Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

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

3 Fonteinen Druif/Kriek Dornfelder

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.3%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°26, Season 20/21

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this Druif/Kriek, we blended a Belgian dornfelder druivenlambik and a kriekenlambik in a 50/50 proportion. We used both young and two-year old lambikken, originating from nine different barrels and nine different brews. The combined maceration took eight months and the final fruit intensity is 510 grams per litre of sour cherries and freshly pressed, skin-macerated grape juice.

3 Fonteinen Druif/Kriek is obtained by the successive maceration of grapes and cherries on lambik. Natural fruit, without the addition of syrups, or sugars. Unfiltered and unpasteurized.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.48
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°26, season 20/21, bottled on 10th February 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A dark maroon purple colour with a nice one finger pinkish head that had decent retention and eventually settled to a thin but frothy cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, blackberry, marzipan, with light citrus zesty notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, blackberry, grape skin, vinous, oak, with a touch of funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: This Druif/Kriek blend worked really well and was super enjoyable. Despite the 50/50 blend, I got all cherry and no grape in the aroma, but the grape and vinous character did come out nicely in the flavour, and matched well with the cherries.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hudson Valley Brewery, IPA - Sour, USA

Hudson Valley The Map

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Brewery: Hudson Valley Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: IPA – Sour

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) Sour IPA with wheat & oat, milk sugar, lemon & black lava salt, hopped w/ Mosaic & Azacca.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 16 fl. oz. can with no clear canned on or best before date. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A hazy orange colour with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, lemon, yellow stone fruit, unripe mango, sour apricot candy, and lemon zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, lemonade, lemon zest, yellow stone fruit, with a touch of salt.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Really easy and enjoyable to drink with good aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hudson Valley Brewery, IPA - Sour, USA

Hudson Valley Ultrasphere

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Brewery: Hudson Valley Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: IPA – Sour

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) Sour IPA w/ raw wheat, malted oat, milk sugar, raspberry & vanilla; hopped w/ Citra & Mosaic.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 16 fl. oz. can with no clear canned on or best before date. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark pinkish orange colour with a one finger pinkish head that had pretty good retention while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, jammy, raspberry, vanilla, raspberry yoghurt.
Taste: Much like the aroma, sweet and sour, jammy, raspberry, mixed berries, vanilla, yoghurt, and a touch herbal on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: This type of aroma and flavours of raspberry and vanilla, are just my thing. I was worried that it might be too sweet, but there was just enough sour to balance it out, and it drank really easy.

4 - Good (buy), 8 Bit Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, IPA - New England / Hazy Triple, USA

8 Bit Mug and Thunder

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Brewery: 8 Bit Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10.4%
Style: New England / Hazy Triple IPA

Brewer Description: (from can) Nelson · Galaxy · Citra.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.91
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 16 fl. oz. can, canned on 18th May 2022. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A hazy pale orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Citrus, lots of orange, orange peel, orange rind, dank, with notes of grass and booze.
Taste: Juicy, bitter, citrusy, orange rind, orange zest, with light tropical notes, a touch of booze, and a peppery bite.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Good citrus flavours with a nice bitterness, and surprisingly filling.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse Peated Oak Aged

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Aged in peated Islay whiskey barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Embrasse matures four to six months in whiskey barrels. For the peated oak aged Embrasse Islay barrels are used. By barrel aging the beer it takes the rich tones of the whiskey and the beer gets a softer and fuller taste.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before end date of October 2022. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Peaty, leather, dry grass, roasted malts, with milk chocolate and whisky notes.
Taste: Roasted malts, peat, smoke, milk chocolate and whiskey.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s peat forward and obvious, but not overpowering. The peat is balanced with some nice roasty and chocolate flavours. The body was lighter than expected though, and I was hoping for a bit more carbonation.