Category Archives: Belgium

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

Cantillon Menu Pineau

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit

Brewer Description: (from bottle in French) Assemblage de lambic de un et deux ans d’âge avec du raisin Menu Pineau en provenance du Domaine des Vins Contés en Val de Loire.

(translated to English) Blend of one and two year old lambic with Menu Pineau grapes from the Domaine des Vins Contés in Val de Loire.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.45
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2019 vintage, bottled on 18th November 2019. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a just over one finger white head that slowly dissipated to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, grape skin, dusty, musty, funk, leather, oak, lemon zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, grape skin, white wine vinous, lime, oak, damp wood, musty, funk, citrus zest.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied, with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very enjoyable with great aroma and flavours, and balanced fruit and funk, showing good complexity.

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.

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, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Vlierbloesem

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°79, Season 21/22

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this Vlier, we macerated freshly picked blossoming elderflowers on two-year old lambik. For this blend, we did not backblend. The weighted average age of this Vlier still amounts to more than 29 months upon the day of bottling. Of the grains that we used during brewing, more than two thirds were sourced in our cereal collective, mostly in Pajottenland. The hops were, on average, 18 years old while brewing. 100% 3 Fonteinen. Bottle count: 528.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.38
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°79, season 21/22, bottled on 3rd June 2022. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark orange colour with a two finger white head that had great retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Elderflower, earthy, grass, oak, damp wood, funk, with light notes of grapefruit zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, floral, elderflower, grass, hay, oak, light funk, lemon zest, grapefruit.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable with good balance between the floral, citrus and funky elements. The key for me is that it’s not overly floral.