Category Archives: 5 – Excellent (must buy)

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Lambic (Fruit), Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

3 Fonteinen Intens Rood

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– aka 3 Fonteinen Intense Red Oude Kriek (ratebeer & beeradvocate)

Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.9%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) 3 Fonteinen “Intens Rood” wordt bekomen door het macereren van hand-geplukte volle krieken op jonge traditionele lambik gedurende minstens zes maanden, in een verhouding van één kilo per liter. Daarna wordt de kriekenlambik geassembleerd met jonge lambik tot een intensiteit van min, 450 gram fruit per liter wordt bekomen. Na minstens zes maanden flesrijping onstaat een intense Oude Kriek die doet denken aan een rond pinot noir. Natuurlijk fruit, zonder toevoeging van sappen, siropen, of suikers. Ongefilterd en ongepasteuriseerd.

Deze specifieke botteling van Intens Rood heeft niet minder dan 7 maanden fruitmaceratie gekregen en heeft een finale fruitintensiteit van 480 gram krieken per liter.

(translated to English) 3 Fonteinen “Intense Red” is obtained by macerating full hand-picked cherries on young traditional lambic for at least six months, in a ratio of one kilo per liter. The cherry lambic is then assembled with young lambic until an intensity of minimum 450 grams of fruit per liter is obtained. After at least six months of bottle aging, an intense Oude Kriek is created that is reminiscent of a round pinot noir. Natural fruit, without the addition of juices, syrups, or sugars. Unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This specific bottling of Intense Red has received fruit maceration for no less than 7 months and has a final fruit intensity of 480 grams of cherries per liter.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.5
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend n°35, season 16/17, bottled on 21st June 2017, with a best before date of 26th October 2037. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Light tartness and light funk, cherry and oak.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, sour, tart, cherry, cherry pie, oak and a splash of lemon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice intense cherry flavours. It was not as sweet as I remember it to be, but actually, the good amount of tart and sourness was a good balance to the cherry pie and oak notes.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Lambic (Fruit), Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek with Honey

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.1%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Oude kriek with honey

Brewer Description: (from bottle) (in French) 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek est le résultat de la macération de griottes cueillis à la main dans du lambic traditionnel, pendant au moins quatre mois et avec fermentation en bouteille. Du fruit naturel, sans jus, sirops ou sucres ajoutés. Non-filtré et non-pasteurisé.

(in Dutch) Deze specifieke Oude Kriek heeft bijna 6 maanden gemacereerd op volle krieken. De finale fruitintensiteit is 370 gram fruit per liter afgewerkte fruitlambik. Tijdens de assemblage werd lokale honing toegevoegd.

(translated to English) 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek is the result of maceration of hand-picked sour cherries in traditional lambic for at least four months and with fermentation in the bottle. Natural fruit, without juice, syrups or added sugars. Unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This specific Oude Kriek has macerated almost 6 months on full cherries. The final fruit intensity is 370 grams of fruit per liter of finished fruit lambic. Local honey was added during blending.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.5
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, blend n°58, season 17/18, bottled on 17th May 2018, with a best before date of 26th October 2038. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear ruby red colour with a half finger slightly pinkish head that dissipated that dissipated quickly and left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, cherry, oak and hints of marzipan.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, cherry, oak, cherry pie, soft honey sweetness, with hints of lemon and a touch of cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I preferred this version with honey over the original. Not sure I really got any honey in the aroma and taste, but there was a definite sweetness that wasn’t in the original, that brought out the fruitiness and cherries and made it very enjoyable.

