Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

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.

4 - Good (buy), Australia, Barleywine - English, Beer Reviews, Moon Dog Craft Brewery

Moon Dog The Duke of Chifley

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Brewery: Moon Dog Craft Brewery
Country: Australia
ABV: 12.2%
Style: Barleywine – English
Other Notes: Malt – Maris Otter, CaraMunich T2 and CaraAroma. Hops – Fuggles. Yeast – English

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Barley Wine. Aged in whisky barrels from our mates STARWARD.

(from website) This is one for the history books! Brewed in our humble Duke Street brewery in Abbotsford before being loaded up and shipped off to our fancy new brewery in Chifley Drive Preston to be barrel aged and packed. The Duke of Chifley carries with it the flavour and history of Moon Dog. The Duke of Chifley is a big, boozy, barrel-aged barley wine that is deep burnt sienna in appearance. It’s been aged in fresh Starward Whisky barrels for over twelve months, which along with the base beer, creates an unbelievably delicious golden syrup-y flavour and aroma.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.43
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 650ml black waxed bottle, bottled on 25th January 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A nice dark copper orange colour with a thin beige head that had decent retention while leaving some nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, caramel, brown sugar, dried dark fruit, figs, whisky.
Taste: Moderately sweet, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, whisky, with notes of dried dark fruit, and a touch of bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: The sweetness is there, but not overly so, as it’s balanced with just the right amount of bitterness. Just a wonderful sipper with nice flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Burning Sky Brewery, England, Farmhouse Saison - Fruit

Burning Sky Cherry Saison

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Brewery: Burning Sky Brewery
Country: England
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Farmhouse Saison – Fruit

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sour Morello cherries from Kent were delivered to us fresh and added to a nine month old foudre aged saison. Further ageing and refermentation has drawn out a beautiful colour and complexity of cherry fruit, almond and oak flavours.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.39
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottled on 23rd August 2021, with a best before date of 23rd August 2031. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice pinkish orange colour with a just over one finger white head that had good retention and eventually settled to a thin cap, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet and tart cherry, candied grapefruit, light funk, with a touch of almond and oak.
Taste: Tart, funky, sour candy cherry, candied grapefruit, with notes of lemon and oak.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, refreshing, light bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: Really refreshing with a good balance of sweet, sour and funk. Especially great on a hot summer day.