Category Archives: My Rating (out of 5)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Japan, Stout - Imperial, West Coast Brewing

West Coast The Black Book BV

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Brewery: West Coast Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 14%
Style: Stout – Imperial

Brewer Description: (from can) Imperial Stout w/ blueberries and vanilla beans.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 500ml can, canned on 9th April 2024. Poured into whatever glass was available at the hotel room in Bangkok.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Dessert, cake, milk chocolate, blueberry, vanilla, with notes of coffee.
Taste: Light to moderate sweetness, chocolate, blueberry, vanilla, with a roasty, coffee, bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice blueberry dessert characteristics, but not like overly sweet pastry stouts as there is enough roasty coffee bitterness to balance. A good enjoyable sipper.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Het Boerenerf Eylenbosch, Lambic - non-Lambic Blends

Het Boerenerf Cassis – Lambiek Mede Cassis

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Brewery: Het Boerenerf Eylenbosch
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – non-Lambic Blends
Other Notes: Lambiek Mede Cassis 2021

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Cassis, jostabes & braam. Maceratie op mede en lambiek.

(translated to English) Cassis, jostaberry & blackberry. Maceration on mead and lambic.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.96
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2021 vintage, with a best before date of 23rd January 2027. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear dark golden orange colour with a just over one finger beige head that had good retention and left some lacing.
Aroma: Sweetish, blackcurrant, Ribena, blackberry, green vines, wet wood, with notes of orange peel.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, blackcurrant skin, blackberry, green vines, wet wood, and a touch of funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Loved the aroma, but the taste didn’t quite hit the same heights as the fruits didn’t seem as ripe or sweet. I also felt the carbonation was a touch too high for my palate.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Het Boerenerf Eylenbosch, Lambic - non-Lambic Blends

Het Boerenerf Symbiose – Lambiek Cider Mede

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Brewery: Het Boerenerf Eylenbosch
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – non-Lambic Blends
Other Notes: Lambiek Cider Mede 2021

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) De oudste fermenten. Gegist. Gerijpt. Gerust.

(translated to English) The oldest fermentations. Fermented. Matured. Rest assured.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2021 vintage, with a best before date of 23rd January 2027. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour, with a big two finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, honey, green apple, apple cider, musty, funk, with a splash of lemon.
Taste: Moderately sweet, honey, green apple, apple cider, sweet and sour, candied lemon, woody, with light funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with fizzy moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: First time trying a lambic, cider and mead blend, and I think it works quite well, with an interesting sweet and sour feeling. The only thing I’d say with the 2021 blend, was that the carbonation was perhaps a bit too much.

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

Cantillon Old Fashioned

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) Lambic aged in a whiskey barrel with orange pomace.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle at the brewery, with no clear bottled on date, but should be 2022 vintage. Poured into a Cantillon tasting glass.
Appearance: A cloudy darkish orange colour, with a two finger white head that had decent retention, and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Fresh orange juice dominant, citrus peel, whisky notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, orange juice, citrus peel, bitters, with light whisky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable, very Old Fashioned cocktail like, but orange juice dominant, while the whisky was just in the background.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Gueuze

Cantillon La Vie est Belge

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: vin Jaune barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle in French) Lambic vieilli en fûts de vin Jaune du Domaine Mireille et André Tissot.

(translated to English) Lambic aged in vin Jaune barrels from Domaine Mireille and André Tissot.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.87
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle at Les Brigittines, bottled on 9th February 2022. Poured into a Cantillon tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden colour, with a one finger white head that had good retention, and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, dusty, wood, white wine vinous, yellow stone fruit, apricots, sherry, with a very light curry nutty note.
Taste: Sour, tart, funk, dust, wood, yellow stone fruit, apricot, sherry.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Loved it. This will probably be my favourite of 2024. Smooth, easy drinking, good complexity, and just enjoyable.