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

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Equilibrium Brewery, IPA - New England / Hazy Double, USA

Equilibrium Vulgar Display of Flowers

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Brewery: Equilibrium Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: New England / Hazy Double IPA
Other Notes: Hoppy · Bitter · DIPA

Brewer Description: Vulgar Display of Flower is a tribute to an aggressive yet balanced assault on the senses. It blends East-meets-West coast DIPA with our own Equilibrium twist. It is dry, bitter, piny, resinous, yet remains smooth, juicy, and drinkable. This concoction displays the hop flower’s assertive yet delicious nature with an #EQjuice finish.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 1 pint can, canned on 6th January 2022, poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A hazy deep orange colour, with a just over one finger white head that dissipates fairly quickly, but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Juicy, orange juice, grapefruit rind, resinous, piney, with some tropical fruity apricot notes.
Taste: Lightly bitter, citrus peel and rind, orange, grapefruit, grass, resinous, piney, and a tropical starfruit, papaya finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s not one of my favourites from Equilibrium, but it’s definitely good and worth a try.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Croatia, Sour Ale, The Garden Brewery

The Garden Imperial Blueberry Lemon & Vanilla Sour

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Brewery: The Garden Brewery
Country: Croatia
ABV: 7.1%
Style: Sour Ale
Other Notes: Malts – Lager, Flaked Wheat and Jumbo Oats. Hops – Magnum. Yeast – Sanders & Brexit. Adjuncts – Blueberry, Vanilla and Lemon

Brewer Description: (from can) Double-fruited kettle sour with fragrant Vanilla and zesty Lisbon Lemons.

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

Intro: A 440ml can, canned on 18th August 2021. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A cloudy purple colour with a one finger purple head that had decent retention, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, blueberry, vanilla, and lemon zest.
Taste: Moderately sour, with notes of sweetness. Tart, blueberry, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a touch of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice adjunct flavours that go well together, although I would have preferred a stronger vanilla presence to maybe cut the sharpness of the lemon a bit.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Laugar Brewery, Spain, Stout - Russian Imperial

Laugar Basatia

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Brewery: Laugar Brewery
Country: Spain
ABV: 8%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Brewer Description: (from website) Get ready to run wild with its full body and creamy texture. Come to the dark side and jump into a bath of dark chocolate and roasted coffee flavours.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.53
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of February 2023. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, malty, chocolate, molasses, with notes of caramel, coffee and dark fruits.
Taste: Moderately roasty, chocolate, umami, soy sauce, dried dark fruit, molasses, caramel malt, with a hint of coffee.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were fine, but the body was definite lacking and much lighter than I would prefer and expect in an Imperial Stout.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie de la Mule, Wheat - Hopfenweisse

Mule Hopfen Weisse

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Brewery: Brasserie de la Mule
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Wheat – Hopfenweisse

Brewer Description: 2021 BXL BeerFest beer pack, but should be part of their core range now.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, with a best before date of 16th August 2022. From the 2021 BXL BeerFest beer pack. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear golden orange colour with a big two finger white head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Wheat, clove, banana bread, notes of orange peel, and a touch herbal.
Taste: Wheat, floral, soapy, clove, banana, caramel malt, bitter citrus pith, orange peel, peppery spice, with herbal finishing notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: While this was an interesting beer, and I think the base was good, the floral soapy notes I’m getting were not really my cup of tea.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Lambic - Fruit

Oud Beersel Lambic Infused with Hibiscus Flower

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Brewery: Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 3.1L bag-in-box

Brewer Description: (from box) Lambic infused with hibiscus flower.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.8
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 3.1L bag-in-box with a best before date of 30th October 2021, poured into a Bokke tasting glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber reddish orange colour with a minimal white head that disappeared almost immediately and no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funk, green apple, oak, with light notes of hibiscus tea.
Taste: Sour, tart, funk, leather, sour redcurrant, fruity vinegar, apple, grapefruit, and slight herbal notes with hibiscus tea.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The lambic base was fine itself, but the hibiscus wasn’t really showing itself as strongly as I would have liked in both aroma and flavours.