Category Archives: Belgium

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij De Troch, Lambic - Fruit Sweetened

De Troch Chapeau Framboise

Friday, 3 March 2017 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij De Troch
Country: Belgium
ABV: 3.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit Sweetened)
Other Notes: 20% raspberries. Also known as De Troch Framboise Lambic

Brewer Description: (from lambic.info) Chapeau Framboise is a sweetened lambic with natural raspberry juice flavor added and natural sweeteners.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.44
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 375ml bottle with a best before date of 30th December 2017. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A clear brownish colour with a slight red tint and a just less than one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet raspberry jam and grape juice.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, it was very sweet, on the verge of being too sweet for me. Lots of raspberry jam, with hints of grape juice and apple.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate to light carbonation.
Overall: The aromas are nice, but its taste is on the verge of being too sweet in my opinion. Don’t think I can drink more than one small bottle in a single sitting.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Hommage

Monday, 2 January 2017 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Batch #3. 30% Pajottenland raspberries and 5% sour cherries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A blend of lambic beers brewed at 3 Fonteinen, with an addition of 30% whole fresh raspberries from the fabled Pajottenland and 5% sour cherries. This unfiltered beer will enjoy a spontaneous refermentation in the bottle. No artificial colors or flavor enhancers are added. Lambic is brewed only from 60% barley malt, 40% unmalted wheat, hops and water.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.62
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 30th June 2015, and best before 30th June 2025. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A hazy deep ruby red colour with a thin pinkish head that faded fairly quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Strong cherry tartness with jammy fruit sweetness and oak. There are hints of raspberries, lemon zest and light funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, raspberry, oak, lemon zest and vinegar with a touch of funkiness.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was just great. Surprisingly the cherry was much more prominent than the raspberries and the funkiness was less than expected but, this was still extremely drinkable, tasty and enjoyable. On my must buy list.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal, Euro Sour Ale

Hof Ten Dormaal Zure Van Tildonk 2014

Thursday, 22 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Euro Sour Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Zure Van Tildonk is an original Belgian Sour Ale from the farm brewery Hof Ten Dormaal. With this beer, we strived to create a special, spontaneously-fermented beer via traditional methods using ambient yeast from our farm in Tildonk. Each batch of Zure Van Tildonk is carefully aged in our cellars at the Engelburcht Monastery for several months prior to release.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 12.7 fl oz bottle with a best before date of July 2017. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour with a just over one finger white head with decent retention and great lacing.
Aroma: Sour, funky and bretty with some nice fruity lemon, apricot and a hint of vinegar.
Taste: Sour, tart and lemony. Light oak and sweetness on the finish with a touch of berries.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: It’s nice and refreshing.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Tripel, Belgium, Brouwerij Bosteels

Tripel Karmeliet

Thursday, 22 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Bosteels
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.4%
Style: Belgian Tripel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Blond, robust, smooth and fruity 3 grain beer, with final fermentation in the bottle. Brewed with pride and patience after Carmelite tradition with wheat, oat and barley. 100% natural beer.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.63
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 12th March 2017. Poured into a Chimay goblet.
Appearance: A wonderful clear golden colour with a two finger foamy white head that had pretty good retention, nice curtain lacing that eventually settles to a thin foamy cap.
Aroma: Wheaty, banana, clove and peach with light citrus and vanilla.
Taste: Zesty lemon sweetness, sour peach gummy candy, yeast, lightly bready and spicy with a hint of honey, banana and clove.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation with some obvious booziness every now and then.
Overall: Wow, this has to easily be one of my favourite Tripels and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to try it. It would be almost perfect if the booziness was toned down a bit. Having said that, it’s still a great beer and easily a must buy beer for me.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Lambic - Fruit, OWA Brewery SPRL

OWA Sakura Lambic

Wednesday, 14 December 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: OWA Brewery SPRL
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Brewed at Brouwerij De Troch

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sakura is cherry blossoms in Japanese. The lambic which is matured in wooden barrel, and after matured with leaves of cherry blossom. Not added perfume, pigment, even yeast. Lambic brewed in Belgium by special wild yeast, and sakura is the Japanese national flower. Sakura lambic is the first marriage of Belgian proper beer and Japanese representative flower.

(from website) A perfect beer to enjoy before a meal. Sakura means cherry leaves in Japanese. The leaves are steeped in salt for several months producing a highly perfumed aroma. In Japan, Sakura are also enjoyed as special sweets during spring time.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.09
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 375ml corked, capped and paper wrapped bottle, 2015 vintage, with a best before end date of January 2018. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour with a one finger white head that slowly settled to a thin layer with sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet fruity cherry, almond, apple and cinnamon. Also some wood with a light funk in the background.
Taste: No idea what cherry blossom is supposed to taste like but this is lightly sour with cherry, apple, wood, citrusy orange and a hint of cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with high to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Taste could be more sour, but its still nice. I definitely preferred this Sakura Lambic much more than its Yuzu counterpart. I’m also surprised that there is not more floral element in either the aroma or taste though considering that cherry blossom is used.

words of another dreamy traveller