Monthly Archives: March 2025

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison - Fruit, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, USA

Sante Adairius Long Distance Neighbors

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Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Farmhouse Saison – Fruit
Other Notes: Barrel-aged Saison co-fermented with fresh pear juice

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Meaningful connections often extend beyond mere physical proximity, and such is the case with Long Distance Neighbors. Beginning as a saison that utilizes California-grown raw grain from Sonoma County-based Central Milling, Long Distance Neighbors was then co-fermented with fresh pear juice from our friends at Mission Trail Ranches in San Luis Obispo County. The end result blurs the line between beer and perry, and stands as a testament to our kindred spirits who share a connected approach to their craft, while existing beyond our immediate region. Cheers to all of our neighbors, both near and far!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04

Intro: A 750ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw blonde colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Light tartness, pear, lemon zest, grapes, oak, and a touch of funk.
Taste: Lightly sour and tart, lemon, pear, oak, with notes of apricot and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: An interesting perry and saison mix, but probably not among my favourite SARA saisons.

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

Bofkont Olasz Rizling

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Brewery: Bofkont
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2022 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 1,2&3 year old lambic with Olasz Rizling grapes from Hungary. Skin maceration for several days. After this, the grapeslambic went back into a barrel for a year.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.43

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2022 vintage, bottled on 30th November 2023. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, dusty, grape skin, minerals, oak, and honey.
Taste: Sweet and tart, grape skin, honey, lemon zest, funk, wood, boozy tea.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable complexity with good aromas and great flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Brew Your Mind, Hungary, Sour Ale

Brew Your Mind Fruit Works – Raspberry-Blackberry-Blueberry

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Brewery: Brew Your Mind
Country: Hungary
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Sour Ale

Brewer Description: (from can) Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12

Intro: A 440ml can, poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A very nice deep purple colour with a slight reddish tinge, and a big two finger pinkish head, that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Sweet mixed berry sauce, jammy, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, vanilla.
Taste: Light sweetness, a touch sour, blackberry, blueberry, with a hint of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice easy drinking, with a good amount of fruit.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Scotland, Stout - Pastry Imperial, Vault City Brewing

Vault City Gingerbread Latte

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Brewery: Vault City Brewing
Country: Scotland
ABV: 11%
Style: Stout – Pastry Imperial

Brewer Description: (from can) A smooth, full-bodied stout fit for the season featuring chocolate malt, oats and creamy vanilla for a luscious, velvety mouthfeel. Additions of brown sugar creates delicate sweetness while subtle coffee notes meld with cosy, warming spices of cinnamon and ginger.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.84

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 30th August 2029. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin tanned head that disappeared almost immediately, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar, with a ginger and cinnamon mix that almost resembled banana.
Taste: Sweet, vanilla, chocolate, brown sugar, coffee, caramel, cinnamon, with light notes of ginger.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Sweeter than I wanted it to be, as I was hoping for stronger ginger and cinnamon spiciness, and less sweetness.

4 - Good (buy), Amager Bryghus, Beer Reviews, Denmark, Stout - Imperial

Amager Double Black Mash (2023) Bourbon BA Version

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Brewery: Amager Bryghus
Country: Denmark
ABV: 13.2%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Widow Jane BA (label says 10 months, Untappd says that was erroneous and it should be 22 months)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Take a good thing and make it even better – that’s the philosophy behind Double Black Mash. This huge Imperial Stout was easily big and potent enough after the first mashing, but we thought what the heck let’s give it another spin. So we mashed it in a second time doubling everything that was already good while aiming for great. All grain, heavy duty, no nonsense. Did we hit what we aimed for? Well, that’s really up to you to decide. If you like it big and black this is your kinda beer for sure.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.43

Intro: A 750ml black waxed bottle, 2023 vintage, with a best before date of January 2029. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A deep black colour with a thin brown head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Bourbon, light roast, chocolate, toffee, licorice.
Taste: Bourbon sweetness, chocolate, vanilla, toffee, wood, light roast, and a touch bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with great aroma and flavours. Back to basics barrel aged beer without the need to over adjunctify (is that a word?).