Monthly Archives: January 2022

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Aardbei/Kriek

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°7, Season 20/21

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this Aardbei/Kriek, we blended three quarters of a foeder-matured strawberry lambik (the one we bottled straight away for the 6th blend of this season) and one quarter of a kriekenlambik that macerated for 10 months. The weighted average maceration period is almost four months. The final fruit intensity is at 600 grams of red fruits per litre of Aardbei/Kriek. We bottled it without adding any additional lambik.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°7, season 20/21, bottled on 5th January 2021, with a best before date of 26th October 2041. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy orange, amber, pinkish colour with a thin white head that settled fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Strawberries dominate, funk, straw, hay, with light cherry and acetone notes on the finish.
Taste: A little sharp, but unlike the aroma, cherry is stronger here, although the strawberry is still noticeable. Funky, oak, hay, lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Another example of 3 Fonteinen doing well with strawberries in beer. The balance between strawberry and cherry was good, and resulted in something very enjoyable.

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4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation XVIII – Major Tom

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Bottle 661/2000, 2012 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders, matured in Glen Grant barrel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, number 661/2000, 2012 vintage, bottled on 29th March 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Light to moderate roasty, chocolate, whisky, caramel, and liquorice notes.
Taste: Roasty, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, whisky, oak, dark fruit, toffee, liquorice, with a boozy finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with good whisky notes.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation XV – Drone

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Bottle 1250/2000, 2012 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders, matured in Glendronach barrel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml bottle, number 1250/2000, 2012 vintage, bottled on 1st April 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Whisky, dried dark fruit, prune, fig, dates, chocolate, toffee, oak, vanilla, with boozy notes.
Taste: Roasted malts, whisky, coffee, bitter, dark chocolate, with some dried dark fruit and oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with good whisky and chocolate notes.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Cuvée Delphine Cask Strength 4 Roses BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2015 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cask strength limited edition, medium carbonation, 4 Roses bourbon barrel 1 year.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2015 vintage, limited edition cask strength, bottled on 10th May 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet dark malt, milk chocolate, dried dark fruit, raisin, prunes, fruit cake, with boozy notes.
Taste: Sweet dark malt, dark dried fruit, raisin, prunes, fruit cake, bourbon, with notes of milk chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipping RIS with a good amount of dried dark fruit and bourbon flavours, although my preference is still with the original Cuvée Delphine.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Croatia, Sour Ale, The Garden Brewery

The Garden Imperial Blueberry Lemon & Vanilla Sour

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Brewery: The Garden Brewery
Country: Croatia
ABV: 7.1%
Style: Sour Ale
Other Notes: Malts – Lager, Flaked Wheat and Jumbo Oats. Hops – Magnum. Yeast – Sanders & Brexit. Adjuncts – Blueberry, Vanilla and Lemon

Brewer Description: (from can) Double-fruited kettle sour with fragrant Vanilla and zesty Lisbon Lemons.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.93
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 440ml can, canned on 18th August 2021. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A cloudy purple colour with a one finger purple head that had decent retention, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, blueberry, vanilla, and lemon zest.
Taste: Moderately sour, with notes of sweetness. Tart, blueberry, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a touch of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice adjunct flavours that go well together, although I would have preferred a stronger vanilla presence to maybe cut the sharpness of the lemon a bit.