Category Archives: Country

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Fruit

Cantillon Menu Pineau

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit

Brewer Description: (from bottle in French) Assemblage de lambic de un et deux ans d’âge avec du raisin Menu Pineau en provenance du Domaine des Vins Contés en Val de Loire.

(translated to English) Blend of one and two year old lambic with Menu Pineau grapes from the Domaine des Vins Contés in Val de Loire.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.45
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2019 vintage, bottled on 18th November 2019. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a just over one finger white head that slowly dissipated to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, grape skin, dusty, musty, funk, leather, oak, lemon zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, grape skin, white wine vinous, lime, oak, damp wood, musty, funk, citrus zest.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied, with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very enjoyable with great aroma and flavours, and balanced fruit and funk, showing good complexity.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Harviestoun Brewery, Old Ale, Scotland

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 18

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Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery
Country: Scotland
ABV: 8%
Style: Old Ale
Other Notes: Aged in Highland Park 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky casks

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Aged in selected oak casks, formerly used to mature Highland Park’s beautifully balanced 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

(from tag) Ola Dubh (meaning ‘Black Oil’ in gaelic) is a real labour of love for our brew team. We take our Old Engine Oil and mature it in whisky casks from the award winning Orkney distillery & our good friends, Highland Park. The process is far from simple but the end result is a beautiful brew with complementary whisky notes and a chocolate, roasty and bittersweet aftertaste.

We are delighted to bring back the Ola Dubh, 18 year old. This award winning ale has delicate notes of dark chocolate, tangy oak and dried fruit shining through.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml black foiled and capped bottle, bottle no. 08466, bottled in October 2021, and a best before end date of November 2024. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, nutty, dried dark fruit, whisky, with light notes of caramel and peat.
Taste: Roasted malts, dark chocolate, coffee bean, whisky, oak, light nutty, a touch bitter, with notes of smoke.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were balanced, but I probably prefer the 16 slightly more with the extra dark fruit and sweetness.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Lambic - Fruit

Oud Beersel Sparkling Infused Red Szechuan Pepper Lambiek

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Brewery: Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Bottled 10 years before best before date

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Lambic infused with Red Szechuan Pepper.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.75
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a best before date of 10th March 2032. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, bright, lime, citrus zest, Szechuan pepper, peppermint, coriander, with floral notes.
Taste: Sweet and sour, tart, lime, candied grapefruit zest, Szechuan pepper, mint, coriander, woody, with a very light very nice backend tingly spiciness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, tingly spice, with moderate to high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: I love Szechuan pepper and I didn’t know what to expect, but I really wanted this to work, and it didn’t disappoint. The peppercorn gives off this enjoyable tingly spice and interesting minty notes, all the while maintaining good balanced aroma and flavours. This just works so well for me.

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

Oud Beersel Sparkling Infused Lapsang Souchong Lambiek

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Brewery: Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Bottled 10 years before best before date

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Lambic infused with Lapsang Souchong.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a best before date of 24th September 2030. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with an almost two finger white head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Smoky and leather dominate, almost peaty, a touch dusty, funky, with notes of pine, apple and lemon zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, lemon, pine needles, tea, sweet notes, honey, herbal, smoke, peat, leather, funk and wood.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: First impressions was that it was a strange combination, unique for sure. However, it definitely grew on me over time, and the aroma and flavours became interesting and thought provoking.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Harviestoun Brewery, Old Ale, Scotland

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16

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Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery
Country: Scotland
ABV: 8%
Style: Old Ale
Other Notes: Aged in Highland Park Wings of the Eagle Single Malt Scotch Whisky casks

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Aged in selected oak casks, formerly used to mature Highland Park’s beautifully balanced Wings of the Eagle Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

(from tag) Ola Dubh (meaning ‘Black Oil’ in gaelic) is a real labour of love for our brew team. We take our Old Engine Oil and mature it in whisky casks from the award winning Orkney distillery & our good friends, Highland Park. The process is far from simple but the end result is a beautiful brew with complementary whisky notes and a chocolate, roasty and bittersweet aftertaste.

The Wings of the Eagle barrels provide an ale that strikes a sensational balance of fruity sweetness with a complex bitter hop background.

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

Intro: A 330ml black foiled and capped bottle, bottle no. 15872, bottled in March 2022, and a best before end date of March 2025. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, sweet dark fruit, whisky, caramel, and maybe a touch of smoke.
Taste: Dark fruit sweetness, light roast, chocolate, brown sugar, caramel, whisky, toasted wood, with a light bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Clean, balanced, aroma and flavours.