Monthly Archives: March 2025

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Druif Blaufränkisch (Claus Preisinger)

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.2%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°44, Season 22/23. Number of bottles – 865

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this Druif, we macerated hand-picked Austrian Blaufränkisch grapes for about five months on an oak barrel and on three-year old lambik, before blending it with two- and three-year old lambikken. This grape lambik has a weighted average age of more than 28 months at the moment of bottling. The final fruit intensity is 371 grams of grapes per litre.

A few years ago, we started working with the most progressive low-intervention winemakers around Europe. Claus Preisinger is renowned for his innovative approach in his vineyard, involving natural and regenerative farming. His Weingut is located in Burgenland, Austria.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.59

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°44, season 22/23, bottled on 9th February 2023. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice cherry red colour with a slight purple tinge, and a half finger pinkish head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Grape skin, red wine vinous, blackberry, oak, with light dusty notes.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, blackcurrant, blackberry, grape skin, red wine vinous, oak, and a touch of funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Loved the flavours in this, as the blackcurrant, blackberry and red wine vinous notes just worked really well together. Really tasty and just works for me.

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

3 Fonteinen Druif Fendant – Pinot Noir (Mythopia)

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°124, Season 21/22. Number of bottles – 582

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this small batch Druif, we macerated a mix of Fendant and Pinot Noir-pomace on one-, two- and three-year old lambikken. The pomace underwent a wine fermentation of more than 12 months, rendering the skins, pits and stalks wonderfully fragrant. We let the pomace sit for over four weeks. The weighted average age of this Druif at the moment of bottling was 24 months. About half of the cereals used in the lambikken, was sourced from our Cereal Collective.

A few years ago, we started working with the most progressive low-intervention winemakers around Europe. Mythopia is a very small organic winery from Arbaz, Switzerland. Romaine & Hans-Peter are known for their long skin contact macerations and expressive wines. This pomace came off their Blue Velvet and Fendant wine.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.49

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°124, season 21/22, bottled on 5th October 2022. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour, with a half finger white head that had decent retention, but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, grape pomace, primarily stem and skin, honey, lemon zest, wood, and a light funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, grape pomace, grape stem, yellow stone fruit notes, lemon zest, and a touch of funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable aroma and flavours especially from the grape pomace.

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

3 Fonteinen Druif Sylvaner (Harth+Harth)

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.1%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°42, Season 22/23. Number of bottles – 1315

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this Druif, we macerated Sylvaner grapes from Harth+Harth, for more than four months on an oak barrel. We used two- and three-year lambikken only, rendering the weighted average age of this blend to more than 26 months. The final fruit intensity clocks at more than 584 grams of grapes per litre. Almost 80% of the cereals for the five brews were sourced with our local farmers.

A few years ago, we started working with the most progressive low-intervention winemakers around Europe. Harth+Harth is a family-owned Demeter-certified organic winery from Saulheim in the German wine region of Rheinhessen.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°42, season 22/23, bottled on 9th February 2023. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear golden colour with a half finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Grape must, grape skin, peach, crisp green apple, oak, with light funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, vinous, grape skin, grape pomace, apple, oak, musty, funk, and a splash of lime.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Good aroma and flavours make it enjoyable and easy drinking.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Brew York, England, Stout - Milk / Sweet Imperial

Brew York Empress Tonkoko BA Heaven Hill

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Brewery: Brew York
Country: England
ABV: 10.6%
Style: Stout – Milk / Sweet Imperial
Other Notes: State of Mind Edition 2024. Heaven Hill BA, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Coconut & Cacao Imperial Milk Stout

Brewer Description: (from can) Brewed and released just once a year, each Barrel Aged Empress Tonkoko release spends at least 12 months in a unique selection of barrels. Heaven Hill Bourbon was selected to add a caramel sweetness, subtle rye spice, and rich oak to add depth to an already deeply decadent beer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16

Intro: A 330ml can, 2024 State of Mind Edition (not sure what this means), with a best before date of 27th November 2026. Poured into whatever glass I could find at the hotel.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger beige head that had good retention, and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Dessert, coconut flakes, vanilla, caramel, tonka beans, nutty, toasted almonds, dark chocolate.
Taste: Light roast, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, coconut, bourbon, tonka, nutty, boozy, and a light spiciness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with a very nice aroma.

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

De Struise Tsjeeses Reserva Bourbon Barrel Aged

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: 2014 Vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Belgian X-Mas Ale, bourbon barrel aged.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2014 vintage, bottled on 9th November 2016. Poured into whatever glass I could find at the hotel.
Appearance: A cloudy copper brown colour, with a thin half finger tanned head, that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, candi sugar, plum, raisin, toffee, caramel, toasted bread, chocolate, oak, and bourbon.
Taste: Moderately sweet, plum, raisin, candi sugar, toffee, bourbon, oak, and a touch boozy and spicy on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Good aroma and interesting flavours. I preferred the Port BA version more than this Bourbon BA version, but it could very well be that I let this one age for too long.