Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Gueuzerie Tilquin, Lambic - Fruit

Tilquin Oude Groseille Rouge À l’ancienne

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Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2017-2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Groseille Rouge Tilquin is made from the fermentation of 260 gr of redcurrants by liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2017-2018, and a best before date of 14th March 2028. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden copper colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, redcurrants, mixed berries skin, oak, freshly cut wood, funk, hay, grapefruit, with light notes of preserved lemon.
Taste: Sour, tart, redcurrants, oak, funk, hay, grapefruit, lemon zest, and preserved lemon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to light carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable with a nice balance between sour, fruit and funk.

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

3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek “Toast”

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.4%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°14, Season 17/18

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek wordt bekomen door het macereren van handgeplukte volle krieken op jonge traditionele lambik gedurende minstens vier maanden, in een verhouding van één kilo per liter. Daarna wordt de kriekenklambik geassembleerd met jonge lambik en wordt alles gebotteld, en zet de vergisting zich verder op fles. Hierdoor ontstaat een zacht fruitige Oude Kriek, geraffineerd, en met evolutie in het glas. Natuurlijk fruit, zonder toevoeging van sappen, siropen, of suikers. Ongefilterd en ongepasteuriseerd.

Voor de zes maanden durende maceratie van deze specifieke Oude Kriek “Toast” werd een vers gebrand eikenhouten vat gebruikt. De finale fruitintensiteit bedraagt 350 gram krieken per liter afgewerkte Kriek. Aantal flessen: 1,150.

(translated to English) 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek is obtained by macerating hand-picked full cherries on young traditional lambic for at least four months, at a ratio of one kilo per litre. Then the cherry lambic is assembled with young lambic and everything is bottled, and the fermentation continues in the bottle. This creates a soft fruity Oude Kriek, refined, and with evolution in the glass. Natural fruit, without the addition of juices, syrups, or sugars. Unfiltered and unpasteurised.

A freshly roasted oak barrel was used for the six-month maceration of this particular Oude Kriek “Toast”. The final fruit intensity is 350 grams of cherries per liter of finished Kriek. Number of bottles: 1,150.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.5
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°14, season 17/18, bottled on 17th January 2018, with a best before date of 26th October 2038. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice ruby red colour with a slight purple tint, and a one finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Lightly sour and tart, cherry, cherry pie, oak, cherry candy, with a slight hint of vanilla, strawberry, and funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, cherry skin, cherry pie, sour berries, lemon, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I’m not really sure about the “toast” part, as it’s not really obvious in the aroma or taste. But this version of the Oude Kriek is enjoyable and nicely balanced.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Nectarine Lambiek

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Nectarine Lambiek schuimt niet, doordat hergisting op fles minimaal is om de fruitaroma’s maximaal te proeven. Oude Nectarine Lambiek ontstaat door het samen vergisten van jonge lambiek met een hoeveelheid aromatische nectarinen. De nectarine, Prunus Nuci persica, worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pit in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan nectarinen bedraagt ongeveer 40 kg per 100 liter lambiek.

(translated to English) Nectarine Lambiek does not foam, because refermentation in the bottle is minimal to maximize the taste of the fruit aromas. Oude Nectarine Lambiek is created by fermenting young lambic together with a quantity of aromatic nectarines. The nectarine, Prunus Nuci persica, are processed whole (no juice) with seeds. The nectarine content is approximately 40 kg per 100 liters of lambic.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2017 vintage, with a best before date of July 2040. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a very thin white head that disappeared almost immediately while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Funky, nectarines, peach, apricot, vanilla yoghurt, oak, dusty, with a hint of lemon zest.
Taste: Light sour, tart, nectarines, peach, yoghurt, olive oil, lemon zest, oak, funky, barnyard.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking with nice aroma, flavours and good funky notes. It lacked carbonation though, and I definitely thought it needed some.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Framboise Lambiek

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Framboise Lambiek schuimt niet, doordat hergisting op fles minimaal is om de fruitaroma’s maximaal te proeven. Oude Framboise Lambiek ontstaat door het samen vergisten van jonge lambiek met een hoeveelheid aromatische frambozen. De frambozen worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pitjes in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan frambozen bedraagt ongeveer 30 kg per 100 liter framboise.

(translated to English) Framboise Lambiek does not foam, because refermentation in the bottle is minimal to maximize the taste of the fruit aromas. Oude Framboise Lambiek is created by fermenting young lambic together with a quantity of aromatic raspberries. The raspberries are processed in their entirety (no juice) with seeds. The raspberry content is approximately 30 kg per 100 liters of framboise.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2017 vintage, with a best before date of July 2040. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy amber orange colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, jammy, raspberry, oak, lemon zest, with slight notes of funk.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, jammy, raspberry, rhubarb, lemon zest, oak, light funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: The aroma was good with nice fruity raspberry, but taste while still good, the amount of fruit didn’t quite match the aroma. Carbonation was also on the borderline too high for my palate, and sometimes a bit uncomfortable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Sint Amatus

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 11%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: 2013 vintage. 23 IBUs. Bourbon barrel aged quad

Brewer Description: (from website) Saint Amatus is the Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel matured version of Pannepeut. Dark quadrupel (Trappist style).

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

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2013 vintage, bottled on 21st June 2016. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark brown colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Malty, dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, with notes of caramel and bourbon.
Taste: Sweet malt, moderately sweet, dark fruit, prunes, raisin, caramel, toffee, bourbon, boozy.
Mouthfeel: Sticky, medium to full bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper. I preferred this original, over the cask strength version just a bit more.