Tag Archives: 2015 vintage

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

Boon HORAL’s Oude Geuze Mega Blend 2015

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Brewery: Brouwerij Boon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: HORAL members – 3 Fonteinen, Boon, De Cam, De Troch, Hanssens, Lindemans, Oud Beersel, Tilquin, Timmermans.

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Voor deze botteling van de Oude Geuze Megablend hebben 9 verschillende brouwerijen en stekerijen samen lambiek gemengd. Deze Megablend werd speciaal voor de tiende editie van ‘Toer de Geuze’ gemaakt en zal op de dag van de Toer de Geuze 2015 meer dan 6 maanden op fles gerijpt hebben. Het mengsel bevat Lambiek die bij het vullen van de flessen 1, 2 en 3 jaar oud was.

(translated to English) For this bottling of the Oude Geuze Megablend, 9 different breweries and blenders mixed lambic together. This Megablend was specially made for the tenth edition of ‘Toer de Geuze’ and will have matured in the bottle for more than 6 months on the day of the Toer de Geuze 2015. The mixture contains Lambic that was 1, 2 and 3 years old when the bottles were filled.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2015 vintage, with a best before date of 31st October 2034. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention, eventually settling to a thin cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Crisp green apple, apple peel, lemon zest, oak, with light funky notes.
Taste: Lightly sour, green apple, apple peel, lemon zest, oak, funk.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Up there with 2017 as one of my favourites HORAL Mega Blend vintages with good balance and refreshing aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Cuvée Delphine Cask Strength 4 Roses BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2015 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cask strength limited edition, medium carbonation, 4 Roses bourbon barrel 1 year.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2015 vintage, limited edition cask strength, bottled on 10th May 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet dark malt, milk chocolate, dried dark fruit, raisin, prunes, fruit cake, with boozy notes.
Taste: Sweet dark malt, dark dried fruit, raisin, prunes, fruit cake, bourbon, with notes of milk chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipping RIS with a good amount of dried dark fruit and bourbon flavours, although my preference is still with the original Cuvée Delphine.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Kriek Lambiek

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2015 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Kriek Lambiek schuimt niet, doordat hergisting op fles minimaal is om de fruitaroma’s maximaal te proeven. Oude Kriek lambiek ontstaat door het samen vergisten van jonge lambiek met een hoeveelheid zure aromatische kersen. De zure kersen, Prunus Cerasus L., worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pit in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan zure kersen bedraagt ongeveer 40kg per 100 liter kriek.

(translated to English) Kriek Lambiek does not foam, because refermentation in the bottle is minimal to get the maximum taste of the fruit aromas. Oude Kriek lambic is created by fermenting young lambic together with a quantity of sour aromatic cherries. The sour cherries, Prunus Cerasus L., are processed whole (no juice) with stone. The content of sour cherries is approximately 40 kg per 100 liters of kriek.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.51
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750m corked and caged bottle, 2015 vintage, with a best before date of the year 2035. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A deep ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, oak, cherry pit, funk, lightly tart, with almond notes.
Taste: Lightly sour and tart, cherry, cherry pie, almond, oak, funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very enjoyable and easy to drink. Lots of great cherry flavours balanced with almond, oak and funk.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Albert Costa Rica Espresso

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Belgian Espresso stout. Vintage 2015

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Experience de Tarrazu coffee in our Black Albert. Grown in the rich volcanic soils of Costa Rica’s famed Tarrazu region, these first choice Arabica coffee cherries are ripened evenly at 1,400 to 1,600 meters, hand-picked, sun dried and then dark roasted on Struise premises for a unique taste. It will surprise you with a flavor that hints of cacao and grapefruit and an aroma of aged wood and dark chocolate. Its intensity fills the palate, then fades cheerfully. Discover why we now roast our own coffee beans.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.9
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 17th November 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, chocolate, caramel, plum, dark fruit, licorice, boozy, and light smoky notes.
Taste: Roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, coffee, moderately sweet, dark fruit, plum, raisins, licorice, candi sugar, and a strong boozy finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The booziness comes through quite strong in the aroma and taste, and maybe a bit too much. I was also hoping for more or stronger coffee notes. It’s interesting, but I easily prefer the original version of Black Albert more.

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

Cascade Kriek

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Brewery: Cascade Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 7.1%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Northwest sour ale. Ale aged in oak barrels with cherries. 2015 project

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Kriek is a blend of sour red ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 17 months with cherries.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2015 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy deep amber red colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated quickly but settled to a thin layer while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherries, oak, maybe some mixed berries.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherries, oak and a hint of spices.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice cherry flavours, slightly acidic, but not overly so.