Monthly Archives: January 2024

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Lambic - Fruit

Oud Beersel Sparkling Infused Red Szechuan Pepper Lambiek

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Brewery: Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Bottled 10 years before best before date

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Lambic infused with Red Szechuan Pepper.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.75
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a best before date of 10th March 2032. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, bright, lime, citrus zest, Szechuan pepper, peppermint, coriander, with floral notes.
Taste: Sweet and sour, tart, lime, candied grapefruit zest, Szechuan pepper, mint, coriander, woody, with a very light very nice backend tingly spiciness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, tingly spice, with moderate to high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: I love Szechuan pepper and I didn’t know what to expect, but I really wanted this to work, and it didn’t disappoint. The peppercorn gives off this enjoyable tingly spice and interesting minty notes, all the while maintaining good balanced aroma and flavours. This just works so well for me.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Lambic - Fruit

Oud Beersel Sparkling Infused Lapsang Souchong Lambiek

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Brewery: Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Bottled 10 years before best before date

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Lambic infused with Lapsang Souchong.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a best before date of 24th September 2030. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with an almost two finger white head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Smoky and leather dominate, almost peaty, a touch dusty, funky, with notes of pine, apple and lemon zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, lemon, pine needles, tea, sweet notes, honey, herbal, smoke, peat, leather, funk and wood.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: First impressions was that it was a strange combination, unique for sure. However, it definitely grew on me over time, and the aroma and flavours became interesting and thought provoking.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Harviestoun Brewery, Old Ale, Scotland

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16

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Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery
Country: Scotland
ABV: 8%
Style: Old Ale
Other Notes: Aged in Highland Park Wings of the Eagle Single Malt Scotch Whisky casks

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Aged in selected oak casks, formerly used to mature Highland Park’s beautifully balanced Wings of the Eagle Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

(from tag) Ola Dubh (meaning ‘Black Oil’ in gaelic) is a real labour of love for our brew team. We take our Old Engine Oil and mature it in whisky casks from the award winning Orkney distillery & our good friends, Highland Park. The process is far from simple but the end result is a beautiful brew with complementary whisky notes and a chocolate, roasty and bittersweet aftertaste.

The Wings of the Eagle barrels provide an ale that strikes a sensational balance of fruity sweetness with a complex bitter hop background.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.08
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml black foiled and capped bottle, bottle no. 15872, bottled in March 2022, and a best before end date of March 2025. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, sweet dark fruit, whisky, caramel, and maybe a touch of smoke.
Taste: Dark fruit sweetness, light roast, chocolate, brown sugar, caramel, whisky, toasted wood, with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Clean, balanced, aroma and flavours.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Bokke, Lambic - Fruit

Bokke Pruim Reine Claude

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Brewery: Bokke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2019 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 1, 2 & 3 year old lambic with 3 varieties of Reine Claude plums. The fresh, overripe, aromatic plums for this beer were harvested in Hageland (Belgium) and Northern France.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2019 vintage, bottled in February 2020. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet and tart, plum, plum skin, lemon zest, honey, green apple, dusty, funky, oak.
Taste: Sour, tart, some sweet notes, plum, lemon zest, candied grapefruit, peach, oak, and light funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and enjoyable juicy aroma and flavours. I think I would really enjoy this Reine Claude plum varietal, as this is not the only lambic that has used Reine Claude plums in it, yet both were just outstanding.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, IPA - New England / Hazy, Japan, West Coast Brewing

West Coast The Sheriff

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Brewery: West Coast Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 7%
Style: IPA – New England / Hazy
Other Notes: Hops – Citra & Wakatu

Brewer Description: (from website) Introducing our new juicy IPA (yes it has lactose) THE SHERIFF. With the recent re-emergence of The Black Book and the Darkness growing more powerful with every passing day, Hop Dudes turn to new Heroes. We had him wield cans instead of guns because, hops? Mochimune is on high alert for Nemesis sightings, and The Sheriff will stop at nothing to keep evil at bay. Our deputy dude takes a hint from The Prodigy and rides the lactose-added tropical fruit flavor wagon in circles, around the brewery presumably. A revamped hop regimen means a totally unique flavor profile – peach and orange zest and a touch of citrus peel bitterness round out our newest addition to the WCB hazy lineup.

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

Intro: A 500ml can, canned on 14th November 2023. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A hazy orange colour with a just over one finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: A touch muted, but there’s orange peel, citrus zest, and citrus rind.
Taste: Juicy, a touch sweet and bitter. Orange juice, citrus zest and rind, mango notes, and a light but lasting bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The aroma was a bit muted, but other than that, the flavours were pretty good and drinkable.