Monthly Archives: December 2022

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Chien Bleu, Switzerland, Wild Ale

Chien Bleu Giotto

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Brewery: Chien Bleu
Country: Switzerland
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: 660 bottles

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Giotto is a blend of three beers with red fruits. We have blended 60% young prune beer with 20% grape beer (pinot noir) and 20% spontaneous cherry beer from 2019.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.83
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, with a best before date of June 2023. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A not so appealing hazy pinkish brown colour, with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some decent lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, mainly prunes and cherry, funky, light wood, and a touch vinous.
Taste: Lightly tart, prunes, cherry, red wine vinous, light funk, with notes of wood.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The unappealing look of the pour made me check the photos on Untappd, and there seems to be quite a bit of inconsistency from the murky pinkish brown, like my pour, to a more appealing burgundy red, which is unfortunate. The aroma and flavours were better than it looked though, and made for some easy drinking.

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4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cerveza Granizo, Chile, Stout - Imperial

Granizo Foxy Lady

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Brewery: Cerveza Granizo
Country: Chile
ABV: 11.5%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Hot Imperial Stout matured in wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from can in Spanish) La unión entre una dominante cerveza negra y un rebelde ají putamadre, da a luz a Foxy Lady, una Hot Imperial Stout! Disfruta notas de pimienta, ají, café y madera que se funden con el calor del putamadre que perdura por unos segundos. No la olvidarás!

(translated to English) The union between a dominant black beer and a rebellious putamadre chili, gives birth to Foxy Lady, a Hot Imperial Stout! She enjoys notes of pepper, chili, coffee and wood that blend with the heat of the putamadre that lasts for a few seconds. You won’t forget her!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.11
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 473ml can, canned on 15th February 2022, with a best before date of 15th February 2025. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice one finger tanned brown head that had great retention and left lots of lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, dark chocolate, coffee, chili pepper, with slight vinous notes.
Taste: Creamy, roasty, bitter notes, dark chocolate, coffee, pepper, chili, light spice, with slight vinous notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Was hoping for more chili spice as it was definitely more muted than I thought it would be, and maybe softer carbonation. But the base was good and the barrel notes did go nicely with what chili I could feel.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Phase Three Brewing Company, Porter - Imperial, USA

Phase Three Pressed Coffee + Stroopwafel

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Brewery: Phase Three Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: Porter – Imperial
Other Notes: Tugboat coffee

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) Imperial porter with Tugboat coffee and stroopwafels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.37
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 1 pint can, canned on 7th July 2022 (maybe but hard to read), poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, vanilla, milk sugar, caramel, waffle biscuit, with light cinnamon notes.
Taste: Sweet, light roast, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, waffle, with notes of granola and cinnamon, while being a touch bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied, sticky, with soft carbonation.
Overall: If a beer has to be sweet, stroopwafel aromas and flavours definitely work for me, and in this case, it was incorporated very nicely with coffee, making for an enjoyable sipper.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Equilibrium Brewery, New England / Hazy IPA, USA

Equilibrium Light at the End of the Tunnel

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Brewery: Equilibrium Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.8%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) Light At The End of The Tunnel uses Photon as its inspiration with some modifications and upgrades including an all Survivable hop blend for the whirlpool and a large dose of Lupomax Citra in addition to a supersized Photon hop bill. Aromas and flavors of soft pineapple, navel orange, stone fruit, EQ’s rainbow melon, and lime juice radiate with a touch of pine resin at the finish making this beer an easy drinking accompaniment to celebrate the fact that we hopefully have the finish line in site.

My rating: 3-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.56
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 1 pint can, with no clear canned on or best before date. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A hazy orange colour with an almost two finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Orange, melon, lime, with maybe notes of pineapple.
Taste: Bitter, orange rind, melon, lime, lemon zest, and a touch herbal, floral spicy.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s drinkable, but generally the aroma and flavours just wasn’t exactly my thing, especially when compared to other Equilibrium NEIPAs that I’ve tried.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Mardi Craft Brewing Co., Pale Ale - Fruit, Thailand

Mardi Craft Khun Phaen Plai Kaew

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Brewery: Mardi Craft Brewing Co.
Country: Thailand
ABV: 4.7%
Style: Pale Ale – Fruit
Other Notes: Special ingredients – Lychee and Columbus hop. Thai Myth Series. 34 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Brewed with various selective hops for a unique taste while adding a scent of lychee and tropical fruits resulting in subtle yet refreshing finish.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.72
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 500ml can, with a best before end date of 3rd August 2023. Poured into what I guess is a water glass (being all that I could find at the hotel late at night).
Appearance: A clear copper amber colour with a one finger off white head that had decent retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Lychee, flavoured tea, with floral and light citrus notes.
Taste: Flavoured fruit tea, lychee, lemon zest, citrus rind, a touch herbal, floral, caramel malty, lightly bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: An interesting Pale Ale as the lychee was front and centre. But as long as you enjoy lychee, it did provide some good aroma and flavours along with the Columbus hop.