Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Fantôme, Farmhouse Saison

Fantôme Saison Sorachi Unic Brewing

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Brewery: Brasserie Fantôme
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Belgian Ale brewed with spices

Brewer Description: Not much information I could find, but I assume this is Fantôme Saison hopped with Sorachi Ace.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.02
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottle 260 of 650, with a best before date of end of 2022. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: Slow to moderate gusher upon popping the cork, it was a hazy golden orange colour, with an almost three finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, but settled to a thin cap, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Grapefruit, citrus zest, lime, candied orange, yeasty, herbal, with a touch of coconut and light funk.
Taste: Sweet and bitter, candied grapefruit, orange, citrus zest, sweet malt, caramel, herbal, coconut notes, and a spicy acidic kick.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: The high carbonation was a bit uncomfortable here, but I still found it better than the Simcoe version with it’s enjoyable aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, England, Gose - Imperial Fruit, Staggeringly Good Brewery

Staggeringly Good Souropod Imperial Triple Fruited Gose – Mango, Raspberry & Vanilla

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Brewery: Staggeringly Good Brewery
Country: England
ABV: 7.4%
Style: Imperial Gose
Other Notes: Mango, raspberry & vanilla

Brewer Description: (from website) Once more the term ‘liquid’ is tested with this triple fruited Gose oozing with Mango, Raspberry and Vanilla. Set your dishwasher to the longest cycle because this thic boi beer is going to make a mark on your life. The ‘Beer/Not Beer’ trolls are sure to have a field day but all we can say is we’re a brewery, we made it, get over it! So whilst they argue over details join us and chill with a cold glass of this indulgent fruited madness.

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

Intro: A 440ml can, canned on 18th November 2020, with a best before date of 18th May 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A thick puree like mango juice orange colour with a one finger orange head that disappeared almost immediately to a replenishing thin cap, with no lacing, but some puree fruity bits on the sides of the glass.
Aroma: Sweet fruit, ripe mango, mango juice, with slight raspberry notes.
Taste: Lightly sweet and sour, mango, mango juice, lemon, with notes of raspberry and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied, thick, smoothie like, with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It’s a good thing I love mango juice, because mango dominates here in both aroma and flavour. As in their description, I’d still question whether this was ‘beer/not beer’ though. And although I won’t answer this question, I definitely did enjoy this drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Sour Ale - Smoothie / Soda / Pastry, The Veil Brewing Co., USA

The Veil Tastee Shibuya Sundae

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Brewery: The Veil Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Sour Ale – Smoothie

Brewer Description: (from can) Smoothie-style sour ale conditioned on persimmons, yuzu, strawberries, peaches, toasted black sesame seeds, and milk sugar.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 1 pint can with no canned on or best before date. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A not so appetising murky brownish orange colour, with a half finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly and left fruit like sediment and only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, yuzu, strawberry, vanilla, yoghurt, ice cream smoothie.
Taste: Sour, sweet, fruity, yuzu, strawberry, Sprite, sweetened milk, vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Purely on its appearance, it did not look appetising at all. Luckily, it’s aroma and flavours were many times better and enjoyable with lots of fruit, especially yuzu.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Oud Beersel, Lambic - Fruit

Oud Beersel Green Walnut

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Brewery: Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Bottled 4 years before best before date

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Green Walnut. Beer of spontaneous fermentation, aged on oak barrels, referments in the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2018 vintage, with a best before date of 7th June 2022. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour, with an almost two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, but settled to a thin cap, while leaving sparse lacing.
Aroma: Seemed a bit weak, but there’s oak, hay, barnyard, herbs, and citrus rind notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, barnyard, funky, citrus rind, lightly bitter, white wine, and light berry notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft but spritzy carbonation.
Overall: Any walnut flavour or aroma was not clear to me, but the overall result was enjoyable with good citrus and berry flavours complementing the sour, funky and bitter notes.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hong Kong, Stout - Imperial, Young Master Brewery

Young Master Hak Mo Sheung Double Chocolate

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Brewery: Young Master Brewery
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 10.5%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 45 IBUs. Intense, chocolatey, cellar worthy

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Double chocolate Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.24
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2020 release, with a best before date of 1st July 2025. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with a one finger mocha brown head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate, bourbon, dried dark fruit, vanilla, oak, with notes of roasted malts.
Taste: Rich milk chocolate, cocoa, bourbon, dark fruit, vanilla, oak, boozy.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable Imperial Stout with lots of rich chocolate and bourbon notes.