Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Garage Beer Co., IPA - New England / Hazy, Spain

Garage Any Second Now

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Brewery: Garage Beer Co.
Country: Spain
ABV: 6.6%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA
Other Notes: Hops – HBC-735 and Mosaic

Brewer Description: (from can) IPA featuring experimental hop HBC-735 with support from Mosaic.

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

Intro: A 440ml can, canned on 11th June 2021, and a best before date of 11th December 2021. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention, while leaving lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, tropical, mango, cantaloupe, grapefruit, lemon rind, with light notes of pineapple.
Taste: Light sweetness, tropical, mango, citrusy, grapefruit, orange rind, with a nice lasting bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable, nice fruity mix of tropical and citrus, with a good sweet and bitter balance.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Unblended

Cantillon Cuvée Saint-Gilloise

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Unblended)
Other Notes: 17/18 Season. Hallertau dry-hopped in the cask

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A very special vintage bottling of Cantillon lambics, aged for 2 years in oak, and dry-hopped in the cask. Beer with taste evolution. To be drunk preferably within the 20 years after bottling date. Store and serve at cellar temperature (12°C-15°C).

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 17/18 season, bottled on 18th December 2017. Poured into a Cantillon stemmed mini ballon glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, citrusy, mandarin peel, orange zest, peach, green apple, slight floral, damp wood, musty, funky.
Taste: Light to moderate sour, citrus, mandarin, orange zest and rind, peach, damp wood, barnyard, funky, earthy.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Quite different from most other lambics, and in a good way. Balanced, complex, refreshing, and very enjoyable to drink.

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.