Tag Archives: belgium

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Flanders Oud Bruin

De Struise Aardmonnik – Earthmonk

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin
Other Notes: 15 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The only Struise with a mind of its own. As complicated as it gets. Aged for 5 years on Burgundy wine barrels. Vintage 2013. Cask strength edition.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2013 vintage, bottled on 1st August 2018, with a best before date of 31st July 2028. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate, tart, cherry, oak, earthy, with notes of balsamic vinegar.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, chocolate, coffee, cherry, cola, oak, slightly vinous, blackcurrant.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice complex aroma and flavours. I prefer more carbonation, but this was good.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Bofkont, Lambic - Fruit

Bofkont Olasz Rizling

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Brewery: Bofkont
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2022 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 1,2&3 year old lambic with Olasz Rizling grapes from Hungary. Skin maceration for several days. After this, the grapeslambic went back into a barrel for a year.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.43

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2022 vintage, bottled on 30th November 2023. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, dusty, grape skin, minerals, oak, and honey.
Taste: Sweet and tart, grape skin, honey, lemon zest, funk, wood, boozy tea.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice enjoyable complexity with good aromas and great flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V., Lambic - Gueuze

Timmermans Oude Geuze Cuvée Lambikstoemper 2024 (25 Jaar)

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Brewery: Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Lambikstoemper 25th Anniversary

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Cuvée Lambikstoemper 2024 is een Oude Geuze, een door de EU beschermde benaming, samengesteld bij Brouwerij Timmermans (Itterbeek) door De Lambikstoempers vzw, naar aanleiding van het 25-jarig bestaan van de bierproeversvereniging uit het Pajottenland en de Zennevallei, lid van HORAL vzw en van Zythos vzw.

Deze Oude Geuze is een blend van 40% lambiek uit foeder 4 (brouwsel 10/05/2023), 22,5% uit pijp 214 (brouwsel 26/03/2020), 24,2% uit foeder 20 (brouwsel 11/11/2019) en 13,3% uit een Pinot Gris vat (brouwsel 24/03/2022), samengesteld door het Lambikstoempers beheer op 21/09/2023, afgevuld op fles in december 2023, spontaan hergist op fles in de Lambikstoemperskelder en feestelijk gelanceerd in 2024.

(translated to English) Cuvée Lambikstoemper 2024 is an Oude Geuze, a designation protected by the EU, composed at Brouwerij Timmermans (Itterbeek) by De Lambikstoempers vzw, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the beer tasting association from the Pajottenland and the Zenne valley, member of HORAL vzw and Zythos vzw.

This Oude Geuze is a blend of 40% lambic from foeder 4 (brewed 10/05/2023), 22.5% from pipe 214 (brewed 26/03/2020), 24.2% from foeder 20 (brewed 11/11/2019) and 13.3% from a Pinot Gris barrel (brewed 24/03/2022), composed by the Lambikstoempers management on 21/09/2023, bottled in December 2023, spontaneously refermented in the bottle in the Lambikstoempers cellar and festively launched in 2024.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2024 vintage, with a best before date of 31st December 2044. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had good retention, and eventually settled to a nice fluffy cap, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, musty, fresh cut green apple, wood, hay, with notes of lemon zest and pear.
Taste: Green apple, lightly sour, lemon, lemon zest, wood, funky, with hints of gooseberry.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Light and refreshing with interesting aroma and flavours. Definitely on the young side, and glad to have several more bottles on hand to see how they turn out in the future.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Gueuze

3 Fonteinen Zenne y Frontera Season 20/21 Blend 66 – 1/2/3 Sherry Barrel Aged Lambik Blend

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Blend°66, Season 20/21

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Zenne y Frontera is a special blend of sherry lambikken that have aged for one, two and three years on Oloroso, Fino and Amontillado barrels. By doing so, the average weighted aged of the blend is 32 months on the moment of bottling. One of the barrels that we used has some slightly peated characteristics next to the typical sherry notes. The lambikken were sourced from five different brews, of which more than half of the volume was brewed by us.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°66, season 20/21, bottled on 27th July 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen Zenne stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour, with a very nice one finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sherry, dry wood, oak, grape, lemon zest, funk, leather, peat.
Taste: Lightly sour, slightly sweet, apple, grape, lemon zest, sherry, oak, leather, with some peaty notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The peat just hangs around in the background and is not overpowering. It adds an interesting and enjoyable element to this Zenne that works for me.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Lambic - Fruit, OWA Brewery SPRL

OWA Cassis Lambic

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Brewery: OWA Brewery SPRL
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Japanese cassis

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cassis is made in Aomori Japan.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.26

Intro: A 375ml purple paper wrapped corked and capped bottle, I believe 2019 vintage. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy amber red with a slight orange tint, and a half finger white head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Blackcurrant, cassis, green vines, musty, funk, damp wood.
Taste: Sour, tart, blackcurrant, lemon, green vines, oak, musty, wet wood.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice blackcurrant in the aroma and taste. Along with Shiso, this has become among my favourites from OWA.