Category Archives: Country

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Lambiek Rabarber

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.2%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2019 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) De licht rode ‘VALANTINE’ rabarber wordt geoogst in de lente. Hij wordt gebruikt voor wijn en nu ook om te vergisten met lambiek die vergist op houten vaten. 45 kilogram op 100 liter jonge lambik.

(translated to English) The light red ‘VALANTINE’ rhubarb is harvested in the spring. It is used for wine and now also for fermentation with lambic fermented in wooden barrels. 45 kilograms per 100 liters of young lambic.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.75
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2019 vintage, with a best before date of June 2041. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear copper orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Rhubarb, earthy, oak, light funk, a touch sour, with some lemon notes.
Taste: Light sour and light funk, oak, earthy, rhubarb, pear, lemon, with some grassy herbal finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking and easily the most rhubarb forward lambic and/or beer that I’ve tried. Increased funk and sourness would be interesting.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, USA

Sante Adairius Saison Bernice

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Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Farmhouse Saison

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Saison Bernice is an exquisitely fermented farmhouse ale. Dry and refreshing, Bernice is made of the freshest on-hand and locally available ingredients. She saw multiple yeast additions, including brettanomyces, and further bottle aging. Drink now or cellar properly. Saison Bernice will endure. The beer in this bottle is alive. So is the yeast. Grow it, keep it, use it. We encourage you to brew your own.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml bottle, with no bottled on or best before date. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden colour with a two finger pillowy white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funk, peach, apricot, musty, oak, lemon zest, with light orange vanilla and floral notes.
Taste: Light sour, tart, and funk, stone fruit, apricot, peach, citrusy notes, lemon zest, orange peel, vanilla, peppercorn, floral.
Mouthfeel: Creamy beginning, smooth, medium to light bodied, with moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.
Overall: Really smooth and enjoyable. Just so easy to drink with its great aroma and flavours. Wish it was easier for me to get more.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Mikkeller ApS, Wild Ale

Mikkeller Tenth Anniversary

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Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 9%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: 2006 to 2016. Brewed to commemorate 10 years of Mikkeller beers. Brewed by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Nelson sauvin Belgian wild ale aged in champagne barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml foiled, corked and caged bottle, with a best before date of 8th March 2022. Poured into Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A cloudy copper amber colour with a two finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly, but left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, grapes, funk, brett, oak, candi sugar, with a light vinous touch.
Taste: Sweet with a bitter finish. Grapes, champagne, funk, musty, oak, white wine vinous, lemon rind, and light mineral notes.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: An easy drinking wild ale with the ABV well hidden.

4 - Good (buy), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, The Bruery, USA

The Bruery Mélange No. 3

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Brewery: The Bruery
Country: USA
ABV: 16.3%
Style: American Strong Ale
Other Notes: Ale aged in bourbon barrels. Black Tuesday®, our Anniversary ale and our wheatwine-style ale intertwine in this time-tested exploration in the art of the blend.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our Mélange series is at the core of our experimentation with flavors that cannot be achieved outside of the art of the blend or by any one beer. This is one of our original mélanges at its very finest. Mélange No. 3 is a blend of three ales with the longest lineage in our bourbon barrel-aging program: Black Tuesday®, our Anniversary Series old ale and our wheatwine-style ale.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2017 edition, bottled on 1st February 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A cloudy brown colour with an orange tint and a one finger beige/khaki head that dissipates fairly quickly, while leaving some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, caramel, toffee, molasses, bourbon, dark fruit, raisins, prunes, chocolate, oak, vanilla, with light coconut notes.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, sweet, bourbon, caramel, toffee, molasses, chocolate, dark fruit, raisins, prunes, oak, vanilla, and a splash of coconut and orange.
Mouthfeel: Full to medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper, with great aromas, but perhaps a touch too sweet for my palate.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Strong - Wheatwine, The Bruery, USA

The Bruery White Chocolate

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Brewery: The Bruery
Country: USA
ABV: 13.8%
Style: Wheatwine
Other Notes: Ale aged in bourbon barrels with cacao nibs and vanilla beans. This bourbon barrel-aged wheatwine-style ale made a fanciful trip to the chocolatier, featuring cacao nibs from TCHO and fresh vanilla beans.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This is one luscious, rewarding summons to the senses – beginning with its golden appearance and finishing with warming, which chocolate-like flavors. This is accomplished by adding cacao nibs and fresh vanilla beans to our bourbon barrel-aged wheatwine-style ale, complementing the rich notes of coconut, honey, caramel and vanilla from extensive barrel-aging.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2017 edition, bottled on 19th January 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A cloudy orange brown colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some fine spotty lacing.
Aroma: Bourbon, chocolate, cacao, caramel, toffee, vanilla, raisin, with a hint of nuts and orange.
Taste: Moderately sweet, caramel, toffee, vanilla, honey, bourbon, chocolate, coconut, boozy, and a lightly bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Boozy yet still smooth, with good aroma, flavours and complexity.