Is This Black Beer?

The portrait

Is It Black Beer? is an Imperial Stout that pushes the art of barrel aging to its boldest limits. This beer boasts a very dark brown, almost black, color with subtle amber highlights and a creamy beige head. Aged in Bielle de Marie-Galante rum barrels, it develops an astonishing aromatic complexity that divides and fascinates in equal measure.

On the nose, the roundness of the alcohol is expressed without heaviness, accompanied by characteristic notes of ripe bananas – the result of fermentation with banana puree and Hefeweizen yeast – which releases the fruit's emblematic esters. Roasted cocoa and dried fruits complete this open and complex bouquet. On the palate, the initial roundness reflects the barrel aging without the alcohol dominating. The texture is smooth, almost creamy.

This beer intrigues with its hybrid profile, dubbed by some tasters a "sour stout" —a category unto itself. One fan notes, "Underrated. If you like sours and stouts, this BA is amazing ," while another observes that it's "Closer to a sour stout than a double imperial ." This duality of light acidity and roasted depth creates a confusing but memorable experience for adventurous palates. At 11% ABV and only 15 IBUs, C'est La Bière Noire? prioritizes aromatic complexity over bitterness.

History & Innovation

Is It Black Beer? was born from a collaboration between La Nébuleuse and Joel Galy, aka "le Pey", a brewer straight from Brussels . Its name refers to a famous French television sketch, adding a touch of offbeat humor typical of the La Nébuleuse universe. The exclamation mark and question mark combined in the title perfectly sum up the ambiguity of this creation: "Is It Black Beer?" – "YES! YES! YES!"

This "art-by-the-book" Imperial Stout takes the barrel-aging concept even further by marrying Caribbean rum with banana esters. The choice of Bielle de Marie-Galante rum, a renowned agricultural rum from Guadeloupe, is not insignificant: it brings a tropical dimension and a vanilla roundness that blends into the roasted notes of the stout.

The innovation lies in the use of a Hefeweizen yeast – normally reserved for German wheat beers – to amplify the natural banana aromas. This technical feat is a testament to the mastery and boldness of La Nébuleuse, which does not hesitate to combine styles and traditions to create something radically new.

Food and beer pairings

With its complex profile combining roasted coffee, rum, banana and a slight acidity, C'est La Bière Noire? calls for delicious and creative pairings:

Tropical Desserts : A dark chocolate fondant with a hint of flambéed banana would perfectly complement the beer's aromas. A banana tarte tatin or a reworked tiramisu with hints of rum would also work wonders.

Chocolate : Dark chocolate desserts (brownies, cakes) are classics with Imperial Stouts and would work beautifully here, with the banana and rum adding an exotic dimension.

Strong Cheeses : A Roquefort, Gorgonzola, or other full-bodied blue cheese would stand up to the intensity of this beer, creating a fascinating contrast between the character of the cheese and the complexity of the beer.

Dried Fruit Desserts : A pecan pie with maple syrup or a candied fruit and rum cake would play on the complementarity of the caramelized flavors.

The final word

La C'est La Bière Noire? will remain in La Nébuleuse's history as one of its most daring and polarizing creations —a beer that didn't seek compromise but fully embraced its hybrid and experimental nature. The result of a Belgian-Swiss collaboration, aged in Caribbean barrels and fermented using German techniques, it embodies the creative freedom that makes the craft scene so strong. For those lucky enough to taste it, it remains a tropical, roasted memory, proof that in craft brewing, anything goes when it's done with talent.

Cheers! 🍻

The recipe