LocalLog - beers I've had

Brewer Beer Comments Rating Rated
Siphon Brewing Siphon Blinker More murky than expected. Golden body, very well developed. Some citrus fruit some medium bitter. Pretty good stuff. So nice to see this coming out of Belgium, very modern. (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 3.6 30-06-2017
Siphon Brewing Siphon Zwaluw Yellow and appealing. Hallertau must be my favourite new thing... Hazy and good looking fresh beer. Citrus, gassy. Just great! (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels and on bottle again) 4.0 30-06-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Barrel Project 17.03 Dark brown, small head. Leather, prune, red wine. Very concentrated taste, dense, complex, sweet, hot alcohol. Over the top and delicious. Wow! (33cl bottle bought at Swafff Brussels) 4.2 29-06-2017
Microbrouwerij De Keukenbrouwers De Keukenbrouwers Monk Johnny Brown body, okay head. Sugar, brown bread. Bit faint to be honest. Okay mouthfeel but sweet and not very interesting. It’s okay for the style I suppose. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.2 29-06-2017
Browar Artezan Artezan Samiec Alfa (Barrel Aged) Crazy black and viscous. Very deep dark aroma, vanilla, rhum, old wood, leather, resin, but very refined and intertwined. Taste is deep too, warming alcohol. Not quite as roasted as I like it, but well done. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 27-06-2017
Siphon Brewing Siphon Damme Nation Amber looks, nice. Amber malts too, with tropical hops, light bit pleasant alcohol, mostly clean fermentation. Some biscuit and resin notes too. Very creamy taste, big tasty bitterness. Yummy, excellent beer. (Bottle bought at Swafff Brussels) 3.8 27-06-2017
NaparBCN NaparBCN Bière De Table Hallertau is amazing in here. This makes you understand why tradition is worth something. Done by a modern brewer... Very soft grassy, beautiful hop aroma. Fragile and intoxicating. Delicious soft bitterness. Drinkable. Like a very hoppy traditional German lager, this is fantastic in refinement and freshness yet amazingly drinkable. Wow. (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 4.1 27-06-2017
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0139 - Bitter Boost Bud 7.5%. Hazy dark golden. More moderate than expected aroma, in fact hard to describe. Some biscuit malts, some olive? Quite some bitterness, you wouldn’t think it’s not from hops at first, aftertaste is harder. Yummy but odd ending. Very fun experimental beer. (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 3.7 27-06-2017
Brasserie Bendorf Bendorf Qu’est Que Tu Fais Pour Vacances ? So another New England IPA... Was this really a thing before the euro brewers got hold of it? Anyway, super murky as expected, aromatic, herbal, farmy, as expected. Not as raw as expected though, which I like actually. Very yummy bitterness, even of its low. It is lasting though. Good stuff! (but sorry, not quite Mont Salève territory). ;-) (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 3.8 27-06-2017
Eastside Brewing Eastside SpringBreak Golden hazy to amber looks. Very refined yet strong hoppy beer. Pamplemousse, biscuit, very yummy. Lasting bitterness but not too fierce. Surprisingly good! Great mouth feel, really Pitch perfect. 4.1 27-06-2017
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project #EXP 0025 Full of coffee but also quite thin. Coffee malts, light body. Overall a bit disappointing. (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 3.4 27-06-2017
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project #EXP 0033 Very hazy, creamy head. Classic hops, grassy, leaves. Delicious taste, very full Di the abv. Yummy! (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 3.9 27-06-2017
Anspach & Hobday Anspach & Hobday The Session IPA Hazy amber. Orange and grassy. Medium bitter,but very long lasting. Great palate, spot on. (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 4.1 27-06-2017
Nanobrasserie de l’Ermitage L’Ermitage India Brown Ale Wow, despite the very roasted malts you get loads of the Mosaic in here, which is certainly one of my favourite hops. A bit raw in taste, but reminds me much of my own bipa in the sense that it’s how I like them. Good stuff... Again! (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 3.7 26-06-2017
Nanobrasserie de l’Ermitage L’Ermitage La Lanterne Very misty, large head. Soft saison like aroma, not as clean as expected, which is great. Melon like hops. Light bitter, surprisingly well done. Very true it American example except indeed for that more complex fermentation. It’s surprisingly awesome! (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 4.1 26-06-2017
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Baltic Porter Black, very thick head. Huge milk chocolate aroma, not the cheap stuff though. Thick body, in line with the abv. Lasting milk shake creamy body and a decent bitterness. Is this really baltic, as in low fermentation? Impressive then! (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 4.1 26-06-2017
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Hoppy Sour Hazy golden body. Very nice and interesting, uncommon blend of modern hops and a sour (sour mash?) malty, yoghurt like note. Very refreshing, as it has the upsides of hoppy ans sour styles. Full body. Impressed ! (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 4.0 26-06-2017
Mont Salève Mont Salève Hazy IPA Wow finally another Mont Salève beer I can try. Michael did amazing as usual (and so nice to chat again). Seriously hazy beer with stable head. Beautiful hoppy but aromatic, not crazy. In fact it’s very farmy. Crazy tasty, full and satisfying. Wow, this sure did deliver. If only I could brew this... Dreaming. (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 4.4 26-06-2017
The Piggy Brewing Company The Piggy Carol & The Pigs - Berliner Weisse Framboise Clear red pink, small head. Sweeter, more fruity than expected. Almost cherry like. Too thin for me, a Berliner can be low abv and full but this isn’t. It’s okay. (Sampled on tap at Swafff Brussels) 3.1 26-06-2017
Enigma Belgian Brewery Enigma Ragnaröck Golden and light misty. Very in-your-nose Belgian yeast and the hops get popped away by the carbonation a bit. More refreshing than expected, despite lower than hoped for bitterness. It’s a real mix and overall I do liek it, if you are into a Belgian blonde. Carbonation is really a bit too high though, even for the style and my love for it. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tok Leuven) 3.4 23-06-2017
Lommel Brouwt Quercus Robur Golden, light hazy. Sort or a conserved lemon, brioche and saffron aroma. Different and interesting, although not quite my thing. Taste is more ordinary, quite sweet, estery. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.3 23-06-2017
Microbrouwerij De Keukenbrouwers De Keukenbrouwers Hip Hop Double IPA Amber red body, medium head. Looks great. Darker hops, classic American mix, some red malts, very light alcohol. Bitter enough and the malts get a good backup. Nice beer. A Belgian ipa that isn’t just a faulty Belgian strong ale, hurrah! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.8 23-06-2017
Microbrouwerij De Keukenbrouwers De Keukenbrouwers Hip Hop 3×6 Golden, light hazy. Tripel like aroma, though decently hopped and well crafted recipe. Nice bitterness to help lift the somewhat average malt base and Belgian light estery yeast. Decent brew, I enjoyed it a lot. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.7 23-06-2017
Siren Siren Bourbon Milkshake Super black, small head but super creamy and stable. Smells like good quality chocolate, double cream, vanilla. But it’s the taste that is really full on... Wow, super dense creamy. Very sweet but worth every sip and then some. Been long drinking a beer this sticky. The 11% is almost not enough! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.2 22-06-2017
Siren Siren / Casita Cervecería / Beavertown Amigos Britanicos Odd beer. Blonde, okay but a but too fizzy. Aroma is farmy, dank, clear malts and somewhat classic hoppy. Tast is more pronounced, chili head, lemon grass like wood like and a medium but biting bitterness. It’s... Not my thing. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.3 22-06-2017
Siren Siren Acid Jam Brown, headless. Dark woody, aged, sticky fruit compote, leather. Not at all the fresh beer I was expecting (totally my fault)... It’s a complex sour sipper. Good stuff, but unfortunately it’s 35 C outside... (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.8 22-06-2017
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Schieven IPA Very amber ale with creamy beige head. Yummy amber and toasted malts with lots of character. Hops aren’t even the front running but certainly there in abundance. Loads of tasty layers here, bitter, amber sweetness. Not typical modern ipa, citrussy and all, but rather an American amber like, mixed with Belgian brewing knowledge of malts. Very good! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 4.2 18-06-2017
De Proefbrouwerij Belfort 8° Blond Very nice looking orange and large bubbly head. Soft fruity aroma with light grassy herbal hop, biscuit malts. Very mild. Good but unoriginal. Just about dry enough to make this quite malty Belgian ale drinkable and fresh. For the hops the same, just about enough. Short ending is the weakest part. Still, much better than expected. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.6 18-06-2017
Brouwerij Anders! Soorske Amber body, nice beige head. Sweet fig fruit, tabacco, dried flowers. Quite traditional in the good sense. Taste is a little bland though, unimpressive. It’s a good start but inevitably fails for me. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.4 16-06-2017
