Tag Archives: belgium

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Hanssens Artisanaal, Lambic - Fruit

Hanssens Oudbeitje

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Brewery: Hanssens Artisanaal
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) (translated from Dutch) Pure Lambic, with fresh strawberries, 100% natural product.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.8

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle with a notched Lotnr of H (not sure what this means). Then there are two dates. The first I translated from Dutch to: “to consume preferably before” 7th August 2027. The second I translated from French to: “best before” 7th August 2034. Not sure why there are two different dates for different languages. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy dark golden orange colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Oak, vinegar, acidity, strawberry and funky.
Taste: Sour, tart and acidic with notes of vinegar and berries.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with extremely low to no carbonation and quite a harsh acidic feel.
Overall: For me, this could use more carbonation. In addition, I wasn’t really getting much strawberries in the flavour, and any berry flavour I did get was quite light. The main thing though was the quite harsh acidity as each swallow felt a light burn on my throat.

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

Girardin Kriek

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Brewery: Brouwerij Girardin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Minimum of 150g of cherries with pits per finished liter.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.37
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle. The cork had the words Diam AX 2017 and the number 01 on it, which I think I’ve worked it out to mean Batch A, bottled in January 2016. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A clear ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipates quickly while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Cherry Lifesaver hard candy. What this means is cherry, almond and lightly artificial, although this aroma is right up my alley.
Taste: Sour cherry and grapes with an interesting hint of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: The aroma was wonderful, and while the taste didn’t quite match up to the aroma, it was still great to drink.

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

Girardin Framboise

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Brewery: Brouwerij Girardin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Minimum of 150g of raspberries per finished liter.

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

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle. The cork has the words Diam EX 2016, and the number 09 on it, which I think I’ve worked out to be Batch E, bottled in September 2015. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: A clear dark pinkish red colour with a very thin pink head that dissipates quickly while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Raspberry jam with perhaps hints of grape juice.
Taste: Sour raspberries and grape juice to begin, followed by sweet-ish berries with hints of wood.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Refreshing and nice to drink. Good balance between sour and sweet.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Dupont, Farmhouse Saison

Dupont Saison Dupont Cuvée Dry Hopping 2016

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Brewery: Brasserie Dupont
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Dry hopped with Brewers Gold

Brewer Description: (from website) Saison Dry Hopping was first brewed in 2010. In line with the Dupont tradition, this is a top-fermented blond beer, refermented in the bottle. The special feature of this beer, which is produced in limited quantities, is that the hops used for the “dry hopping” are different every year. This year, three distinctive hop varieties were selected. For the dry hopping, brews were made from the “Brewers Gold” variety, grown in Germany. The result is a coppery, blond beer, dry and refreshing with sustained bitterness. The use of Brewers Gold in dry hopping intensifies the fruity notes (mainly white fruits and citrus) and gives the beer a perfume of fresh hops. Our selection of yeasts gives the beer very specific aromas and flavours. The genuine bottle refermentation, which may be extended by a long period in your cellar, produces a complex and highly aromatic beer.

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

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, 2016 cork with a best before date of July 2019. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku.
Appearance: It was a hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet juicy mandarin, orange, lemon, grass, yeast and pepper spice.
Taste: Follows the aroma closely with citrusy mandarin, orange, lemon, hay, grass, yeast and pepper spice. Starts sweet, ends lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light to medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: Another great, easily drinkable Saison from Dupont.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Dupont, Farmhouse Saison

Dupont Avec les Bons Voeux

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Brewery: Brasserie Dupont
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9.5%
Style: Belgian Saison

Brewer Description: (from website) The Bons Voeux is a blond top fermentation beer with refermentation in the bottle. Since 1970, the brewery has been brewing a special beer to give as a new years present to their best clients. The name of this beer “Avec les bons Voeux de la Brasserie Dupont” means “With the best wishes of the Brewery Dupont.” Because of the increasing success, they started to commercialise this “cadeau” but kept the name. Although the demands were considerable, only a small quantity was brewed, so they had to make a reservation list, even months before new year. This Bons Voeux is coppery blond, has very fine hop aromas and tastes bitter, fruity and mild. Our selection of yeasts, in combination with a long during riping process, on a “dry hopping” base, are creating a typical and complex aroma and taste. A real refermentation in the bottle, which will continue for a long time in your cellar, result in a harmonious and well-balanced beer, full of unexpected and complex aromas.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.29
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, 2016 cork, with a best before date of October 2021. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: It was a hazy golden straw orange colour with a just under two finger white head that had pretty good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Peach, honey, lemon, banana and clove with some pepper and herbally notes.
Taste: Honey, lemon, banana, clove, grass, pepper spice and yeast.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: A very nice cross between a Saison and a Tripel. It’s got the nice classic Belgian beer characteristics and the 9.5% ABV is surprisingly well hidden.