Tag Archives: spain

Cyclic Garnatxa de l’Oriol

Brewery: Cyclic Beer Farm
Country: Spain
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Grape Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Spanish) Segundo uso de pieles de uva, variedad Garnatxa de l’Oriol Atrigas.

(translated to English) Second use of grape skins, Garnatxa de l’Oriol Atrigas variety.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.18

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 4th March 2024, with a best before date of 4th March 2026. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A nice clear candy pinkish red colour with a half finger white head that had pretty good retention, and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Grape must, red wine grapes, vinous, strawberry, wood, with light cherry notes, albeit a touch faint.
Taste: Much like the aroma but more obvious, vinous, grape must, red wine grapes, strawberry, wood, with light funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice easy drinking Grape Ale. Although the aromas were a touch faint, the look and flavours were there.

Cyclic Herbie

Brewery: Cyclic Beer Farm
Country: Spain
ABV: 5.6%
Style: Farmhouse Saison

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Spanish) Saison de fermentación mixta envejecida en barrica. Mezcla de 4 barricas de roble.

(translated to English) Mixed fermentation barrel aged Saison. Blend of 4 oak barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 3rd March 2021, and a best before date of 3rd March 2026. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear golden straw yellow colour with a just under one finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Lemon zest, honey, wood, grape skin, with some barnyard funky notes.
Taste: Lightly sour and a touch bitter, lemon peel, citrus rind, honey, wood, light funk.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Good aromas, but the flavour could have been stronger and I was also hoping for more carbonation as it was quite soft.

NaparBCN x Montaigu Oude Gueuze

Brewery: NaparBCN x Brouwerij Montaigu
Country: Spain
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled at Brouwerij De Troch, Wambeek, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For several years people has been enjoying “oude gueuze” and “lambics”. Naparbier has decided to blend his first oude geuze ever. This oude gueuze is a collaboration between Gunther Bensch (Brouwerij Montaigu / Vicardin) and Naparbier / NaparBCN.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.95
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottled in October 2015. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A very slightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger off white head that had decent retention and eventually settled to a nice thin cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Funky, damp wood, green apple, orange peel, lemon, lime, and a touch herbal.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, green apple, orange peel, lemon zest, funky, wet wood, musty.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable and easy to drink, with good funk. Would’ve loved to try this fresh.

BIIR 4B Oude Gueuze Series 2014

Brewery: BIIR
Country: Spain
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Bottled at De Troch, Belgium by BIIR Brewer Assoc

Brewer Description: (from bottle) BIIR Oude Gueuze ia a 100% lambic beer, aged 12, 18, 24 & 36 months in French oak barrels. Blended by Gunther Bensch (Montaigu), the maker of Tripel Gueuze.

Oude Gueuze is a traditional Belgian style beer made exclusively of lambic beers and brewed in the Zenne Valley. It is also known as Brussels Champagne.

4B is the name of our Oude Gueuze because it is a blend of 4 lambic beers from 4 different brewers of 4 different aging, made by Gunther Bensch between Barcelona and Brussels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottle no. 1680/2700, with a best before date of June 2024. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention and settled to a nice thin cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, red apple, apple peel, oak, lime, lemon, funk, musty, dried grass, and a touch floral.
Taste: Light to moderately sour, tart, red apple, lemon juice, citrus zest, oak, funk, hay, dried grass, with notes of apple cider vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: In truth probably left lost in the cellar for too long (at least for a first try). But, what I did try 9 years in the bottle was bright, vibrant, and enjoyable to drink.

Laugar Aurrera Stanitsa

Brewery: Laugar Brewery
Country: Spain
ABV: 11.2%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial

Brewer Description: (from website) Framed within the Dark series, the result is a nearly inexpresable texture and density, where the heavy presence of Honduran coffee and raw muscovado sugar are the protagonists in both smell and taste.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of May 2023. Poured into what I guess is a water glass (being all that I could find at the hotel late at night).
Appearance: Black in colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee grounds, light nuttiness.
Taste: Roasty, coffee, light to moderate sweetness, chocolate, dark fruit, raisin, candied dates, brown sugar, molasses.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Good and interesting flavours, but perhaps on the verge of being too sweet for me.