Brouwerij Palm Arthur’s Legacy 08. Happy Sylvester Bit medicinal, pine, vegetable. Spicy taste. Quite experimental, which I much appreciate. Fun beer to dry, didn’t mind drinking this at all. (75cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.6 16-06-2017
De Leite Domesticus Tripel Hazy light amber. Huge head. Much lighter than expected aroma, light toasty, bready. Faint herbal hop. Not so typical Belgian and that’s nice for a change. Taste is more Tripel like but again a quite rustic feel with a different yeast character. It’s nice! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.7 16-06-2017
Siren Siren Yu Lu Yellow and good looking. Delicious aroma, fresh and zesty fruity, chamomile, clementine. Super nice. Taste is simpler, but very decent. Good stuff. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.1 14-06-2017
To Øl To Øl DIPA Underground Dark copper. Deep resin and pine. Lots of copper and cara malts, nice! Touch dimmed bit it shines all in the full taste, almost barley wine. Nice! (50cl can from Être Gourmet) 4.0 10-06-2017
Lagunitas Brewing Company (Heineken) Lagunitas 12th of Never Pine hops, biscuit and toasted malts. Nice hoppy feel to this. Solid bitterness, certainly for the style. And considering the alternatives it was awesome. We enjoyed it. (33cl can bought at SFO, drank in airplane back to AMS) 3.6 09-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction All-in IPA - Exp 682 Golden, grey head. Resin, honey maybe. Not too much to it. Quite a interesting taste, almost stout like, much more roast than a golden appearance. Fun beer to try. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.8 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Palace XXX Dark brown. Loads of chocolate. Not the fullest taste though, expected more, but a good roasty, toast. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.5 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Dark IIPA Dark brown, grey head. Licorice, spruce. Good roast in taste too. Nice! (Sampled at the brewery) 3.8 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Love Letter Not so pale, light copper. Kind of floral, some honey, not very modern but nice. The extra malts make a better aroma. Taste is moderate, tasty but not the most interesting. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.5 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction 2 Hop Pale (Cashmere and Wakatu) Golden. Odd interesting aroma, floral, vegetable. Quite original, what is this? Light bitter, spicy, edgy. Cashmere 3.6 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Ben’s Last Stand Golden, creamy head. Orange, juicy, nice fermentation, not too clean. Light to medium bitter, lively development. Great beer, very quaffable. Very dry. (Sampled at the brewery) 4.0 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction A-Town Pale Golden, misty. Light orange, some grapefruit, biscuit malt. Stronger than expected taste, good solid bitterness. Sharp bubble that fits this. Nice. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.9 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Moon Germs Pale golden. Very white head. Mild herbal and orange. Medium bitter, simple taste. Hard ending. It’s okay. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.5 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction The Penske File Clean golden, light. Very nice hop mix, fresh but certainly not run if the mill. Light spicy edge, Asian feel to this. Would be good with food! (Sampled at the brewery) 3.9 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Crosby, Stills & Hash Golden, hazy. Vegetable hops, pine. Bitter but not much malts to balance. It’s okay. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.3 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Buffer Zone Pale golden. Pine. Clean taste, but boring fermentation but it drinks well enough. Bit artificial carbonation. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.3 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Citraison Pale yellow, murky. Citra cheesey yeast, basement. Taste is better, nice juicy orange hoppy flavours. Good. (Sampled at the brewery) 4.1 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Vapor Copper, small head. Floral, honey, berries, traditional, English style. Bit watery but nice enough. Bit Belgian style actually. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.5 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Red Brown, mahogany. Very woody aroma, resin and pine. Also a spice. Different and tasty. Well done. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.9 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Java World Coffee Stout Black. Cacao, very dense. Light taste though, with low carbonation. It’s falling down a bit. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.6 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Smoked & Oaked Ver black and brown lace. Deep roast, smoked and roasted nuts, almond. Very full flavour, great palate. Not extreme or crazy dense but very well done. Very nice. (Sampled at the brewery) 4.2 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Anomaly White Chocolate Stout Golden copper, hazy. Odd, smells chocolate, milk chocolate. Funny! Spicy taste, different but nice. An anomaly indeed! (Sampled at the brewery) 4.1 07-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Imperial Stout Black. Creamy and roasted. Judy full enough for the style and abv. Decent palate. Not their specialty but I enjoyed it. (Sampled at the brewery) 3.6 07-06-2017
Off Color Brewing Off Color / Amager Hell Broth Golden hazy, smallish head. Sea side salty, fresh herbs, orange zest, biscuits, very light vanilla cream mousse. Very fresh yet refined complex. Easy to drink but satisfying, light sour. Great development, well done. Expensive though! (75cl bottle from Berkeley Market West, shared with Caroline) 4.0 07-06-2017
Toppling Goliath Toppling Goliath Rover Truck UPDATED: JUN 7, 2017 Black. Dark chocolate, lots of roast, but also a sweet molasses. A nice bitter bite over the inherently sweeter dark malts. A typical American stout but decent stuff. A full can is much though but yourself, so I shared. (50cl can from Berkeley Market West) 3.4 07-06-2017
HenHouse Brewing Company HenHouse Inside Job IPA Hard spicy ipa aroma with resin and woody hops. Quite some cara malt backup, as it should. I drank this super fresh (well withing the stated 21 days, which are already crazy and short for a canned beer) but wouldn’t say this is amazingly hoppy per se. Perhaps simply because of the darker hop mix though, tbh. Regardless, quite a ’hot’ body from the medium level abv. That’s okay and fits the recipe, but not your (now) typical citrus forward ipa. Bubbly body with simple fermentation. It’s nice but hoped for much more. (50cl can from Berkeley Market West) 3.6 06-06-2017
Modern Times Beer Modern Times Orderville IPA Murky yellow nice. Light bitter but very summery. Touch sweet even. Maybe more spring like actually. Nice yeasty rich palate for the abv that works well. Orange hops work well. Juicy, tasty. For if your not into super bitter (at the moment) and still crave hop. (Pint bottle from Berkeley Market West) 3.9 06-06-2017
Federation Brewing Federation Doin’ Crime 6.4% white ipa. Not as wheaty as expected. Orange hop, bit boring fermentation. It’s okay. (On tap at Jupiter Berkeley) 3.6 06-06-2017
Drakes Brewing Company Drakes Hopocalypse DIPA (Green Label) Golden, lasting fresh lace. Big orange aroma, very fragrant, light floral, clementine, toast, honey... Loads of different aromas. And tastes too, very full, great full bodied bitterness, sweet balance, very satisfying. Yummy! A beer that really was worth celebrating my 6000th! (On tap at their Oakland taproom, with Nils chasing the pigeons and improving people with its cuteness) 4.3 06-06-2017
Novel Brewing Novel The Land Between Floral, light. Not at all as characterful in yeast as Belgian saisons, more English even. Still a nice ester but overall quite disappointing. Bit too spiced perhaps. Taste is watery, not much complexity given the style. It’s an American Saison... (On tap at Jupiter Berkeley) 3.2 06-06-2017
Jupiter Jupiter XHP (xtra-hopped pale) Light bodied. Very nice hop aroma, a bit simple but fresh and fragrant. Floral, citrus. Taste is milder, as can be expected, and a light bitter, but still a touch mess interesting than hoped. Decent pale ale. (On tap at the restaurant) 3.6 06-06-2017
101 North Brewing Company 101 North Heroine IPA Amber copper, large stable white head. Resin and spicy hops, some spruce. Light spicy, not so bitter. Goofy good but different ipa. (66cl bottle from market at Stinson Beach) 3.8 04-06-2017
Deschutes Brewery Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale Amber golden, very creamy and lovely. Smooth cara and toast malts, pine hops. Smooth body. Touch sweet. Pretty nice, especially the aroma. (33cl bottle from market at Stinson Beach) 3.6 04-06-2017
Drakes Brewing Company Drakes IPA Very cloudy, beautiful yellow glow. Very fresh peachy, pear, floral, grassy. Lots of hop character but most of all lots of hop variation! Nice bitterness, nothing too strong. On the dry side, which I like, not too alcohol but quite full. Wow impressive ipa and that says a lot after trying about 30+ over the course of last week! Impressive brewing achievement. Nothing less. (66cl bottle from market at Stinson Beach) 4.4 03-06-2017
