Category Archives: Beer Reviews

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Alvinne, Wild Ale

Alvinne Cuvée Sofie Alvino

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: 2016 vintage. Alvinne limited edition, single cask, 700 bottles. 2012 French Oak from Burgundy. Grape variety – Boskoop

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Alvino is een exclusief project omdat we enkel druiven van eigen kweek gebruiken. De oogst van 2016 was uitzonderlijk goed, voldoende om aan twee vaten cuvee sofie 20kg per vat toete voegen.

(translated to English) Alvino is an exclusive project because we only use grapes from our own cultivation. The 2016 harvest was exceptionally good, enough to add 20kg per barrel to two barrels of cuvee sofie.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.15
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 500ml bottle, 2016 vintage, with a best before date of December 2021. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy copper amber colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, grape, grape juice, oak, lightly vinous and light funk.
Taste: Lightly sour, grape, lightly vinous, oak, a splash of sweetness, apple, tart, funky.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Not as vinous as expected from the barrel, but it was still enjoyable and easy drinking.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation IV – Coffee Club

Leave a comment

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout from Flanders aged for 2yrs in Caribbean rum barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.4
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle, Vintage 2018, bottled on 26th November 2020, with a best before date of bottled date +5 years. Poured into a De Struise Black Damnation tasting glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, neapolitan ice cream blend, chocolate, rum, brown sugar.
Taste: Moderately sweet, lightly boozy, rum, roasty, coffee, chocolate, oak, molasses, brown sugar, with vanilla notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Not a fan of rum, but this worked well with enjoyable aromas and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Trillium Brewing Company, USA, Wild Ale

Trillium Wild Sinister Kid – Double Blackberry & Cabernet Grapes

Leave a comment

Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: American Wild Ale aged in red wine and bourbon barrels. Hops – US Goldings. Malts – Pilsner, Abbey, Special B and Carafa III. Adjuncts – Blackberry, Cabernet Grapes, Belgian Candi Syrup and Turbinado Sugar

Brewer Description: (from website) Sinister Kid is named after the unofficial mascot of our Congress Street brewery: a long-forgotten, dismembered doll unearthed in construction rubble. We dusted off Sinister Kid and breathed new life into her, installing a new pipe leg and a wire arm. We quickly found a new use for her evil appearance: keeping an ever-present, protective watch over the first floor of our Fort Point restaurant and brewery.

This year, we’ve crafted what we consider to be our most complex variations of Sinister Kid to date. We took the base Belgian Strong Ale recipe, fermented it with our native New England yeast culture for two years in both bourbon and wine barrels, then transferred the beer to our oak foeders to condition on a variety of fruit. The six resulting blends are intricate expressions of wild yeast, time, and fruit all coming together harmoniously in the bottle.

Three of the 2019 Wild Sinister Kid blends were conditioned upon twice the amount of fruit as their counterparts to achieve a truly elegant and fruit-forward final blend. Consisting of 50% bourbon barrel-aged beer and 50% wine barrel-aged beer, Wild Sinister Kid: Double Blackberry Cabernet presents a deep plum color in the glass. Intense blackberry aromas wash over the palate immediately followed by notes of fig, raisin, and cherry. Mildly warming, with a touch of sweetness and rounded acidity, this beer is elegantly balanced and refined.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 19th September 2019. Poured into a Lindemans stemmed lambic teku/tulip glass.
Appearance: A cloudy dark reddish purple colour with a one finger brownish purple head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, blackberry, nail polish, oak.
Taste: Tart, sour, blackberry, mixed berries, grapes, grape skin, lightly vinous, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were enjoyable, and the 10% ABV was well hidden.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Trillium Brewing Company, USA, Wild Ale

Trillium Wild Sinister Kid – Double Sour Cherry & Malbec Grapes

Leave a comment

Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: American Wild Ale aged in red wine and bourbon barrels. Hops – US Goldings. Malts – Pilsner, Abbey, Special B and Carafa III. Adjuncts – Sour Cherries, Malbec Grapes, Belgian Candi Syrup and Turbinado Sugar

Brewer Description: (from website) Sinister Kid is named after the unofficial mascot of our Congress Street brewery: a long-forgotten, dismembered doll unearthed in construction rubble. We dusted off Sinister Kid and breathed new life into her, installing a new pipe leg and a wire arm. We quickly found a new use for her evil appearance: keeping an ever-present, protective watch over the first floor of our Fort Point restaurant and brewery.

