Tag Archives: barrel aged

Métaphore Peach Rust

Brewery: Métaphore
Country: Czech Republic
ABV: 5.3%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Batch L22

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This bright and playful beer is a fresh reminder of carefree summers and sings with a clear expression of one of my favourite summer fruits. It consists of a blend of spontaneous and mixed fermentation beers aged in oak barrels for over two years with fresh local peaches from two consecutive harvests. This fresh and fruity rustic beer with a sense of time and place is ready to be enjoyed here and now. Best shared in good company. Na zdravi! Jiří.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, batch L22, with a best before date of 1st October 2032. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly to nothing, while leaving sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, peach, peach gummy candy, woody, light funk.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, sour, tart, peach, peach gummy candy, with light oak and light funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Simple, straightforward, enjoyable and easy to drink.

Métaphore x Hibernata Saturn 2021

Brewery: Métaphore x Hibernata
Country: Czech Republic
ABV: 8%
Style: Doppelbock
Other Notes: Brewed in the spirit of friendship and collaboration with Hibernata brewing project. Hibernata brewing project was Jan’s alter ego brewing project while still running the brewing operation in Pivovar Lajka

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Robust beer aged in a cellar for almost two years in a single large sherry barrel from Andalucia. It was brewed with organic malt and hops. It is an homage to an earlier era when the notion of time had a different meaning. A collaboration with my dear friend Jan K. of Hibernata brewing project, with whom I share a mutual love for classic beers and our affinity for delicately rustic beers. Here we present you with Saturn: brewed, fermented and aged as our interpretation of a doppelbock with a truly refined character. The resulting beer has those qualities that are dear to both of us: a delicate vinous character, roundness, elegance, a proud posture and a sense of time and place. Best shared in good company. Na zdravi! Jiří & Jan.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.06
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml dark gold waxed bottle, with a best before date of 20th March 2024. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A nice clear amber copper colour with a big two finger dark beige head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, sweet malty, vinous, red wine, cherry, prunes, with sherry notes.
Taste: Lightly sweet and sour, tart, cherry, red wine vinous, plum, prunes, sherry, toffee, and raisin, with a very light roasty finish.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable vinous and sherry notes.

De Struise Black Damnation III – Black Mess

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

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout from Flanders aged for 2 yrs in peated whisky barrels.

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

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 14th January 2021, with a best before date of +5 years, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin tanned head that dissipated to a ring around the glass while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate, black coffee, wood, whisky, with notes of dried dark fruit, raisin, fig, and maybe just a splash of peat.
Taste: Light to moderate sweet malty, whisky, dried dark fruit, raisin, prunes, light roast, chocolate, coffee, with some light bitterness on the backend.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper with balanced aromas and flavours, but for being aged 2 years in peated whisky barrels, there is a distinct lack of any peat.

De Struise Black Damnation I – Blackberry Albert

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

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout ale from Flanders matured on black currants & Red Port barrels.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 9th November 2022, with a best before date of +5 years, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin beige head that had pretty good retention and dissipated to a ring around the glass while leaving small spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roasty, chocolate, sweet berries, blackberries, woody, nutty, with light caramel notes.
Taste: Sweet malty, light roast, berry sweetness, blackberries, blueberries, chocolate, coffee, boozy, a touch nutty, and some bitter notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable sipper with restrained sweetness, and balanced aromas and flavours.

De Struise Black Damnation X – Double Wood

Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 15%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Belgian Royal Stout from Flanders aged for 2 yrs in Balvenie whisky barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 4th May 2021, with a best before date of +5 years, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated into a ring around the glass, while leaving tiny spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, coffee grounds, dark fruit, raisin, fig, whisky, light notes of caramel and vanilla, and a touch nutty.
Taste: Caramel malt, roasty, chocolate, black coffee, whisky, dark fruit, plum, fig, wood, and some lingering char on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Despite the high ABV%, it wasn’t noticeable and it was just an enjoyable sipper with great aromas and flavours.