Bear Republic Brewing Company Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA Really great hop mixture, classic considering the modern hop boom but absolutely not old fashioned. Fresh enough and just perfectly balanced with a light toast. Very good on flavour for the abv. Rightfully so so highly regarded. Crazy I never had it before. (33cl bottle from market at Stinson Beach) 4.2 03-06-2017
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo Not quite clean golden body. Lots of mango but far from overboard. A very well done but in fact quite more normal than expected ipa in aroma and certainly in taste. Very tasty aftertaste though. Good stuff! (33cl bottle from market at Stinson Beach) 4.0 03-06-2017
New Belgium Brewing Company New Belgium Citradelic Tangerine IPA Shiny golden, light cloudy. Citrus, lots, but not lime or lemony fresh, rather juicy, even cakey. Flavourful American style fermentation, a touch boring but satisfying and accentuating lots the hops. I would not call this a hop centric beer though, quite a lot of balance actually. The single hop (I think) does surprisingly well. Quite a fragile hop aroma though, so drink fast, even more so than usually. Good stuff! (33cl bottle from market at Stinson Beach) 4.1 03-06-2017
Ballast Point Brewing Company (Constellation) Ballast Point California Kölsch To my surprise this really feels like a kolsh. Very easy to drink. Smooth malts, light sweetness. Surprisingly good! (On tap at Parkside) 3.7 03-06-2017
Strike Brewing Company Strike Double IPA UPDATED: JUN 3, 2017 Copper hazy, pine hops, very stable beer, nice sweet and bitter balance strong. Flavourful if a bit boring. Strong bitter double ipa though with clean American fermentation, so nice. (66cl bottle from market at Stinson Beach) 3.8 03-06-2017
21st Amendment Brewery 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA Copper, hazy, stable head. Pine hops, golden malts, nice malty sweetness to balance the inherent bitterness. Good full palate, tasty. (33cl can at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 3.9 02-06-2017
Strike Brewing Company Strike Citra For The Cycle Pale Ale Yellow grey, hazy. Beautiful citra aroma, very clean pale malts but not boring at all. Very tasty bitterness, light and tasty. Stunning beer. (Bottle at Carolines in Berkeley) 4.3 02-06-2017
Revision Brewing Company Revision Dr. Lupulin 3X IPA UPDATED: JUN 2, 2017 Very clean looking. Hoppy but not quite what you hope at this abv level. Cara malts are okay, golden shiny, but not amazing. Oily hot spicy hop taste is nice though. Alcohol heat, sweet malts, very sharp edge... Not amazing, sorry, not worth the big alcohol levels. (66cl bottle at Carolines in Berkeley) 3.5 02-06-2017
21st Amendment Brewery 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Orange. Very wheaty, dry, some tangerine maybe. Bit underwhelming though. Very soft taste, okay and quality is fine but just very very mild. (33cl can at Carolines in Berkeley) 3.3 01-06-2017
Peckham’s Peckham’s Cider With Feijoa Apples, pear, lime like touch. Soft welcoming taste, bit sweet for my taste but okay body. Decent cider and the zesty touch in aroma make it stand above average. (50cl bottle at Carolines in Berkeley) 3.3 01-06-2017
Coronado Brewing Company Coronado CoastWise Session IPA Golden shiny, light misty. Clementine and orange hops, solid not quite pale ale malts. Nice sweetness over the hop and clean fermentation. Dry enough palate. Nice brew, well done, not original per se but good. (33cl can at Carolines in Berkeley) 3.8 01-06-2017
Saint Archer Brewing Company (MillerCoors) Saint Archer IPA Actually a really fresh feel to this. Mixes post traditional with modern American ipa qualities. Drinks very well, solid bitterness. Good brew above expectations. (Pint bottle at Carolines in Berkeley) 4.1 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Bloomsday Golden, nice looks. Orange, peach, modern. Quite clean but not too much and certainly not filtered. Full flavour, making good use of its abv. Yummy! (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 4.2 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Crayon Box Very clean, beautiful head. Light on the hops in character. Medium bitter, clean hoppy character. Very nice, especially its execution. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 4.1 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Daypack Golden, small head. Chamomile, flowers. Bitter dry, clean, very satisfying. Quite a long aftertaste. Nice. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 4.0 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Supercell Golden yellow. Also very hoppy... American and citrusy. Sorry I cant get much inspiration from this. Not because of quality, its tasty, but after the brewers other IPAs its quite in the middle. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 3.7 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Old Love Almost clear, light golden. Typical German style kolsh like malt body. Fairly clean, strong lager yeast taste. Good in style but not really my thing. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 3.3 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Orchard Street Hazy light golden. Peachy, sweet buns. Very flavourful, light heat. Great mouthfeel. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 4.0 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Wishing Well UPDATED: JUN 7, 2017 Hazy yellow. Grey head. Super tea like, citrus. Very hoppy, character by hops. Loads of punch but not at all bitter. Really worth the abv. Yummy! (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 4.1 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Tiger Uppercut Light golden. Very citrusy hoppy, clean, warm malts. Pine too. Clean full taste, warming alcohol. Good brew if maybe not the most original. But I dont mind! (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 3.9 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Chocolate Milk Brown Dark brown to black. Very lasting head. Dry cacao, bready. Bit watery, quite an odd herbal taste, not licorice but more foresty. Meh didnt care much for this one. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 3.4 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Power Glove Golden, light misty. Lychee, tea. Warming alcohol, bit too clean. Very original and top notch execution. Dry and flavourful at the same time. Great! (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 4.2 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Burning Daylight Light golden, frothy head. Resin and citrus, proto classic American hops. Lighter than expected bitterness, but good profile. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 3.8 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Streets Ahead Yellow, misty. Very strong hop flavor, full of citrus, strong. Bitterness isnt overdone but it is certainly sharp. Super clean hop, sharp and satisfying. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 4.1 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Farmhouse Wheat Murky yellow, creamy white head. White bridal wheaty, herbal maybe. Dry, fruity, cider like. Nice. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 3.6 01-06-2017
Fieldwork Brewing Company Fieldwork Calypso Very pale yellow. Very clean lemon, wheat. Tea like quality. Very clean fermentation, zesty. Like farmy only. Nice, very modern and dry. (Taster at the brewpub in Berkeley) 3.8 01-06-2017
Alpha Acid Brewing Company Alpha Acid Cry-O-Negative Golden hazy. Super concentrated hops, juicy lemon and raw hop cones. Very good concentrated tasty with hop juice and fresh summer in a sip yet warming too. Yummy. (On tap at The Crafty Fox Ale House) 4.3 01-06-2017
Ale Industries Ale Industries House Burmese Ale Surprisingly balanced with mild spice, pale ale fermentation, herbal edge. Very quaffable, light herbal. Surprisingly nice drink! (On tap at Burma Superstar) 3.9 01-06-2017
Moonraker Brewing Company Moonraker Scarlett Johopsson Dark red copper, small off white head. Brown malts, resin and pine. Nice taste, quite bitter and quite one sided but the mix of brown malts works well. Touch watery for the abv. Its nice. (On tap at The Crafty Fox Ale House) 3.5 01-06-2017
Revision Brewing Company Revision Double IPA2 Mostly clean, large head. Dank, almost onion like hop, must be Summit? Bit too much for me, though it is a rough diamond for the hop munching type of beer lover. Taste is equally hard on the onion style hops. Its okay. (66cl bottle at Carolines in Berkeley) 3.4 01-06-2017
Altamont Beer Works Altamont Beer Works Juice Above The Clouds Golden, light hazy. Nice citrus forward hop aroma, fairly dense. Taste is a touch disappointing though. Not quite as complex as hoped. Still very nice to drink though. (On tap at The Crafty Fox Ale House) 3.6 01-06-2017
Alvarado Street Brewery Alvarado Street / Pure Project Hive Mind Super hazy yellow. Bold citrus concentrated hop. Super dense hop taste, yet light enough to be refreshing. Stunning. (On tap at The Crafty Fox Ale House) 4.4 01-06-2017
Fort Point Beer Company Fort Point Park Golden, fizzy head. White crusty bread. Very drinkable body, light hoppy but good flavour. Great palate, nice brew! (33cl can at Carolines in Berkeley) 3.7 01-06-2017
First City Brewery First City IPA Grey blonde ale with large pillowy head. Very floral citrus, almost tart but just for the hops. Taste is post traditional American ipa, if not a less bitter, giving more flavour forward profile. Good stuff! (On tap at Monks Kettle) 4.1 01-06-2017
