Monthly Archives: June 2022

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Craftbros Brewing Co., New England / Hazy IPA, South Korea

Craftbros LIFE New England IPA – Skateboard

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Brewery: Craftbros Brewing Co.
Country: South Korea
ABV: 6.5%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA
Other Notes: 29 IBUs. LIFE cover published on May 14th, 1965 featuring Pat McGee doing handstand on the newest trend item, a skateboard. Photographed by Bill Eppridge

Brewer Description: (from can) Much of it is in Korean, but what I do get is, Double Dry-Hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Wai-iti.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 500ml can, canned on 9th May 2022, poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A hazy pale orange colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Grassy and melon notes lead, followed by a wave of citrus, mostly grapefruit zest and rind, and maybe notes of grapes.
Taste: Juicy, lightly bitter, melon forward, grapefruit zest, orange and grass.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Good thirst quenching and easy to drink. Glad we’re getting them fresh in Hong Kong. Looking forward to trying more from them.

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

De Struise Black Damnation IX – Beggars’ Art

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 18.1%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout from Flanders aged for 2yrs in Ardbeg whisky barrels.

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

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 5th May 2021, with a best before of +5 years, poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger beige head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, coffee, caramel, dried dark fruit, prunes, raisins, with some nice boozy whisky notes, although surprisingly only lightly peaty.
Taste: Roasty, chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, fig, raisin, licorice, whisky, light char, a touch peaty, with light leather notes.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: There was surprisingly less peat than expected. It was actually strange in that the peat was noticeably strongest while the beer was colder, whereas when it warmed, this peatiness was somewhat tamed. Also 18.1% ABV? If the ABV was this high, it certainly did not feel like it as it drank easy and smooth. Even easier than some of the lesser ABV Black Damnations. Despite these two comments, the beer did have good aroma and flavours, and drank surprisingly well.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, IPA - Black

De Struise Black Damnation VIII – S.H.I.T.

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: IPA – Black
Other Notes: 150 IBUs. Black Albert mixed with Elliot Brew, aged in bourbon barrels. This mixture of a Russian Imperial Stout and an IPA results in a so-called Black & Tan

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Dark IPA from Flanders aged for 2 yrs on bourbon barrels. Supreme Hoppy Intensive Thing.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.95
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 28th May 2021, with a best before of +5 years, poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a one finger beige head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Prunes, licorice, grapefruit zest, pine, roasted malts, chocolate, and toffee.
Taste: Bittersweet, roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, bourbon, resinous, pine, licorice, grapefruit, and toffee.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Despite the high ABV%, this was pretty easy to drink as the booziness was well hidden, with the nice balance between the roast and the hops.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, Brasserie de la Sambre

De La Sambre Barley IV

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Brewery: Brasserie De La Sambre
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Quadrupel
Other Notes: 28 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A full barley variation of our Rye IV. Our take on the heaviest of all Belgian classic, the quadruple. We have used different layers of caramel malts and high quality Belgian candi syrup to create a complex bouquet of dried fruits including plums, dates, dried raisins as well as notes of fresh dark cherries. We have discarded malt for this variation so that you can use it as a basis and compare with upcoming versions. We have used a classic abbey yeast strain to create a balanced fermentation profile rotating around orchard fruits and white spices. Will mellow over time (3 years) if placed in an environment protected from light and heat. Brewed in our 800 years old farm.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml white waxed bottle, with a best before date of 22nd July 2026. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A dark brown colour with a very nice fluffy one finger beige head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, dried cherry, fresh plums, prunes, caramel, toast.
Taste: Roasted malts, toast, cacao, sweet notes, dried cherries, dates, prunes, raisins, caramel, and a touch boozy.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipper with a good balance between the roasty toasty notes and the sweet dried fruits. While the booze did come through slightly, it wasn’t overly strong and still enjoyable.

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

3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Golden Blend Honing

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.3%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Blend°51, Season 16/17

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Golden Blend is een assemblage van één-, twee-, drie- en vierjarige traditionele lambikken, verder vergist in de fles en waarvan de vierjarige lambik minstens 25% deel uitmaakt. Dankzij de oude lambik en de continue evolutie in de fles ontstaat een uitgesproken complex en elegant natuurlijk bier. Lambik en Geuze zijn rijk en levend erfgoed, eigen aan de Zennevallei! Ongefilterd en ongepasteuriseerd.

Deze specifieke Golden Blend heeft een proportie van 27% vier jaar oude lambiken werd gebrouwen in januari 2013. Bij het assembleren werd er ook wat honing toegevoegd.

(translated to English) 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Golden Blend is a blend of one-, two-, three- and four-year-old traditional lambic, further fermented in the bottle, of which at least 25% is four-year-old lambic(s). Thanks to the old lambic and the continuous evolution in the bottle, a distinctly complex and elegant natural beer is created. Lambik and Geuze are a rich living heritage, characteristic of the Senne valley! Unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This particular Golden Blend has a proportion of 27% four-year-old lambic that was brewed in January 2013. Some honey was also added during assembly.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.29
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°51, season 16/17, bottled on 27th September 2017. Served from a 3 Fonteinen lambic basket, and poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A nice clear golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Green apple, rhubarb, funk, slight cheese, wet wood, lemon, with a hint of honey.
Taste: Tart, light sour, apple, gooseberry, lemon zest, lime, earthy, damp wood, light funk, with an apple peel finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: It was nice and enjoyable, but other than just slightly from the aroma, I do not get any honey directly from the flavour. In the end while it was good, I don’t think it improved on the original Golden Blend, which I thought was amazing.