Category Archives: Beer Reviews

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Farmhouse Saison, To Øl

To Øl Simple Life

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Brewery: To Øl
Country: Denmark
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Brewed & bottled by To Øl at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Saison ale aged in wine oak barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.65
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 29th January 2025. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy rusty dark orange colour with a big two finger dull orange-y beige head that had good retention and left lots of sticky lacing.
Aroma: Funky, barnyard, mango, orange peel, oak and citrus.
Taste: Funky, barnyard, lightly sour, citrus, lemon peel, lime, light sweetness, dried apricots, oak, earthy, citrus zest and spices, some light bitterness on the finish when cool, while there is light sweetness as it warms.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I preferred the sweetness that came out of it as it warmed over the bitterness I tasted while it was still cool. It definitely doesn’t feel like 10% at all, as it drinks easily, however I don’t get any of the wine barrel that its supposed to be aged in.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, North Coast Brewing Co., Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

North Coast Old Rasputin Bourbon Barrel Aged

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Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 12.2%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: XXI release

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Barrel-aged Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

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

Intro: A wrapped cap 500ml bottle, XXI release. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a big two finger tanned to brown head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, bourbon sweetness, oak, caramel, and some raisins.
Taste: Moderately sweet, lightly roasty, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, oak, light caramel and dark fruit, maybe raisin and plum, also boozy on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable sipping. Bourbon may be a little strong versus other flavours, but it’s still good.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery (Grassroots Brewing), USA

Grassroots Brewing Arctic Soirée

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Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery (Grassroots Brewing)
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Ale fermented and aged in oak tanks with brettanomyces, lime juice, and hibiscus. Collaboration – Hill Farmstead Brewery x Anchorage Brewing Company

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Inspired from travel and friendship, Grassroots creates artisan ales inspired by experience and imagination. Brewed and bottled in Alaska by our friends at Anchorage Brewing Company. This beer is crafted with organic hibiscus flowers, lime, and the essence and imagination of our Vermont farmstead family. Share. Consider. Enjoy…

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A corked and caged 750ml bottle, Batch #1, bottled in November 2013. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a thin white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light to moderate funk, lime, lemon peel, floral, tea and oak.
Taste: Funk, light tartness, lime, stone fruit, citrus, lemon peel, tea and a touch floral.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The flavours didn’t really work for me. The lime seemed to overpower everything even the brett, and floral notes are not my favourite so it didn’t help balance it either. Not as complex or tasty as Arctic Saison.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery (Grassroots Brewing), USA

Grassroots Brewing Arctic Saison

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Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery (Grassroots Brewing)
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Ale fermented in oak tanks with brettanomyces. Collaboration – Hill Farmstead Brewery x Anchorage Brewing Company

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This ale embodies the spirit of perpetual creative collaboration in conjunction with disciplined brewing endeavour. We trekked to Alaska and helped craft this rustic Saison, bringing with us the essence and imagination of our Vermont Farmstead family. Share. Consider. Enjoy…

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

Intro: A corked and caged 750ml bottle, Batch #2, bottled in March 2014. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with a one and a half finger off white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, brett, grass, hay, green apple, apricot, lemon and oak.
Taste: Light sour, funky, brett, grass, hay, herbal, green apple, lemon peel and oak with hints of apricot.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I kept this last bottle of Batch #2 in my cellar longer than expected, but it seems it is just as good as when I last tried it in 2016. Good funk and brett balanced with some nice fruit coming through.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Allagash Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, USA

Allagash Confluence Ale

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Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.4%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: 2014 vintage. Ale fermented with Brettanomyces and dry hopped. Malts – Allagash 2-row, Malted Barley Blend, Pilsner Malt and Caramel Malt. Hops – Glacier, Tettnang and East Kent Golding

Brewer Description: (from website) Allagash Confluence is a strong golden ale that benefits from mixed fermentation and dry hopping techniques. Brewed with a blend of imported and domestic Pilsner malt, as well as a small portion of caramel malt, Confluence boasts a complex malty profile. Both our house yeast strain and our proprietary Brettanomyces yeast strain are used in fermentation. This layered approach creates a unique blend of fruit and spice flavors along with an incredibly silky mouthfeel. After fermentation, Confluence undergoes a lengthy aging process in stainless steel that allows its complex flavors to fully develop. Just prior to bottling, it is dry hopped with Glacier hops, providing a pleasant, fruity aroma.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.93
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled in April 2014, and poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A cloudy pale orange colour with a thin off white head that poured thick almost like syrup and left no lacing.
Aroma: Funky, brett, stone fruit, peach, apricot, lighter citrus, lemon, yuzu, grass and a touch floral.
Taste: Stone fruit forward, mango, apricot, peach, funky, brett, more mango juice, with a splash of lemon and floral notes.
Mouthfeel: Thick-ish, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: This was interesting… as I poured what looked a thick syrupy pour, I had the feeling that it might have gone bad. However, the aroma and flavours were great and had lots of stone fruit mixed with funkiness and brett. Mouthfeel wasn’t nearly as bad as what the pour appeared to me, but the carbonation was too light for me, and I felt that stronger carbonation could have helped balance and break down the thickness of the body.