Hopworks Urban Brewery Hopworks Gear Up IPA Golden. Citrus focused hops. Great palate with integrated bubble and quaffable juicy aftertaste. Mouth filling, yummy. (33cl can at Carolines in Berkeley) 4.0 01-06-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Spring IPA Light pale malts. Citrus fresh hops, pale. I like that its not too clean, almost English style fermentation. Medium bitter thats a bit lasting but not hard. Good brew, quite unoriginal but well done. (Pint bottle at Carolines in Berkeley) 4.0 01-06-2017
Deschutes Brewery Deschutes Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale Berries, pine. Not the most modern hops, but they still work well. Like the malts who make it more original. Nice brew. (33cl bottle at Carolines in Berkeley) 3.9 01-06-2017
Ale Industries Ale Industries East Bay IPA Light copper, nice stable head. Mostly pine malts, prototypical West Coast ipa, albeit slightly more cara perhaps. Somewhat big bubble, but nice palate overall, paired okay with food. (On tap at a Burmese restaurant in Berkeley) 3.7 30-05-2017
Deschutes Brewery Deschutes Hop Slice Summer Ale Hazy copper. Very fresh and misty hop aroma, pale malts. Drinkable and very creamy, English palate. So very drinkable indeed. Great juicy bitterness. Yum, very good pale ale. (33cl bottle at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 4.0 30-05-2017
Saint Somewhere Brewing Company Saint Somewhere Caroline Yellow, hazy, beautiful. Anise, lemon, farmy, light coloured wood. Yum. Tasty refined flavour profile. Lemony sour, delicious palate. (75cl bottle shared at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 4.2 30-05-2017
Faction Brewing Faction Flagship Pale Ale Medium bitter, typical American hops. Somewhat simple but well executed. Good taste for the abv. Nice one. (66cl bottle at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 3.6 30-05-2017
Fort Point Beer Company Fort Point Villager Yellow, white head. Clementine hops, modern. Light crisp, good palate, not too bitter. Tasty. (33cl can at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 3.9 30-05-2017
Dust Bowl Brewing Company Dust Bowl Therapist Surprisingly clean looking. Deep resin and clean but strong hops. Thick palate of dense hops and alcohol and warm malts and just generally really nice. Very tasty! (66cl bottle at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 4.1 30-05-2017
Golden Road Brewing (AB InBev) Golden Road Wolf Pup Session IPA UPDATED: MAY 29, 2017 Yellow grey, fluffy head. Light lemon and melon hops, very pale malts, nice. Decent palate, especially for the abv. Nice medium bitterness for a drinking-multiple session ipa. Fairly long aftertaste. Great beer actually! (33cl can at Caroline?s in Berkeley) 3.8 29-05-2017
21st Amendment Brewery 21st Amendment Down To Earth Citrus hops, pale malts. Light but hoppy bitterness, flavourful. Watery body but okay for the abv. Nice enough, expected a touch more. (33cl can at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 3.4 29-05-2017
21st Amendment Brewery 21st Amendment Toaster Pastry UPDATED: MAY 29, 2017 Red amber body, very creamy. Toasty, pine, caramelised, yummy. Good palate, only just not too bubbly. Nice brew. (33cl can at Caroline?s in Berkeley) 4.0 29-05-2017
Saint Archer Brewing Company (MillerCoors) Saint Archer Pale Ale Very pale golden. Fizzy. Reasonable hop aroma, quite different, grassy, which I like. Good stuff. Taste is a bit simpler, but especially a quite some palate, too bubbly. Overall a bit disappointing. (33cl can at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 3.2 29-05-2017
Deschutes Brewery Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA Nice appeal, creamy. Cleanly typical fermentation, cara malts, resin hops. Medium bitter, nice palate but something doesn’t quite impress. (33cl bottle at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 3.6 29-05-2017
Mead Kitchen Mead Kitchen Xin Phan Light Pink, beautiful. Tart, red wine, red fruit, very complex. Surprisingly beery too. Dry light sour taste, berries. Very nice, and an eye opener as a Mead! (75cl bottle shared at a BBQ party in Berkeley) 4.0 29-05-2017
Jester King Brewery Jester King El Cedro (Batch 6+) Hazy yellow, very stable head. Certainly woody and hoppy, quite special! Super flavourful, lots of aging character, classic and modern hops. Surprised it works so well. Absolutely delicious! (75cl bottle shared by Caroline at a BBQ party in Berkeley) 4.4 29-05-2017
10 Barrel Brewing (AB InBev) 10 Barrel Apocalypse IPA Prototypical West Coast ipa. Drinks well, medium bitter, very long bitter ending. Could be more fruity but I do enjoy it. (33cl bottle at a BBQ party in Berkeley) 3.7 28-05-2017
Deschutes Brewery Deschutes Pinedrops IPA Golden, hazy. Pine, loads of it, golden malts, resin. Fairly fresh. Big bitterness, very clean, lasting aftertaste. An honest ipa. (33cl bottle at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 3.8 28-05-2017
Sixpoint Brewery Sixpoint The Crisp Pilsner Golden, light hazy only. Crisp, but not boring. Lemony hops. Pretty nice bitterness actually, lasting super long. Very drinkable. (33cl can at bbq party with Caroline and Liana) 3.7 28-05-2017
Rügener Insel-Brauerei GmbH Insel-Brauerei Übersee Hopfen (Japan - Sorachi Ace) Quite a malty. Sweaty yeast, light hop aroma. Disappointing aroma. Taste is also simpler than hoped, drinks okay but so light bitter, which makes the balance off and the hops loose the battle. A shame for a beer that’s supposed so show them off! (33cl bottle from AH Stevenshof) 3.3 27-05-2017
Birrificio del Ducato Birrificio del Ducato Freeride Floaters over a light golden body. Reasonable hop aroma, clean and classic appeal. Touch simple, okay medium bitterness. Expected more. (33cl bottle from AH Stevenshof) 3.1 27-05-2017
21st Amendment Brewery 21st Amendment Back in Black Roasted malts and hoppy but not quite as fresh as expected. Full flavour, very clean fermentation, a bit too much maybe. Bit watery in palate. Perhaps my hopes were too high but I’d like my bipa a bit rougher, tougher. (Can at Caroline’s in Berkeley) 3.4 27-05-2017
Jupiter Jupiter Red Spot Reddish amber body, okay looks. Bit dusty for the style, toasty but underhopped for my preference. Drinks well but quite watery for the abv. Not terribly complex in development but okay in quaffable appeal. It’s okay after the poor aroma. (On tap at the restaurant) 3.2 27-05-2017
Jupiter Jupiter IPA Copper, white head. Clean hop aroma with the traditional west coast style hops. Abv is only just worth it. Taste is a bit simple but decent enough. Nice enough brew. (On tap at the restaurant) 3.4 27-05-2017
Jupiter Jupiter Quasar Double IPA Shiny looking, nice head. Fatty bold hop aroma with lots of pine. Quite clean and nothing out of the ordinary, but flavourful enough. The higher abv at least is justified. Decent dipa. (On tap at the restaurant) 3.8 27-05-2017
Trumer Brauerei (US) Trumer Pils (US) A surprisingly hoppy pilsner than is really true to the German style, unlike almost all in America that claim it. Drinkable and far from flavourless. Good stuff actually, not too clean and really tasty. (Bottle from and at Caroline’s, Berkeley) 3.5 26-05-2017
Ballast Point Brewing Company (Constellation) Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin UPDATED: MAY 26, 2017 Nice looks. Amazing aroma with pine hops, spot on American fermentation, also a more sour grapefruit. Very flavourful, complex, hoppy, truly American ipa. Yummy! (Bottle from and at Caroline?s, Berkeley) 4.3 26-05-2017
Lagunitas Brewing Company (Heineken) Lagunitas Lucky 13 Red amber body and stable head. Nice balanced aroma with cara malts and lots of pine hops. Super nice taste, smooth yet bitter, drinkable yet complex. Great great stuff! (Bottle from and at Caroline’s, Berkeley) 4.1 26-05-2017
Jopen Jopen Hop Zij Met Ons Golden, quite clear. Nice Mosaic hop, pine, spruce, melon. Modern hops and fermentation. Very drinkable, surprisingly bitter. Quality brew if perhaps a touch simple in aftertaste. Good brew! (33cl bottle from AH Stevenshof) 3.7 25-05-2017
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig / Oud Beersel Black Acid Pitch black, stable brown head. Sourish, dark fruit. Not as roasted or chocolate as expected. Sour taste with some more toasted malts now too. Pretty nice. Especially original ending. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.6 24-05-2017
To Øl To Øl Don’t Gose Towards The Light! Very odd colour. Weird aroma too, nice but very unlike what I’ve had before. Blackcurrant, cake. Peppery, sour, piment berries... Very different and very nice, I have to say! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.3 24-05-2017
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata Deep Inside Black, nice looking. Surprisingly thick bodied and rich chocolate. Creamy body for the very modest ipa. Lots of complexities and bitter too. Drank quicker than expected. Very nice. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.9 24-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees NEIPA New England IPA Dark copper, stable head. Minty, oily herbal and melon hops. Very yummy taste full of hop, sift bitterness but hoppy as hell. Super nice! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.1 24-05-2017
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Check In IPA Check. Pale malts only. Modern hops, mango, minerals, but also a bit metallic. Pretty strong bitterness, very nice, accentuated by the dry body. Lovely dry ipa. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.9 24-05-2017
Laugar Brewery Laugar / Alvinne Skwoane Karmazedonia Clean and pale. Mango, canned fruit, lychee. Drinks well enough, lighter than expected bitterness. Very juicy and similarly satisfying. Yummy! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.0 24-05-2017
