Monthly Archives: March 2023

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Boon x Mikkeller ApS, Lambic - Gueuze

Boon x Mikkeller Oude Geuze Calvados

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Boon x Mikkeller ApS
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.4%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: 100% Boon Lambic. Collaboration between Boon and Mikkeller

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Mikkeller Oude Geuze Boon Lambic is a new unique collaboration between Boon and Mikkeller. Blending lambic from one to three years old, this blend is made in the traditional method of spontaneous fermentation in the Senne Valley, Belgium. This special blend has a distinct twist being matured in oak foeders previously used for Calvados. Ideal before a meal or paired with cheese.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a best before date of 22nd November 2036. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear golden colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention, eventually settling to a thin cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funky, damp rotting wood, dusty, green apple, lemon.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, green apple, oak, lemon, tea, with some mild calvados and funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A good easy drinking Boon x Mikkeller geuze collaboration. I was hoping for the Calvados barrel to be more apparent than it was though as it did seem a bit muted.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Gueuzerie Tilquin, Lambic - Fruit

Tilquin Oude Syrah À l’ancienne

Leave a comment

Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2021-2022

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Syrah Tilquin is made from the fermentation of 185g of grapes by liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.47
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2021-2022, and a best before date of 22nd December 2031. A nice clearly labelled warning on the neck states: “Open carefully, contents under high pressure, prepare your glasses.” I was prepared, and as soon as the cork popped, the contents of the bottle started to get quite active, but luckily nothing was lost in my case. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice looking bright red, with a slight orange tinge, and a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, damp wood, hay, grape skin, vinous, red wine, oak, and a touch herbal.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, grape skin, grape juice, red berries, light citrus, lemon, oak, with some light funky and vinous notes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Another really enjoyable and easy to drink grape varietal fruit lambic from Tilquin.

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

3 Fonteinen Cuvée Miel

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.9%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Blend°67, Season 20/21

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Cuvée Miel is a special version of the Cuvée Armand & Gaston. This geuze is a blend of one-, two-, three- and four-year old lambikken that have been infused with honey on the coolship. While blending, we added some more local honey. The weighted average age of this blend upon bottling was more than 24 months. 100% 3 Fonteinen brewed lambik.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.47
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°67, season 20/21, bottled on 28th July 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear dark golden orange colour, with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin cap, while leaving lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, dusty, hay, stone fruit, peach, apricot, orange zest, green apple, with notes of honey.
Taste: Lightly tart, funky, barnyard, damp wood, hay, green apple, citrusy, orange zest, lemon, with light herbal, honey, and stone fruit notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Another interesting and enjoyable variant of Cuvée Armand & Gaston that drinks really easy and one that I could just drink again and again.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, USA

Founders Bottle Shop Series – Highball Drifter

Leave a comment

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 11%
Style: Strong Ale – American
Other Notes: Ale aged in bourbon barrels with orange peel and cherry. 25 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) There’s a new sheriff in town – meet Highball Drifter, a barrel-aged sipper inspired by our favorite bourbon-based cocktails. The second entry in our Bottle Shop series, Highball Drifter presents aromatics of caramel and vanilla, dried fruit and spice while hints of cherry and bitter orange peel whisk you away like a tumbling tumbleweed. Call us old fashioned, but we think you’re going to love it.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 6th July 2021, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A rusty orange brown colour with a thin half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Cocktails, orange bitters, dried orange peel, caramel, vanilla, with light candied cherry notes.
Taste: Lightly sweet, malty, candied dried fruit, orange bitters, orange peel, citrus zesty, candied cherry, oak, with notes of bourbon and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper that’s very cocktail like, as it’s name suggests; and also with an aroma that was really good.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, S.A. Bières de Chimay

Chimay Grande Réserve Vieillie en Barriques: Châtaignier neuf, Chêne, Cognac 15/03/2016

Leave a comment

Brewery: S.A. Bières de Chimay
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 38% French oak, 22% American oak (second utilization), 22% new cognac barrels & 18% new chestnut

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The “Grande Réserve” barrel aged is an exceptional beer that benefits from triple fermentation and extended maturing in barrels. Unfiltered, unpasteurised, this beer has an incomparable rounded, wooden flavour.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 15th March 2016, with a best before date of end of 2021. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A dark amber brown colour, with a thin half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, and a gently replenishing centre, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Light to moderately sweet dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, oak, with light toffee notes.
Taste: Sweet dark malt, dark fruit, plum, prunes, caramel, toffee, oak, cognac, light booze, and a touch bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s a nice complex sipper, but my preference is still the base beer, which is just so good. Despite this, the barrel aged variants are still very interesting, and I would love to keep trying more.