Category Archives: My Rating (out of 5)

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

Tilquin Pinot Meunier sur marc

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Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2021-2022

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Pinot Meunier Tilquin on pomace is made from the fermentation of 100g grape pomace by liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2021-2022, and a best before date of 21st June 2032. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear orange pinkish colour with a very thin white head that dissipated quickly, and left no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, red wine grapes, grape skin, grape seed, wood, sweet plum, raspberry, lemon zest, and a touch floral.
Taste: Sour, tart, redcurrant, grape skin, sour plum, lemon zest, grapefruit, with notes of grape seed and wood on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma was great, and the flavour was fine, but not better than the Tilquin Oude Pinot Meunier À l’ancienne in my opinion.

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

Tilquin Oude Roussanne À l’ancienne

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Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2021-2022

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

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2021-2022, and a best before date of 15th December 2031. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour, with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Citrus zest, lemon peel, grape skin, white wine vinous, wood, green vines, and a touch of funkiness.
Taste: Lightly tart, grape must, white wine vinous, lemon zest, yellow stone fruit, apricot, wood, funk, with a finish of white wine vinegar and honey sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable, balanced and easy drinking with good aroma and flavours.

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

Tilquin Oude Viognier À l’ancienne

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Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2022-2023

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Viognier Tilquin is made from the fermentation of 250g of grapes by liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.09
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2022-2023, and a best before date of 20th January 2033. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, green apple, wood, grape skin, white wine vinous, with funky notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, green apple, grape skin, white wine vinous, green vines, gooseberry, wood, a splash of lemon zest, and a touch of funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable and easy to drink, although not one of my favourites among the Tilquin grape lambics.

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

3 Fonteinen Speling van het Lot XI.xi: Kriek/Mirabelle

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°14, Season 22/23. Number of bottles – 737

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Kriek/Mirabelle is a co-maceration of sour cherries and Mirabelle plums on a small oak barrel. We let the fruit sit for over three months on two-year old lambik. The fruit blend was later blended with another two-year old lambik before bottling. The weighted average of the blend hits almost 22 months upon bottling. The final fruit intensity is 509 grams of sour cherries and plums per litre.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°14, season 22/23, bottled on 7th December 2022. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated quickly, and left some nice but sparse lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, cherries, grape skin, plum, and lemon zesty notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, acidic, cherries, plum, lemon juice, with berry gummy candy sweet notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice cherry and plum fruitiness, but the sourness and acidity felt a touch too high and not as balanced as it could be. Some berry gummy candy sweet notes here and there helped a bit, and especially appeared as it warmed, but doesn’t balance it entirely.

4 - Good (buy), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA

Firestone Walker 25 (XXV Anniversary Ale)

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Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 11.5%
Style: Strong Ale – American
Other Notes: 2021 vintage. 25th Anniversary. Special Reserve Barrel-Aged Blend

Brewer Description: (from sheet notes in box) Final blend was:
41% Parabola (14% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels
10% Stickee Monkee (12.3% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels
28% Tequila Barrel Merkin (7% ABV) Aged in Tequila Barrels
13% Brandy Barrel Barley Wine (13.8% ABV) Aged in Brandy Barrels
8% Whiskey Barrel Wheat Wine (11.7% ABV) Aged in Bourbon Barrels

(from box) In the fall of 2006, Brewmaster Matt Brynildson asked a handful of his winemaker friends for their input on blending a diverse stash of barrel-aged strong ales. Together, they came up with “10” – a trailblazing beer commemorating our 10th anniversary. And so began an annual autumn rite that now continues into our 25th year. This year was different, however. When our brewers convened with their winemaker friends on July 15, 2021, it marked a return to in-person blending after conducting it all remotely the previous year. The significance of this moment was not lost on anyone, and it was made all the more special by the occasion of our 25th anniversary. The beer you are holding in your hands – 25 – was created on that day. It is a work of talent and togetherness that we are now privileged to share with you. Thank you for being a part of our journey as we conclude this milestone year for Firestone Walker.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A boxed 355ml bottle, 2021 vintage, 25th anniversary, bottled on 14th September 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A clear dark cola brown in colour with a thin tanned head that had pretty good retention but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate fudge, oak, caramel, bourbon, tequila, dried dark fruit, and notes of vanilla.
Taste: Light roast, chocolate, oak, a touch sweet, dried dark fruit, raisin, dates, caramel, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, and tequila.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with balanced and complex aromas and flavours.