Browar Artezan Artezan Cymbopogon Very pale yellow, small head. Super summery lime and fresh. Citrus bitterness yet super light wheaty drinkable. Super quaffable. Much yum! Impressive! (50cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.0 23-05-2017
The Piggy Brewing Company Piggy Pale Ale V2 Murky dark golden, large stable head. Nice refined hoppy aroma, very modern. Drinks very easily. Yum yum. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.9 22-05-2017
Buxton Buxton / Stillwater Subluminal UPDATED: MAY 22, 2017 Super black, very dark coffee brown head. Dense dark roasted malts, concentrated cacao. Good flavour, not quite creamy like but still full bodied. Good stuff. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.0 22-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Barrel Project #06/2016 UPDATED: MAY 22, 2017 Dark brown, stable head. Fudge, raisin, wood. Bourbon, cherry liquor, vanilla. Leathery, Irish cream. Very full flavour, concentrated, rich, delicious. Amazing flavour per sip. Very much worth the abv. Very recommended. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.4 22-05-2017
Browar Artezan Artezan Mera IPA Golden and nice white head. Aroma is surprisingly similar to the (great!) Balwan Pale Ale. Citrus, very true to the American examples. Write a bit more bitter though, with the great spritzy carbonation being a very good backup to it. Again very doable and the extra bitterness doesn’t take away from that at all. In fact even nicer to drink. Very yummy! (50cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.2 22-05-2017
Browar Artezan Artezan Bałwan Very pale, frothy very white head. Looks great! Citrus, freshly cut grass, lemon curd. Satisfying bitterness and bubble. Bit quite ipa levels but very quaffable, very much. Really great brew, fresh and flavourful. And the bottle size fits that! (50cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.0 22-05-2017
Siren Siren Vermont Tea Party Minimal head, unfortunately. Aromatic spring time brew with lemongrass and chamomile aromas. Really fresh. Light and refined, qualify feel and very nice to drink. Just a touch light on bitterness for me. Very short ending. Yummy. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.6 22-05-2017
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche / Weird Beard Weird Debauchery Black, large creamy head, beautiful. Thick chocolate aroma, rich for the abv. Foamy mouth filling palate, with floral bitterness and light roasted taste. Interesting edge to it, almost spicy. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 21-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees 50K IPA Extremely murky. I mean, even my amateur brews look better when I accidentally bottle the last residue... And it all ends up in your glass so you can’t drink 20% of it. The hops are very strong and raw, too raw. And the bitterness totally unbalanced. Abv is hidden but only because of this. Intended? It hope not! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 2.8 21-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees / Alvinne Roxanne Bloody IPA Very hazy, lasting lacing. Sweet orange, light peachy, clean. Not powerful hoppy but rather very juicy. It’s nice. Well integrated palate, quite bitter. Ends simpler, but that will at least give you reason to drink more. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.8 20-05-2017
The Piggy Brewing Company Piggy Chouchou Brew Hazy, golden, nice head. Very modern fermentation, citrus hops, light grassy, fresh. Great stuff and even more impressive without gluten. Very nice medium bitter and very dry bite. Really surprisingly great. Yummy! (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 4.0 20-05-2017
Brasserie La Fouillotte La Fouillotte Black Möbius Very dark. Toasted nuts and coffee aroma, but quite light actually, in line with the abv. Toffee like taste, medium bitter, drinkable body. Light palate but it’s okay for the low alcohol. Nice brew, quite original especially considering its origins. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.7 19-05-2017
Bøgedal Bryghus Bøgedal Nr. 541 OldIPA Cloudy copper, nice. Sweaty, saison like yeast, hoppy, clementine. Taste is quite traditional but well good. Interesting brew. (75cl bottle from a market stand in Copenhagen) 3.9 19-05-2017
Bøgedal Bryghus Bøgedal Nr. 0531 Porse Spicy... What is this? Spruce, cinnamon, fennel, vegetable. Drinks nice though, traditional. Tasty development, fulfilling. Very odd but good. (75cl bottle from a market stand in Copenhagen) 3.7 19-05-2017
Brasserie La Fouillotte La Fouillotte White Shadow Misty golden, stable grey head. Lots of wheat and fruity character. Much more malty than expected and not as summery hoppy, considering the Citra. Yet nice and not prototypical thin lemon like witbier. Taste is more modern, quite clean, light bitter, light on the palate. Now stuff! (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.6 19-05-2017
Brasserie La Fouillotte La Fouillotte Autumn Leaves Amber, dense looking. Surprisingly nutty, but also less hoppy than hoped. I like the kind of rough palate. Drinks well, nice bitterness. Good brew. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.5 19-05-2017
Against the Grain Brewery Against the Grain Coq de la Marche Blond, so what clean looking, nice. Refined, golden malts, refined yeast. Bit apple, bit grassy. Nice! (50cl can from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 3.8 19-05-2017
Birra del Borgo (AB InBev) Birra del Borgo 25 Dodici (8%) Spiced Christmas pudding, brown malts. Refined and warming, dark malts, nice sweetness but certainly not one sided. Drinks dangerously easy. Tasty! (cute bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 19-05-2017
Beerbliotek Beerbliotek Mocha Latte Stout I expected an over the top beer, but it’s refined and balanced. Very milky creamy, lots of delicious soft chocolate and vanilla. Great palate. Very yummy. (33cl can from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 4.2 19-05-2017
Microbrasserie Bon Poison Bon Poison Brown Ale Brown and okay looking. Quite Belgian dubbel style malts and an English yeast appeal, quite nice but dry, bit dusty, not really my style. Decent carbonation, but not very integrated maybe. Bitter enough for the style. It’s nicely done not my personal fav thing ever. (50cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.4 17-05-2017
To Øl To Øl Santas Hibernation Surprisingly blonde. Also surprisingly aromaless, bit milky, some banana. Taste is much nicer, good bitter bite, modern bubble, lasting flavour. Nice beer after all. Not typical Christmas, but that’s fine. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 14-05-2017
Stillwater Artisanal Stillwater / Arizona Wilderness Stillwater Is Nothing Big Bunny Is Everything Black and good looking. Thicker than expected deep malt taste, some burned hints, bacon like smoke, then sweeter caramel too as well as a decent hop backup. Quite creamy, hot coco like. Taste is not very dense, but very much in line with the abv. Ending is more simple. Great aroma though! (33cl can from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 3.8 14-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees #02 Anniversary Dark brown and interesting yellow head. Woody, roasted, building wood. Not very sweet actually, quite balanced with all those special malts and walnut. Good and very original brew. Only somehow it leaves me wanting for a strong porter instead... (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.8 14-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees LVSTRO Black, super stable head. Barbecue smoke, meaty, peated, dark nutty. Beautiful full body, flavourful. Really my kind of ale too. Yum. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.2 14-05-2017
Microbrasserie Bon Poison Bon Poison Smoked Pale Ale Copper golden, medium head. Raw smoky, not meaty but from fresh wood. Strong, but I like it. Only minimal hop I think. Taste is smokey dry too. Low cabrination and just about full enough. Soft sweet ending. Nice original brew, I dig it. (50cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.7 14-05-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Leireken Bio Wilde Vruchten Dark brown red, large head. Leather, red apple, some light cara malts. Refined. Taste starts quite sweet and that remains the overtone, but also a malty base luckily. Ends a touch cloying. It’s not my style, but not so bad as I feared, not at all. (25cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.0 12-05-2017
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Brewers Reserve Passion Tang Hazy orange, minimal head. Strawberry, bit metallic, passion fruit, light amber, soft sour fruit. It’s okay. Taste is soft sour, light bitter. Bit thin to be honest and indeed not very beery. It’s okay, hoped for more to be honest, from this brewery. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.3 12-05-2017
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Ancho Dark Lager Dark almost black. Roasted and well integrated aroma. At first the taste is just a great clean porter like, but the heat really lifts the beer. I hate chilli beers generally but this is surprisingly full and rounded and complex. Yum! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 10-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Wee Heavy Scotch Ale Dark brown, creamy and lasting head. Quite smokey, bready, honey, dry spruce. Quite different, interesting. Ultimately not quite my thing though. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.6 10-05-2017