This year, we’ve crafted what we consider to be our most complex variations of Sinister Kid to date. We took the base Belgian Strong Ale recipe, fermented it with our native New England yeast culture for two years in both bourbon and wine barrels, then transferred the beer to our oak foeders to condition on a variety of fruit. The six resulting blends are intricate expressions of wild yeast, time, and fruit all coming together harmoniously in the bottle.

Three of the 2019 Wild Sinister Kid blends were conditioned upon twice the amount of fruit as their counterparts to achieve a truly elegant and fruit-forward final blend. Consisting of 50% bourbon barrel-aged beer and 50% wine barrel-aged beer, Wild Sinister Kid: Double Cherry Malbec pours a gorgeous ruby brown in the glass. Ripe with abundant red fruit aromas, layered notes of juicy cherry, fresh plum, and raspberry juice jump from the glass. Offering a moderate acidity balanced by a silky mouthfeel, we’re proud to share this luscious beer with you.

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

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 15th August 2019. Poured into a Lindemans stemmed lambic teku/tulip glass.
Appearance: Maroon coloured with a one finger beige head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, oak, vanilla, red wine grape.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, cherry, oak, cinnamon, with notes of plum, and maybe bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Although I was disappointed that the bourbon and wine barrels weren’t obvious to me, the aroma and flavours worked and it was enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Trillium Brewing Company, USA, Wild Ale

Trillium Wild Sinister Kid – Black Currant & Pinot Noir Grapes

Leave a comment

Brewery: Trillium Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: American Wild Ale aged in red wine and bourbon barrels. Hops – US Goldings. Malts – Pilsner, Abbey, Special B and Carafa III. Adjuncts – Black Currants, Pinot Noir Grapes, Belgian Candi Syrup and Turbinado Sugar.

Brewer Description: (from website) Sinister Kid is named after the unofficial mascot of our Congress Street brewery: a long-forgotten, dismembered doll unearthed in construction rubble. We dusted off Sinister Kid and breathed new life into her, installing a new pipe leg and a wire arm. We quickly found a new use for her evil appearance: keeping an ever-present, protective watch over the first floor of our Fort Point restaurant and brewery.

This year, we’ve crafted what we consider to be our most complex variations of Sinister Kid to date. We took the base Belgian Strong Ale recipe, fermented it with our native New England yeast culture for two years in both bourbon and wine barrels, then transferred the beer to our oak foeders to condition on a variety of fruit. The six resulting blends are intricate expressions of wild yeast, time, and fruit all coming together harmoniously in the bottle.

Wild Sinister Kid: Black Currant Pinot Noir is a blend consisting of 60% bourbon barrel-aged beer and 40% wine barrel-aged beer conditioned on black currants and pinot noir grapes. Pouring an enticing garnet color, aromas of fresh-pressed grapes, mixed red berries, black currants, and a hint of herbaceousness are immediately apparent. Soft on the palate, with a medium body, Wild Sinister Kid: Black Currant Pinot Noir boasts a refined acidity that welcomes the next sip.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 5th September 2019. Poured into a Lindemans stemmed lambic teku/tulip glass.
Appearance: A dark burgundy colour with a thin purple head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Black currant, oak, mixed berries, lightly vinous, and mild vanilla.
Taste: Tart, light sour, black currant, vinous, red wine, bourbon, oak, with a slight vanilla note.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation, and a light but enjoyable booziness throughout.
Overall: Enjoyable complexity. Good balance of fruit and barrels, with the black currant complementing the wine and bourbon barrels well.