Tag Archives: belgium

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Fruit

Cantillon Rosé de Gambrinus

Friday, 8 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Raspberries (200 grams/litre)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The Rose De Gambrinus Cantillon is obtained by macerating fresh raspberries in two years old Lambic. Its complex aromas and sour taste make this unique beer an excellent thirst-quencher. Keep at a temperature of 12-15 degrees and serve at 6-7 degrees. Beer with taste evolution. In order to fully appreciate the fruity taste of the Rose De Gambrinus, it is best to drink it within one year after the purchase. To be drunk preferably within ten years after the bottling date.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml capped and corked bottle bottled on 26th January 2016, poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish white head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart and juicy fresh raspberries with a hint of lemon, berry jam, oak and barnyard funk.
Taste: Sweet, sour and tart raspberries followed by lemon juice, oak woodiness and a hint of barnyard funk.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry, light bodied with moderate lively carbonation.
Overall: A great raspberry Lambic that I could drink all day. So refreshing with great balance.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal, Euro Sour Ale

Hof Ten Dormaal Inferno

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10%
Style: Euro Sour Ale
Other Notes: Sugar was added

Brewer Description: (from bottle) On 6 January 2015, the owners of Belgian brewery Hof ten Dormaal in Tildonk, Belgium, saw their worst nightmare come true.

The brewery was completely destroyed by fire. The entire bottling line, hot room and most of the stock were burned to the ground.

Miraculously, a very small portion of our stock survived. This very special, limited edition beer is a blend of all that was salvageable from that disaster. We promise it will be far from the last from us…

And now, after months of hard work and dedication, we proudly present to you this very special limited edition beer.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.86
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of February 2018, poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy reddish copper colour with a one finger off white head that had good retention and left some curtain like lacing.
Aroma: Simply, its sweet BBQ. There’s smoke and char mixed in with cherry and berries and maybe even a hint of peat.
Taste: Its sour and sweet with fruity cherry, raisins and red wine with a mix of smoke, char and peat. But I think the aromas is affecting my tasting, and I’m getting charred crispy bacon and bbq every now and then.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: Its just so different to any other beer I’ve tried. I can understand that its largely either you like it or don’t like it beer with not much middle ground. The aromas make it quite savoury to my palate and not exactly what I’m looking for in beer. The taste was slightly better than the aroma, but the aromas is so strong that it does become quite a big factor. The 10% abv is however, well hidden. I think in the end, I finished the bottle, but its not something I’d purchase again.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Verhaeghe, Flanders Red Ale

Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne

Tuesday, 28 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Flanders Red Ale
Other Notes: Top-fermented beer, matured in oaken casks, contains barleymalt and wheat

Brewer Description: (from website) “Duchesse de Bourgogne” is an ale of mixed fermentation. It is a sweet-fruity ale with a pleasant fresh aftertaste. This ale is brewed with roasted malts and with hops with a low bitterness. After the main fermentation and the lagering, the “Duchesse de Bourgogne” matures further for many months in oak casks. The tannins in the oak give the “Duchesse de Bourgogne” its fruity character. “Duchesse de Bourgogne” has a full, sweet and fresh taste: it is a ruby red jewel of 6.2 % alc. vol., that best is served in a chalice-shaped glass between 8 and 12°C. A perfect beer.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.91
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle with an expiry date of December 2016, poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear reddish brown colour with a red hue and a one finger khaki head that has decent retention and leaves lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, cherry, red wine, oak and sweet vinegar.
Taste: Sweet and sour but leaning a bit more towards sweet. Cherry, grape, cranberry and oak with a hint of balsamic vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate prickly carbonation.
Overall: I am a huge fan of sour beers and this was a little on the sweet side for me. However, it was a still a good beer and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)

Trappist Westvleteren Blond

Sunday, 26 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.8%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
Other Notes: Green cap. Trappist beer

Brewer Description: Not much info on their website and obviously even less on the bottle. But apparently this was the basic beer that the monks drink themselves. I think it replaced the Westvleteren 6, a Belgian Dark Ale with a red bottle cap and 6.2% abv.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a minimum sell-by date of 29th October 2016 and poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy golden orange colour with a small amount of sediment and a nice puffy two finger white head with good retention and leaves great lacing. Actually, despite the sediment, this looks amazing.
Aroma: Bready, clove and banana with a hint of peppery spice and apple pie.
Taste: Strong breadiness but with clove and banana sweetness and a hint of bubblegum.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Wow. Actually this surprised me as its often overshadowed by the 12 and even 8, but I really enjoyed this. As a Belgian Pale Ale, it seems to be one of the best of its style and has great balance, very refreshing and easy to drink.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Girardin, Lambic - Faro

Girardin Faro 1882

Tuesday, 14 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

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

Brewer Description: Could not find much information. Not even a website for Girardin…

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.8

Intro: A 375ml bottle with the numbers 2016 and 09 on different locations on the cork. Haven’t been able to find a consensus on what this means exactly. Poured into a Lindemans flute glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper brown colour with a thin tanned head that kind of sticks around and leaves some nice lacing.
Aroma: Had a hard time trying to describe this, but I would say fruity plum, prunes and apple, light tartness, butterscotch and brown sugar.
Taste: Candi sugar, plum and apples. Sweet and lightly tart.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This was an ok Faro. I’m actually in two minds as to whether I really I enjoyed this though. After going through the whole bottle, I’m on the fence.

words of another dreamy traveller