Tag Archives: bxlbeerfest

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Butcher’s Tears, Netherlands, Smoked Beer

Butcher’s Tears Rök

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Brewery: Butcher’s Tears
Country: Netherlands
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Smoked Beer
Other Notes: 2022 BXL BeerFest beer pack

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Oak-smoked Mild ale.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.83

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled in August 2022. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear copper brown colour with a big two finger white head that had great retention, and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Malt, burnt toast, smoke, light caramel notes, and a touch of apple peel.
Taste: Sweet malty, bready, burnt toast, smoke, with notes of caramel and apple peel, lightly bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s fine for what it is. Easy drinking with some interesting aroma and flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Unblended

Cantillon Grand Cru Bruocsella Brut

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Lambic – Unblended
Other Notes: 2021 BXL BeerFest beer pack. Bottled in season 20/21

Brewer Description: (from bottle in French) Vieux Lambic artisanal de Bruxelles, vieilli sur fûts en chêne et refermenté en bouteille. Brassé le 19 décembre 2017 et mis en bouteille le 3 juin 2021. Aucun conservant ni additif chimique. Conservation illimitee.

(translated to English) Old artisanal Lambic from Brussels, aged in oak barrels and refermented in the bottle. Brewed on December 19, 2017 and bottled on June 3, 2021. No preservatives or chemical additives. Unlimited storage.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.39
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml bottle, brewed on 19th December 2017, bottled on 3rd June 2021. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass. Brewed for BXL BeerFest 2021.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Funky, musty, dusty, damp wood, green apple, lemon zest, with a touch of yellow stone fruits.
Taste: Light to moderately sour, tart, funky, hay, lemon zest, apple, and wood.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate zingy carbonation.
Overall: Loving the carbonation here, and in my opinion, I easily prefer this over the regular Bruocsella Grand Cru.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Atrium, Stout - Imperial

Atrium Cocada

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Brewery: Brasserie Atrium
Country: Belgium
ABV: 12.3%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: 2022 BXL BeerFest beer pack

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Quad stout with grilled coconut, rapadura and vanilla.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, with a best before date of July 2029. Brewed for BXL BeerFest 2022. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a very thin tanned head that dissipated immediately, while leaving pretty much no lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, coconut, grilled coconut, coffee, brown sugar.
Taste: Sweet and bitter, roasted malts, dark chocolate, roasted coconut, coffee, brown sugar, near burnt caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, with an interesting lightly spicy finish.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper. From the aroma, I was worried that it might be too sweet, but there was some nice dark chocolate bitterness and an interesting spicy note on the finish that balanced a lot of the sweetness.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Gruit, La Source Beer Co.

La Source Œuvre Au Noir

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Brewery: La Source Beer Co.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9.1%
Style: Gruit
Other Notes: Sour Gruit. Carbonation in progress, please wait until January 2022 to open. 2021 BXL BeerFest beer pack

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This sour Gruit has been brewed with mugwort and woodruff and then spent almost a year on the lees of freshly emptied natural red wine barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.86
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 750ml bottle with an open after January 2022 date, and a best before date of 13th July 2023. Brewed for BXL BeerFest 2021. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: It was a hazy golden orange colour with a very thin large bubbly head that disappeared almost immediately, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, lemon juice, pickled ginger, orange zest, candied cherry, rosemary, oak.
Taste: Sour, tart, orange zest, grapefruit, lemon peel, pickled ginger, candied fruit, herbal finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: I’m not at all familiar with mugwort and woodruff, but I liked the aroma and there was an interesting mix of sour, sweet, fruit and herbs in the flavour.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij De Ranke, Lambic - non-Lambic Blends

De Ranke Cuvée BXL

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – non-Lambic Blends
Other Notes: 2022 BXL BeerFest beer pack

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Old Stock Ale & Lambic.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled in January 2022, with a best before date of 14th January 2027. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass. Brewed for BXL BeerFest 2022.
Appearance: A hazy dark golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Orange zest, citrus rind, grape skin, peach, wet wood, and a touch dusty.
Taste: Lightly tart, grapefruit, orange rind, grape skin, peach, lime, with woody and funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: ‘Old Stock Ale & Lambic’, not really given a lot of information based off of this, but with this blend, the flavours do work well together, and it was enjoyable.