Chicagoist's Beer Of The Week: Brasserie Dupont's 'Monk's Stout'

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Nov 16, 2012 9:20PM

This week, we're tipping our hats to two wonderful Chicagoans, Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, who have just celebrated 31 years in business as Vanberg & DeWulf Specialty Beer Importers. While they've been at it for all these years, the beer we're featuring today is a newer offering from the Vanberg & DeWulf portfolio, the "Monk's Stout" from Brasserie Dupont.

Monk's Stout is nice and roasty, but soft on the palate and less bitter than most Irish or American stouts. The frothy carbonation is reminiscent of the crema you would find on top of the perfect shot of espresso, and there are some subdued citrus tones such as orange peel hiding just underneath the surface. What really sets 'Monk's Stout' apart from its counterparts is the Belgian yeast strain, which is lending those underlying fruit notes to the mix, as well balancing the slight roasted bitterness of the beer with a touch of richness. A traditional Irish stout will be very dry and light in body, and a lot of American breweries are making stouts that are so big and intensely flavored, it's almost as if they forgot they were brewing a beer. The Monk's Stout is low in alcohol at only 5.2 percent, but it's lush in character and more full in body. It's not sweet, exactly, but it's not as dry as its Irish counterparts.

When we visited Brasserie Dupont in Tourpes, Belgium earlier this year, Brewmaster Olivier Dedeycker told us that he was inspired to brew the Monk's Stout when he found notes about a similar beer while leafing through his grandfather's journals (Olivier's family has owned Brasserie Dupont since 1920). Unfortunately, he didn't have an exact recipe to go off of, but we're perfectly content with the one that he came up with.

When it comes to food, we think you'll find the balance of 'Monk's Stout' helps it play very well with a lot of things. We'd normally opt for something lighter in color with most poultry dishes, but if you have an affinity for dark beers in general, the 'Monk's Stout' would be a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving dinner table. It's not so strong that it will overpower turkey, especially if there's gravy on your plate, and it could be amazing with stuffing if you add dried fruit to your recipe. If you feel so inclined, you could even just crack open another bottle as soon as you get to dessert, since this beer would work just as well with chocolate as it would with apple or pumpkin pie.

Try the Monk's Stout on tap this week at Smallbar Division or Fischman Liquors, and pick up a 750ml bottle or two for Thanksgiving.