Category Archives: Belgium

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

3 Fonteinen Speling van het Lot XVI.iii: Oude Kirsebær

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.2%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°63, Season 19/20. Number of bottles – 1530

Brewer Description: (from bottle) … so it was in the summer of 2018, we had the honour of visiting Frederiksdal, the renowned Danish kirsebær orchard and cherry wine maker. Not long after, September 13th 2019, we received a few hundred kilos of their sour cherries and macerated them on a charred oak barrel. We used a gentle 3 Fonteinen lambik from one barrel and two different brew days and macerated the lot for almost seven and a half months. While blending, we added one- and two-year old lambikken from three different barrels and three different brews, and some lambikwort from three different brews. We bottled this on Thursday April 16th 2020. The final fruit intensity is 400 grams of kirsebær per litre of this special version of Kriek. Tak til de venlige mennesker i Frederiksdal! 100% 3 Fonteinen.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°63, season 19/20, bottle 1253/1530, bottled on 16th April 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: It was a clear ruby red colour with a slight purple hue, and a thin pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, oak, funk, bandaid, almond notes, with a splash of lemon zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, funk, oak, vinegar, and lemon.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Great aroma, and a fruit lambic that is enjoyable and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Cuvée Delphine

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2019 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Black Albert, 4 Roses barrel aged.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.32
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2019 vintage, bottled on 17th November 2021, with a best before date of +5 years. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, coffee, lots of dark fruit, fig, prunes, raisins, dates, vanilla, bourbon, with a light ashy note in the background.
Taste: Roasted malts, coffee, milk chocolate, moderate sweetness, dark fruit, prunes, dates, bourbon, vanilla, and a touch boozy.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An excellent enjoyable sipper with good aroma and flavours. I think I prefer the base Black Albert just a tiny bit more, but this was still good.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation IX – Beggars’ Art

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 18.1%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout from Flanders aged for 2yrs in Ardbeg whisky barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 5th May 2021, with a best before of +5 years, poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger beige head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, coffee, caramel, dried dark fruit, prunes, raisins, with some nice boozy whisky notes, although surprisingly only lightly peaty.
Taste: Roasty, chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, fig, raisin, licorice, whisky, light char, a touch peaty, with light leather notes.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: There was surprisingly less peat than expected. It was actually strange in that the peat was noticeably strongest while the beer was colder, whereas when it warmed, this peatiness was somewhat tamed. Also 18.1% ABV? If the ABV was this high, it certainly did not feel like it as it drank easy and smooth. Even easier than some of the lesser ABV Black Damnations. Despite these two comments, the beer did have good aroma and flavours, and drank surprisingly well.

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

De Struise Black Damnation VIII – S.H.I.T.

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: IPA – Black
Other Notes: 150 IBUs. Black Albert mixed with Elliot Brew, aged in bourbon barrels. This mixture of a Russian Imperial Stout and an IPA results in a so-called Black & Tan

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Dark IPA from Flanders aged for 2 yrs on bourbon barrels. Supreme Hoppy Intensive Thing.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.95
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 28th May 2021, with a best before of +5 years, poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a one finger beige head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Prunes, licorice, grapefruit zest, pine, roasted malts, chocolate, and toffee.
Taste: Bittersweet, roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, bourbon, resinous, pine, licorice, grapefruit, and toffee.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Despite the high ABV%, this was pretty easy to drink as the booziness was well hidden, with the nice balance between the roast and the hops.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, Brasserie de la Sambre

De La Sambre Barley IV

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Brewery: Brasserie De La Sambre
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Quadrupel
Other Notes: 28 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A full barley variation of our Rye IV. Our take on the heaviest of all Belgian classic, the quadruple. We have used different layers of caramel malts and high quality Belgian candi syrup to create a complex bouquet of dried fruits including plums, dates, dried raisins as well as notes of fresh dark cherries. We have discarded malt for this variation so that you can use it as a basis and compare with upcoming versions. We have used a classic abbey yeast strain to create a balanced fermentation profile rotating around orchard fruits and white spices. Will mellow over time (3 years) if placed in an environment protected from light and heat. Brewed in our 800 years old farm.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml white waxed bottle, with a best before date of 22nd July 2026. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A dark brown colour with a very nice fluffy one finger beige head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, dried cherry, fresh plums, prunes, caramel, toast.
Taste: Roasted malts, toast, cacao, sweet notes, dried cherries, dates, prunes, raisins, caramel, and a touch boozy.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipper with a good balance between the roasty toasty notes and the sweet dried fruits. While the booze did come through slightly, it wasn’t overly strong and still enjoyable.