Category Archives: Belgium

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij De Ranke, Euro Sour Ale

De Ranke Cuvée

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Euro Sour Ale
Other Notes: On base of old Flemish beer and Lambic

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 70% Belgian Sour Ale with 30% Lambic added.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 28th May 2020. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A nice clear copper orange colour with a just over one finger light beige head that dissipated fairly quickly and left some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, oak, white wine, apple, herbal and funky.
Taste: Tart, but only mildly sour, red apple, lime, cork, oak, funk and maybe hay with only a hint of a herbal element and vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Acidic, medium to light bodied with good moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice and balanced blend of a sour ale and Lambic. Much better than the Kriek version in my opinion.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Boon, Lambic - Faro

Boon Faro

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Brewery: Brouwerij Boon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Faro)

Brewer Description: (from website) Faro Boon is a beer of spontaneous fermentation for which “meertsbier” and old Lambic are blended together. The light brown colour and sour-sweet taste are attained by adding candy sugar before bottling.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.92
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.9

Intro: A 250ml bottle with a best before date of 23rd January 2019. Poured into a Lindemans flute glass.
Appearance: A clear copper colour with a one finger white head that dissipates quickly but settles to a thin but replenishing layer. No lacing.
Aroma: Sweet-ish plum, apple juice, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar.
Taste: Sweet sweet apple, apple juice, brown sugar and maybe some herbal notes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This was overly sweet for me, even though it was easy to drink.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Girardin, Lambic - Gueuze

Girardin Gueuze White Label

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Brewery: Brouwerij Girardin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Gueuze)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Filtered version.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.8

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle. The cork had the words Diam DX 2016 and the number 08 on it, which I think I’ve worked it out to mean Batch D, bottled in August 2016. Poured into a Cantillon Gueuze glass.
Appearance: A clear copper orange colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, but settles to a thin replenishing layer with sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour-ish, raisins, green apple, pear, vinegar, oak and hints of cheese.
Taste: Tart and lightly sour, apple cider vinegar, apple core, lemon peel, grass and oak with a sweet-ish raisin, prune like finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and taste was very different to all other Gueuze’s that I’ve tried and in this case, was just not really my thing, especially the dark fruit like sweetness and apple cider vinegar. I’d just stick with the Black Label version.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Lindemans, Lambic - Gueuze

Lindemans Oude Gueuze Cuvée René Special Blend 2010

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Brewery: Brouwerij Lindemans
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Gueuze)
Other Notes: Grand Cru. Limited Edition

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Old Gueuze produced by the Lindemans Brewery is an exclusive blend of 4 year old Lambic with young Lambic, fermented in oak barrels and refermented in the bottle. Golden colour, slightly sour, smooth Gueuze with a sherry-like aroma. The Gueuze for beer connoisseurs. Limited edition of 15,000 bottles.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.42
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled in June 2014 and a best before date of 2024. Poured into a Lindemans flute glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour with a just over one finger white head that had pretty good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy lemon, lime, hints of orange, oak, pepper, damp hay, wet leather and a good amount of barnyard funk.
Taste: Lemon-lime, pear, apple peel, oak, lots of funk, barnyard, hay, lemon rind, vinegar bite and mustiness.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, medium to light bodied with high carbonation and a dry finish.
Overall: This surprised me in a good way. Very enjoyable with lots of funk, barnyard, wet hay and leather.

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

Lindemans Oude Kriek Cuvée René

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Brewery: Brouwerij Lindemans
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: 2016. No. 07578

Brewer Description: (from bottle) In Belgium brewing beer is considered a form of art. In our family this art has been passed down since 1822 from generation to generation. Our traditional Kriek Cuvée René Grand Cru is brewed with wild yeast from the surrounding air, water, malted barley, wheat, aged hop flowers and selected wild cherries. Deep cherry red clear body, tart taste with a moderate sourness and an authentic cherry skin presence. No added sugar.

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

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled on 9th December 2016 and with a best before date of 9th December 2022. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice deep ruby red colour with a two finger pinkish-purple coloured head that had good retention but pretty much no lacing.
Aroma: Sweetish tart cherry juice followed by some barnyard funk and damp hay with hints of vinegar and oak.
Taste: Crisp sour tart cherries and mixed berries and oak with only hints of barnyard funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Crisp, easy to drink, nice tart cherry and enjoyable.