Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Flanders Oud Bruin

3 Fonteinen Nocturne

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.1%
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin
Other Notes: Blend°2, Season 19/20. Number of bottles – 604

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Nocturne is a blend of 3 Fonteinen brewed dark full malt beers and traditional lambic. Spontaneously fermented. Matured in oak barrels. Extended bottle ageing. Unfiltered. Unpasteurised.

On the 30th of March 2018, we brewed a fully barley malt beer wort, with pilsner, pale ale, cara and roasted chocolate malt. We left this beer to age for almost two years on oak barrels. Prior to bottling, we blended the beer with some young lambik. Nocturne is our take on a Vlaams Oud Bruin – a Vlaams-Brabants Oud Bruin if you will. This beer is fully spontaneously fermented and all-natural without any addition of caramel sweetener or colouring. (yet, #notlambic). 100% 3 Fonteinen. # of bottles: 604.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°2, season 19/20, bottled on 6th November 2019, and with a best before date of 26th October 2039. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed Zenne glass.
Appearance: A dark amber dark brown colour with a one finger beige head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, red berries, cherry, cranberry, malty, light roast, with a hint of caramel, vinegar and lemon juice.
Taste: Sour, tart, red berries, cranberry, cherry, plum, oak, dark malt, light roast, light funk, and light vinegar notes.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied, with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A rare not lambic from 3 Fonteinen, but it was good. It’s a well made Oud Bruin that was really enjoyable on a hot spring night.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation XXII – Willy

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Bottle 1184/2000, 2012 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders aged in Clynelish Wilson & Morgan barrel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.18
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, number 1184/2000, 2012 vintage, bottled on 24th March 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a slightly less than one finger brown head that had decent retention and left some nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, boozy, whiskey, chocolate, licorice with notes of dried dark fruit, prunes.
Taste: Roasty, chocolate, whiskey, boozy, licorice, dark fruit, raisins, prunes.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s quite boozy, but the roasty and whiskey flavours work well together, and it was an enjoyable sipper.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation XXV – Black Nuts

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Bottle 772/2000, 2012 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders aged in Ardbeg barrels.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, number 772/2000, 2012 vintage, bottled on 2nd March 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a very thin brown head that dissipated quickly while leaving only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Leather, peat, roasted malts, chocolate, oak, burnt sugar, boozy.
Taste: Roasted malts, chocolate, black coffee, peat, ashy, smoky, burnt caramel, boozy, whisky, light to moderate bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s an enjoyable sipper, but for the peated barrels, I preferred both Hollow (Laguvulin) and Octopussy (Octomore) just that little bit more.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, Stout - Imperial, USA

Founders KBS – Cinnamon Vanilla Cocoa

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Barrel Aged Series. 2021 release. Imperial Stout with coffee, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and cocoa nibs aged in oak bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Here’s one for the cocoa lovers: KBS Cinnamon Vanilla Cocoa – the sumptuous, deep coffee and chocolate flavors of KBS rise to the next level with a swirl of cinnamon and a hint of vanilla to create a sweet-but-not-too-sweet barrel-aged drinking experience. It’s a whole new spin on KBS that’s sure to sweeten your spirits.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.35
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 3rd September 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Pitch black with a one finger brown head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, with notes of raisin and bourbon.
Taste: Light to moderate bitterness, dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, black coffee, some sweet notes, cinnamon, vanilla, dark fruit, raisin, bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, velvety, full to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Great aroma, and taste was nice, but the cinnamon was perhaps a bit strong. It was sweet, but there was a good bitterness that balanced it, such that it wasn’t overly sweet. A good variant, however I do prefer the original KBS more.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Het Boerenerf Eylenbosch, Lambic - Fruit

Het Boerenerf Oude Kriek

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Brewery: Het Boerenerf Eylenbosch
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2020 harvest

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) De twee krieken zijn afkomstig van twee Vlaamse fruittelers. Volledig fruit, gegist en gerijpt op eiken vaten. Zorgvuldig gemengd met lambiek gebrouwen van oude lokale graansoorten. Tarwe bijdrage van eigen erf. Wild en spontaan natuurbier. Deze botteling is bereid uit 400g fruit per liter.

(translated to English) The two cherries come from two Flemish fruit growers. Full fruit, fermented and aged in oak barrels. Carefully blended with lambic brewed from ancient local grains. Wheat contribution from own yard. Wild and spontaneous natural beer. This bottling is prepared from 400g of fruit per litre.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 17th January 2021, with a best before date of 9th November 2041. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: It was a very slightly hazy ruby red colour, with an almost two finger pinkish head that had decent retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherries, with notes of almond, marzipan, oak and lemon zest.
Taste: It’s what you’d expect from the aroma, sour, tart, cherries, marzipan, almond, oak, and a splash of lemon flesh, with light funk notes on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A good and enjoyable Oude Kriek. I preferred this over their Oude Schaarbeekse Kriek, and having tried these two Kriek’s, would love to try their other products.