Tag Archives: ba

Insight Cellars Alma Del Arrumbador

Brewery: Insight Cellars
Country: Denmark
ABV: 7.3%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Danish Wild Ale aged in sherry barrels. 2021 vintage. 2550 btls

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This is our tribute to the hardworking “arrumbadores” whose labor and skill kept Spain’s historical Sherry bodegas running for centuries. We aged our Danish Wild Ale in Oloroso, Pedro Ximenez and Palo Cortado casks for two years before crafting the final blend. The combination of these Sherry barrels makes for the perfect balance of sweet and dry, and imparts a rich and complex melange of toasted nut, dried fruit and spice flavors to our Danish Wild Ale.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml caged and corked bottle, 2021 vintage, bottled on 17th May 2023. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour, with a one finger white head that had good retention, and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, sherry, citrus zest, grapefruit notes, and a touch of oak.
Taste: Sherry, funky, grapefruit, notes of dried dark fruit, caramel, a touch nutty, and light spicy bits.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice funky and sherry notes but would have preferred a touch more carbonation.

Ammonite Vinifera XI – Gewurztraminer

Brewery: Brasserie Ammonite
Country: France
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: 2021 vintage

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) Spontaneous fermented beer aged 1 year in pinot noir cask transferred in “Vinification intégrale” cask. Maceration of 7 months with “Gewurztraminer” grapes from Henri Klee Domaine. Concentration 300g/L.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2021 vintage, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A nice lightly hazy golden straw orange colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, vinous, white wine grapes, yellow stone fruit, apricot seed, funk, oak, lime, and citrus zest.
Taste: Lightly sour, herbal, green vines, vinous, white wine grapes, grapefruit, lime, with a touch of funk and wood.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: It took some time for me to enjoy this, but it grew on me with each sip. I think it was the herbal element that caught me out a bit.

Oskar Blues BA21 Vol.5

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 13.3%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: 2021 Barrel Aged Series

Brewer Description: (from can) Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon barrels with coffee beans and vanilla.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.44
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. can, 2021 barrel aged series, canned on 21st January 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour, with a near one finger tan brown head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, fresh crushed coffee beans, chocolate, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, with dried dark fruit notes, and a touch of nuts.
Taste: Bittersweet, roasty, espresso, dark chocolate, caramel, bourbon, and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: A really enjoyable sipper with good balanced aroma and flavours. As good as BBA Ten Fidy.

Heroes BBAIMSwPBCN&V (5th Anniversary)

Brewery: Heroes Beer Co.
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Stout – Milk / Sweet Imperial
Other Notes: Bottle 138 of 999

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout with Peanut Butter Cacao Nibs and Vanilla. We’re turning 5 years old, so we’ve decided to throw all of our favourite ingredients into this! BBAIMSwPBCN&V starts with dessert-like aromas of bourbon vanilla, peanut butter, and milk chocolate. Follows through with a layered malt profile of dark chocolate, espresso beans, toffee, raisin, and maraschino cherry. Drinks with a firm bitterness that’s well balanced by the complex malt sweetness and velvety body. Subtle American oak characters add complexity to the long finish of this liquid dessert and keep you going for just a little sip more.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A boxed, black waxed, 650ml bomber, bottle 138 of 999, packaged on 4th November 2022, and with a best before date of 3rd November 2024. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour, with a one finger tanned head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, milk chocolate, bourbon, wafer, peanut butter, with notes of caramel, toffee, and dried dark fruits.
Taste: Sweet, bourbon, caramel, toffee, moderate bitterness, dark chocolate, light roast, black coffee, biscuit, vanilla, and subtle nutty peanut butter.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper as the sweetness is balanced by some bitterness, and it’s up there with the 2nd Anniversary beer as one of my favourites in their Anniversary lineup.

De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2010

Brewery: De Dolle Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 12%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: 2010 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Stille Nacht aged in Bordeaux wooden barrels for 25 months.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, produced in 2010, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear orange copper colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Fruit cake and blackcurrant oxidation, with sweet caramel, toasted oak, and candied citrus zest.
Taste: Sweet fruity, dried red berries, lightly red wine vinous, candi sugar, candied dried orange slices, honey, caramel, oak.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Despite the oxidation, this was an enjoyable sipper with nice balanced complexities within the flavour.