De Haring Koning

Two breweries with a thing for characterful beer, one dark little stout.

Together with De Kromme Haring we brewed Haringkoning: an Oatmeal Stout that packs a surprising amount into just 3.5%. Dark, smooth and malty, with blackberry adding just enough fruit to keep things fresh.

The malt bill does most of the heavy lifting. Munich and Dark Munich bring bread crust and deep maltiness, Crystal adds caramel and dried fruit, while Brown Malt and Chocolate Wheat push things towards cocoa and light roast. Malted oats and maltodextrin give the beer a soft, rounded body that feels much bigger than the ABV suggests.

Then there’s blackberry. Not enough to turn this into a fruit beer, but enough for a dark berry note and a little freshness through all that malt. Styrian Aurora and Bobek stay quietly in the background with soft herbal and spicy hop character.

The name? A small nod to a much-loved old Haagse herring icon, and to a country that has never been shy about its relationship with fish.

But the beer itself stays firmly in stout territory.

Dark malt. Cocoa. Blackberry. Soft body. 3.5%.

More than enough reason for another one.