Monthly Archives: November 2019

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Heroes Beer Co., Hong Kong, New England / Hazy Double IPA

Heroes Lazy Dayz

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Brewery: Heroes Beer Co.
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 7.9%
Style: New England / Hazy Double IPA
Other Notes: 26 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Never give up. Deep gold color with some lazy haze. Packed with green limes ,tangerines, mangoes, and grassy hop aroma. A simple but sturdy malt base with very low levels of toastiness. Finished with fruit-like sweetness and velvety mouthfeel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml can, packaged on 6th September 2019 and with a best before date of 6th December 2019. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A very hazy orange colour with a big two finger white head that had great retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, tropical mango, citrusy, orange zest and pith, splash of lime and a light grassy note.
Taste: Good sweet and bitter balance. Mango, mandarin peel, orange zest, and some lightly grassy.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I like it. One of my favourite IPAs from Hong Kong so far, and the scene definitely keeps improving. Juicy, zesty, with a good balance between sweet and bitter. Goes down easy and enjoyable to drink.

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2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, BrewDog, Scotland, Stout - Imperial

BrewDog Tokyo*

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Brewery: BrewDog
Country: Scotland
ABV: 16.5%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Intergalactic stout

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This is a beer inspired by a 1980s space invaders game played in Japan’s capital. The irony of existentialism, the parody of being and the inherent contradictions of post-modernism, all so delicately conveyed by the pixelated arcade action have been painstakingly recreated in this bottle’s contents. We brew this complex Imperial Stout with copious amounts of speciality malts, jasmine and cranberries, dry-hop it with a bucket-load of our favourite hops then carefully age it on French toasted oak chips. It’s all about moderation. Everything in moderation, including moderation itself. What logically follows is that you must from time to time, have excess. This beer is for those times.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 29th January 2026. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate, coffee, licorice, dark malt, light char, oak, hints of dark fruit.
Taste: Sweet, caramel, syrupy, licorice, chocolate, dark fruit, raisin, prunes, cranberry and alcohol.
Mouthfeel: Syrupy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: As it warmed to a more Imperial Stout ‘ideal’ temperature, it actually became too sweet and syrupy for my liking. I actually enjoyed it more when the cold numbed and toned it down a bit. The combination of sweet and syrupy was just too much for me even just sipping, as there wasn’t enough roastiness to balance it.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Sour Ale, To Øl

To Øl LikeWeisse (Director’s Cut)

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Brewery: To Øl
Country: Denmark
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Sour Ale
Other Notes: Brewed & bottled by To Øl at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We bring to you a director’s cut version of our Berliner Weisse “LikeWeisse”. This is the absolute extended version where all the obscure details are present and the pure essence is presented to you. This is a 10.5% ABV dry hopped wheat sour ale.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.44
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 375ml foiled, corked and caged bottle, with a best before date of 26th February 2020. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A murky cloudy copper colour with a very thin sparse clear head and no lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, sour, barleywine-ish, dark fruit, plum, prunes, apple juice, grapes, caramel and toffee.
Taste: Sour, light tartness, dark fruit, plum, prunes, apple juice, grape, syrupy, oak, lemon, lightly malty.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Possibly past it’s prime, but still within best before date. Doesn’t feel anywhere near 10.5% ABV as the alcohol is well hidden. Carbonation was way too soft for my liking and was my main negative.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Lambic - Gueuze, Mikkeller ApS x To Øl

Mikkeller x To Øl Betelgeuze

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Brewery: Mikkeller ApS x To Øl
Country: Denmark
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Gueuze)
Other Notes: Dry hops – Citra, Centennial, Amarillo, Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, Columbus, Tomahawk, Tettnang, Belma, Mandarina Bavaria, Calypso and Bravo. Brewed & bottled by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dry hopped Lambic.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.96
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 375ml bottle, with a best before date of 27th February 2024. Poured into Cantillon gueuze glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy dark orange, copper amber colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some nice curtain lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, funk, oak, light apple cider vinegar, apple skin, grape, lightly vinous and a touch of sour citrus juice.
Taste: Sour, funky, oak, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, apple skin, grape, lightly vinous, with a vinegar finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Although I don’t think this is exactly the base, it does remind me a lot of the Mikkeller Spontan series. It was pretty good to begin with, but I think I did grow to like it even more towards the end.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Lambic - Gueuze

Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille Barrel Selection Foeder 21

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Brewery: Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Gueuze)
Other Notes: 2019 vintage. Bottled 20 years before best before date

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Foeder 21, originally used for the production of sweet white wine, has been in Oud Beersel’s cellar since 2011. This Oude Geuze is a blend of 4 year old Lambic from Foeder 21, and younger Lambic pulled from similar barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle with a best before date of 15th February 2039. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A very lightly hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Funky, barnyard, mouldy, funk, wet wood, musty, green apple skin and sharp lemon zest.
Taste: Lightly sour, funky, barnyard, musty, oak, lightly vinous, white grapes, and lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was good, a little more musty and funky than I prefer, but still very drinkable with good balance of citrus and vinous notes.