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

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Belle-Vue, Lambic - Gueuze

Belle-Vue Sélection Lambic

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Brewery: Belle-Vue
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 1999 vintage.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 1999 vintage, bottle no. 05590, with a notched best before date of December 2005. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A clear bright copper orange colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funky, barnyard, musty, damp wood, apple, citrus, orange, vinegar, with maybe some berry notes.
Taste: Tart, sour, apple, apple cider vinegar, mixed berries, lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: This was interesting, and I probably want to say, past it’s prime, although unfortunately I don’t really have a reference point since this is the first one I’ve tried. But there was still some nice flavours going on. Worth a try, especially for those that enjoy gueuze like I do.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation XXVI – Froggie

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders matured in Bordeaux wine barrels. Margaux, Pauillac & St.-Estèphe.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 25th July 2018, and a best before date of 24th July 2023. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice frothy one finger brown head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, light char, chocolate, cocoa, raisin, fig, dates, and a touch red wine vinous.
Taste: Roasted malts, bakers chocolate, espresso, light char, licorice, and red wine notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The wine barrels add an interesting dimension to the aroma and flavour, but it’s not among my favourites of the Black Damnation’s. It’s a decent sipper, but I didn’t think it was better than much of the whiskey barrel aged variants.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Old Ale, Scotland, Traquair House Brewery

Traquair 50 Anniversary Ale

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Brewery: Traquair House Brewery
Country: Scotland
ABV: 9%
Style: Old Ale
Other Notes: 50th Anniversary

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Traquair’s 300 year old brewery was brought back into production in 1965. This potent ale celebrates 50 years of brewing in this ancient brewhouse. All our ales are brewed and fermented in the ancient oak tuns to give them their unique character.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.82
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle, with a best before date of 28th April 2025. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Light roasted malts, dark fruit, plum, raisins, with notes of nearly burnt caramel.
Taste: Moderately sweet, plum, raisins, light roasted malts, caramel, toffee, brown sugar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Aromas were a little on the weak side, but I thought the flavours worked with a nice light char bitterness that balances the sweetness.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse Blended Oak Aged

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Aged in whiskey barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Embrasse matures four to six months in whiskey barrels. For the blended oak aged Embrasse non-peated whiskey barrels are used. By barrel aging the beer it takes the rich tones of the whiskey and the beer gets a softer and fuller taste.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.93
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before end date of I think July 2022. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention, before settling to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, dried dark fruit, raisin, fig, caramel.
Taste: Roasty, coffee, dark chocolate, bittersweet, caramel, whiskey, with notes of dried dark fruits.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice bittersweet flavours with the roastiness, coffee and chocolate coming through nicely.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Double A Brewing, Russia, Wild Ale

Double A Geuzelique

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Brewery: Double A Brewing
Country: Russia
ABV: 7%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Ageing time – 3 years. 650 bottles produced

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sour ale aged in oak with fresh basil.

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

Intro: A 375ml corked and capped bottle, bottled on 12th September 2021. Poured into a red wine glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark copper colour with a very thin off white head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, basil, red berries, oak, with notes of vinegar.
Taste: Sweet, a touch sour, basil, red berries, with a touch of oak and balsamic vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The basil is strong and obvious, but each sip makes me think of pesto, which while not bad, was a little too savoury for me.