Category Archives: Beer Reviews

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Lambic - Gueuze, Publitasting

Publitasting Islay Whisky Geuze

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Brewery: Publitasting
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Limited edition (98 liter) – 2022

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Ambachtelijk Belgisch bier van spontane gisting, gerijpt op Islay Whisky vat. Blend met traditionele lambiek uit de Zennevallei van Brouwerij De Troch (Wambeek) en Brouwerij Eylenbosch (Kobbegem).

(translated to English) Traditional Belgian beer from spontaneous fermentation, matured in Islay Whiskey barrels. Blend with traditional lambic from the Zenne Valley from Brouwerij De Troch (Wambeek) and Brouwerij Eylenbosch (Kobbegem).

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.21
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml corked and capped bottle, 2022 vintage, with a best before date of 31st January 2026. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Peat, leather, whisky, oak, gooseberry, lime.
Taste: Sour, lime, lemon juice, oak, peat, leather, whisky, light funky, gooseberry, and green apple notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Great as long as you like peat, and it’s a good thing that I do. Enjoyable Islay goodness!

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Druif Gewurztraminer

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.8%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°35, Season 22/23

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this Druif, we macerated the ever fragrant Gewurztraminer grape, harvested in the summer 2022 in Bourgheim, Alsace, on one- and three-year old lambik, for more than four months. The old portion accounts for almost 80%, rendering the weighted average age of more than 31 months. The final fruit intensity is 437 grams of Gewurztraminer grapes per litre of finished Druif. Almost 65% of the nine different lambikken were brewed with local cereals. A small part of this blend was also bottled on magnums. 100% 3 Fonteinen.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°35, season 22/23, bottled on 26th January 2023. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with a half finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Grape must, white wine grapes, sweet mandarin peel, light citrus rind, funk, wood, and notes of bandaid.
Taste: Sour, tart, white wine grapes, grape skin, citrusy, grapefruit peel bitter, mandarin sweetness, funky, oak, orange.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Good balanced aroma and flavours, with nice vinous, citrus and funky notes.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Japan, Lager - Black / Schwarzbier, West Coast Brewing

West Coast The Schwartz

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Brewery: West Coast Brewing
Country: Japan
ABV: 5%
Style: Lager – Black / Schwarzbier

Brewer Description: (from website) Ladies and Gents, It’s officially dark lager time. Hop Dude lager aficionados are ringing in the fall with “The Schwartz” our first ever take on a dark classic, schwarzbier. Lightly roasted coffee feels with hints of milk chocolate and dark fruit in an easy to consume low ABV elixir format—helllll yes. We may not end up comparing the size of our Schwartz, but we will end up having a damn good time taking it down. If and when, the next iteration we will def aim for a touch more bitterness, but for now we’ll gladly take the roasty drinkability.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.57
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 500ml can, canned on 11th October 2023. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a two fingered tanned head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, milk chocolate, a touch of coffee, and dark fruit notes.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, light roast, malty, black coffee, milk chocolate, with light plum dark fruit notes.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Aroma and flavours were a little light in that I was hoping for stronger and more bitter roasty notes.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Gueuze

Cantillon 50°N-4°E Armagnac

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: 2017 vintage, Armagnac barrel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Lambic brewed on 18 November 2014, aged in Armagnac barrels and bottled on 7 February 2017.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.78
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2017 vintage, bottled on 7th February 2017. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed Zenne glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour, with a nice one finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Dusty, musty, derelict barn, apple peel, apple, Armagnac, orange peel, oak.
Taste: Lightly sweet, a touch tart, with bitter notes, candied citrus, lemon peel, citrus rind, apple peel, funky, dusty, oak, with brandy notes.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: Drinks really well, balanced with good complexity. Just super enjoyable.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Fruit

Cantillon Drogone Lambic

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Cantina Giardino bottle #2902

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A collaboration between Cantina Giardino & Cantillon. A blend with the pomace of Aglianico grapes and 3-year-old Lambic. Before being blended with the Lambic, the grapes underwent a 3-month pellicular maceration in chestnut barrels.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.68
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2022 vintage, bottled on 19th January 2022. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear ruby purplish red colour (getting darker towards the end of the bottle), with a one finger pinkish head that had good retention and eventually settled to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Grape and cherry hard candy, grape skin, red wine vinous, light funk, musty, a touch sweaty, and notes of tart blackcurrant.
Taste: Sour, tart, red wine vinous, grape skin, mixed berries hard candy sweetness, funky, musty, oak, and lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Loved this. Drinks great, and the aroma and flavours were balanced and just exactly what I enjoy.