Dark clear cola colored with a tan head. Aroma of banana, bubblegum, and roast. Taste is roast and bubblegummy yeast. It’s a bit off-putting and cloying. Medium bodied. Not thrilled, at all.
On tap at Hopcat. Pours a dark brown with minimal head. Aroma is lots of chocolate and some dark fruit. Bourbon is evident and some oak. Really nice. Alcohol is noticeable.
bomber - nose is roast and dark chocolate. Sip adds burnt sugar/caramel and licorice. boring and flat.
Belgian esters mix with roast in the aroma. Appearance is a very dark brown almost black with a small tan head with low head retention. Flavor has Belgian waters upfront with coffee like roast in the end. Notes of cocoa and toast are also present. Mouthfeel is medium with medium carbonation. Overall, the Belgian esters and the roast clash with each other. Not a fan.
Draught @ Albion. Dark brown with creamy tan head, spicy coffee-caramel aroma, medium carbonation, full body, long finish with mocha aftertaste. The Belgian yeast seems to add some fruity flavors, making this quite a nice brew!
Batch 2012
Pours dark brown with a sheet of light tans. Smells of vanilla, artificial grape, some wood, cocoa and graham. Flavor is mostly grain, sweet graham, some fruit (stone fruit), raisin, dust. Medium bodied leaning on empty, moderate and smooth carb with a dry finish. Interesting beer, the belgian yeast isn’t too aggressively which allows for balance.
Not the mouth feel I like in a stout. It’s a good stout otherwise. It’s a little watery for me.
Very dark brown color. Sweet with Belgium yeast aroma and taste...but not much stout roast flavor. Average!
Dark brown pour with thin white head. Aroma of sweet dark fruit, bread and vanilla. Taste follows nose with an addition of sweet bourbon.
Pours a black brown color with a puffy off white head. Notes of bubblegum, milk chocolate, toffee, and fresh air. Interesting beer.
22oz bottle - pours a dark brown thin off white head . Faint dark fruit , bready sweet aroma . Medium thin bottle , sweet finish . Not bad for the price .
Pours absolute Black with a roasted malt/coffe nose and a thin little brown head that very quickly dissipates leaving a thin ring around the edge of the glass with extremely little carbonation. Taste is dominated by coffee and dark chocolate with the bourbon and vanilla balancing them and toning down the toasty malt. Body is full. The Belgian yeast has "married" the flavors well. 22 oz bottle with a bottle conditioned date of 11/14. There was a day but it was obliterated by handling. As an Imperial Stout, I find it far more interesting than the usual. Its lack of significant carbonation makes it a great drink with chocolate or fruit. It is an aperitif/liqueur without the carbonation and high alc and sweetness. Enjoy it!
Liquide presque noir qui ne forme qu’une éphémère mousse. Dans mon nez, il y a des traces de tabac, du chocolat, des épices (anis?) et beaucoup de fruits foncés. Sur mes papilles, le cacao, le caramel, les fruits comme les prunes, les raisins et ou les figues s’imprègnent de saveurs qui rappellent le bourbon. En bouche, un corps en pleine possession de ses moyens avec sa texture huileuse et ses bulles belges. En finale, une impression d’abt orientée vers le rôti. Pas si mal comme bière même si elle me semble un peu trop sucrée.
Bottle from Brewtopia. Black with no head or lace. Some banana fruitiness with chocolate and wet wood aroma. Very sweet lightly roasted chocolate with some raisin fruit and roasted herbal and woody bitterness. Very low carbo, not even sure if the bottle was sealed well. Slick oily and unblended due to lack of carbo. Overly sweet. Mouth coating bitter fruity sweetness. All wrong beginning with the texture, probably due to the aging and blending. You do not have to "set aside" and blend this beer IMHO. Puhhhlease. Just brew it and give it to us fresh.
Bottle at home. Pours fine black not much head. Nose of roasted malt and licorice. Tastes of chocolate,licorice, roasted malt, dark bread, plum, tobacco, hint of bourbon. Dry palate not overall sweet. Some yeasty finish.
Pours black with a thick, foamy, tan head. Nice lacing. Good retention.
Nose is roasted grain with bold chocolate notes. Hints of vanilla. Taste is balanced. Chocolaty aftertaste. Medium body, mild carbonation. Quite smooth and pleasing.
Deep brown with little off white head. Sweet, light malty chocolate hits in the sides of the mouth then some slight smokey finish. Interesting with some Belgian yeast and bourbon notes which are very light.
22 fl oz bottle. Pours hazy brown with a small tan head. Aroma is roasted dark malty and toffee. Breadish and dark caramelish malty. Roasted dark and breadish. Toasted and fruity dark malty finish.
Bottle. Pours a dark brown color with a small tan head. Has a fruity malty spicy dark dark fruit aroma with weak yeasty hints. Sweetish roasted malty spicy caramel and dark fruit flavor. Has a roasted malty spicy dark fruit and caramel finish.
Bottle... Pours dark brown with a small, creamy, taupe head. The aroma is a collection of chocolate, plums, figs, vanilla, brown sugar, toasted bread and roasted nuts. Full-bodied and oily with modest carbonation. The flavor is nicely balanced – roasty, toasty and loaded with dark chocolate, figs and dates. Lightly bitter, carbonic finish.
Pours black with a tan head. Aroma of malt. Flavor includes spice, and hints of bourbon.
Sample from 65 cl. bottle. Near black with an amber tint. Thin, lightly tanned head. Roasted aroma with sweet fruits, coffee, chocolate, caramel malts and vanilla. Taste is lightly bitter. Medium to full body with a creamy texture and a soft carbonation. Finishes dry and roasted with vanilla and sweet fruits. Lovely Stout.
Bottled. Dark reddish brown coloured. Dense light brown head. Aroma. Roast, light chocolate, caramel, sweetness, vanilla, light bourbon. Flavour. Sweetness, roast, vanilla, chocolate. cocoa. spice, bourbon, alcohol. Medium to full bodied. Ends light roasted.
Sample from Bottle - black pour with thin tan head. Roasted malty aroma and taste, light burnt caramel, some choc, toffee, nice palate, roasty finish. Lovely drop.