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

Against The Grain 35K

Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: Milk / Sweet Stout
Other Notes: 25.5 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Wiggity Woooo! We’re putting in a swimming pool! And if there’s enough left over, we’re gonna fly you all down here to help us dedicate it. This is not your typical ‘Jelly of the Month Club’ milk stout. This stout is silky, smooth, and sweet. And it’s worth the $35K, but you can only have a little ‘cause the rest is ours!

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

Intro: A 1 pint can with no clear canned on or best before date. Poured into a Spiegelau Stout glass.
Appearance: Pours a very dark brown, near black colour with a three finger mocha coloured head after an aggressive pour, that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, molasses, coffee and chocolate with a light smokiness.
Taste: Sweet milk coffee that was on the watery side, with a hint of caramel, chocolate, vanilla and maybe smoke.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: It’s easy to drink as it’s quite light, but it was also on the watery side. Some stronger coffee or even smokiness would have improved this Stout.

New Belgium x De Koninck Lips of Faith – Flowering Citrus Ale

Brewery: New Belgium Brewing x Brouwerij De Koninck
Country: USA
ABV: 7.4%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: Ale brewed with hibiscus, rose and citrus fruit

Brewer Description: (from bottle) No need to jet to Antwerp when you can open up a bouquet of Flowering Citrus Ale. Thanks to our friends at De Koninck Brewery, we brewed up a summery ale bursting with key lime and whole lemons that mingle with the fragrance of hibiscus, rose petals and strawberry-tinged Mistral hops. Open up and let Belgian summer bloom.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with an enjoy by date of 25th June 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Bready malt, honey, citrusy lemon with hints of flowers.
Taste: Tangy and sweet citrusy orange and lemon, bready malt with a light herbal and flowery flavour.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was refreshing and very easy to drink. I’m surprised its 7.4% ABV as it felt like something easily under 5%. Great for a hot summers day.

Stigbergets Muddle

Brewery: Stigbergets Bryggeri
Country: Sweden
ABV: 7%
Style: American IPA

Brewer Description: Could not find any information on this beer on their website or on the bottle.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.8
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle, batch 599, with a best before date of 19th August 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left some lacing.
Aroma: Mango, pineapple, grapefruit, orange with a hint of pine.
Taste: Generally quite light and short, but there’s mango and peach followed by bitter grapefruit rind and mandarin rind.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and taste were nice but was a bit disappointed that the taste was quite light and abrupt, especially when compared to top Stigbergets IPAs like GBG and Amazing Haze.

Against The Grain Pile of Face

Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 65 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Rummaged Delight! In a world where all the skulls are being used up, we are left with nothing but piles of face. But fear not, that’s where the story is truly told! Pile of Face is the institution of American IPA, with all the character and drink-ability you would expect as we celebrate American indulgence!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 1 pint can with a best before date of xx January 2018 (xx appears to be 19, but its not so clear…). Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear copper orange colour with a two finger soapy white lacing that had good retention and left sticky lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy grapefruit, lemon and orange rind coupled with pine, light biscuit malt and fruit tea.
Taste: Sweet-ish biscuit malt, bitter grapefruit, orange rind, pine and light tea.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A decent drinkable IPA.

De Ranke Kriek

Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Euro Sour Ale
Other Notes: On base of old Flemish beer, Lambic and sour cherries (25%)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 70% Belgian Sour Ale fermented with cherries with 30% Lambic added.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.55
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 26th August 2021. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear ruby red colour with a just under two finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, funky, vinegar, musty with only hints of cherry.
Taste: Tart and sour, lots of lemon, lemon zest, vinegar and funk with only a hint of cherries.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate to light carbonation.
Overall: This was ok but the Belgian Sour Ale felt like it overpowered everything else, such that there was hardly any cherry in either the aroma or taste, which was not so good for a Kriek type beer.