Category Archives: Beer Reviews

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Fruit Beer, New Belgium Brewing x Brouwerij De Koninck, USA

New Belgium x De Koninck Lips of Faith – Flowering Citrus Ale

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Brewery: New Belgium Brewing x Brouwerij De Koninck
Country: USA
ABV: 7.4%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: Ale brewed with hibiscus, rose and citrus fruit

Brewer Description: (from bottle) No need to jet to Antwerp when you can open up a bouquet of Flowering Citrus Ale. Thanks to our friends at De Koninck Brewery, we brewed up a summery ale bursting with key lime and whole lemons that mingle with the fragrance of hibiscus, rose petals and strawberry-tinged Mistral hops. Open up and let Belgian summer bloom.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with an enjoy by date of 25th June 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Bready malt, honey, citrusy lemon with hints of flowers.
Taste: Tangy and sweet citrusy orange and lemon, bready malt with a light herbal and flowery flavour.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was refreshing and very easy to drink. I’m surprised its 7.4% ABV as it felt like something easily under 5%. Great for a hot summers day.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Stigbergets Bryggeri, Sweden

Stigbergets Muddle

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Brewery: Stigbergets Bryggeri
Country: Sweden
ABV: 7%
Style: American IPA

Brewer Description: Could not find any information on this beer on their website or on the bottle.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.8
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle, batch 599, with a best before date of 19th August 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left some lacing.
Aroma: Mango, pineapple, grapefruit, orange with a hint of pine.
Taste: Generally quite light and short, but there’s mango and peach followed by bitter grapefruit rind and mandarin rind.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and taste were nice but was a bit disappointed that the taste was quite light and abrupt, especially when compared to top Stigbergets IPAs like GBG and Amazing Haze.

4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, O/O Brewing AB, Sweden

O/O Pretty Pale Ale

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Brewery: O/O Brewing AB
Country: Sweden
ABV: 5.5%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: Brewed by O/O Brewing at Stigbergets Bryggeri in Gothenburg, Sweden. Pronunciation guide: O/O Brewing = Oh! Oh! Brewing

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A rich pale ale

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 14th September 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A nice hazy golden orange colour with a just under two finger fluffy white head that pretty good retention and lots of nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Starts tropical with apricot, peach, mango followed by some citrusy grapefruit and mandarin with hints of pine, straw and grass. It’s nice albeit a bit weak.
Taste: Sweet malt, peach, mango, grass with a short lasting grapefruit bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and taste were actually good, but it would have been better if the aromas were stronger and the finishing taste was longer lasting rather than its current abrupt end.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Against The Grain Brewery, American IPA, Beer Reviews, USA

Against The Grain Pile of Face

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Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 65 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Rummaged Delight! In a world where all the skulls are being used up, we are left with nothing but piles of face. But fear not, that’s where the story is truly told! Pile of Face is the institution of American IPA, with all the character and drink-ability you would expect as we celebrate American indulgence!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 1 pint can with a best before date of xx January 2018 (xx appears to be 19, but its not so clear…). Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear copper orange colour with a two finger soapy white lacing that had good retention and left sticky lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy grapefruit, lemon and orange rind coupled with pine, light biscuit malt and fruit tea.
Taste: Sweet-ish biscuit malt, bitter grapefruit, orange rind, pine and light tea.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A decent drinkable IPA.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, USA, Wicked Weed Brewing, Wild Ale

Wicked Weed Montmaretto

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Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 6.9%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel-aged American Sour Ale fermented with cherries and almonds

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Montmaretto was aged in neutral wine barrels where it undergoes a secondary fermentation on a pound per gallon of cherries. A portion of the beer was aged with almonds to impart an amaretto character. The barrels were then blended until the perfect balance was struck.

The fortress Montmaretto floated, neutral, while the realm tore itself apart below. The tribes of Aspro and Amaro sprung on one another in a cataclysm of violence never before imagined. Queen Almendra chose insular peace above the fray, remaining aloof from her vantage point atop the Great Floating Lake. Almendra’s sentries kept vigil through cherry orbs that scanned the sandswept, sun-soaked cobblestone streets, thwarting would-be spies and colluders’ attempts to breach the fortress. Queen Almendra’s wisdom led to the preservation of Montmaretto, and perpetuated peace in the realm.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.51
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 500ml bottle, bottled on 22nd July 2016. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy pinkish orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly and left pretty much no lacing.
Aroma: Candied cherry, almonds, biscotti, oak and just a hint of funk.
Taste: It’s what you expect from the aroma with lightly sour cherry, almond, biscotti, marzipan and oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Aromas were nice albeit a bit weak. Taste was very nice as the cherries and almonds go well together and make for some easy drinking beer.