Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA

Firestone Walker 25 (XXV Anniversary Ale)

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Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 11.5%
Style: Strong Ale – American
Other Notes: 2021 vintage. 25th Anniversary. Special Reserve Barrel-Aged Blend

Brewer Description: (from sheet notes in box) Final blend was:
41% Parabola (14% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels
10% Stickee Monkee (12.3% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels
28% Tequila Barrel Merkin (7% ABV) Aged in Tequila Barrels
13% Brandy Barrel Barley Wine (13.8% ABV) Aged in Brandy Barrels
8% Whiskey Barrel Wheat Wine (11.7% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels

(from box) In the fall of 2006, Brewmaster Matt Brynildson asked a handful of his winemaker friends for their input on blending a diverse stash of barrel-aged strong ales. Together, they came up with “10” – a trailblazing beer commemorating our 10th anniversary. And so began an annual autumn rite that now continues into our 25th year. This year was different, however. When our brewers convened with their winemaker friends on July 15, 2021, it marked a return to in-person blending after conducting it all remotely the previous year. The significance of this moment was not lost on anyone, and it was made all the more special by the occasion of our 25th anniversary. The beer you are holding in your hands – 25 – was created on that day. It is a work of talent and togetherness that we are now privileged to share with you. Thank you for being a part of our journey as we conclude this milestone year for Firestone Walker.

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

Intro: A boxed 355ml bottle, 2021 vintage, 25th anniversary, bottled on 14th September 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A clear dark cola brown in colour with a thin tanned head that had pretty good retention but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate fudge, oak, caramel, bourbon, tequila, dried dark fruit, and notes of vanilla.
Taste: Light roast, chocolate, oak, a touch sweet, dried dark fruit, raisin, dates, caramel, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, and tequila.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with balanced and complex aromas and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Honingbes

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°103, Season 21/22

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this second iteration of honeyberry, we macerated a larger volume for four months on three-year old lambik. We afterwards blended it with young lambik for the continued fermentation in the bottle. The weighted average age of the blend upon bottling clocks at more than 18 months. The final fruit proportion is 417 grams of honeyberry per litre of fruit lambik. Of the 3 Fonteinen lambikken, around 65% of the cereals used come from our own cereal collective. Bottle count: 807

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°103, season 21/22, bottled on 12th August 2022. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A deep red colour with a slight orange tinge, and a half finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly but settled to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, mixed berries, black currant, green vines, blueberry, blackberry, woody, with light funky.
Taste: Sour, tart, mixed berries, blueberry, blackberry, black currant, green vines, with light notes of wood and funk.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I have not tried honeyberries before, but it seems to taste like a cross between black currant, blueberries and blackberries. The green viney notes were a bit raw, so the berries weren’t jammy sweet. But it is different, and worth a try.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Pruim Dubbele Altesse

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°18, Season 22/23

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this Pruim, we macerated Dubbele Altesse plums from Fruitdas, a fruit farm and cidery. We macerated these plums for more than three months on three-year old lambik, before blending with some more three-year-old lambik. This makes the weighted average age of this plum lambik clock at more than 28 months. The final fruit intensity is 355 grams of hand-picked plums per litre of Pruim. Of the cereals used, more than 1/3 was sourced within our Cereal Collective. 100% 3 Fonteinen.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°18, season 22/23, bottled on 15th December 2022. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A nice cloudy dark orangey pink colour, with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention, eventually settled to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, plums, lemon peel, citrus zest, 7-Up, with light wood and light funky notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, plum, grapefruit, wood, light funk, and a fruity sour candied finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: My first thought was that it was too sharp and tart, but it definitely grew on me, and I enjoyed it. The fruity sour candy like finish, mellowed it out for me, and made for great drinking.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Insight Cellars, Wild Ale

Insight Cellars Maturation: Bocoy

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Brewery: Insight Cellars
Country: Denmark
ABV: 7.2%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Danish Wild Ale aged in a very old oloroso barrel. 2021 vintage. 1471 btls

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For our Maturation series, we select beers aged in a single type of barrel to showcase how different casks affect the final character of a beer. We aged our Danish Wild Ale in a large, very old Oloroso Sherry Bocoy cask made of chestnut wood for two years, and blended this with a smaller amount of two-year-old Danish Wild Ale aged in a traditional oak Oloroso barrel. The Oloroso casks enhanced the beer with flavors of toasted walnuts, caramelized fruit and spices.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.24
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2021 vintage, bottled on 15th June 2023. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A nice lightly hazy golden orange colour, with a one finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Light funk, dusty, wood shavings, lemon, and sherry notes.
Taste: Grapefruit, lime zest, sherry, wood, with a lasting citrus peel bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable, nice balanced aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Insight Cellars, Wild Ale

Insight Cellars Alma Del Arrumbador

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Brewery: Insight Cellars
Country: Denmark
ABV: 7.3%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Danish Wild Ale aged in sherry barrels. 2021 vintage. 2550 btls

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This is our tribute to the hardworking “arrumbadores” whose labor and skill kept Spain’s historical Sherry bodegas running for centuries. We aged our Danish Wild Ale in Oloroso, Pedro Ximenez and Palo Cortado casks for two years before crafting the final blend. The combination of these Sherry barrels makes for the perfect balance of sweet and dry, and imparts a rich and complex melange of toasted nut, dried fruit and spice flavors to our Danish Wild Ale.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml caged and corked bottle, 2021 vintage, bottled on 17th May 2023. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour, with a one finger white head that had good retention, and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, sherry, citrus zest, grapefruit notes, and a touch of oak.
Taste: Sherry, funky, grapefruit, notes of dried dark fruit, caramel, a touch nutty, and light spicy bits.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice funky and sherry notes but would have preferred a touch more carbonation.