Tag Archives: collaboration

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Gweilo Brewery x Mikkeller ApS, Hong Kong, IPA - New England / Hazy

Gweilo x Mikkeller Skyline IPA

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Brewery: Gweilo Brewery x Mikkeller ApS
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 5.5%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA
Other Notes: 25 IBUs. Collaboration with Mikkeller. Collectively redefining

Brewer Description: (from can) Brewed with our friends at Mikkeller, Skyline IPA delivers a huge hit of citrus, backed up by subtle notes of pineapple and mango. These intense flavours are the result of a 25g/L dry hop of Amarillo, Azacca and Galena. We use wheat, oats and London Ale yeast to give Skyline a juicy mouthfeel.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 4th September 2020. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: Poured a hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical and citrusy fruit forward. Mango, pineapple, orange juice and grapefruit zest.
Taste: Fruity, unripe mango, moderate bitterness, citrusy orange rind, grapefruit zest, spicy hop burn on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, rather uncomfortable spicy hop burn finish.
Overall: Great aroma, but taste and mouthfeel were affected by a rather uncomfortable hop burn, which is quite strange for me since I’m usually ok with hop burn and don’t necessarily consider it a problem. In this case though, the spiciness definitely affected my enjoyment.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Lambic - Gueuze, Mikkeller ApS x To Øl

Mikkeller x To Øl Betelgeuze

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Brewery: Mikkeller ApS x To Øl
Country: Denmark
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Gueuze)
Other Notes: Dry hops – Citra, Centennial, Amarillo, Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, Columbus, Tomahawk, Tettnang, Belma, Mandarina Bavaria, Calypso and Bravo. Brewed & bottled by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dry hopped Lambic.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.96
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 375ml bottle, with a best before date of 27th February 2024. Poured into Cantillon gueuze glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy dark orange, copper amber colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some nice curtain lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, funk, oak, light apple cider vinegar, apple skin, grape, lightly vinous and a touch of sour citrus juice.
Taste: Sour, funky, oak, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, apple skin, grape, lightly vinous, with a vinegar finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Although I don’t think this is exactly the base, it does remind me a lot of the Mikkeller Spontan series. It was pretty good to begin with, but I think I did grow to like it even more towards the end.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery (Grassroots Brewing), USA

Grassroots Brewing Arctic Soirée

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Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery (Grassroots Brewing)
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Ale fermented and aged in oak tanks with brettanomyces, lime juice, and hibiscus. Collaboration – Hill Farmstead Brewery x Anchorage Brewing Company

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Inspired from travel and friendship, Grassroots creates artisan ales inspired by experience and imagination. Brewed and bottled in Alaska by our friends at Anchorage Brewing Company. This beer is crafted with organic hibiscus flowers, lime, and the essence and imagination of our Vermont farmstead family. Share. Consider. Enjoy…

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A corked and caged 750ml bottle, Batch #1, bottled in November 2013. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a thin white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light to moderate funk, lime, lemon peel, floral, tea and oak.
Taste: Funk, light tartness, lime, stone fruit, citrus, lemon peel, tea and a touch floral.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The flavours didn’t really work for me. The lime seemed to overpower everything even the brett, and floral notes are not my favourite so it didn’t help balance it either. Not as complex or tasty as Arctic Saison.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Hill Farmstead Brewery (Grassroots Brewing), USA

Grassroots Brewing Arctic Saison

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Brewery: Hill Farmstead Brewery (Grassroots Brewing)
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Ale fermented in oak tanks with brettanomyces. Collaboration – Hill Farmstead Brewery x Anchorage Brewing Company

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This ale embodies the spirit of perpetual creative collaboration in conjunction with disciplined brewing endeavour. We trekked to Alaska and helped craft this rustic Saison, bringing with us the essence and imagination of our Vermont Farmstead family. Share. Consider. Enjoy…

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A corked and caged 750ml bottle, Batch #2, bottled in March 2014. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with a one and a half finger off white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, brett, grass, hay, green apple, apricot, lemon and oak.
Taste: Light sour, funky, brett, grass, hay, herbal, green apple, lemon peel and oak with hints of apricot.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I kept this last bottle of Batch #2 in my cellar longer than expected, but it seems it is just as good as when I last tried it in 2016. Good funk and brett balanced with some nice fruit coming through.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Barleywine - American, Beer Reviews, Brouwerij De Molen x Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, Netherlands

De Molen x Hair of the Dog Binkie Claws BA Almond

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Molen x Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Country: Netherlands
ABV: 11.2%
Style: American Barleywine
Other Notes: Malts – Pils, Crystal and Caramel. Hops – Simcoe and Colombus. Adjuncts – Honey and Almond Extract

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Doggie Claws Almond Bourbon Barrel Aged. BA Barley Wine-ish.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 330ml waxed bottle, bottled on 6th March 2018, and with a best before date of 6th March 2023. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A deep dark copper amber colour with a thin beige head that sticks around while leaving fine spotty lacing.
Aroma: Marzipan, almond flakes, caramel and alcohol.
Taste: Sweet, marzipan, cherry, almond, caramel, brown sugar, syrupy and boozy.
Mouthfeel: Chewy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: I don’t know, I’m a bit unsure about this one. I’d enjoy one sip and the next sip would be just ok, and I’d keep flipping between the two throughout the whole drink. A strange one for me. After finishing, and much thinking throughout the sipping, I think that the almond was maybe too overpowering, and that it made it taste too pastry like for me.