Brasserie La Fouillotte La Fouillotte Secret Garden Dark hops, pine and resin, with also fresher grapefruit, which is balanced by quite some amber malts. Surprisingly clean fermentation, English style. Good palate, not too bubbly. Prototypical, almost iconic French brown ipa. Yes, that’s a thing, even though they don’t realize it yet. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 4.0 10-05-2017
Microbrasserie Bon Poison Bon Poison Originale Hazy light amber. Lots of biscuit malt character, refined, bit Saison like. Nice. Taste is even better, quite bitter, very well integrated. Smooth very drinkable body, really great mouthfeel. (50cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.9 10-05-2017
O/O Brewing O/O Long Boil Barley Wine 2016 Dark copper, dense head. Quite a French/Belgian appeal actually, with dry hay like malts and a light fruity, warming yeast. Cheesy even and with traditional character. Taste is warming, string alcohol backbone. Fairly sweet but in style and overall a very classic barley wine appeal. Really nice but don’t expect the hop extract liquid of the modern American barley wine. (33cl bottle from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 3.9 10-05-2017
Naparbier Naparbier Potemkin Extremely dark beer, with a body of double cream and head that is hot cacao brown. To my huge surpise, the aroma is extremely hoppy, almost like putting your face in a back of hop pellets. On a 2nd, 3th, 4th sniff you get roasted malts and vanilla too. But still raw imperial black ipa like hops. Taste is dense, extremely bitter and rich, treacle, black olive, ginger, root licorice, clove... Very concentrated. Drinks like a syrup rather than a beer. Holy shit this is thick... certainly among the heaviest beers I ever head... and that’s after > 5000. So do I like it? Well, it is hard to tell really. 12%, heavy palate, extreme taste... It’s border case but a must try. Any numeric rating doesn’t do it justice. (33cl bottel from Etre Bière) 4.1 09-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Top Of The Morning Pitch black, very heavy looks. Strong concentrated dark brown malt aroma with pecan, coffee, maple syrup, dark caramel. Quite sweet but very attractive aroma. Dense sweet and roasted taste. Very bitter base that balances this, even tips the scale way over to the other end. Very expressive and a bit uncontrolled beer... Just how I like it. Though in all honesty a single bottle is quite enough. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.8 09-05-2017
Brouwerij van Campenhout van Campenhout Witlov 8 Dark Dark brown, nice head. Roasted coffee malts mostly, with a herbal note, minimal hop, light esters. Quite strong carbonation, but drinks okay. At least there’s a bunch of flavour for the abv. It’s decent and decidedly Belgian. (From bottle at the brewpub) 3.5 09-05-2017
De Proefbrouwerij Gageleer Superior Dark Brown. Spiced, herbal, light roast, some malty sweetness. Actually quite bitter and dry, especially for the style. Also herbal and toasted. Not so rounded off though and quite light. Pretty decent and in style quite good even. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 08-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees / Guineu Big Orange Crush UPDATED: MAY 7, 2017 Dark red, surprisingly stable creamy head. Sweet strawberry cake aroma. Taste is sweet too, as it should be, but not quite as malty complex as I hoped. And while the sense alcohol like palate is there, which I love in barley wines, it misses a freshness or age or caramel character or something that wins me over. Touch disappointing, but perhaps my hopes were way too high. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.6 07-05-2017
Sori Brewing Sori Winter Gorilla Almost black, creamy head. Great development with dark roasted malts and just enough sweetness. Good body bitterness. Not too aged or woody, nothing crazy, just a plain full tasty porter. Just like I like it. Really nice! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 07-05-2017
Beerbliotek Beerbliotek Nah... Just Had Some Ice Cream Very blueberry like aroma with also raspberry Yoghurt, cookies and oatmeal. Yummy! Light pleasant body, fitting low carbonation and not overdone taste. In fact it drinks very easily. Fun and tasty brew. Not even exactly beer like, but nice. (33cl can from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 3.8 06-05-2017
Microbrasserie Bon Poison Bon Poison Pale Ale Copper, very large stable white head. Dusty aroma actually. Bit English in style, biscuit malts. Drinks well though, moderate bitter, quite good palate. (50cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.5 06-05-2017
La Franche La Franche Dehors La Planche Brown dark body and initially a beautiful head but quickly disappears. Complex aroma of dark dried fruit, milk chocolate, leather, dank basement and loads of tanines red wine. Clearly loads of old age character. A very special beer and lots of depth. However, it’s not (and nor is it meant to be) refreshing or an easy drink. Didn’t finish the while bottle myself in one go, that’s for sure. (75cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.8 05-05-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Strawberry Fields Super creamy appearance, nice. A sweet aromatic brew but also enough dark toasted malts to balance. Very nice and quite some complexity actually much more than expected at this abv. Very full taste too, dense and creamy. Bitter, roasted, but very sweet too. Great stuff. With so many ingredients it is stunning how such an integrated beer can be made. Great achievement! And simple just very nice to drink. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 4.2 04-05-2017
Beerbliotek Beerbliotek Spoiler Alert Yellow golden, frothy head. Zesty and passing fruit hops. Very pale clean fermentation. Dry, but not bone dry, with light but satisfying body and bitterness. (33cl can from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 3.9 04-05-2017
Broeder Jacob Broeder Jacob Lazarus Hazy copper, lasting head. Sweet strawberry like aroma at first, later more straightforward Belgian golden ale. Very foamy, also in the mouth. Sweet but not too much due to that carbonation. It’s a decently complex beer but I don’t get much calvados... What does ’infused’ mean here? Some apple character? (75cl bottle bought at the Straffe Streek market) 3.3 04-05-2017
De Leite De Leite Fils à Papa VI (2017) Dark brown, headless. Don’t look promising. Very deep woody aroma with leather, clove, cardamon, fermenting fruit. Complex but quite overpowering, with vinigar notes. And the taste... Way over the top sour, like a beer gone very bad. Very strong acidity, almost red wine vinegar. I can’t imagine anyway liking this... But then for some extreme sourness is perhaps a positive? (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven, I think) 2.0 03-05-2017
Buxton Buxton Rain Shadow 2016 So they changed the recipe to this most stunning beer? Well it’s still super dense, beautiful, dark. It’s crazy dense, rich, flavourful. Hot, roasted, concentrated taste. Didn’t loose any appeal. Stunning beer. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.4 02-05-2017
De Plukker De Plukker All Inclusive IPA 2016 Murky copper, creamy head. Sweaty Belgian yeast, herbal mild hop. Far away from anything I’d label ipa... But it’s a well done Belgian ale. Just enough complexity. (75cl bottle from a shop in Brugge) 3.5 02-05-2017
De Plukker De Plukker Single Green Hop 2016 Copper brown, very small head. Metallic amber malts, lager like clean, bit bock like even. Some very woody pine. Bit like a poor polotmavy... And as a hoppy beer it even fails terribly! Very disappointing brew. (75cl bottle bought in a shop in Brugge) 3.1 02-05-2017
Port Brewing Company / The Lost Abbey Port Brewing Wipeout IPA Shiny golden, super stable pearl white head. Super fresh hoppy, flowery, fresh grass, roses, cilantro. Foamy mouthfeel, bitter and dry. Good brew. Very nice. (Bottle from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 4.2 01-05-2017
Warpigs Brewpub Warpigs Slime Time Very lemon candy like hops. Dry and bitter, crisp. Super drinkable, dry, satisfying. Wow, very well done and prototypical American in the best sense. (On tap at the brewpub) 4.3 01-05-2017
Mikkeller Mikkeller Kihoskh Brown Braids Ale Sweet spruce, American coffee, oatmeal. Quite hoppy, from aroma to taste. Roasted bitterness. Bit thin though. It’s okay with this abv but the beer promises more. Eventually a well done brew, just hoped for a bit more. (33cl bottle from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 3.6 01-05-2017
Warpigs Brewpub Warpigs / Stigberget GBG Beer Geek Amber, served with small head. Balanced ipa between biscuit and toast hops with sweet peachy hops, spruce. Super American in style and execution. And it’s a great beer. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.9 01-05-2017
Warpigs Brewpub Warpigs Lil’ Drunk Baby Yellow. Light lemon, melon, very pale malts. Crisp spritzy bitterness. Very light but fresh hoppy taste, summery and appealing. Great brew! (On tap at the brewpub) 4.1 01-05-2017
Warpigs Brewpub Warpigs Sky Burial Bourbon Barrel Aged Brown and cloudy, nice head. Very dense sweetness, raisin, dried fig, wood, rum, walnut. Taste is complex too. Shockingly more expressive and characterful than the nor barrel aged version. Stunning brew. Oh and very expensive. (On tap at the brewpub) 4.3 01-05-2017
Warpigs Brewpub Warpigs Sky Burial Copper brown. Dense malts, concentrated but the aroma isn’t that strong to be honest. Quite sweet but lots of flavour in every sip. Dangerously sippable. Yes, sippable. However, not anywhere close to the bourbon barrel aged version. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.8 01-05-2017
