Tag Archives: oak barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Speling van het Lot VIII.ii: Schaarbeekse on a Toast (Medium) – Blended & Alive

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.7%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: This Schaarbeekse On A Toast has macerated for 265 days (over 8.5 months) on a fresh 1,000 liter medium toasted French oak barrel, in a proportion of 1 kilo of Schaarbeekse cherries per liter of lambic. After the maceration, the fruit lambic was blended with young lambic for a continued fermentation in the bottle. The total fruit intensity is 39.70%, i.e. 397 grams of fruit per liter of bottled Schaarbeekse Kriek. 100% 3 Fonteinen lambic. Number of bottles – 1279

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen “Speling van het Lot” (Twist of Fate) is a series of small batch experimental brews, barrel maturations, fruit macerations and/or blends. This 8th version features the maceration of Schaarbeekse cherries on charred/toasted barrels. The noblest of sour cherries have been sourced in the gardens of and hand-picked by more than 50 families around Brussels. This Schaarbeekse On A Toast has macerated for 265 days (over 8.5 months) on a fresh 1,000 liter medium toasted French oak barrel, in a proportion of 1 kilo of Schaarbeekse cherries per liter of lambic. After the maceration, the fruit lambic was blended with young lambic for a continued fermentation in the bottle. The total fruit intensity is 39.70%, i.e. 397 grams of fruit per liter of bottled Schaarbeekse Kriek. 100% 3 Fonteinen lambic.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle at 3 Fonteinen lambik-O-droom, blend n°47, season 17/18, bottled on 4th April 2018, with a best before date of 26th October 2038. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen ballon glass.
Appearance: A clear ruby red colour with a one finger pink head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, oak and light vanilla.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, oak, light funk, vanilla and almond, maybe even hints of cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Very nice aroma with balanced flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Speling van het Lot IX.iii: Aardbeiiteraties: Bio Aardbei + Kriek op hout – Raw & Uncut

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.9%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: For this fruit lambic we macerated strawberries (30%) and cherries (70%) separately on two different oak barrels for a couple of few weeks. The fruit lambics were then blended and put on a 400 liter oak barrel for another 6 months of ageing and bottled afterwards. The fruit intensity is 500 grams of fruit per liter of bottled Bio Aardbei + Kriek. 100% 3 Fonteinen lambic. Number of bottles – 582

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen “Speling van het Lot” (Twist of Fate) is a series of small batch experimental brews, barrel maturations, fruit macerations and/or blends. This 9th version features a range of strawberry maceration iterations aiming at balancing the intense fruitiness of strawberries with the subtleties of traditional lambic while minimising the unpleasant phenolic characteristics of the small pits. For this fruit lambic we macerated strawberries (30%) and cherries (70%) separately on two different oak barrels for a couple of few weeks. The fruit lambics were then blended and put on a 400 liter oak barrel for another 6 months of ageing and bottled afterwards. The fruit intensity is 500 grams of fruit per liter of bottled Bio Aardbei + Kriek. 100% 3 Fonteinen lambic.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle at 3 Fonteinen lambik-O-droom, blend n°86, season 17/18, bottled on 18th October 2018, with a best before date of 26th October 2038. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen ballon glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy pinkish red orange colour with a thin off white head that had spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, strawberry, raspberry, cherry and slightly jammy.
Taste: Sour, tart, strawberry, cherry and raspberry. A little sharp, but not overly so.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Looks and smells great. Taste was perhaps a little sharp, but overall still very enjoyable.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Gueuze

3 Fonteinen Millennium Geuze

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Belgium Lambic (Gueuze)
Other Notes: Bottled by Armand Debelder of Geuzestekerij 3 Fonteinen, Beersel and Willem van Herreweghen of Geuzestekerij De Cam, Gooik

Brewer Description: (from bottle) (in Dutch – I think) In grote eiken tonnen van méér dan honderd jaar, rijpt jarenlang lambiek. Speciaal voor U werd de beste lambiek uitgezocht, gemengd en gebotteld. Door hergisting op fles onstond Millennium, de superieure geuze!

Geuze Millennium is gebotteld in het najaar van 1998. Deze geuze bevat enkel tarwe, mout en hop. Niet gepasteuriseerd en spontaan hergist op fles.

(translated as best as I could) Lambic matures for years in large oak barrels of more than a hundred years. The best lambic has been selected, mixed and bottled especially for you. Millennium, the superior geuze, came into being through fermentation in the bottle!

Geuze Millennium was bottled in the autumn of 1998. This geuze contains only wheat, malt and hops. Unpasteurized and spontaneously re-fermented in the bottle.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.72
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml bottle at 1420, 1998 vintage, with a best before date of 2010. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: After a careful pour, it was a mostly clear golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Slight musty dusty notes, hay, funky, citrusy lemon and oak.
Taste: Complex goodness. Lightly sour, funk, barnyard, musty, hay, citrusy lemon, green apple, apple skin and oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Wow, just so lucky and happy I got to try this while there are still bottles around. To be honest, I wouldn’t know if it is past its prime yet, but what I drank was very balanced and had wonderful complexity and was just an absolute joy to drink. Must try if you can still find and afford it.

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

Jester King Omniscience & Proselytism

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Brewery: Jester King Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 5.3%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Barrel-aged beer refermented with strawberries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Strawberries from Fredericksburg, Texas were added to mature, barrel-aged sour beer and refermented to dryness. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle-conditioned. The name Omniscience & Proselytism does not refer to any claims of inducing omniscience.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.38
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 1 pint 0.9 fl. oz. bottle, Blend 5, bottled in May 2018. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour (from a careful pour) with a one finger white head that dissipated quite quickly while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, strawberry, oak, with some light funk and a splash of lemon.
Taste: Sour, tart, strawberry, vanilla cream, oak, with a touch of lemon and funk.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I love strawberries, but strawberries in beer hasn’t really worked for me at all. This is the one exception so far though as the strawberries come through nicely and provide a nice balance with the sourness and light funk.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA, Wild Ale

Firestone Walker UnderCurrants

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Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.3%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Wild Ale fermented with black currants. Barrel ratio: 95% French Oak

Brewer Description: (from bottle) In 2018 we challenged ourselves to using an array of fruit new to our palates and practices. When offered a high quality, freshly picked Black Currant sample, we couldn’t resist. We present to you a metamorphosis for your senses. Using 12-36 month aged Agrestic Ale as a base, to which we add 1.5lbs/gal Black Currants, the beer undergoes the final maturation in our French Oak “Fruiders” for an additional four months. A convergence of supple tannin and deep purple pigments, gooseberry jam, a mouth-watering acidity and earthy leather elicit notes of a beer having vinous roots. A new variant to one of the Barrelworks pioneers is born. Santé!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.24
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle. Batch No. 001, bottled on 28th February 2018. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A dark reddish purple colour with a two finger pinkish head that had excellent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Black currant, plum, cherry, grape, with a hint of oak and funk.
Taste: Very lightly sour and tart, black currant, blackberry, Ribena, red currant, with hints of oak and funk.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice black currant aroma and flavours that comes with a very stunning appearance. Very easy to drink and enjoy.