Category Archives: 3 – Indifferent (might buy, probably drink)

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Amber / Red Ale, Beer Reviews, Brasserie du Comté, France

Bière du Comté L’Ambrée Bio du Mercantour

Wednesday, 3 August 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie du Comté
Country: France
ABV: 5%
Style: American Amber Ale

Brewer Description: (from website) (in French) Bière ambrée de fermentation haute. L’utilisation de malts torréfiés confère à l’Ambrée du Mercantour une couleur rousse. Les nombreuses bulles sont fines et la mousse, blanche et homogène, subsiste sur quelques millimètres. Le nez est doux et dégage des notes de caramel. En bouche, les arômes de malts torréfiés viennent s’ajouter aux notes de fruits rouges et de biscuits. Elle offre un bon équilibre entre saveurs sucrées et une fine amertume. Un dépôt de levure riche en vitamines et gage de qualité se forme naturellement dans la bouteille.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.38
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date sometime in 2017 (I forgot to record the actual date) and poured into a small plastic cup (all that was available at the hotel).
Appearance: It poured a hazy bronze colour with a huge three finger off white head with good retention and lacing.
Aroma: Caramel, apple and pear.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, there was caramel malt, apple and light berries. However, there was also some alcohol taste creeping through on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I’m not a huge fan of Amber ales, but I liked this. My only critique would be the unfortunate alcohol taste coming through on the finish.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Pale Ale, Brasserie du Comté, France

Bière du Comté La Blonde Bio du Mercantour

Wednesday, 3 August 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie du Comté
Country: France
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Brewer Description: (from website) (in French) Bière blonde de fermentation haute. La Blonde du Mercantour dégage un arôme frais et une odeur de céréales. En bouche, elle débute par des notes dominantes de noisette et une douce amertume se construit progressivement, équilibrant l’ensemble. Sa fraicheur et sa légèreté conviendront parfaitement aux palais délicats. La Blonde du Mercantour est rafraîchissante et douce, avec une amertume délicate. Bière artisanale et régionale de Saint-Martin Vésubie, fabriquée avec de l’eau de source pure. Un dépôt de levure riche en vitamines et gage de qualité se forme naturellement dans la bouteille.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 15th June 2018, poured into a small plastic cup (all that was available at the hotel).
Appearance: It poured a hazy straw gold colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Bready, banana, clove, honey, lemon with a hint of 7-up.
Taste: Quite similar to the aroma with bread, banana, clove, coriander and pear.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It’s pretty good. Light and easy to drink. Good and refreshing on a hot day.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Modern Times Beer, USA

Modern Times Booming Rollers

Tuesday, 2 August 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Modern Times Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 6.8%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 75 IBUs. Malts – Two Row, Carapils, Crystal 10 and Wheat. Hops – Citra, Motueka and Centennial.

Brewer Description: (from website) Booming Rollers is a showcase for the juicy awesomeness of Citra hops. These new wave American hops impart a remarkable aroma and flavor, which we’ve amplified with the dark stone fruit character of New Zealand-grown Motueka hops. Some Centennial is thrown in to balance the tropical fruit party, and the malt body is just assertive enough to support Booming Rollers’ snappy bitterness. It’s a party in your mouth and all the beautiful people are invited.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.71
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 200ml pour on draft at Mikkeller Bangkok into a mini stemmed Mikkeller tasting glass.
Appearance: It was a clear golden copper colour with a one finger white head and good lacing.
Aroma: More subtle than I hoped for, but there is citrus fruit, grapefruit and pine.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, it was bitter with grapefruit, citrusy lemon and pine along with some biscuit malt.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was just ok for me. I tried Blam! Blam! right before Booming Rollers and for me, Blam! Blam! was easily my preferred choice.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Unblended

Cantillon Bruocsella Grand Cru

Tuesday, 12 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Unblended)
Other Notes: Lambic Bio 2012

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The Lambic Grand Cru Cantillon is like a cereals-based wine. It is a Lambic that has matured for three years in oak-wood casks and has been selected for its unique colour, bouquet and aroma. It has a very long shelf life. It should be served in a wine glass at a temperature of 12-15 degrees. Store in a cool cellar. Beer with taste evolution. To be drunk preferably within 20 years after the bottling date.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle bottled on 21st August 2015 and poured into a wine glass.
Appearance: It poured a very slightly cloudy golden orange colour with pretty much no head at all and very sparse lacing if any.
Aroma: Leather, oak, malt vinegar, dusty, chalk and funky. Maybe a hint of apricot but not really.
Taste: Tart, sour, green apple, vinegar, lemon juice, oak and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with pretty much no carbonation.
Overall: The taste was decent and better than the aroma. However with every sip, the aroma kind of gets to me. The dusty and chalky element just wasn’t my cup of tea. In addition, the complete lack of carbonation was not so good. Perhaps this particular beer is just not for me considering all the other world class Lambics that I’ve tried.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, Farmhouse Saison, USA

Crooked Stave Vieille Artisanal Saison

Wednesday, 6 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 4.2%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Artisan ale aged in oak barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Vielle meaning “Old” is an artisanal barrel-aged Saison, lightly dry hopped.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.61
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 375ml bottle bottled in April 2015 and poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear golden orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly but left some light lacing.
Aroma: Brett, barnyard funk, lemon, tart, oak and pepper spice.
Taste: Light, everything was light. Light sourness, light tart, light lemon, light pepper, light oak and light funkiness.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Despite everything in the taste being quite light, it was still nice and refreshing.

words of another dreamy traveller