Tag Archives: barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Lervig Aktiebryggeri, Norway, Stout - Pastry Imperial

Lervig Rackhouse Off The Rack Maple Bourbon 2020

Leave a comment

Brewery: Lervig Aktiebryggeri
Country: Norway
ABV: 14.7%
Style: Stout – Imperial Pastry
Other Notes: Rackhouse. 2020 maple bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Off the Rack Maple Bourbon was aged for 25 months in Canadian maple syrup barrels that were previously used for bourbon ageing. The rich, velvety texture and bold, complex flavors of our imperial stout are enhanced by the sweetness and woody depth of the barrels, resulting in a luxurious beer. Each sip reveals layers of coffee, toffee, and dark fruit, all balanced by clear maple notes and a smooth, warming finish.

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

Intro: A red waxed 375ml bottle, with a best before date of 13th January 2028. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, fig, brown sugar, toffee, maple syrup, with notes of vanilla.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, sweet, chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, toffee, fig, maple syrup.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, medium to full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper, with good aroma and flavours, but perhaps on the verge of being too sweet for my palate.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hudson Valley Brewery, USA, Wild Ale

Hudson Valley Amulet Sour Farmhouse Ale

Leave a comment

Brewery: Hudson Valley Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Amulet is a sour farmhouse ale conditioned on blueberries and hibiscus flowers, and aged for one year in oak. The beer is bottle conditioned with champagne yeast, so please open cold, pour carefully, and expect some sediment.

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

Intro: A 500ml white waxed bottle, batch no. 4, poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark pinkish orange colour with an almost two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but settled to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Blueberry, floral, hibiscus, guava, herbal, basil, oak, with a touch of funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, blueberry, hibiscus, lemon, herbal, red berries, oak, and some mild funk.
Mouthfeel: Spritzy, medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: An interesting fruit and floral mix that gives off nice herbal notes in both the aroma and flavours. Carbonation perhaps a touch too much, but otherwise, it was enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, DUST Blending, Lambic - non-Lambic Blends

DUST The Stoner

Leave a comment

Brewery: DUST Blending
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.3%
Style: Lambic – non-Lambic Blends
Other Notes: #026 Saison / Lambiek blend

Brewer Description: (from bottle) #026 Barrel aged abrikoos Saison + witte nectarine lambiek. (Apricot Saison + White Nectarine Lambiek)

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle. Bottled in March 2022. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving no lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, apricot, nectarine, stone fruit skin.
Taste: Lightly sour, lightly tart, apricot, nectarine, fruit tea.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Although lacking in some complexity, the aroma and flavours are clean and refreshing, making it easy and enjoyable to drink.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery, USA

Hill Farmstead Table Dorothy Wine Barrel Aged

Leave a comment

Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: Farmstead Table Pale Ale aged in wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Our low-abv Farmstead® table pale ale – crafted from American malted barley, malted wheat, New Zealand and American hops, our distinctive yeast blend, and water from our well – was conditioned in wine barrels and then dry-hopped before packaging and bottle conditioning. Nine months in wine barrels and then dry-hopped with Citra®, Mosaic®, and Simcoe® before packaging and bottle conditioning.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.78
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottle conditioned since November 24, 2020. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw yellow colour with a very nice one finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical and citrus fruit mix. Mango, peach, lemon zest, calamansi, yuzu, oak, light funky notes, and a touch vinous.
Taste: Lightly sour, citrusy, calamansi, yuzu, lemon zest, oak, yellow stone fruit notes, white wine vinous, a touch funky, and a touch bitter.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, clean, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Really enjoyable and easy to drink with great flavours and complexity. I could just keep drinking this again and again and again.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery, USA

Hill Farmstead Nonconformist 03

Leave a comment

Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: A farmstead ale aged in oak barrels. Hops – Cascade. Adjunct – Buckwheat and Vermont Buckwheat Honey. Time in oak – 1 year

Brewer Description: (from website) This is the third entry in our novel exploration of blended beers, aging techniques, and often unexplored ingredient combinations. In the summer of 2018, we brewed a beer with a base composition of 20% Vermont buckwheat honey, 48% organic buckwheat, 32% malted barley, and cascade hops. After a year of respite in wine barrels, the beer rested in the bottle, moving through its own hopeful arc towards achievement over the course of nearly three years. The result is a delicate, floral expression, displaying differing facets of this ancient grain within the context of our Farmstead® ale framework. Once again, the label features the imaginative artwork of our creative collaborator, a close friend, who has inspired and supported the Hill Farmstead journey since the very beginning, Alex Peltz of Peltz Creative.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml bottle, bottled on August 16, 2019. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark orange colour with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Zesty, mandarin, funky, wine barrel, oak, vanilla-ish.
Taste: Tart, sweet, apricot, grapefruit, oak, pineapple, and a touch vinous.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking and balanced. Needed some time, but I think it got better after a while.