Tag Archives: belgium

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Alvinne, Wild Ale

Alvinne Cuvée Sofie Alvino

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Brewery: Brouwerij Alvinne
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: 2016 vintage. Alvinne limited edition, single cask, 700 bottles. 2012 French Oak from Burgundy. Grape variety – Boskoop

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Alvino is een exclusief project omdat we enkel druiven van eigen kweek gebruiken. De oogst van 2016 was uitzonderlijk goed, voldoende om aan twee vaten cuvee sofie 20kg per vat toete voegen.

(translated to English) Alvino is an exclusive project because we only use grapes from our own cultivation. The 2016 harvest was exceptionally good, enough to add 20kg per barrel to two barrels of cuvee sofie.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.15
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 500ml bottle, 2016 vintage, with a best before date of December 2021. Poured into an Alvinne teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy copper amber colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, grape, grape juice, oak, lightly vinous and light funk.
Taste: Lightly sour, grape, lightly vinous, oak, a splash of sweetness, apple, tart, funky.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Not as vinous as expected from the barrel, but it was still enjoyable and easy drinking.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation IV – Coffee Club

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

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

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.4
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle, Vintage 2018, bottled on 26th November 2020, with a best before date of bottled date +5 years. Poured into a De Struise Black Damnation tasting glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, neapolitan ice cream blend, chocolate, rum, brown sugar.
Taste: Moderately sweet, lightly boozy, rum, roasty, coffee, chocolate, oak, molasses, brown sugar, with vanilla notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Not a fan of rum, but this worked well with enjoyable aromas and flavours.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie du Brabant, Lambic - Fruit

Du Brabant Lambic Magerat – Krieken & Pinot Noir

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Brewery: Brasserie du Brabant
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 4 years old Lambic

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This beer has been brewed using the traditional turbid mash method, aged hops, cooled during an entire night in open vessels and was fermented and kept during 4 years in oak barrels prior to bottling. Our brewery being located at the boundaries of the Senne Valley, this beer qualify for the Lambic appellation. We released this beer as ‘Lambic Magerat’ our family name as it is traditional in Belgium.

Cherries and Pinot Noir grapes grown at our farm.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.71
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottled in December 2018, and with a best before year of 2038. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy orange amber colour with a thin white head that dissipated quickly while leaving pretty much no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, red wine grapes, grape skin, oak, funk, with light citrusy lemon zest notes.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, cherry, grape skin, oak, with light notes of apple cider vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to light carbonation.
Overall: To be honest, when I saw Pinot Noir, I was thinking maybe barrel aged in a Pinot Noir barrel instead of using Pinot Noir grapes. I think a more vinous character would have made this more interesting, as when compared to other kriek lambics for example, the fruitiness is not as obvious and there is a distinct lack of funk. It’s not a bad beer by any means, but not one of the top in its style.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie du Brabant, Lambic - Unblended

Du Brabant Lambic Magerat

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Brewery: Brasserie du Brabant
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Lambic – Unblended
Other Notes: 3 years old straight Lambic

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This beer has been brewed using the traditional turbid mash method, aged hops, cooled during an entire night in open vessels and was fermented and kept during 3 years in oak barrels prior to bottling. Our brewery being located at the boundaries of the Senne Valley, this beer qualify for the Lambic appellation. We released this beer as ‘Lambic Magerat’ our family name as it is traditional in Belgium.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, batch 1, production year of 2015, and with a best before year of 2040. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Quite subtle, but it’s funky, damp oak, citrusy lemon, earthy, with maybe some notes of vanilla.
Taste: Like the aroma, tastes is also quite subtle, but there’s funk, apple peel, lemon, slightly sour, oak, and notes of apricot.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with no carbonation.
Overall: Reminds me of GCB, which I’m not exactly fond of. Lack of carbonation is also not my thing, and both the aroma and flavour seemed to be overly subtle.

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

De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: A beer to embrace. Belgian Strong Dark Ale / Stout

Brewer Description: (from website) An intense heavy dark beer with 9% vol. Embrasse is a heavy dark beer that is perfectly in between a heavy dark Abbey / Trappist beer and a Stout / Porter. The beer combines roasted malt and coffee / chocolate aspects with a pleasantly light fruitiness of dried subtropical fruits. Bittersweet flavors go together with a pronounced creamy mouthfeel and make drinking this beer to an exceptional delight for lovers of heavy dark beers. Pleasant with a traditional cheese & sausage board / selection of hard piquant cheese.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before date of August 2023. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, bread dough and perhaps a touch nutty.
Taste: Roasted malts, coffee, cocoa, dark chocolate, bittersweet, with very light notes of plum.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable, balanced and easy to drink.