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

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij ‘t Verzet, Flanders Oud Bruin

Verzet Oud Bruin Vineyard

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Brewery: Brouwerij ‘t Verzet
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Flanders Oud Bruin
Other Notes: Harvest 2015

Brewer Description: (from neck tag in Dutch) Oud Bruin Vineyard ontstaat door zoete, witte wijndruiven toe te voegen aan bier dat reeds één jaar rijpte op eiken vaten. Op een zonnige bergflank in Turkije laten geduldige landbouwers de kleine druifjes rijpen tot ze bol staan van de suiker. De vruchten worden geplukt, via een karavaan nomaden te Anzegem afgeleverd en aan het bier toegevoegd. De wilde gisten uit het bier transformeren de suikers uit de druiven naar fruitige aroma’s zoals mirabel, groene appel en kruisbes. Hints van witte wijn schemeren door in het aroma. Misschien kan deze fles sommige wijnsnobs overtuigen dat ook bier complex kan zijn en een plaats verdiend in de gastronomie.

(translated from Dutch to English) Oud Bruin Vineyard is created by adding sweet, white wine grapes to beer that has matured in oak barrels for one year. On a sunny mountain side in Turkey, patient farmers let the small grapes ripen until they are full of sugar. The fruits are picked, delivered via a caravan of nomads to Anzegem and added to the beer. The wild yeasts from the beer transform the sugars from the grapes into fruity aromas such as mirabelle, green apple and gooseberry. Hints of white wine shine through in the aroma. Perhaps this bottle can convince some wine snobs that beer can also be complex and deserve a place in gastronomy.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.83
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A near impossible to pull out cork (like all Verzet corks) and caged 750ml bottle, harvest 2015, and with a best before date of April 2026. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear amber colour with a one finger off white head that had decent retention and left some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour, vinous, grapes, apple juice, light funk and vinegar.
Taste: Sour, tart, vinous, oak, funk, grape skin, white wine vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice easy drinking with a good amount of vinous notes to balance the funk and vinegar.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij ‘t Verzet, Flanders Oud Bruin

Verzet Oud Bruin Strawberry

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Brewery: Brouwerij ‘t Verzet
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Flanders Oud Bruin
Other Notes: Harvest 2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Oud Bruin Strawberry is created by adding whole strawberries to beer, aged on oak barrels for at least one year. This Elsanta variety is carefully grown by a family business in Olsene, Zulte. Due to the extreme sunny weather the little fruits were ripe very fast this year. To avoid an oversupply, Verzet came to the rescue. We used 300kg to put on the beer. The result is a fruity and sour beer, missing the stickiness you experience when eating the fruits. The mellow sourness makes it an ideal summer beer. Strawberry daiquiri is so passé, t’ Verzet Strawberry is here to stay!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.61
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with an expiry date that was mostly rubbed off, but from the 2018 harvest. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear amber orange copper colour with a thin off white head that dissipated quickly while leaving sparse lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, strawberry, sweet jammy, and a touch of oak.
Taste: Sour, tart, acidic, strawberry, oak, and vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Acidic, dry, light bodied, with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and taste seem like opposites as the aroma was nice with lots of sweet jammy strawberry, while on the other hand, taste was acidic with a sharp sourness mixed with vinegar that overpowered much of the strawberry. As it warmed, the sharpness mellowed a bit and the strawberry made a better showing.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij ‘t Verzet, Flanders Oud Bruin

Verzet Oud Bruin

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Brewery: Brouwerij ‘t Verzet
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Flanders Oud Bruin
Other Notes: Editie 2014

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Flemish Red Brown Ale.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.43
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 12.7 fl. oz. bottle with an expiry date of 19th December 2025. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear amber orange copper colour with a nice two finger beige head, that had good retention and eventually settled to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Sour, strawberry, balsamic vinegar, cherry, and light oak.
Taste: Tart, sour, balsamic vinegar, oak, with fruity notes of strawberry, cherry and blackberry.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The balsamic notes were strong, and along with wood notes, overpowered the berry fruitiness that I prefer.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Pale Wheat Ale, Beer Reviews, Carbon Brews, Hong Kong

Carbon Brews Zesty Feelings

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Brewery: Carbon Brews
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 4.9%
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
Other Notes: 15 IBUs. Malts – Pilsner, Wheat, Oats and Carapils. Hops – Citra and Cryo loral. Yeast – Chico. Fruit – Grapefruit and Lemon Zest. Experience – Fruity, citrus, smashable

Brewer Description: (from can) Citrus wheat.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.2
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 330ml can, with a best before date of 5th September 2020. Poured into a Spiegelau wheat glass.
Appearance: A hazy straw blonde colour with an uncontrollable more than five finger white head that had fairly good retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy, lemon zest, lemon rind, and a floral character.
Taste: Light citrusy lemon zest, lemon rind, bready malt, wheat, and a splash of lime.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very light and crushable, but didn’t leave any sort of impression on me.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Lervig Aktiebryggeri, Norway, Stout - Milk / Sweet

Lervig Saskatoon Cheesecake Stout

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Brewery: Lervig Aktiebryggeri
Country: Norway
ABV: 12%
Style: Milk / Sweet Stout

Brewer Description: (from can) Imperial Stout with Saskatoon berry & cheesecake.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.87
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 330ml can, with a best before date of 25th September 2024. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, blueberry, mixed berries, vanilla, cream cheese, chessecake, with hints of chocolate.
Taste: Moderate sweetness, light roast, chocolate, mixed berries, vanilla, with hints of caramel.
Mouthfeel: Slightly boozy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: On the borderline of being too sweet for me. Nice cheesecake and berriness in the aroma, but unfortunately I felt that the cheesecake didn’t translate into the taste, and it was mostly just sweet berries and booze.