Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

De Struise Black Damnation XVIII – Major Tom

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Bottle 661/2000, 2012 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders, matured in Glen Grant barrel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, number 661/2000, 2012 vintage, bottled on 29th March 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Light to moderate roasty, chocolate, whisky, caramel, and liquorice notes.
Taste: Roasty, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, whisky, oak, dark fruit, toffee, liquorice, with a boozy finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with good whisky notes.

De Struise Black Damnation XV – Drone

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Bottle 1250/2000, 2012 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders, matured in Glendronach barrel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml bottle, number 1250/2000, 2012 vintage, bottled on 1st April 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Whisky, dried dark fruit, prune, fig, dates, chocolate, toffee, oak, vanilla, with boozy notes.
Taste: Roasted malts, whisky, coffee, bitter, dark chocolate, with some dried dark fruit and oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with good whisky and chocolate notes.

De Struise Cuvée Delphine Cask Strength 4 Roses BA

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2015 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cask strength limited edition, medium carbonation, 4 Roses bourbon barrel 1 year.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2015 vintage, limited edition cask strength, bottled on 10th May 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet dark malt, milk chocolate, dried dark fruit, raisin, prunes, fruit cake, with boozy notes.
Taste: Sweet dark malt, dark dried fruit, raisin, prunes, fruit cake, bourbon, with notes of milk chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipping RIS with a good amount of dried dark fruit and bourbon flavours, although my preference is still with the original Cuvée Delphine.

Tilquin Oude Sureau À l’ancienne

Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2020-2021

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Sureau Tilquin is made from the fermentation of 125g of elderberries by liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2020-2021, and a best before date of 9th March 2031. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice hazy reddish purple colour with a two finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Mixed berries, blackberry, elderberry, plum, red wine, oak, earthy, with maybe some light funk notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, fruit forward, mixed berries, elderberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, red wine grapes, oak, earthy, green vines, with light funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable berry aroma and flavours.

Tilquin Oude Gewurzt À l’ancienne

Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.4%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2020-2021

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Gewurzt Tilquin is made from the fermentation of 250g of Gewurztraminer grapes by liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2020-2021, and a best before date of 24th November 2030. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet white wine grapes, grape skin, lemon zest, funk, oak, light herbal notes.
Taste: Tart, sour, grape skin, lemon zest, light funk, oak, grapefruit, with some bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This wasn’t anything like I expected as I rarely drink Gewurztraminer and the grapefruit bitterness and flavours that came out of it was a pleasant surprise. It was balanced and enjoyable.