Category Archives: Beer Reviews

4 - Good (buy), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, USA

AleSmith Wee Heavy

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Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Other Notes: Scotch style ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Scottish-inspired deep mahogany-colored ale showcases a rich, malty flavor profile of caramel and toffee offset by hints of roast and subtle smoke. The complex malty sweetness includes notes of dark fruit balanced by a subdued hop bitterness. Wee Heavy is incredibly nuanced and in a class of its own in terms of balance and sophistication. It ages very well and will keep improving for years to come.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.97
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. foiled and capped bottle, with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A cloudy amber copper orange colour with very thin beige head that dissipated quickly, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruit, prunes, caramel, toffee, booze, with a light roast and a hint of chocolate.
Taste: Sweet malt, light roast, caramel, toffee, dark fruit, prunes, brown sugar, with light notes of chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with light to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipper with good flavours.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, de Garde Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

de Garde The Law of Motion Réserve

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Brewery: de Garde Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A spontaneous Wild Ale with Cider apples aged in oak barrels for four years. Made with our friends at Baird & Dewar.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.97
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. corked and capped bottle, bottled in April 2021. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A nice clear golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funk, apple peel, green apple, apple cider.
Taste: Tart, sour, apple peel, apple cider, lemon juice, with light oak and pineapple notes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The aroma was what I was expecting, but the taste didn’t quite reflect in the same way. I thought the lemony sourness overpowered the cider a bit and the nice funkiness that I got in the aroma wasn’t very noticeable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, de Garde Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

de Garde Riesling Ivy

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Brewery: de Garde Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A spontaneous Wild Ale with Riesling grapes aged in oak barrels for two years.

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

Intro: A 1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. corked and capped bottle, bottled in March 2021. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Light tartness, sweet Riesling, with notes of pear, honey, and oak.
Taste: Lightly sour and tart, Riesling grapes, pear, green apple, oak, and a touch of lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with high carbonation (overly so).
Overall: The look and aroma was great, and the taste was nice, but the over carbonation did affect the experience as it was a touch uncomfortable on the palate. I would love to try this again with less carbonation.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison - Fruit, Jester King Brewery, USA

Jester King Farmhouse Ale Refermented with Texas Summer Melons

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Brewery: Jester King Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Farmhouse Saison – Fruit
Other Notes: Watermelons, Casaba Melons, Santa Claus Melons, Sugar Kiss Melons

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Farmhouse Ale with Texas Summer Melons seeks to express and preserve the savory, decadent, and highly aromatic character of Texas melons in a way that only wild fermentation with native yeast can do. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, batch #1, bottled on October 2020. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: It was a clear straw yellow golden colour, with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Light funk, citrus zingy, tart, cucumber, melons, and lemon zest.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, melons, cucumber, lemon zest, with a moderately funky finish.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Light, refreshing and really easy to drink. I’m not familiar with most of the melons involved, but I do generally enjoy melons and this was no exception.

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

Boon HORAL’s Oude Geuze Mega Blend 2022

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Brewery: Brouwerij Boon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: HORAL members – Boon, De Cam, De Troch, Den Herberg, Hanssens, Lambiek Fabriek, Lindemans, Mort Subite, Oud Beersel, Tilquin, and Timmermans. Limited edition – 29300 bottles

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) De Oude Geuze Megablend symboliseert de samenwerking tussen de lambiekbrouwerijen en geuzestekers uit de Zennevallei en het Pajottenland. Voor deze botteling hebben 11 verschillende lambiekproducenten samen Lambiek gemengd. Deze Megablend werd special voor de 13e editie van Toer de Geuze gemaakt. Met deze fles vieren we 25 jaar Tour de Gueze! Op Toer de Geuze 2022 zal deze Megablend meer dan 6 maanden op fles gerijpt hebben. De assemblage bevat Lambiek die 1, 2 en 3 jaar gerijpt heeft op houten vaten.

(translated to English) The Oude Geuze Megablend symbolizes the cooperation between the lambic breweries and blenders from the Zenne valley and the Pajottenland. For this bottling, 11 different lambic producers have mixed Lambic together. This Megablend was specially made for the 13th edition of Toer de Geuze. With this bottle we celebrate 25 years of Tour de Gueze! At Toer de Geuze 2022, this Megablend will have matured in the bottle for more than 6 months. The assembly contains Lambic that has matured for 1, 2 and 3 years in wooden barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.06
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2022 vintage, with a best before date of 19th October 2041. Poured into a gueuze glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger fluffy white head that eventually settled to a nice replenishing fluffy cap, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, damp wood, lemon zest, green apple, with slight leather notes.
Taste: Tart, citrusy, lemon, funky, wet wood, with notes of green apple.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Easy to drink with good funky notes.