Monthly Archives: March 2021

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Scotland, Sour Ale, Vault City Brewing

Vault City Piñazo Sour

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Brewery: Vault City Brewing
Country: Scotland
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Sour Ale
Other Notes: Modern sour beer

Brewer Description: (from bottle) As summer hits full swing, we’re craving tropical flavours to satisfy that holiday thirst. The vibrant sweet-and-tart flavour of pineapple merges effortlessly with our citrusy sour base beer. Creamy coconut rounds out a dessert-like and truly tropical taste. A ‘pinazo’ (literal translation) is a smack in the face. Pinazo Sour offers just that, with a fresh yet decadent flavour. As the Spanish phrase goes – when life gives you pinazos, make pina coladas!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml bottle with a best before date of 25th February 2022. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A nice golden straw yellow colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, pineapple, peach, mango, with light coconut notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, lightly sweet, pineapple, peach, lemon, coconut, fruit cocktail.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable fruity cocktail like sour with wonderful aroma and just really easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Burning Sky Brewery, England, Farmhouse Saison

Burning Sky Saison Provision

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Brewery: Burning Sky Brewery
Country: England
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: Batch 2 (2020)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This tavern strength farmhouse beer is first fermented with Saison yeast and then with a blend of Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces whilst ageing in oak foudres. The result is tart, crisp, slightly sour and incredibly refreshing.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, Batch 2 (2020), bottled on 26th August 2020, and with a best before date of 26th August 2030. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden straw yellow colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quite quickly but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, lightly sweet, lemon zest, grapefruit, apricot, hay, with light floral tea notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, lemon, grapefruit, citrus sherbet, with notes of stone fruit, floral, wood and funk.
Mouthfeel: Dry, crisp, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable Saison. Balanced and really easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Bière de Garde, England, Mills Brewing

Mills Bière de Garde

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Brewery: Mills Brewing
Country: England
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Farmhouse Bière de Garde
Other Notes: Mills Brewing make beer with minimal modern intervention, relying on local wild yeast cultures and the influence of nature to ferment.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Bière de Garde was made from a blend of three contrasting brews produced in January, July and October 2018. The blend produced an easy drinking, dry, malt-forward taste with balancing bitterness and funk. The beer was lagered in bottle at ambient temperature over winter, before completing maturation in the summer months of 2020.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottled in November 2019, with a best before date of November 2029. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: It was a slightly hazy golden orange colour with an almost three finger frothy white head that had decent retention, and eventually settled to a thin cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, fruity, citrusy, orange zest, lemon sherbet, apple peel, slightly vinous, oak, hay, funky, musty wet wood.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, grape skin, slightly vinous, lemon zest, green apple, oak, funky, musty wet wood.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied, with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Not so much opportunity to try many Bière de Garde’s, but this was enjoyable and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Netherlands, Tommie Sjef Wild Ales, Wild Ale

Tommie Sjef Cuvée (Chardonnay)

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Brewery: Tommie Sjef Wild Ales
Country: Netherlands
ABV: 7.8%
Style: Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer fermented and aged in wooden barrels with wine grapes (Chardonnay).

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle with a best before date of 17th March 2028 (10 years). Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light tartness, white grape, vinous, oak, slight funk, citrus, lemon peel, juicy apple.
Taste: Tart, white grape, vinous, white wine, hay, dried grass, light funk, oak, citrus, lime.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma was great, and while flavour was nice, it wasn’t as complex as I’d hoped for, but you know, if it’s good, then it’s good.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Netherlands, Tommie Sjef Wild Ales, Wild Ale

Tommie Sjef Druif (Kekfrankos)

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Brewery: Tommie Sjef Wild Ales
Country: Netherlands
ABV: 7.5%
Style: Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer fermented and aged in wooden barrels with wine grapes (Kekfrankos).

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.48
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, with a best before date of 13th April 2028 (10 years). Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy reddish purple colour with a one finger pinkish head that had decent retention and eventually settled to a thin cap while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, grape skin, vinious, red wine, hay, oak, with light herbal and funky notes.
Taste: Lightly tart, grape skin, vinous, red wine, oak, hay, cherry, blackberry, with light tannins.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Only my fourth bottle from Tommie Sjef, but this was easily my favourite so far. Wonderful aroma and flavours with lots of grape, vinous and oak notes. Very enjoyable.