Category Archives: Beer Reviews

Modern Times Booming Rollers

Brewery: Modern Times Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 6.8%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 75 IBUs. Malts – Two Row, Carapils, Crystal 10 and Wheat. Hops – Citra, Motueka and Centennial.

Brewer Description: (from website) Booming Rollers is a showcase for the juicy awesomeness of Citra hops. These new wave American hops impart a remarkable aroma and flavor, which we’ve amplified with the dark stone fruit character of New Zealand-grown Motueka hops. Some Centennial is thrown in to balance the tropical fruit party, and the malt body is just assertive enough to support Booming Rollers’ snappy bitterness. It’s a party in your mouth and all the beautiful people are invited.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.71
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 200ml pour on draft at Mikkeller Bangkok into a mini stemmed Mikkeller tasting glass.
Appearance: It was a clear golden copper colour with a one finger white head and good lacing.
Aroma: More subtle than I hoped for, but there is citrus fruit, grapefruit and pine.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, it was bitter with grapefruit, citrusy lemon and pine along with some biscuit malt.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was just ok for me. I tried Blam! Blam! right before Booming Rollers and for me, Blam! Blam! was easily my preferred choice.

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Modern Times x Garage Project Blam! Blam!

Brewery: Modern Times Beer x Garage Project
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: American IPA

Brewer Description: I could not find much information about this beer online or anywhere else.

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

Intro: A 200ml pour on draft at Mikkeller Bangkok into a mini stemmed Mikkeller tasting glass.
Appearance: It was a hazy golden orange colour with a one finger off white head that had good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: A complete fruit bomb of grapefruit, mango, peach and apricot.
Taste: Very nice bitterness, grapefruit rind and peel, orange, mandarin, honey and caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Like a Northeast IPA with the absolutely wonderful haze. Very nice fruity aroma and good bitterness. A great collaboration with Garage Project.

Blam! Blam! is the glass on the right in the photo below. Just for additional info, the glass on the left is the 18th Street Cherry Gose.

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Crooked Stave St. Bretta Late Spring Citrus Wildbier

Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Country: USA
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Witbier
Other Notes: Seasonal Citrus: Tango Mandarin

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Artisan ale brewed with citrus fermented in oak foeders.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.87
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 375ml bottle bottled in April 2015, poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy golden colour with a huge three finger white head with good retention and leaves nice thick lacing.
Aroma: Strong tangy citrus mandarin, lemon and floral aromas with only a hint of oak and brett.
Taste: Citrus peel, orange, mandarin, flower petals, oak, pepper spice and some brett.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and refreshing. I would prefer a bit less of the floral element, but it was not a deal breaker.

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Cantillon Bruocsella Grand Cru

Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Unblended)
Other Notes: Lambic Bio 2012

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The Lambic Grand Cru Cantillon is like a cereals-based wine. It is a Lambic that has matured for three years in oak-wood casks and has been selected for its unique colour, bouquet and aroma. It has a very long shelf life. It should be served in a wine glass at a temperature of 12-15 degrees. Store in a cool cellar. Beer with taste evolution. To be drunk preferably within 20 years after the bottling date.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle bottled on 21st August 2015 and poured into a wine glass.
Appearance: It poured a very slightly cloudy golden orange colour with pretty much no head at all and very sparse lacing if any.
Aroma: Leather, oak, malt vinegar, dusty, chalk and funky. Maybe a hint of apricot but not really.
Taste: Tart, sour, green apple, vinegar, lemon juice, oak and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with pretty much no carbonation.
Overall: The taste was decent and better than the aroma. However with every sip, the aroma kind of gets to me. The dusty and chalky element just wasn’t my cup of tea. In addition, the complete lack of carbonation was not so good. Perhaps this particular beer is just not for me considering all the other world class Lambics that I’ve tried.

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Trappist Westvleteren 8

Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Belgian Dubbel
Other Notes: Blue cap. Trappist beer

Brewer Description: Not much info on their website and obviously even less on the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.32
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a sell-by date that has unfortunately rubbed off. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brown colour with some small sediment bits despite a careful pour. There was a one finger beige head that had pretty good retention and eventually settled to a nice thin but puffy cap and nice curtain like lacing.
Aroma: Strong dark fruits of plum, prunes, raisin, fig with hints of dark cherry and toffee.
Taste: Like the aroma, there is lots of dark fruit with raisin, dark cherry and prunes dominating. There’s also some plum, fig, brown sugar and a touch of alcohol that’s not overpowering.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It’s a very nice Dubbel. Great dark fruit flavours and very balanced. Interestingly though, after trying both many times, I am still leaning towards enjoying Westmalle Dubbel just that slight bit more.

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