Tag Archives: grape ale

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Heroes Beer Co., Hong Kong, Italian Grape Ale

Heroes BB&FOAGAwBOGADFB&C (7th Anniversary)

Leave a comment

Brewery: Heroes Beer Co.
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Grape Ale
Other Notes: Bottle 472 of 500

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Bourbon Barrel & French Oak Aged Grape Ale with Blood Orange, Green Apple, Dragon Fruit, Blueberries & Cinnamon. For our 7th anniversary we decided to go outside of the box. BB&FOAGAwBOGADFB&C is a Red Sangria-inspired Grape Ale. Aged in both Bourbon Barrels and French Oak, it offers subtle funk and fruity complexity. Expect vibrant, cocktail-like notes of grapes, blood orange, with a touch of cinnamon spice. The beer was fermented on skin and the oak aging introduces a soft tannin, mimicking the depth of a classic sangria. The finish is crisp yet smooth, with just enough sweetness to round out the bright acidity.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07

Intro: A 750ml clear bottle, bottle 472 of 500, packaged on 6th November 2024, with a best before date of 5th May 2026. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy purplish red colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Yoghurt, fruit cake, orange, green apple, grapes, with notes of cinnamon.
Taste: Light to moderate sweetness, fruit cake, fruit cocktail mix, orange, grapes, green apple, notes of mixed berries, vanilla, and a splash of cinnamon spice.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Lots of fruit, easy drinking. Bourbon barrel might be there, but it’s not obvious. It’s not as complex as it sounds, and thus seems quite expensive for what it is.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, BFM (Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes), Italian Grape Ale, Switzerland

BFM Degustator Edizione Vin Santo

Leave a comment

Brewery: BFM (Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes)
Country: Switzerland
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Italian Grape Ale
Other Notes: Barrel Aged IGA Italian Grape Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) (translated from French as best as I could) Intense nose, roasted note, subtle, vinous, woody and honey. Velvety and ‘friante?’ beautiful texture, nervous acidity on the palate, long finish with aromas of bread and marzipan.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.02
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 375ml bottle, 2016 vintage, bottled in February 2017, and with a notched best before date of February 2019. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with small bits of sediment and a very thin white head that disappeared almost immediately and left no lacing.
Aroma: Lightly funky, vinous, white grape, honey, oak barrel, acetone and a touch of vinegar.
Taste: Sour, acidic, vinous, grapes, white wine, oak, vinegar and every now and then I was getting a herbal element near the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: I haven’t had much opportunity to try Italian Grape Ales, but this was quite nice. Aroma was good, but the taste and mouthfeel had a slight harshness that would have been better without. However, the more I drank it, I grew to like it, and it was definitely interesting to drink.