Tag Archives: wine barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cerveza Granizo, Chile, Stout - Imperial

Granizo Foxy Lady

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Brewery: Cerveza Granizo
Country: Chile
ABV: 11.5%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Hot Imperial Stout matured in wine barrels

Brewer Description: (from can in Spanish) La unión entre una dominante cerveza negra y un rebelde ají putamadre, da a luz a Foxy Lady, una Hot Imperial Stout! Disfruta notas de pimienta, ají, café y madera que se funden con el calor del putamadre que perdura por unos segundos. No la olvidarás!

(translated to English) The union between a dominant black beer and a rebellious putamadre chili, gives birth to Foxy Lady, a Hot Imperial Stout! She enjoys notes of pepper, chili, coffee and wood that blend with the heat of the putamadre that lasts for a few seconds. You won’t forget her!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.11
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 473ml can, canned on 15th February 2022, with a best before date of 15th February 2025. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice one finger tanned brown head that had great retention and left lots of lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, dark chocolate, coffee, chili pepper, with slight vinous notes.
Taste: Creamy, roasty, bitter notes, dark chocolate, coffee, pepper, chili, light spice, with slight vinous notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Was hoping for more chili spice as it was definitely more muted than I thought it would be, and maybe softer carbonation. But the base was good and the barrel notes did go nicely with what chili I could feel.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Black Damnation XXVI – Froggie

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A massive stout from Flanders matured in Bordeaux wine barrels. Margaux, Pauillac & St.-Estèphe.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 25th July 2018, and a best before date of 24th July 2023. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice frothy one finger brown head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, light char, chocolate, cocoa, raisin, fig, dates, and a touch red wine vinous.
Taste: Roasted malts, bakers chocolate, espresso, light char, licorice, and red wine notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: The wine barrels add an interesting dimension to the aroma and flavour, but it’s not among my favourites of the Black Damnation’s. It’s a decent sipper, but I didn’t think it was better than much of the whiskey barrel aged variants.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut, Side Project Brewing, USA

Side Project Blanc de Blancs

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Brewery: Side Project Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut
Other Notes: Blend #2

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Ale fermented in wine barrels with California chardonnay grapes.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml bottle, blend #2, poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden colour with a half finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, lightly tart, vinous, white grape, oak, honey, with light funky notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, vinous, white wine grapes, honey, oak, funk, with notes of sharp acidity but not overly so.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Solid beer with nice aromas and flavours with abv completely hidden.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, Flanders Oud Bruin, USA

Deschutes The Dissident

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.1%
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin
Other Notes: 2015 Reserve. 65% ale aged in French oak wine barrels and 35% ale brewed with cherries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Introducing our wildest brew yet, The Dissident – a distinctive Belgian-style brown ale. Fermented with wild yeast, we have to isolate this brew so as not to influence the others. Otherwise, we just might have anarchy on our hands. Here’s to solitary confinement and shared exploration.

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

Intro: A 1 pint 6 fl. oz. waxed bomber, 2015 Reserve, with a best after date of 30th October 2016. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear amber brown colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, vinous, light acetone, oak, caramel notes, and a touch of vinegar.
Taste: Lightly sour and tart, cherry, red grape, plum, vinous, oak, caramel, light boozy.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: ABV was higher than expected, although the waxed bottle probably should have hinted in that direction. There was a slight boozy feel, but despite that it was still smooth, enjoyable and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales x Triple Rock Brewery, USA

Sante Adairius x Triple Rock Cellarman Barrel-Aged Saison

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Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales x Triple Rock Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Farmhouse Saison
Other Notes: Barrel-Aged Saison, SF Beer Week

Brewer Description: (from bottle) When an institution like Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley asks you to collaborate, you don’t say no. We first brewed Cellarman at Triple Rock for San Francisco Beer Week 2013 with the understanding that we’d make it again at SARA and age it in wine barrels. What you hold is this second version. Cellarman pays homage to those often-overlooked supporting brewers without whom, nothing would get done. Bright, citrusy, and tart with a dry finish, this saison celebrates cooperation, friendship, and hard work. Sante!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, with no bottled on or best before date (although I’m pretty sure it’s either B1 or B2). Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Funky, barnyard, minerals, light tartness, tropical stone fruit, apricot, unripe berries, green apple, citrus, grapefruit, lemon peel, oak, a touch of grains, with slight pepper notes.
Taste: Tart, tropical and citrus fruity, grapefruit, apricot, green apple, light funk, oak, vinous, with a lightly spicy finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to try it fresh, but this bottle having aged 6 / 7 years, has aged gracefully with wonderful complex yet balanced aroma and flavours.