VBDCK Brewery - KEREL Stout

Pouring a deep, dark color, KEREL Stout offers the rich roasted character one expects from the style, but VBDCK pushes those flavors in a particularly decadent direction. Coffee and pure chocolate are the dominant impressions, combining to create a distinctly mocha-like profile. The brewery describes the beer as deep, rich, and sweetly mocha-driven, with modern hops providing an additional layer of character and helping to round out the darker roasted flavors. On the palate, expect those coffee and chocolate notes to remain firmly at the forefront, giving the beer plenty of flavor without the higher alcohol content found in many imperial stouts. At 5% ABV, it remains relatively approachable, while a substantial 44 IBUs provides a bitter counterpoint to its sweeter mocha character. For pairings, we’d steer toward smoked or grilled meats, hearty beef dishes, aged cheddar, or desserts featuring chocolate or coffee. For a particularly decadent match, try it alongside tiramisu or a rich chocolate cake. Cheers!

VBDCK Brewery’s story stretches back to 1867 and the historic Verbeeck-Back brewery in Tielrode, a small village in northern Belgium. The family-run brewery developed a strong regional following and passed its brewing traditions from one generation to the next until production came to an end in 1966. Nearly half a century later, descendants of the Verbeeck-Back family joined forces with the De Cock family to resurrect the brewery, combining their names to create Verbeeck-Back-De Cock—or VBDCK. The historic brewery was revived in the 2010s, with production of its KEREL beers beginning again in 2017.

The revival came with an unusual connection to the brewery’s past. According to VBDCK, a sealed bottle of the original KEREL beer was discovered beneath rubble in one of the old brewery’s cellars. Belgian specialists and university researchers were brought in to analyze the bottle and recover the original KEREL yeast DNA. Today, that rediscovered brewing heritage forms part of the identity behind the KEREL range. The family brewery continues to operate in Tielrode, where its lineup combines Belgian brewing tradition with a distinctly modern and unconventional approach.