Tag Archives: collaboration

4 - Good (buy), Barleywine - English, Beer Reviews, Brouwerij Kees x Brouwerij De Molen, Netherlands

Kees x De Molen Frick & Frack

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Kees x Brouwerij De Molen
Country: Netherlands
ABV: 11.3%
Style: English Barleywine
Other Notes: Malts – Pale Smoke and Pale Crystal. Hops – Cascade and Bramling Cross

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Smokey Barleywine.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.32
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle, batch 17.28, with a best before date of December 2022. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A clear copper amber colour with a one finger beige head that had pretty good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Malty, smoky, bacon, fruity, cherry, grape, prunes, raisin with hints of caramel.
Taste: Sweet-ish, smoky, bacon, caramel, toffee, honey, sugar syrup, cherry and prunes.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Surprisingly good since I’m not a fan of Barleywines. But this was very smooth and the sweetness was balanced really well by the smoke.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Nøgne Ø x Central Cervecera x La Chingoneria, Norway, Stout - Russian Imperial

Nøgne Ø x Central Cervecera x La Chingoneria M.O.L.E.

Leave a comment

Brewery: Nøgne Ø x Central Cervecera x La Chingoneria
Country: Norway
ABV: 9%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 63 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) MOLE… so simple… so powerful… so delicious! With good friends around the world anything can be done. Alberto and Ernesto from Central Cervecera and Isaac from La Chingoneria came all the way from Mexico City to Grimstad. Together we put the tasty MOLE in an imperial stout. That’s how you make a good beer!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.75
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 500ml bottle from batch #1362, bottled on 4th February 2015, and with a best before date of 4th February 2020. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown to black in colour with a reddish hue and a thin to negligent dark tanned head that dissipated quickly while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, nutty, chocolate, coffee, licorice, with hints of dark fruit and char.
Taste: Light roast, chocolate milk, licorice and touches of dark fruit.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Not as roasty and body was lighter than I’d prefer, maybe too “chocolate milk” like.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Buxton Brewery x J. Wakefield Brewing, England, Stout - Imperial

Buxton x J. Wakefield Coral Castle

Leave a comment

Brewery: Buxton Brewery x J. Wakefield Brewing
Country: England
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Coconut Infused Stout

Brewer Description: (from can) Coconut-infused Stout brewed in Buxton, a collaboration with J. Wakefield Brewing, visiting from Miami, Florida.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 440ml can, canned on 26th March 2019 and with a best before date of 26th March 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with a half finger light tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, toasted coconut, coconut cream, chocolate truffle and coconut flakes.
Taste: Light roast, light sweetness, creamy, chocolate, coconut, coconut cream, light bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It drinks easy but I wasn’t too fond of the coconut creaminess aroma and flavours. I would have preferred it if it was more toasted coconuts or coconut flakes instead of coconut cream.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Evil Twin Brewing x Prairie Artisan Ales, Stout - Imperial, USA

Evil Twin x Prairie Bible Belt

Leave a comment

Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing x Prairie Artisan Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 13%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed and canned for Evil Twin Brewing at Westbrook Brewing Co, Mount Pleasant, SC

Brewer Description: (from can) Imperial Stout aged on coffee, vanilla, chilies, and cacao nibs.

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

Intro: A 1 pint can, canned on 22nd September 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger brown head that had pretty good retention while leaving some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, cacao, coffee, with hints of vanilla and a splash of booze.
Taste: Rich milk chocolate, vanilla, roasty, coffee, light smokiness.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, velvety, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice easy drinking flavours means it doesn’t feel like 13% ABV. I’m not getting much (if any) of the supposedly chili though. A slightly heavier body would also have helped it even more. But really, I’m just nitpicking now.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Czech Pilsner, En Stoemelings x Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company

En Stoemelings x Blind Enthusiasm Papy Vandepils

Leave a comment

Brewery: En Stoemelings x Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Czech Pilsner

Brewer Description: (from Belgian Beer and Food facebook post) Papy Vandepils is a collaboration between Brussels brewery En Stoemelings, and Blind Enthusiasm from Edmonton Canada. It’s a simple and delicately balanced beer, with a grainy, cereal like flavor, followed by a long satisfying dryness. As you may have noticed from our editorial, some members of the Belgian Beer and Food team have an emotional attachment to it, since it represents a coming of age for our friends at En Stoemelings, and ranks as the best thing they’ve made so far. But, it’s a worthy choice in and of itself. According to Denys one of the brewers who made it, the trick is to have the right mix between Heidelberg and Pils malt, two weeks of lagering, and three weeks of maturation, plus clinically clean stainless-steel equipment and lots of love. As to what inspires this beer, the brewers mention Tipo Pils and Rulles Pils, but emphasise that the real reference is a classic Czech Pilsner.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.44
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle, with a best before date of July 2019. Poured into a De Struise glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a big three finger white head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, lemon zest, bready, yeast, grass, tea and light floral notes.
Taste: Light bitterness, lemon zest, citrus rind, grass, grains, pepper spice and hints of bread.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking Pilsner but at the same time not as crisp as others that I prefer.