Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille, Farmhouse Saison

Jandrain-Jandrenouille IV Dark Saison

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Saison

Brewer Description: I couldn’t find any official information, but as per (beer webshop Etre), this IV Dark Saison has a similar recipe to the IV Saison but with dark malts and oak chips.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.11
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of January 2020. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with a big four finger rather uncontrollable tanned head that had excellent retention while leaving behind some lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, chocolate, caramel, nuttiness with a hint of dark fruit.
Taste: Lightly sweet dark fruit, caramel, toffee, roast, coffee, bittersweet chocolate with a light spice.
Mouthfeel: Medium to bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Pleasantly surprised. Although the roasty ‘dark’ part comes through stronger than the ‘saison’ part of this dark saison, it was still balanced enough to feel the Saison portion. Also, the higher carbonation maybe doesn’t go so well with the roastiness, but it was still very enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Foreign / Export Stout, Greece, Strange Brew

Strange Brew Mandy Black

Leave a comment

Brewery: Strange Brew
Country: Greece
ABV: 7%
Style: Foreign / Export Stout

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beyond the reefs of howling wind, hides the rebel bandit Queen. She storms the ships of Union Jack, their Stout barrels to take back. And people sing with pints on hand “Here’s to you, o, Mandy Black!”

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.19
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 9th December 2019. Poured into a Spiegelau stout glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a just over one finger tanned head that had some decent retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Creamy, roast, coffee, chocolate with a touch of vanilla.
Taste: Lightly sweet, roast, coffee, caramel and a bittersweet chocolate finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and easy to drink with good bittersweet coffee and chocolate flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, IPA - New England / Hazy, The Alchemist, USA

The Alchemist Focal Banger

Leave a comment

Brewery: The Alchemist
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA
Other Notes: Drink from the can! Drink from the can! Drink from the can!

Brewer Description: (from can) Focal Banger is an American India Pale Ale. We have a real love for IPAs here at The Alchemist, and we strive to offer you the best hop experience that we possibly can. This beer is brewed using Citra and Mosaic hops and our favorite British malts. Truly, an abundance of hoppy goodness… Freshness and control have always been my main concern when it comes to our beer. We are committed to providing you with an unfiltered and unpasteurized hop experience. Why do I recommend that you drink it from the can? Quite simply, to ensure a delightful hop experience. The act of pouring it in a glass smells nice, but it releases the essential hop aromas that we have worked so hard to retain. If you MUST pour it into a glass, you may find that some of the hop resins have settled to the bottom – leave them in the can when pouring. This beer is perishable and at its best when it is young, fresh and hazy. Keep it cold, but not ice cold. Drink this beer today, you could be dead tomorrow….

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.29
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 1 pint can, with no clear canned on or best before date (although my source says mid-March). Poured around half into a Lost Abbey teku glass and drank the other half from the can.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had good retention and left some sticky lacing.
Aroma: Mango, pineapple, pine, grapefruit peel, mandarin zest, fruit tea.
Taste: Light bitterness, grapefruit zest, citrus peel, mango, pineapple, melon, grass, pine, and a light but lasting bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice, refreshing and enjoyable to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Council Brewing Co., USA, Wild Ale

Council Broken Wand Boysenberry

Leave a comment

Brewery: Council Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: American Dark Sour Ale oak foeder aged with boysenberries. Brewery closed in December 2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The giant, wind up Owl, guardian of the Magic Factory and conjurer of darkness and truth, comes bearing the Broken Wand, which has turned this ominous beer into darkness. This foeder aged sour beer with scrumptious boysenberries is the result of carefully selected microbes from our Deadlock barrel program that worked their magic in this beer. This dark concoction has intense flavors and aromas of, dark berries, chocolate, vanilla, and soft oak tannins.

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

Intro: A 375ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark dark purple red colour with a two finger pink head that had decent retention, and eventually settling to a nice replenishing thin layer, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Mixed berries, jammy, blueberry, blackberry, oak.
Taste: Sour, tart, blueberry, blackberry, lightly vinous, oak, and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I actually don’t know what boysenberry tastes like, but I’m getting a nice mix of blueberry and blackberry. The barrel aging also imparts some nice oak and vanilla notes.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Council Brewing Co., Farmhouse Saison, USA

Council Béatitude Three Berry Tart Saison

Leave a comment

Brewery: Council Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Raspberry, blueberry and blackberry ale. Brewery closed in December 2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Béatitude is the French word for bliss which is what we float away on whenever we enjoy this specially brewed beer. This Tart Saison is brewed in the Belgian tradition of tart farmhouse ales. The magic happens when our house culture of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Saison yeast throw an out-of-this world party in our fermenters. Aged on raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, this yields a beer with a lacto forward nose, an intensely tart berry flavor, a doughy complexity, and takes the word “refreshing” to a whole new level.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very cloudy deep purple reddish colour with a big two finger light pink head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, mixed berries, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, grape and a touch bubblegum.
Taste: Sour, tart, mixed berries, raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry and lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Lively, acidic, light to medium bodied, with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Nice mixed berries aroma and flavour makes for good easy drinking.