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

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

De Cam Wilde Bosbessen

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) In de Ardense wouden groeit in het wild de bosbes. De regio van Vielsalm is beroemd voor zijn rijke oogst en veel streekproducten met de Wilde Bosbessen. De Bosbessen (Vaccinium Myrtillus) worden in hun geheel (geen sap) aan de lambiek toegevoegd in een verhouding van 40 kg per 100 liter jonge lambiek.

(translated to English) Wild blueberries grow in the Ardennes forests. The region of Vielsalm is famous for its rich harvest and many local products including the wild blueberries. The Blueberries (Vaccinium Myrtillus) are added whole (no juice) to the lambic at a ratio of 40 kg per 100 liters of young lambic.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.89
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2017 vintage, with a best before date of July 2040. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy reddish purple colour with a thin pinkish head that disappears quickly, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Blueberry skin, blueberry, blackcurrant, slight jammy, lightly tart, leathery funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, blueberry skin, mixed berries, lemon, funky, with light oak notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to no carbonation and a somewhat acidic finish.
Overall: Aromas and flavour were quite good, but increased carbonation would have improved this in every aspect.

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

De Cam Tros Bessen

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Van oudsher worden de Rode Trosbessen geoogst in het Pajottenland. De Rode Trosbessen worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pit in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan tros bessen bedraagt ongeveer 45 kg per 100 liter kriek.

(translated into English) Traditionally, the red currants are harvested in the Pajottenland. The red currants are processed whole (no juice) with stone. The red currant content is approximately 45 kg per 100 liters of cherry lambic.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2017 vintage, with a best before date of July 2040. Opened as a slow gusher. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber, rusty orange brown colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention and settled to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funky, red currant, red berries, cherry, oak, dry splintered wood, hay.
Taste: Sour, tart, red currant, cherry, red berries, oak, musty, dusty, hay, wood, funky, lemon zest, and an interesting earthy and slight char like finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate prickly carbonation.
Overall: When I tried it fresh, I remember it being way too sour. I think age has helped it along in this aspect, as the red currant fruitiness comes through nicely. The finish had something not easy to describe, but I’m going to say earthy with a slight char like character. I could understand if some people did not enjoy this, but it didn’t really bother me.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Lambic - non-Lambic Blends, Lervig Aktiebryggeri x Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Norway

Lervig x Oud Beersel Skogen

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Brewery: Lervig Aktiebryggeri x Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Country: Norway
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic (non-Lambic Blends)
Other Notes: Norwegian forest ale & lambic blend. Adjunct – spruce shoots

Brewer Description: (from website) Once again we are collabing with our good friends at Oud Beersel, this time we wanted to bring some of the Norwegian nature into the beer. Norway is full of fjords and forests, Skogen meaning forest what a better way to do this than to add some fresh Spruce shoots (Granskud) to a farmhouse ale and we have blended it to Young Lambic from Gert, we then aged the whole beer on red Zinfindel barrels for 6 months.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml can, with a best before date of 1st April 2024. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden colour with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, brett, tart, oak, lemon zest, candy, green apple, with light herbal and floral notes.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, lemon zest, green apple, vinous rosé, toffee, funk, brett, herbal, and a light floral finish.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied, a little watery, with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: It felt a little watery at times for me, but otherwise, it had some interesting aroma and flavours.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva Cask Strength Calvados BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.1%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 27 IBUs. Cask strength limited edition with medium carbonation

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our barrel room is housing more barrels each year. As our team does not grow as quick as our barrel total, it is needless to say our barrel aged beers are also aging longer. This batch has already 5 years in Calvados barrel aging, and we’re very happy with the outcome. Enjoy!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.78
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 375ml bottle, 2011 vintage, cask strength limited edition, bottled on 25th February 2016. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour, with a thin beige head that disappeared quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruit, plum, grape, calvados, apple, caramel, and slight chocolate notes on the finish.
Taste: Sweet, brown sugar, dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, calvados, apple, caramel, and bitter chocolate on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: There was close to no carbonation even though it says medium carbonation on the bottle. It’s not bad without the carbonation, but I definitely preferred some. I also preferred the cognac barrel over this calvados barrel that was aged extra long. Not sure if it was aged too long or what, but the cognac barrel added some complexity in the aroma and taste, that I’m not finding here.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Pannepot Reserva Cask Strength Makers Mark BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.1%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 27 IBUs. Cask strength limited edition with low carbonation

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our barrel room is housing more barrels each year. As our team does not grow as quick as our barrel total, it is needless to say our barrel aged beers are also aging longer. This batch has already 4 years of bourbon barrel aging, and we’re very happy with the outcome. Enjoy!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.84
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 375ml bottle, 2012 vintage, bottled on 25th February 2016. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet-ish dried fruit, dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, bourbon, brown sugar, red wine grape, slightly vinous, oak, with notes of chocolate and toffee.
Taste: Sweet dark fruit, very lightly tart, plum, prunes, raisin, light bourbon, oak, with chocolate and caramel notes and a very slight char like bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with extremely low to no carbonation.
Overall: For 4 years in a bourbon barrel, I was hoping for stronger barrel character. I also prefer having some carbonation, and I know the bottle says it has ‘low carbonation’ but actually my feeling is that it’s pretty much next to no carbonation.