Tag Archives: 2017 vintage

De Cam Tros Bessen

Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Van oudsher worden de Rode Trosbessen geoogst in het Pajottenland. De Rode Trosbessen worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pit in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan tros bessen bedraagt ongeveer 45 kg per 100 liter kriek.

(translated into English) Traditionally, the red currants are harvested in the Pajottenland. The red currants are processed whole (no juice) with stone. The red currant content is approximately 45 kg per 100 liters of cherry lambic.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2017 vintage, with a best before date of July 2040. Opened as a slow gusher. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber, rusty orange brown colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention and settled to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funky, red currant, red berries, cherry, oak, dry splintered wood, hay.
Taste: Sour, tart, red currant, cherry, red berries, oak, musty, dusty, hay, wood, funky, lemon zest, and an interesting earthy and slight char like finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate prickly carbonation.
Overall: When I tried it fresh, I remember it being way too sour. I think age has helped it along in this aspect, as the red currant fruitiness comes through nicely. The finish had something not easy to describe, but I’m going to say earthy with a slight char like character. I could understand if some people did not enjoy this, but it didn’t really bother me.

Alvinne Cuvée Sofie Duindoornbes-Zilverbes

Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: BXL Beerfest 2017 limited edition

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Barrel fermented and aged blond sour with sea buckthorn berries and silverberries. Limited edition for BXL Beerfest.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2017 limited edition for BXL Beerfest, with a best before date of August 2022. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy copper orange brown colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Sour, lightly tart, plum skin, grape, oak, funk, with notes of acetone.
Taste: Sour, plum, grape, mixed berries, lemon, oak, with vinous notes and hints of funk and red wine vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: I don’t know what sea buckthorn berries or silverberries tastes like, but this was an enjoyable sour with lots of fruity notes.

Alvinne Cuvée Sofie Kriek Framboos

Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: 2017 vintage. Alvinne limited edition, single cask, 350 bottles. 2012 French Oak from Gevrey-Chambertin

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) 65% Schaarbeekse krieken, 35% frambozen. 5 maand gerijpt op een Bourgognevat. Frambozen geteeld en geplukt door leerlingen van SBSO ‘T Vurstjen, Evergem. Schaarbeekse krieken uit Neerbeek-Brakel.

(translated to English) 65% Schaerbeek cherries, 35% raspberries. Aged for 5 months in a Burgundy barrel. Raspberries grown and picked by students of SBSO ‘T Vurstjen, Evergem. Schaerbeek cherries from Neerbeek-Brakel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.19
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 500ml bottle, with a best before date of January 2022. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: A reddish orange brown colour with a less than half finger off white head that dissipated quickly while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Juicy, cherry, raspberry, oak, with notes of nail polish and vinegar.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, raspberry, oak, tannin, a touch vinous, and touches of vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable balanced sour.

Dádiva Saison Printemps

Brewery: Cervejaria Dádiva
Country: Brazil
ABV: 5.9%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Portuguese) A Dádiva Printemps é única. Feita com pêssego e brettanomyces bruxellensis ela te convida a viajar por um horizonte selvagem, cheio de mistérios, cores e aromas. Tudo isso, com o frescor e a leveza da primavera.

(translated to English) Dádiva Printemps is unique. Made with peach and brettanomyces bruxellensis it invites you to travel across a wild horizon, full of mysteries, colors and aromas. All of this, with the freshness and lightness of spring.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.85
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A corked and caged 375ml bottle, with a best before date of September 2020. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A very lightly hazy orange colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some decent lacing.
Aroma: Light funk, brett, peach, apricot, honey, pineapple, mandarin zest and a touch floral.
Taste: Funky, brett, floral, light sweetness, apricot, white pepper.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The carbonation was an issue here, but I also read many instances even up to early 2018 where the carbonation was lost. However, despite this, there was definitely some interesting aroma and flavours coming through.

Lambiek Fabriek Oude Geuze Brett-Elle

Brewery: Lambiek Fabriek
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Gueuze)
Other Notes: 2017 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Oude Geuze, traditionele blend van zelf gebrouwen lambieken van spontane gisting. Ongefilterde blend van verschillende jaargangen, niet gepasteuriseerd.

(translated from Dutch to English) Oude Geuze, traditional blend of home-brewed lambics from spontaneous fermentation. Unfiltered blend of different volumes, not pasteurized.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml capped and corked bottle, bottled on 4th April 2017. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A clear golden colour with a thin half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Musty, damp wood, earthy, funky, barnyard, oak, wood, with notes of stone fruit, peach, and lemon.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, funky, barnyard, peach, green apple, lemon, oak, wood, with notes of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable with surprising stone fruit notes, and strong oak in a good way.