Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Modern Times Beer x Garage Project, USA

Modern Times x Garage Project Blam! Blam!

Tuesday, 2 August 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Modern Times Beer x Garage Project
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: American IPA

Brewer Description: I could not find much information about this beer online or anywhere else.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 200ml pour on draft at Mikkeller Bangkok into a mini stemmed Mikkeller tasting glass.
Appearance: It was a hazy golden orange colour with a one finger off white head that had good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: A complete fruit bomb of grapefruit, mango, peach and apricot.
Taste: Very nice bitterness, grapefruit rind and peel, orange, mandarin, honey and caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Like a Northeast IPA with the absolutely wonderful haze. Very nice fruity aroma and good bitterness. A great collaboration with Garage Project.

Blam! Blam! is the glass on the right in the photo below. Just for additional info, the glass on the left is the 18th Street Cherry Gose.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Witbier, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, USA

Crooked Stave St. Bretta Late Spring Citrus Wildbier

Tuesday, 12 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Witbier
Other Notes: Seasonal Citrus: Tango Mandarin

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Artisan ale brewed with citrus fermented in oak foeders.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.87
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 375ml bottle bottled in April 2015, poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy golden colour with a huge three finger white head with good retention and leaves nice thick lacing.
Aroma: Strong tangy citrus mandarin, lemon and floral aromas with only a hint of oak and brett.
Taste: Citrus peel, orange, mandarin, flower petals, oak, pepper spice and some brett.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and refreshing. I would prefer a bit less of the floral element, but it was not a deal breaker.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Dubbel, Belgium, Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)

Trappist Westvleteren 8

Monday, 11 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Belgian Dubbel
Other Notes: Blue cap. Trappist beer

Brewer Description: Not much info on their website and obviously even less on the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.32
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a sell-by date that has unfortunately rubbed off. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brown colour with some small sediment bits despite a careful pour. There was a one finger beige head that had pretty good retention and eventually settled to a nice thin but puffy cap and nice curtain like lacing.
Aroma: Strong dark fruits of plum, prunes, raisin, fig with hints of dark cherry and toffee.
Taste: Like the aroma, there is lots of dark fruit with raisin, dark cherry and prunes dominating. There’s also some plum, fig, brown sugar and a touch of alcohol that’s not overpowering.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It’s a very nice Dubbel. Great dark fruit flavours and very balanced. Interestingly though, after trying both many times, I am still leaning towards enjoying Westmalle Dubbel just that slight bit more.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Epic Brewing Company, Fruit Beer, USA

Epic Lil’ Brainless Raspberries

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Epic Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: 100% pure raspberry puree (no preservatives)

Brewer Description: (from can) Lil’ Brainless Raspberries is an easy drinking canned version of our big, bold 22 oz. bottle of Brainless Raspberries, crafted especially for those who seek bright, fresh, and real raspberry flavours in a convenient size. We brew exclusively with natural raspberry puree, which gives this beer its unique pink color as well as hints of raspberry bubble-gum, sweet fruit jam, and a pleasant dryness that makes this beer perfect for easy going affairs, indoors or out.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. can with no canned on or best by date. Poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear pinkish-red copper colour with a one finger slightly off white head that dissipated quickly but left some light lacing.
Aroma: Sweet raspberry juice with some strawberry jam and a hint of grape juice.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with raspberry juice and strawberry jam front and center. Lightly sweet and tart.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I enjoyed this. It was light, refreshing, juicy and easily drinkable as I finished it pretty quickly. A nice fruit beer. I would have this in my fridge during the summer.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)

Trappist Westvleteren Blond

Sunday, 26 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
Other Notes: Green cap. Trappist beer

Brewer Description: Not much info on their website and obviously even less on the bottle. But apparently this was the basic beer that the monks drink themselves. I think it replaced the Westvleteren 6, a Belgian Dark Ale with a red bottle cap and 6.2% abv.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a minimum sell-by date of 29th October 2016 and poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy golden orange colour with a small amount of sediment and a nice puffy two finger white head with good retention and leaves great lacing. Actually, despite the sediment, this looks amazing.
Aroma: Bready, clove and banana with a hint of peppery spice and apple pie.
Taste: Strong breadiness but with clove and banana sweetness and a hint of bubblegum.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Wow. Actually this surprised me as its often overshadowed by the 12 and even 8, but I really enjoyed this. As a Belgian Pale Ale, it seems to be one of the best of its style and has great balance, very refreshing and easy to drink.

words of another dreamy traveller