Beerbliotek Beerbliotek GBG Beer Week 2017 A Moment of Clarity Super mango hops indeed. Very light palate, fresh, easy drinkable. Very low carbonation, like it a lot. Bertanne even more! (On tap at The Bishop Arms Malmö) 4.3 01-05-2017
Amager Bryghus Amager / Pipeworks Piping Up For Peace UPDATED: MAY 1, 2017 Copper and creamy, hazy. Very nice biscuit and amber base with resin hop, dank. Fitting low carbonation, slick feel. Just bitter enough. Nice brew! (On tap at The Bishop Arms Malmö) 3.8 01-05-2017
Sibbarps Husbryggeri Sibbarps Rye India Pale Ale Copper brown, small head. Very rye like, really makes the beer, which is nice. So spicy, sweet malt without being sugary at all. Also spruce hops. Quite low carbonation, drinks easily, light spicy. Nice brew, good style mix. (On tap at The Bishop Arms Malmö) 3.6 01-05-2017
To Øl To Øl Shock Series: !!!PA Simcoe & Mosaic Sweet hops, concentrated and strong, with lots of cara malts and toast. Very strong flavour in hop but also alcohol, malts, lasting tongue tickling. Super long aftertaste. Very heavy beer, but also very alcoholic. I do like it, Bertanne didn’t at all. (33cl bottle from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 3.9 01-05-2017
Mikkeller Mikkeller Kihoskh Brett Session IPA Cherry Wine BA Very murky light copper. Very pillowy head. Super bretty, quite raw, developed, dry leaves, hay. Good integrated bubble, raw dry on the tongue. Very flavourful. Very nice beer to try and deconstruct. (375cl bottle from Kihoskh Copenhagen) 3.8 01-05-2017
South Plains Brewing Company South Plains IPA Only light hazy, lasting head. Tea like hops herbal, grapefruit. Light but okay bubbly palate. Decent brew. (33cl bottle from Hansa Ica Supermarket Malmö) 3.5 30-04-2017
Mikkeller Mikkeller SpontanDryHop Mosaic UPDATED: APR 30, 2017 Kiwi hops (literally), fresh crisp appeal, light golden. Crispy bubbly, light plucky, yummy. Crisp and complex and different, totally worth the try. (On tap at Ol & Brod Copenhagen) 4.0 30-04-2017
Mikkeller Mikkeller Single Hop Nelson Sauvin IPA Copper and golden. Hoppy. Grape like indeed. Taste is dry bitter, green, fresh. Not strong but still satisfying. (On tap at Ol & Brod Copenhagen) 3.8 30-04-2017
Mikkeller Mikkeller Big Worster Barley Wine Starts oddly fresh, I even questioned the pour. But then I tasted and bam, you got dense malts golden sweetness, not too complex but very satisfying. Throwing you from one place to another. Damn nice. (On tap at Ol & Brod Copenhagen) 4.0 30-04-2017
Mikkeller Mikkeller Vesterbro IPA Cloud copper. Peach and hoppy, fresh yet full. Very dry bitter, sharp bitter even. Light clean palate. Good one epically the aroma. (On tap at Mikkeller Bar Copenhagen) 3.7 30-04-2017
Mikkeller San Diego Mikkeller San Diego / Bottle Logic Wee Sticky Icky Black and creamy head. Licorice, spruce and herbal. String flavour, both in toasty malts and bitterness. It’s nice but expected just a touch more. (On tap at Mikkeller Bar Copenhagen) 3.6 30-04-2017
Grythyttans Brygghus Ica Selection IPA (Grythyttans Brygghus) UPDATED: APR 30, 2017 Surprisingly fresh, spicy, herbal ipa. Quite nice, not lifeless at all. Quite bitter too, sessionable, bubbly, spicy. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Hansa Ica Supermarket Malmö) 3.4 30-04-2017
Chad Beer Chad Beer Shadow of the Moon Brown, creamy head. Chocolate, coffee, bit watery but the abv is low. Light roast taste. Drinks very easy. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Hansa ica Supermarket Malmö) 3.3 30-04-2017
PKLK Bryggeri PKLK Public Service Golden, hazy. Orange hops, modern English fermentation. Very thirst quenching. Medium bitter. Yummy, fresh and vibrant. (On tap at Brewdog Malmö) 3.7 29-04-2017
Chad Beer Chad Beer Moon Buggy Crisp beer with light toast and cara, classic but fresh and very present hops, lager like cleanliness. Big but soft bubble. Great body at the abv. Really nice actually! (33cl bottle from Hansa ica Supermarket Malmö) 3.5 29-04-2017
Beerbliotek Beerbliotek Hip Hops India Pale Ale Super fresh. Post modern hops, lemongrass, lemon. Great fresh crisp palate. Super Yummy, love it! Lrab. (On tap at Brew Dog Malmö) 4.0 29-04-2017
South Plains Brewing Company South Plains Funkyland Stankalicious Cloudy copper, Flemish red style sourness, not too malty in aroma, yet quite a full body, especially for the abv. In fact almost too much. Great autumn beer, different that the usual spice or toast, with a good sour balance. Nice! (33cl bottle from Hansa Isa Supermarket Malmö) 3.4 29-04-2017
Garage Project Garage Project Death From Above Copper and beautiful. Loads of sweet peachy hops, good amber malt backup, quite come complexity in the fermentation despite the cleanliness. Very rich taste, bitter and fatty. Very nice, very nice. (33cl can at Brew Dog Malmö) 4.2 29-04-2017
Garage Project Garage Project Pernicious Weed Spicy, golden malts hot, English fermentation. Medium bitter, spicy, nice and dry, but enough body. Just a bit short on aftertaste for this abv and spice level. Nice brew! (33cl can at Brew Dog Malmö) 3.8 29-04-2017
Amburon Belgian Craftbrewery NV Tungri Bitter Balanced but simplistic. Better development than the other beers from this brewer, but a golden ale won’t tickle my taste buds much. Drinks very easy, but in a Taster glass, who cares? It’s okay. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.0 29-04-2017
Amburon Belgian Craftbrewery NV Tungri Belgian Brewed Oak Series Braam Much sweeter than expected aroma, with lots of wood too. Surprisingly then the taste is still sweet and quite thin, not as developed as you might expect. Slightly better than the raspberry one, more depth. Still disappointing. Hoped for a plucky sour brew. (Sample at Zythos 2017) 2.9 29-04-2017
Amburon Belgian Craftbrewery NV Tungri Belgian Brewed Oak Series Framboos As with the blackberry version, this is much less complex and developed as I hoped. Woody but also way too sweet in aroma. Not a fantastic drink too, cloying whole watery. Needs much, much more time. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 2.8 29-04-2017
To Øl To Øl Insane In The Grain Bit of a hybrid beer between an ipa, cream ale, Belgian strong ale... Makes a place for its own. Drinkable despite big bubble. Yummy brew. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.7 29-04-2017
Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Phantasmagoria Quite cloudy, really great white head. Hugely hoppy, smooth. Full hop taste. Very very bitter. Great stuff! (On tap at Malmo Brewpub) 4.2 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö San-O Golden hazy. Lemon hops, zesty. Sharp but low carbonation, refreshing. Enough bitter, astringent but pleasant ending that lasts a surprisingly long time. Really nice! Super crisp hoppy. (Sample at the brewpub) 4.0 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö Porter Picante Black, beige head. Lots of milk chocolate. In taste too, more chocolate and from the middle. Not too much though, and I normally hate chilli beers! (Sample at the brewpub) 3.9 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö Tropico Lightspeed Cloudy yellow copper. Very creamy. Super citra, fresh hops, summery, yummy! Bitter and crisp, very American in the best sense. Very nice! (Sample at the brewpub) 3.9 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö El Macho Cabrio Golden and clean. Mellow aroma, light sweet, light mandarin maybe. Taste is more expressive, bitter quaffable. (Sample at the brewpub) 3.5 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö / Brygghus 19 / Heretic La Cruz Super creamy appearance! Clementine hops, full of it. Clean pale malts. Super drinkable, smooth. Light hopped taste. Not sure what’s Mexican about it zbut it’s great. (Sample at the brewpub) 4.0 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö Tiger In Trance Copper, small head. Mellow aroma, ale yeast but quite simple overall, light grassy. Simple bubble, well made and drinkable but a touch low of flavour. It’s easy going. (Sample at the brewpub) 3.3 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö Alternative Facts Quite citrusy, only light milky. Plucky clean sourness, vinigar, apple. Lasting aftertaste, asking for more. (Sample at the brewpub) 3.7 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö John Was Here Light golden, lasting frothy head. Modern melon and grapefruit hops. Good and for the style light bitterness. Easy to drink, good stuff. (Sample at the brewpub) 3.8 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö Greñudo Copper, quite clean, headless pour. Light sweet malts, honey citrus hops. Taste is more expressive, bitter yet not much complexity. It’s okay, well within the style bounds. Aftertaste is nice actually! (Sample at the brewpub) 3.4 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö Janky Stout Black, small head. Licorice and chocolate. Light taste but enough roast and cacao. Dry fermentation. Pretty nice light. (Sample at the brewpub) 3.7 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö Street Pils Copper golden. Biscuit and golden hops. Low carbonation but a bit watery. Drinkable grew, craft but for a big audience. That’s fine and it’s well made, but not my personal favourite. (Sample at the brewpub) 3.3 29-04-2017
Malmö Brewing Co Malmö CaliCologne Yellow, pearl head. Zesty lemon. Bitter but otherwise a bit bland. Hard bubbles. Bit disappointing. (Sample at the brewpub) 3.2 29-04-2017
Ratsherrn Brauerei Ratsherrn Lager Clear copper body. Modern clean and hoppy, citrus fruit and grassy, quite refined. Surprisingly forward thinking and flavourful beer. Still typical German quality and drinkability though. Yum. (33cl bottle traded with Bardo, thanks!) 3.6 28-04-2017
