All posts by kitch

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij De Ranke, Wild Ale

De Ranke Back To Black

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9.5%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Aged on wood

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This beer has been designed as an old Export Porter. It has been brewed as undrinkable bitter and then aged in wood for 9 months. The result is a strong dark beer that has a perfect bitter/sour balance.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.75
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 13th October 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A hazy rusty orange brown colour with a thin beige head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, plum, prunes, cherry, light funk, with only a hint of roast and chocolate.
Taste: Sour, tart, plum, prunes, raisin, orange, citrus peel, and oak.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: I was expecting an Imperial Porter so my first impression wasn’t great. But as a Wild or Sour Ale, this was interesting with its citrusy orange finish. The body didn’t seem like it’d support such a high ABV beer, but at the same time, it didn’t feel even close to being 9.5% ABV.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Lambic - Fruit, Mikkeller ApS x Three Floyds Brewing Co.

Mikkeller x Three Floyds Blå Spøgelse

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Brewery: Mikkeller ApS x Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Country: Denmark
ABV: 7.7%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Brewed by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sour Ale brewed with blueberries and aged in oak barrels. Blueberry Bluebic.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, with a best before date of sometime in 2026 (since the month was not legible). I suspect this bottle is a 2016 vintage. Poured into a Mikkeller stemmed tasting glass.
Appearance: A hazy reddish purple orange colour with a one finger pinkish head that had decent retention but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, Spontan like funk, oak, blueberry skin, blueberries, Ribena, with notes of zingy lemon zest, pepper, and hay.
Taste: Sour, tart, funky, blueberry skin, blueberry, oak, plum, Ribena, lemon zest, with herbal, yoghurt and jammy notes.
Mouthfeel: Dry-ish, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable and easy to drink with nice berry notes. I’ve tried it a few times, and admittedly, despite a best before of 2026, I think it may have just past it’s prime.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Carbon Brews, Hong Kong, IPA - New England / Hazy Double

Carbon Brews Crazy Rich Lupulins

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Brewery: Carbon Brews
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 8.2%
Style: New England / Hazy Double IPA
Other Notes: 23 IBUs. Malts – Pilsner, Wheat, Oats, Carahell and Vienna. Hops – Mosaic, Cascade, Citra, Galaxy and Simcoe. Yeast – London Ale III. Drink – Fresh. Experience – Smooth, juicy, mango, papaya

Brewer Description: (from can) Double Hazy IPA.

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

Intro: A 330ml can, with a best before date of 8th January 2021, but should be less than a month in the can. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy mango orange colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, papaya, melon, mango, and orange juice.
Taste: Lightly bitter, juicy, orange juice, papaya, mango, and mandarin zest.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice, enjoyable and juicy, the citrusy orange juice flavour stands out among the fruits.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Carbon Brews, Hong Kong, IPA - Session

Carbon Brews Staying Alive

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Brewery: Carbon Brews
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 4.6%
Style: American Session IPA
Other Notes: 41 IBUs. Malts – Pale Ale, Carahell, Carapils, Abbey and Wheat. Hops – Warrior, Citra, Mosaic, Idaho 7, Simcoe Cryo, Centennial Cryo and Cirra. Yeast – US-05. Experience – Sessionable, citrus

Brewer Description: (from can) Session IPA.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.81
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 330ml can, with a best before date of 8th April 2021, but should be less than a month in the can. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Melon, papaya, grass, pine, with citrus lemon peel notes.
Taste: Lightly bitter, orange pith, orange zest, with hints of grass and pine.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate but spritzy carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking and great during the hot summer.

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

Lambiek Fabriek Juicy & Wild Muscar-Elle

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Brewery: Lambiek Fabriek
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Unieke blend van zelf gebrouwen lambieken met hergisting op de fles, die een maceratie kende met de nobele Muscaris druif, geteeld in Belgie. Dit product is puur, ongefilterd en niet gepasteuriseerd.

(translated from Dutch to English) Unique blend of self-brewed lambics with refermentation in the bottle, which was macerated with the noble Muscaris grape, grown in Belgium. This product is pure, unfiltered and unpasteurized.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.38
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottled in January 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden colour with a two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but eventually settled to a thin replenishing fluffy cap.
Aroma: Sweet, grapes, Gewürztraminer, honey, apple peel, lemon zest, funky, oak, with peppery notes.
Taste: Lightly sweet and sour, grapes, lemon, green apple, and a light funkiness.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry, light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Second time trying, and this bottle seems even better than the first. Reminds me of sweet white wine, but not the dessert kind and it’s also got a light sour tang to balance out the sweetness. As far as lambics go, it doesn’t feel too complex, but the taste is my thing and it drinks really easy. This would be an interesting one to age.