Tag Archives: oak barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Casey Brewing & Blending, Farmhouse Saison, USA

Casey Fruit Stand Grape (Viognier)

Leave a comment

Brewery: Casey Brewing & Blending
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Farmhouse Saison (Fruited)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Ale aged in oak barrels with grapes (Viognier).

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 20th January 2017. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear golden colour with a thin white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing.
Aroma: White grape, vinous, oak, vanilla, funk, with peach and citrus notes.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, white grape, vinous, oak, funk, and stonefruit.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice, refreshing and enjoyable with interesting fruity flavours, on top of the white grape Viognier, coming through nicely.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Hanssens Artisanaal, Lambic - Fruit

Hanssens Oude Kriek Handgeplukte Schaerbeekse Krieken

Leave a comment

Brewery: Hanssens Artisanaal
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Ale fermented with sour cherries and aged oak barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.06
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, with a notched bottled on date of January 2016. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark ruby red colour with thin to minimal head, and no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet fruity, cherry, marzipan, acetone, oak and balsamic notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, sharp, acetic, cherry, vinegar, oak, lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Sharp, acetic, acidic, medium bodied, with soft carbonation (but maybe feels like more because it’s so sharp).
Overall: In classic Hanssens style, it’s sharp and acidic, but luckily it’s got good cherry and oak notes, that help with what may seem harsh.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Boon, Lambic - Fruit

Boon Kriek Mariage Parfait

Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Boon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Oude Kriek – Kriek à l’Ancienne

Brewer Description: (from website) Kriek Mariage Parfait is an “Old Style Kriek” of exceptional excellence, brewed in Lembeek, the village that gave Lambic its name. It is unsweetened, unfiltered, unpasteurised and has no artificial flavours, preservatives or colourings added. “Old Style Kriek” or “Oude Kriek” is a protected E.U. appellation. 400 g of wild cherries per litre are fermented together with a strong Lambic of spontaneous fermentation and aged on 6,200 litre oak foeders (large wooden casks) for 6 to 8 months. Kriek Mariage Parfait is naturally clarified and referments in the bottle. After a maturation of 6 months in the bottle it is ready for tasting. The alcohol content of this Lambic beer is 8% by vol. Kriek Mariage Parfait has a high ageing potential, keep it by preference for more than two years in a cool and dark place. Pour slowly in 2 dry flute glasses without disturbing the yeast sediment in the bottle and enjoy this epitome of traditional Lambic brewing. Kriek Mariage Parfait has a clear deep reddish color lambic with a nice large pink head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma: tart cherry notes with some mild lambic funk, winy, well supported by its alcohol content. Taste: dominated by loads of fresh tart cherry notes with some mild barnyard and some vanilla notes, balanced against a backdrop of musky roasted oak. Body is full with good carbonation. Serve this beer with magret of duck, roast goose, seared foie gras, foie gras terrine, gamy pâtés, aged goat cheeses.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, 2018 vintage, with a best before date of 24th June 2039. Poured into a Boon stemmed glass.
Appearance: A cloudy cherry red colour, with a two fingered pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly but settled to a thin cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, oak, apple, and a touch vinous and funky.
Taste: Light sour, tart, cherry, dried cherry, vanilla, oak, funk, with some vinous notes.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Good cherry aroma and flavours with an interesting mix of oak, vanilla and funk.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Jester King Brewery, USA, Wild Ale

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis

Leave a comment

Brewery: Jester King Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 5.1%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel-aged sour beer refermented with blackberries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Marion blackberries were added to mature barrel-aged sour beer and refermented to dryness. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.35
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 1 pint 0.9 fl. oz. bottle, blend five, bottled in August 2017. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen Zenne stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear ruby red with a purple tinge colour, and a one finger pinkish head that had decent retention, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Jammy, blackberry, woody oak, light musty funk, grapes.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, blackberry, lemonade, oak.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice blackberry aroma and flavours are front and centre with good lemonade notes to complement it. A very enjoyable wild ale.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Holy Mountain Brewing Company, USA

Holy Mountain Choir of the Sun

Leave a comment

Brewery: Holy Mountain Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Ale aged in oak barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A Saison fermented and aged in oak puncheons for 5 months. Choir of the Sun was hopped with Styrian Goldings, fermented with a blend of Saison strains, and aged with brettanomyces. Refermented in the bottle with brettanomyces.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml bottle with no bottled on or best before date, but I think this has been cellared from the summer of 2017. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: It was a slightly hazy orange golden colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Funky, musty, brett, strong barrel, oak, lemon, citrusy, and cream soda.
Taste: Light sour, tart, oak, funky, musty, brett, with fruity apricot and citrus flavours.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Cellared for longer than intended, but still very enjoyable. Good mix of funk, brett, barrel and fruit, plus the lightness, just makes it very easy to drink.