Category Archives: Beer Reviews

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Tripel, Garage Project, New Zealand

Garage Project Touch Wood

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Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Tripel
Other Notes: Elderflower & honey Tripel

Brewer Description: (from inner paper wrap) According to folklore, the Elder (Sambucus nigra) is a tree imbued with a deep magic. It was said to ward off evil and even that couples who drank an ale infused with the Elderflower would marry within the year. In Denmark a female wood spirit called Hylde-Moer was said to inhabit the tree – woe betide anyone who took from the elder without its permission. The origins of the term ‘touch wood’ come from this desire to placate these woodland spirits. Here, malted barley and wheat infused with Elderflower sugar syrup, fresh Elferflowers and honey create a beer alive with the verdant joy of Spring. You need a bit of good luck to pull off a beer like this – so ‘touch wood’ (and be very careful who you drink it with)!

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 650ml paper wrapped, stickered and string tied bottle. Bottle 1131/8500. Only when you unwrap the bottle do you see a best before date, which was 15th December 2016. It is very annoying when BB or bottled on dates are hidden like this, and I am perfectly fine with reviewing this beer even though its past BB date, because of this. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a half finger white head that dissipates fairly quickly while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Honey, pear, flowers (which I will assume is elderflower since I do not know what that smells like), apple skin and light pepper.
Taste: Lightly sweet, honey, light caramel, pear, apple skin and flowery with some alcohol on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was ok, but not close to being among my favourite Tripels. I prefer fruity over flowery, and all good Tripels can hide their alcohol well, which was not the case here.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Fruit Beer, Omnipollo, Sweden

Omnipollo Karluminium

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Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Sweden
ABV: 6%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: Sour Wheat Ale. Brewed and bottled by Omnipollo at Buxton Brewery in the UK (England)

Brewer Description: (from website) Sour cherry brew on 40oz bottle with as much cherries as we could fit for Karl’s birthday. Max the beer, max the love.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.03
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 25th December 2018. Poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: A cloudy purplish red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated quite quickly while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, raspberry, lactose and yoghurt.
Taste: A bit light, but its sweet and sour cherry with a light hint of yoghurt.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I liked the aroma, but its taste was slightly on the watery side, yet surprisingly medium bodied. Having said that, it definitely grew on me the more I drank it. I would get this again.

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, USA

Almanac Saison de Brettaville

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Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 7.2%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Farm to barrel. Brettanomyces ale aged in white wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We love brettanomyces! This wild yeast, better known as “brett,” brings out a wide range of flavors and aromas in beer, from exotic fruits to earthy funk. We added a dozen different brett strains to our dry-hopped Saison Dolores, then aged it in white wine barrels for many months. The result is an intricate farmhouse ale with the kind of nuance and depth that only brett can create.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in September 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku.
Appearance: A nice hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Flowers and orange zest with hints of grapefruit, oak, pine and brett funk.
Taste: White wine with hints of oak, mango, candied pineapple, lemon and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and easy to drink. Only a little sour, but well balanced and still good after almost 19 months.

4 - Good (buy), Almanac Beer Co., Beer Reviews, USA, Wild Ale

Almanac Citra Sour

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Brewery: Almanac Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Farm to barrel. AKA Almanac Hoppy Sour: Citra

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Sour Blonde Ale aged in wine barrels & dry hopped with Citra.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled in July 2015. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku.
Appearance: A nice hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Tropical fruit, mango and pineapple followed by citrusy mandarin, orange rind and grapefruit with hints of funkiness.
Taste: Similar to the aroma as its funky, tart, sour, tropical, mango, passionfruit and apricot, followed by citrusy mandarin and orange rind with light oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and refreshing tropical and citrus aromas and flavours with matching funk. The barrel notes were a bit weak, but I’m perfectly fine with that in this case.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgium, Brasserie D’Orval S.A.

Orval

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Brewery: Brasserie D’Orval S.A.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Brewer Description: (from website) The distinctive fruity and bitter taste of Orval beer means it has become a genuine reference in the exclusive world of authentic Trappist beers. Orval beer is a high fermentation beer. The ageing process adds a fruity note, which strikes a subtle balance between the beer’s full-bodied yet complex flavour and bitterness. The beer was first brewed in 1931 and owes its unparalleled taste to the quality of the water, the hops and the yeast used. The brewery has selected very aromatic and unique hop varieties, which hark back to the first brewmaster of Orval, who hailed from Bavaria. The beer’s aromas are very pronounced while maintaining the right level of bitterness thanks to the English method of dry hopping. The various stages of fermentation – combined fermentation with the original yeast and with wild yeast, followed by fermentation in the bottle – mean the beer must age for some time and requires numerous quality controls.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.56
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 3rd February 2016, best before 3rd February 2021, and poured into a Chimay goblet.
Appearance: A clear copper colour with an almost two finger white head that had great retention and left nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Very fruity berries, grape, apple and pear with hints of coriander and brett.
Taste: Nice gentle fruitiness, berries, grape, bubblegum and plum with a light tartness, light peppery spice, brett, funk and a hint of banana.
Mouthfeel: Dry-ish, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and very well balanced beer, and a must buy beer in my book.