Category Archives: Belgium

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

De Ranke Mirakel

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Gueuze)
Other Notes: 2018 vintage. Spierelambic

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The lambics used in this blend are one, two and three years old. Two of them are real lambics made by traditional producers of the valley of the Senne river. The third one is made in our own brewery and we’ve called it Spierelambic, after the tiny river that runs near the brewery. We love this style and decided to try to make it ourselves. That it seemed to work, was a miracle to us.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.55
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2018 vintage, bottled in June 2018, with a best before date of 8th June 2023. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden straw yellow colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Light funk, barnyard, oak, lemon peel, apricot, and Champagne grape.
Taste: Lightly sour, funky, oak, lemon, green apple, with notes of apricot.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with soft to no carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were not as bold or funky as some of the better Gueuze’s I’ve tried, and I wasn’t fond of the lack of carbonation.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Lindemans x Brouwerij Varenbroek, Lambic - non-Lambic Blends

Lindemans x Varenbroek Goyck

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aka – Lindemans Goyck (beeradvocate)
aka – Varenbroek Goyck (ratebeer & untappd)

Brewery: Brouwerij Lindemans x Brouwerij Varenbroek
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (non-Lambic blends)
Other Notes: a fine blend of ‘Toots’ & ‘Lindemans Lambic’

Brewer Description: (from bottle) ‘GOYCK’ is a blend beer from a top fermented beer ‘Toots’ and a beer of spontaneous fermentation ‘Lindemans Lambic’. The bottle refermentation with ‘Brettanomyces’ gives the final beer a unique taste and aroma! ‘GOYCK’ refers to the old notation of the name of our beautiful village. A village and a beer of ‘Pajottenland’ to be proud of!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.08
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on April 2018, with a best before date of April 2025. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden straw yellow colour with a big three finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but eventually settled to a very nice fluffy thin replenishing layer while leaving good lacing.
Aroma: Brett, damp wood, zingy, citrus rind, lemon peel, apricot, peach, straw, with floral notes.
Taste: Funky, brett, musty, apricot, peach, citrusy, lemon zest, grass, with a herbal and floral finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable blend of beers that is refreshing and great for a hot summer day.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Hanssens Artisanaal, Lambic - Fruit

Hanssens Very Special Old Red (V.S.O.R.)

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Brewery: Hanssens Artisanaal
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Fruit: 7% blackberries, 13% sour cherries, 3% strawberries, 17% raspberries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Fresh strawberries, black berries, raspberries and sour cherries – 7 months macerated in lambic oak barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 16th November 2018. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark red colour with an orange hue, with a thin off white head that left no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, acetone, with musty, damp and balsamic notes.
Taste: Sour, intense sour, cherry, raspberry, oak, acidic, balsamic vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Sharp, acidic, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A few bottlings of Hanssens have had strong sourness and harsh acidity, and after the first sip I thought that this was going down that similar route. But thankfully things improved somewhat after that first sip, and I think that the berries somehow toned down the acidity to a slightly more acceptable level.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Fantôme, Farmhouse Saison

Fantôme Dark Forest Ghost

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Brewery: Brasserie Fantôme
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Saison

Brewer Description: Not much information I could find, but I guess it’s the dark Saison version of Forest Ghost.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.76
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy amber copper colour with a two finger beige head that had decent retention while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Fruity berries, a strong herbal kick, apple, damp wood, and black pepper.
Taste: Apple peel, herbal bitterness, straw, hay, earthy, orange pith, black pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: In one word, ‘strange’. Aroma was strange but it definitely grew on me. Taste was weird, but while it improved slightly with more sips, it didn’t improve enough for me to enjoy.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Alvinne, Wild Ale

Alvinne Cuvée Sofie Duindoornbes-Zilverbes

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Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: BXL Beerfest 2017 limited edition

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Barrel fermented and aged blond sour with sea buckthorn berries and silverberries. Limited edition for BXL Beerfest.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2017 limited edition for BXL Beerfest, with a best before date of August 2022. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy copper orange brown colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Sour, lightly tart, plum skin, grape, oak, funk, with notes of acetone.
Taste: Sour, plum, grape, mixed berries, lemon, oak, with vinous notes and hints of funk and red wine vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: I don’t know what sea buckthorn berries or silverberries tastes like, but this was an enjoyable sour with lots of fruity notes.