Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Gose - Fruit, Omnipollo, Sweden

Omnipollo Bianca Blueberry Maple Pancake Lassi Gose

Leave a comment

Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Sweden
ABV: 6%
Style: Gose – Fruit
Other Notes: Brewed by Omnipollo at De Proef Brouwerij (Belgium)

Brewer Description: (from can) Blueberry Maple Pancake Lassi Gose

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

Intro: A 500ml can, with a best before date of 29th August 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A deep beetroot purple colour with a one and a half finger purple head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, blueberry skin, blueberries, maple, and vanilla.
Taste: Sweet with a light tartness, blueberry, maple, pancake, vanilla and slightly medicinal.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Normally I wouldn’t really be able to enjoy something as sweet as this, but the light tartness of the blueberries just brings this sweetness mostly under control. Combined with the slight berry medicinal character, and maple sweetness, it’s still on the verge of being too much, but I enjoy this beer in sips.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Heroes Beer Co., Hong Kong, IPA - New England / Hazy Double

Heroes Lili

Leave a comment

Brewery: Heroes Beer Co.
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 8%
Style: New England / Hazy Double IPA
Other Notes: The Marvellous Magical Broom. Hazy DIPA. Flavor Profile – Tropical fruits, citrus, dank. In collaboration with Pink Boots Society

Brewer Description: (from can) After her journey with Kiki and Jiji, Lili went on to become an all-round magical broom. From basic broom skills like sweeping, flying, soup-stirring to rare ones like broom-fencing against self-righteous snobs, she somehow manages to always handle with flair.

In a Pink Boots Society fundraiser, Lili stirred-up a glass of her signature PBS Hop Blend soup for Albert. It was so good that he immediately begged for an apprenticeship. Lili said yes, in the condition that he will do all the housework and always keep the toilet seat down.

This Hazy DIPA is Albert’s graduation project – to master the PBS Hop Blend 2020. Loaded with tropical fruits, citrus and dank hop aroma. Drinks with a smooth mouthfeel and finishes with a sweet impression.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.97
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml can, canned on 8th April 2020, poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A slightly murky hazy dark orange colour with a two finger white head that had great retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Lightly dank, tropical stone fruit, mango, mango peel, citrusy, orange rind.
Taste: Moderate sweetness, lightly dank, mango, citrus rind, orange zest and maybe a slight bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I would have preferred less sweetness, but good aromas, well hidden abv, and still enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Barleywine - American, Beer Reviews, New Zealand

8 Wired Lord Of The Atlas

Leave a comment

Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 12%
Style: American Barleywine
Other Notes: 2016 vintage. Oak aged barley wine ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) American style barley wine, brewed with New Zealand malt, Australian hops, English yeast and aged on French oak. A true globetrotter, a mighty Lord of the Atlas.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 500ml bottle, 2016 vintage, with a best before date of 14th December 2019, however I believe it’s still good. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A dark orange brown colour with a thin half finger beige head that had decent retention but left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Hoppy, herbal, sweet dried fruit, caramel malt, raisin, coconut and oak.
Taste: Sweet, herbal, medicinal, pine hoppy, dried stone fruit, dried coconut, oak, caramel malt, with a bittersweet finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipping barleywine with nice aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, The Lost Abbey, USA, Wild Ale

Lost Abbey Framboise de Amorosa

Leave a comment

Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel-aged raspberry sour

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Raspberry sour ale aged in French oak barrels. The 10 Commandments and its “Thou Shalt Nots” do not apply to Amorosa. A courtesan, she has no need for the morality of denial. A stunning beauty with depth of spirit and sensuality. Amorosa is ruled by the fruits of her loins and mother earth. Sweet and sour, Amorosa is equal parts lover, liberated soul and the object of every suitor’s affection. She is desire incarnate and sensuality embodied. In choosing to open this bottle, you are now courting this magnificent woman. For some, she will arrive like the siren’s call breathing upon your lips and dancing across your taste buds. Others will be denied. For you see, a wonton woman, Amorosa beckons all and chooses few. Will your prayers be answered?

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A corked and caged 12.7 fl. oz. bottle, with no bottled on or best before date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A cloudy reddish brown colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, raspberry, sour, oak, lemon juice.
Taste: Sour, tart, sweet, raspberry, grape, lightly vinous, oak, light lemon juice and a splash of vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very enjoyable with a good balance between sour and sweet, and good raspberry aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Alvinne, Wild Ale

Alvinne Laurelin 2017 Fellowship Ale N°5

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: 2018 Fellowship. Cuvée Sofie Schaarbeekse Kriek (2017). Fruit Flemish Sour Ale. Sweet 1/5, Sour 4/5 & Bitter 0/5

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Laurelin was one of Two Trees of Valinor. It was said to be some sort of cherry tree, her last fruit was made into the sun. In July we added 25kg of Schaarbeekse Kriek to a Domaine Harmand Geoffroy red wine (Bourgogne/Gevrey-Chambertin) barrel. This Cuvée Sofie aged for 16 months in this third time used French oak barrel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.05
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle, with a best before date of January 2024. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: A cloudy dark reddish purple colour with a thin white head, that left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, sour, cherry, cherry pie, acetone, nail polish, with hints of vinegar.
Taste: Sweet, sour, tart, tangy, cherry, jammy, cherry pie, cherry juice, oak, acetone, with notes of vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: I tried this side by side with the 2016 version, and I preferred this version a lot more. The cherry was much more prominent here and not overwhelmed by any barrel character like too much vanilla in the 2016 version. It’s still sweeter than I expected given the sweet and sour ratings on the label, and the carbonation was softer than I prefer, but this was still enjoyable as the acidity helped with the soft carbonation.