Category Archives: Beer Reviews

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Framboise Lambiek

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Framboise Lambiek schuimt niet, doordat hergisting op fles minimaal is om de fruitaroma’s maximaal te proeven. Oude Framboise Lambiek ontstaat door het samen vergisten van jonge lambiek met een hoeveelheid aromatische frambozen. De frambozen worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pitjes in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan frambozen bedraagt ongeveer 30 kg per 100 liter framboise.

(translated to English) Framboise Lambiek does not foam, because refermentation in the bottle is minimal to maximize the taste of the fruit aromas. Oude Framboise Lambiek is created by fermenting young lambic together with a quantity of aromatic raspberries. The raspberries are processed in their entirety (no juice) with seeds. The raspberry content is approximately 30 kg per 100 liters of framboise.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

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 amber orange colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, jammy, raspberry, oak, lemon zest, with slight notes of funk.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, jammy, raspberry, rhubarb, lemon zest, oak, light funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: The aroma was good with nice fruity raspberry, but taste while still good, the amount of fruit didn’t quite match the aroma. Carbonation was also on the borderline too high for my palate, and sometimes a bit uncomfortable.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Kriek Lambiek

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2015 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Kriek Lambiek schuimt niet, doordat hergisting op fles minimaal is om de fruitaroma’s maximaal te proeven. Oude Kriek lambiek ontstaat door het samen vergisten van jonge lambiek met een hoeveelheid zure aromatische kersen. De zure kersen, Prunus Cerasus L., worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pit in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan zure kersen bedraagt ongeveer 40kg per 100 liter kriek.

(translated to English) Kriek Lambiek does not foam, because refermentation in the bottle is minimal to get the maximum taste of the fruit aromas. Oude Kriek lambic is created by fermenting young lambic together with a quantity of sour aromatic cherries. The sour cherries, Prunus Cerasus L., are processed whole (no juice) with stone. The content of sour cherries is approximately 40 kg per 100 liters of kriek.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.51
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750m corked and caged bottle, 2015 vintage, with a best before date of the year 2035. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A deep ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, oak, cherry pit, funk, lightly tart, with almond notes.
Taste: Lightly sour and tart, cherry, cherry pie, almond, oak, funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very enjoyable and easy to drink. Lots of great cherry flavours balanced with almond, oak and funk.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Sint Amatus

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 11%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: 2013 vintage. 23 IBUs. Bourbon barrel aged quad

Brewer Description: (from website) Saint Amatus is the Woodford Reserve bourbon barrel matured version of Pannepeut. Dark quadrupel (Trappist style).

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

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2013 vintage, bottled on 21st June 2016. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark brown colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Malty, dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, with notes of caramel and bourbon.
Taste: Sweet malt, moderately sweet, dark fruit, prunes, raisin, caramel, toffee, bourbon, boozy.
Mouthfeel: Sticky, medium to full bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper. I preferred this original, over the cask strength version just a bit more.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Sint Amatus Cask Strength Woodford Reserve BA 3 Years

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 11%
Style: Belgian Quadrupel
Other Notes: 2013 vintage cask strength

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cask strength limited edition. Medium carbonation – WR bourbon barrel 3 yrs.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2013 vintage, cask strength limited edition, bottled on 21st June 2016. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark brown colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, dark fruit, prunes, raisin, brown sugar, caramel, bourbon, with a hint of dark chocolate.
Taste: Sweet malt, caramel, slightly burnt sugar, brown sugar, dark fruit, prunes, raisin, bourbon, chocolate, lightly bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were nice, but carbonation was definitely lacking for me. If only it had the ‘medium carbonation’ as stated on the label…

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Tros Bessen

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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) Van oudsher worden de Rode Trosbessen geoogst in het Pajottenland. De Rode Trosbessen worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pit in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan tros bessen bedraagt ongeveer 45 kg per 100 liter kriek.

(translated into English) Traditionally, the red currants are harvested in the Pajottenland. The red currants are processed whole (no juice) with stone. The red currant content is approximately 45 kg per 100 liters of cherry lambic.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2017 vintage, with a best before date of July 2040. Opened as a slow gusher. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber, rusty orange brown colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention and settled to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funky, red currant, red berries, cherry, oak, dry splintered wood, hay.
Taste: Sour, tart, red currant, cherry, red berries, oak, musty, dusty, hay, wood, funky, lemon zest, and an interesting earthy and slight char like finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate prickly carbonation.
Overall: When I tried it fresh, I remember it being way too sour. I think age has helped it along in this aspect, as the red currant fruitiness comes through nicely. The finish had something not easy to describe, but I’m going to say earthy with a slight char like character. I could understand if some people did not enjoy this, but it didn’t really bother me.