Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

Mikkeller HUES

Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Gueuze)
Other Notes: 2014 vintage. Brewed by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Spontaneously fermented beer aged in Hungarian oak barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.9
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle with a best before date of 27th March 2024. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A dark rusty orange amber colour with a very thin white head that disappeared immediately and left no lacing.
Aroma: Funky, apple cider vinegar, green apple, grape, oak.
Taste: Sour, musty, wet oak, apple peel, vinegar, lemon juice, with vinous notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Reminds me of the Spontan series, and much like Betelgeuze, I grew to enjoy it more and more towards the end.

Mikkeller Spontandoubleraspberry

Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 7.7%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Brewed by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sour ale brewed with raspberries & aged in oak barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.43
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 375ml bottle with a best before date of 29th May 2028. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark ruby red colour with a two finger pinkish beige head that had great retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Wood, lightly tart, jammy, raspberry, strawberry shortcake.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, jammy, raspberry, lime, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable jammy raspberry flavours. One of the better ones in the Spontan lineup.

Almanac Grand Cru Red Ed. 2

Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Belgian Flanders Red Ale
Other Notes: 2016 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Imperial Sour Red Ale, aged in red wine barrels, brewed with grapes, raspberries and vanilla beans.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. bottle, bottled in Autumn 2016. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy but bright orange red colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, sweet, candy like, raspberry, cherry, grape jelly, vanilla, oak, and a touch vinous.
Taste: Sour, sour candy, raspberry, grape jelly, lemon juice, vinous, vanilla, oak and some light acidity.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to full bodied, with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A very nice and balanced Sour Red Ale with enjoyable candy like fruity flavours, and alcohol non-existent and well hidden despite being 10.5% abv.

Garage Project Random Acts Of Kindness

Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 7.6%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Wild Workshop

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The first in a very special series of beers that capture the essence of Wild Workshop. Two parts New Zealand grown pilsner malt to one part raw wheat go through an extended brewing process to yield a wort that is rested in a traditional open coolship, then fermented entirely using the wild yeast and microbes present in the air. This first release is a special blend of one year old barrels producing a unique and beautifully balanced beer, a true expression of our inner city terrior.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.06
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 15th August 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that eventually settled to a rapidly replenishing fluffy cap that left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, straw, oak, Champagne grape, honey, with notes of stone fruit and citrus zest.
Taste: Sour, funky, stone fruit, apricot, peach, oak, and a hint of honey and lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Dry-ish, medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and enjoyable Wild Ale with good funk and fruity notes.

Ayinger Celebrator

Brewery: Ayinger Privatbrauerei
Country: Germany
ABV: 6.7%
Style: German Doppelbock

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Finest Bavarian Double Bock. Dark, malty, and rich.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A dark amber brown colour with a just over one finger beige head that had decent retention but eventually settled to a very nice thin cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malty, doughy, coffee, caramel, grape jam, prune, fig, with a hint of clove.
Taste: Sweet, malty, doughy, roasty coffee, molasses, caramel, dark fruit, plum, prunes, fig, with a hint of clove and smoke.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A fantastic balanced Doppelbock which looked great and had good flavours.