Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V., Netherlands

La Trappe Quadrupel

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Brewery: Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven B.V.
Country: Netherlands
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: Trappist beer

Brewer Description: (from bottle) La Trappe Quadrupel is eponymous of this ale style. A full, warming and intensive taste. Malty with the sweet tones of date and caramel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of April 2021. Poured into a La Trappe goblet glass.
Appearance: A copper amber colour with a nice two finger beige head that had good retention and eventually settled to a thin replenishing layer while leaving lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruit, dates, prunes, plum, dried apricots, Belgian yeast, banana, clove, bready, brown sugar, caramel and toffee.
Taste: Moderate sweetness, dark fruit, dates, prunes, plum, candi sugar, caramel, alcohol, with hints of Belgian yeast and clove.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice aroma and flavours with an appropriate amount of booziness. As it warmed it got borderline too sweet, it just means I should drink it a bit faster!

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Stout - Imperial, To Øl

To Øl Goliat Maple Beacon Edition

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Brewery: To Øl
Country: Denmark
ABV: 10.2%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed & bottled by To Øl at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Smokey imperial coffee stout matured with bourbon oak chips.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 375ml bottle with a best before date of 14th May 2021 (I think, as it’s a bit dark). Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a one finger brown head that had pretty good retention and left lots of nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, chocolate, chocolate milk, light roast, light biscuit, brown sugar, a splash of bourbon and maybe a hint of smokiness too.
Taste: Strong roastiness, light char, smokey, moderately sweet, chocolate, chocolate milk, coffee, bourbon, oak.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper although perhaps the name deceives as I have no idea where the maple comes in as I don’t get it in the aroma or the taste. Beacon or bacon? maybe, I get from the smokiness. I’ve noticed that I’ve rated this higher than the original Goliat, but to be fair, it’s been so long that I can’t really compare, but this was enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Lambic - Fruit, Mad Beer

Mad Sur

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Brewery: Mad Beer
Country: Denmark
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mad Beer at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Spontan ale brewed with yuzu.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 18th June 2024. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy copper amber colour with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, yuzu, citrus peel, vinegar, oak, lightly herbal, funky.
Taste: Sour, tart, funky, yuzu, lemon tea, lemonade, floral, herbal, vinegar, oak, with a hint of mint.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice and refreshing with a good balance of funk, sour and yuzu citrus.

4 - Good (buy), Australia, Beer Reviews, La Sirène Brewing, Wild Ale

La Sirène Cuvée de Bois

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Brewery: La Sirène Brewing
Country: Australia
ABV: 6.2%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Avant Garde Collection. 2018 vintage. Oak-aged Wild Ale with chardonnay – solera method. Funk 4/5, sour 2/5 and oak 2/5

Brewer Description: (from bottle) La Sirène 2018 Cuvée de Bois is a special wine hybrid mixed fermentation farmhouse ale blended with select French oak barriques of La Sirène Saison. Using our vintage basket press, Australian chardonnay free run juice was brewed into a specially designed farmhouse beer, then blended with our barrel-aged Saison. The 2018 Cuvée de Bois is a delightful blend of balanced wild farmhouse complexity and grape forward acidity crowned by the elegance & depth of toasted French oak.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.21
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml bottle, batch no. 230230, and bottled in February 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden straw colour with a big two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light funk, sweet white wine, grapes, peach, apricot, with a hint of oak and citrus.
Taste: Sour, tart, funky, white wine, grapes, stone fruit, peach, apricot and lemon peel on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable grape and stone fruit flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, North Coast Brewing Co., Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

North Coast Old Rasputin Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged

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Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 11.3%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: XVIII release

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Barrel-aged Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Stout aged in rye whiskey barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A corked and caged 500ml bottle, XVIII release. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger dark tanned to brown head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate, whiskey, oak and vanilla.
Taste: Rye whiskey forward providing sweetness, light roast, chocolate, coffee, oak and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Body was lighter than I’d prefer for what it is. I get the whiskey booze forwardness, but I don’t get much of the usual spiciness from rye whiskey (maybe I’ve held on to this bottle for too long?). But nevertheless, it is still an enjoyable sipper.