4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Stout - Imperial, To Øl

To Øl Goliat Maple Beacon Edition

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Brewery: To Øl
Country: Denmark
ABV: 10.2%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed & bottled by To Øl at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Smokey imperial coffee stout matured with bourbon oak chips.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 375ml bottle with a best before date of 14th May 2021 (I think, as it’s a bit dark). Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a one finger brown head that had pretty good retention and left lots of nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, chocolate, chocolate milk, light roast, light biscuit, brown sugar, a splash of bourbon and maybe a hint of smokiness too.
Taste: Strong roastiness, light char, smokey, moderately sweet, chocolate, chocolate milk, coffee, bourbon, oak.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper although perhaps the name deceives as I have no idea where the maple comes in as I don’t get it in the aroma or the taste. Beacon or bacon? maybe, I get from the smokiness. I’ve noticed that I’ve rated this higher than the original Goliat, but to be fair, it’s been so long that I can’t really compare, but this was enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Lambic - Fruit, Mad Beer

Mad Sur

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Brewery: Mad Beer
Country: Denmark
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mad Beer at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Spontan ale brewed with yuzu.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 18th June 2024. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy copper amber colour with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, yuzu, citrus peel, vinegar, oak, lightly herbal, funky.
Taste: Sour, tart, funky, yuzu, lemon tea, lemonade, floral, herbal, vinegar, oak, with a hint of mint.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice and refreshing with a good balance of funk, sour and yuzu citrus.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Australia, Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, La Sirène Brewing

La Sirène Reserve Saison

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Brewery: La Sirène Brewing
Country: Australia
ABV: 7%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Avant Garde Collection. 2016 vintage. Barrel-aged vintage Saison – rustic, vinous, wild. Oak 3.5/6, fruity 3.5/6 and funk 4/6

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Reserve Saison is composed of a blend of our classic Saison vintages that have been aged in Burgundian barriques & hogsheads since 2015 and 2016. The Reserve Saison displays generous oak character & balance with ethereal yet rustic notes of the indigenous wild yeast residing within the walls of our brewery. The Reserve Saison is the ultimate expression of our site and house style, imparting a sense of place, time and season to this wild ale.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 375ml bottle, batch no. 230313, bottled on July 2018. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a big two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin layer and left nice curtain lacing.
Aroma: Light funk, brett, lightly vinous, grape, some stone fruit, peach, apricot, lemon peel and a touch of lime soda.
Taste: Sour, light funk, brett, vinous, grape, oak, lemon, lime and a bit pithy.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: Nice Saison with lots of citrusy notes on the finish.

4 - Good (buy), Australia, Beer Reviews, La Sirène Brewing, Wild Ale

La Sirène Cuvée de Bois

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Brewery: La Sirène Brewing
Country: Australia
ABV: 6.2%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Avant Garde Collection. 2018 vintage. Oak-aged Wild Ale with chardonnay – solera method. Funk 4/5, sour 2/5 and oak 2/5

Brewer Description: (from bottle) La Sirène 2018 Cuvée de Bois is a special wine hybrid mixed fermentation farmhouse ale blended with select French oak barriques of La Sirène Saison. Using our vintage basket press, Australian chardonnay free run juice was brewed into a specially designed farmhouse beer, then blended with our barrel-aged Saison. The 2018 Cuvée de Bois is a delightful blend of balanced wild farmhouse complexity and grape forward acidity crowned by the elegance & depth of toasted French oak.

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

Intro: A 375ml bottle, batch no. 230230, and bottled in February 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden straw colour with a big two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light funk, sweet white wine, grapes, peach, apricot, with a hint of oak and citrus.
Taste: Sour, tart, funky, white wine, grapes, stone fruit, peach, apricot and lemon peel on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable grape and stone fruit flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, North Coast Brewing Co., Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

North Coast Old Rasputin Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged

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Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 11.3%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: XVIII release

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Barrel-aged Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Stout aged in rye whiskey barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A corked and caged 500ml bottle, XVIII release. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger dark tanned to brown head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate, whiskey, oak and vanilla.
Taste: Rye whiskey forward providing sweetness, light roast, chocolate, coffee, oak and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Body was lighter than I’d prefer for what it is. I get the whiskey booze forwardness, but I don’t get much of the usual spiciness from rye whiskey (maybe I’ve held on to this bottle for too long?). But nevertheless, it is still an enjoyable sipper.

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