Tag Archives: ba

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Czech Republic, Métaphore, Wild Ale

Métaphore Here and Now: Cherry

Leave a comment

Brewery: Métaphore
Country: Czech Republic
ABV: 7.3%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Batch L19

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A coolshipped and spontaneously fermented beer aged in oak barrel for 16 months and then aged for 12 months on fresh, local sour cherries. Unblended from a single barrel. This beer represents the singular magic of one night, captured and shaped by, in this bottle. It is meant to reflect the place, people and occasion of its birth. An attempt to capture a true imprint of one day – inimitable and unrepeatable

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, batch L19, with a best before date of 1st September 2025. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice deep ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated quickly, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Cherry skin, leather, vanilla, with notes of marzipan, almond, and cinnamon.
Taste: Sweet and sour, cherry pie, cherry skin, leather, light funk, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: While my description of the aroma sounds like my thing, it was strangely just average and a little on the weak side. However, the flavours more than made up for this as there was a good balance between sweet and sour with very nice cherry pie notes. Just easy and enjoyable to drink.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Czech Republic, Lager - Märzen / Oktoberfest, Métaphore x Pivovar Lajka

Métaphore x Lajka Mars 2021

Leave a comment

Brewery: Métaphore x Pivovar Lajka
Country: Czech Republic
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Lager – Märzen / Oktoberfest

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Märzen beer with local organic spelt. Brewed in March and aged in a cellar till October in freshly emptied biodynamic Pinot Noir barrels from Burgundy. Brewed with organic local malt, hops and raw spelt. Homage to those early times, when beers were made in a season for the season and the notion of time had a different meaning. A collaboration with dear friend Jan K. of Pivovar Lajka with whom we share the mutual love for the classic and rustic beers. Here we present you with Mars. The resulting beer is the reflection of the love of both brewers for classic beers and their affinity for delicately rustic beers. Not quite Märzen, not quite Bière de Garde. This malty little rustic beer with a sense of time and place is ready for you to enjoy here and now.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.85
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml bottle, with a best before date of 1st November 2022. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear dark copper amber colour with a two finger white head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malty, caramel, apple, red wine grapes, and wood.
Taste: Sweet malt, bready, caramel, plums, with light vinous notes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking with the Pinot Noir barrels making an interesting impact on the aroma and flavours.

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

De Struise Black Damnation XXVI – Froggie

Leave a comment

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders matured in Bordeaux wine barrels. Margaux, Pauillac & St.-Estèphe.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 25th July 2018, and a best before date of 24th July 2023. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice frothy one finger brown head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, light char, chocolate, cocoa, raisin, fig, dates, and a touch red wine vinous.
Taste: Roasted malts, bakers chocolate, espresso, light char, licorice, and red wine notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The wine barrels add an interesting dimension to the aroma and flavour, but it’s not among my favourites of the Black Damnation’s. It’s a decent sipper, but I didn’t think it was better than much of the whiskey barrel aged variants.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse Peated Oak Aged

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Aged in peated Islay whiskey barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Embrasse matures four to six months in whiskey barrels. For the peated oak aged Embrasse Islay barrels are used. By barrel aging the beer it takes the rich tones of the whiskey and the beer gets a softer and fuller taste.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before end date of October 2022. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Peaty, leather, dry grass, roasted malts, with milk chocolate and whisky notes.
Taste: Roasted malts, peat, smoke, milk chocolate and whiskey.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s peat forward and obvious, but not overpowering. The peat is balanced with some nice roasty and chocolate flavours. The body was lighter than expected though, and I was hoping for a bit more carbonation.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse Blended Oak Aged

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: Aged in whiskey barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Embrasse matures four to six months in whiskey barrels. For the blended oak aged Embrasse non-peated whiskey barrels are used. By barrel aging the beer it takes the rich tones of the whiskey and the beer gets a softer and fuller taste.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.93
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before end date of I think July 2022. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention, before settling to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, dried dark fruit, raisin, fig, caramel.
Taste: Roasty, coffee, dark chocolate, bittersweet, caramel, whiskey, with notes of dried dark fruits.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice bittersweet flavours with the roastiness, coffee and chocolate coming through nicely.