5 - Excellent (must buy), American Imperial Stout, Beer Reviews, BrewDog, Scotland

Brewdog Black Eyed King Imp Vietnamese Coffee Edition

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Brewery: BrewDog
Country: Scotland
ABV: 12.7%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Vietnamese Coffee Edition

Brewer Description: (from brewdogrecipes.com) This is the Vietnamese Coffee Edition. At 12.7% ABV, Black Eyed King Imp is a super intense and twistedly complex brew, with intense notes of sweet vanilla, rich espresso, smooth molasses and bitter chocolate barely contained by the whatever container it’s in.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.69
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 8th October 2020. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a less than half finger brown head that dissipated quickly and left some nice fine spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, milk chocolate, vanilla and molasses.
Taste: Much like the aroma, wonderful roastiness, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, oak, vanilla and a touch of molasses.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied, soft carbonation with a touch of booze.
Overall: A wonderful sipper with excellent aroma and flavours. Easily the best BrewDog beer out there. I’m just sad that this was my last can.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Fremont Brewing Company, USA, Winter Warmer

Fremont B-Bomb Coffee Cinnamon

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Brewery: Fremont Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 14%
Style: Winter Warmer
Other Notes: Malts – 2-Row Pale, Crystal-120, Munich, Roast Barley, Carafa-2, and Chocolate. Hops – Columbus, Willamette and US Golding. Adjunct – Coffee and Cinnamon. Limited 2018 release

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb: Imperial Winter Ale with Coffee & Cinnamon aged in Bourbon Barrels.

This year’s release of B-Bomb is aged in 8-12-year-old American Oak bourbon barrels and is a blend of 9, 12, and 24-month old barrel-aged Winter Ale. This special edition adds cold brew coffee and cinnamon bark to complement the bourbon, oak, cacao, leather, toffee, and dark coffee notes achieved from its extended barrel aging and barrel blending. Each barrel contributes a different note, and combining each barrel to create a coherent tone is a distinct art and true pleasure. Please do enjoy this unique barrel-aged ale today but know that Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb will age gracefully for years to come. Don’t Be Afraid To Be Abominable.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.61
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, 2018 release. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour with a thin brown head that although thin, stuck around, while leaving some nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, cacao, caramel, toffee, bourbon, oak and cinnamon.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, light roast, coffee, cacao, caramel, toffee, bourbon, oak, light cinnamon and a splash of booze.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, light boozy warmth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: Amazingly balanced in aroma and taste with wonderful sweetness, light bitterness and alcohol warmth. Great coffee and cinnamon balance. Just a superb sipper.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Lambic (Fruit), Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

3 Fonteinen Speling van het Lot VII.iv: Zotte Kadeeën: Bosbes + Framboos – Blended & Alive

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.3%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: This fruit lambic is a blend of 10% blueberry lambic and 90% raspberry lambic. After the maceration, the fruit lambic has been blended with some young lambic and bottled. The total fruit intensity is still 63%, i.e. 630 grams of fruit per liter of bottled fruit lambic. Number of bottles – 665

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen “Speling van het Lot” (Twist of Fate) is a series of small batch experimental brews, barrel maturations, fruit macerations and/or blends. This 7th version features a range of fruit macerations on freshly emptied Bordeaux barrels from Château Pabus. These high quality French oak barrels were used for a unique integrated vinification technique, including grape peel maceration in the barrel itself. The name (“Zotte Kadeeën” – “Crazy Kids”) refers to the abundant creativity of our youthful, passionate team, that likes to explore within the traditional lambic boundaries. This fruit lambic is a blend of 10% blueberry lambic and 90% raspberry lambic. After the maceration, the fruit lambic has been blended with some young lambic and bottled. The total fruit intensity is still 63%, i.e. 630 grams of fruit per liter of bottled fruit lambic.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.61
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle at 3 Fonteinen lambik-O-droom, blend n°33, season 17/18, bottled on 15th March 2018, with a best before date of 26th October 2038. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen ballon glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear orange red colour with a half finger white, maybe slightly pinkish head, that had decent retention, while leaving some nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, light sweetness, raspberry, jammy and blueberry skin.
Taste: Sour, tart, raspberry, light jammyness, maybe jello, blueberry and blueberry skin on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Excellent taste and especially the aroma with a good balance of sour, tart and mixed berry jello jammyness.