Jessenhofke Jessenhofke Maya Golden, foamy. Light Belgian yeast, light milky sweet grape juice. More interesting than expected. Light bitter, drinkable carbonation. Pretty good actually. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.6 28-04-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Uri Keller UPDATED: APR 28, 2017 Dark brown body, creamy pillowy head. Strong roast, vegetable (but for once in a good way), spice and huge licorice. Yum! Dense, creamy texture with strong roasted malts yet double cream like smoothness. Quite special! Expressively hopped, huge lasting aftertaste. An honestly impressive and very tasty beer. Super sweet and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Wow! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.5 28-04-2017
Pühaste Pühaste Puuslik Amber, dense. Surprisingly strong aroma with concentrated fruit, toast. Low cabrination, concentrated taste. Good brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 27-04-2017
Buxton Buxton / Stillwater Superluminal Glowing golden, pearl white head. Surprisingly balanced aroma of modern hops, English fermentation, fermenting fruit, white wine. Milky kind if sourness, but clean and crisp. Plucky and fulfilling. Not too bubbly either. Yummy! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 27-04-2017
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Plato’s Cave (Batch #4) Ultimate Ed. (B.A. Cognac GC) Strong malt aroma, dried berries, peach liquor, touch of wood. And lots of hoppy character too, resin style. Super powerful taste. Probably my favourite of the festival, awesome beer that I should definitely buy! (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 4.4 25-04-2017
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Rêve de Gose Butter milk, lychee. Not too sour actually, quite balanced, mouth filling body for the abv. Good brew, and great to see this made, finally, in Belgium. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.7 25-04-2017
Brasserie du Plat Pays Du Plat Pays Quadra Ambrée Batch #4 Citra/Mosaic Caramel malts, some honey. Almost nothing of those modern hops. Where’s the character? Metallic and like the blond it’s Uninspiring. Only slightly more aroma than th blond, but even less palate. Bleh. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 2.9 25-04-2017
Brasserie du Plat Pays Du Plat Pays Quadra Blond Batch #0 Centennial/Cascade/Simcoe Dry, dusty, metallic. All those modern hops don’t shine at all here, giving a quite thin and dull appeal instead. A shame... As Uninspiring as the name. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 2.8 25-04-2017
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project #EXP 0030 Cloudy golden. Aromatic green, grassy and English. Not quite clean, biscuit tasty drinkable. Bit thin but just a great hop so I don’t complain. Classic hop appeal with a modern brew execution. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.8 25-04-2017
Hedonis Ambachtsbier Hedonis Schenenschopper Cake malts and sweetness, dank onion and pine hops. Quite original. Touch thin in palate but it fits the style well enough. And at this abv we can’t ask for too much. Appealing and modern, just not quite the fermentation to bring the beer to live. Some more time? (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.6 25-04-2017
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project / Weird Beard Churchill’s Delusion Leather, brown malts. English style Fermentation, modern yet a touch thin. Drinkable and great quality, but a touch more rawness would help mouth feel and character. The toast and nutty malts don’t quite appeal me. Still good brew though. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.5 25-04-2017
Brouwerij De Feniks De Feniks Ceci N’IPA Melon and kiwi and orange hops. Very modern and appealing. Fresh, touch too sweaty in yeasty perhaps but good stuff. Only the aftertaste is strangely short... Still like it though. Good bipa. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.5 25-04-2017
Brouwerij De Feniks De Feniks Jazz’ Black Oatmeal Delight Dark black. Roasted, creamy, bubbly, flavourful. Lasting ans surprisingly full despite a quite clean fermentation. Big surprise, very yummy! Now I’m very curious about this brewer for sure. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 4.0 25-04-2017
Microbrasserie Bon Poison Bon Poison India Pale Ale Super murky, amber. Unrefined, even raw, but strangely appealing. Reminds me if my own oatmeal amber ale but more hops, which I like. In fact it’s really appealing me. Very juicy full tasting too, loads of hop goodness with great amber toast and oat like malt balance. Super Yummy. (50cl bottle from Bière Révolution, shared with Bertanne) 4.0 25-04-2017
Brouwerij Anders! Anders! Summer 2017 Rye Ale Special taste, spicy, very light bordering watery. Dry almost woody. Not very pleasant to drink, like a stale English cask ale. Meh. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 2.9 25-04-2017
Totem Totem Cabrakan UPDATED: APR 25, 2017 Roast, coffee. Thick sweetness, cane sugar. Thick taste, luscious, mocha coffee lasting and pleasant. Lingering malty sweetness but bitter enough for sure. Great stuff. Again! Fav brewer from the festival. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 4.2 25-04-2017
Totem Totem Itzamna Roast, coffee. Thick sweetness, cane sugar. Thick taste, luscious, mocha coffee lasting and pleasant. Lingering malty sweetness but bitter enough for sure. Great stuff. Again! Fav beer from the festival. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 4.1 25-04-2017
Totem Totem Ek Chuah Pine, woody. Really like spruce tops. Like it though, nice spicy edge taste. Certainly not a standard light ipa, something edgy and appealing. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 4.0 25-04-2017
Totem Totem Auðumla Cloudy yellow. Fruit yoghurt, strawberry. Very creamy, but like a gose without the sourness. And hops, nice and summery hops. Special stiff but not just some ingredients thrown together, a good plan behind it. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.5 25-04-2017
Totem Totem Ah Puch Cloudy light amber. Light toast, biscuit, smokey ad in woody. Quite creamy palate, dry enough too and balanced bitterness. English feel, and it’s great! (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.7 25-04-2017
Totem Totem Qwertyuiop Very light but nice integrated hop mix. Bitter, surprisingly decent palate for the abv. Yummy. Fresh and quality stuff, good development for such a fragile beer! (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.7 25-04-2017
Vleesmeester Brewery Jour de Fête Golden. Citrus, quite clean. Very bitter and quaffable. Not very powerful but a nice drinkable starting ale. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.5 25-04-2017
Inglorious Brew Stars Inglorious Brew Stars Amis Fleur #892 Hazy golden. Raw hop, modern, quite clean, English. Strong taste. Exotic and pleasant. Soft carbonation, nice head the day. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 3.7 25-04-2017
Inglorious Brew Stars Inglorious Brew Stars Inglorious Quad Whisky Barrel Aged - batch 1 Belgian Owl While it does carry the whiskey distillate character, it’s not as thin as feared and quite some sweet malts come through too. Really juice actually! A big improvement over the already great base beer too. (Sampled at Zythos 2017) 4.3 25-04-2017
Brasserie Lefebvre Barbãr “Cuvée Spéciale” 140 Super young cheesy yeast, lactic, honey... Interesting but odd and not quite my thing. Taste is better once you get halfway the bottle. The lactic touch undeniably gives a very full mouth feel, but it don’t make it necessarily more drinkable. But full on the stomach. It’s nice to try, quite original. (33cl flip top bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.6 25-04-2017
Hoppy Road Hoppy Road Extra-Muros Hazy amber, stable head. Very good integrated sweaty yeast, lovely development with light caramel and marmelade aromas as well as fresher spicy hop and fragrant flowers. Low cabrination giving a super smooth drinkable body. Lots of sweetness to give richness but certainly quite bitter to balance that. Lots of flavour here and very farmy yet modern. Perfect for my taste, love it. (75cl bottle from Bière Révolution, shared with Bertanne) 4.0 25-04-2017
Zonderik / Columbus Management Zonderik Tripel Dark amber. Deep fruity yeast, cake, almost chocolate. Taste is also darker than the colour makes it look, with concentrated fruit flavours, berries, fermenting, dry cacao. Spices and honey. Mild bubble for the style. Surprisingly interesting! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.8 24-04-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Oudstrijder Blond Light cloudy, pillowy head. Dank fruity yeast, light caramel, toast. White sugar and faint classic hop. Very hard bubbles. They hide the string sweetness but I don’t like it much. Simple bubbly bitter aftertaste. Just a bit too reliant on the Tripel style malts and less on being an integrated whole. Meh. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.2 24-04-2017
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne Kerasus Dark red brown, creamy head. Fermenting dark fruit, apple pie, raisin. Strong sourness, sticky fruit, dried flowers. Pretty powerful. Alcohol too, but that’s okay. Bit simplistic mouth feel but lots of flavours to enjoy. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.8 23-04-2017
Brasserie La Fouillotte La Fouillotte Single Hop N°2 Mosaic UPDATED: APR 23, 2017 Very cloudy, amber. Very modern hops, mandarin, kiwi. Taste shows the limitations of a single hop, but still nice with low carbonation, fitting bitterness. Nice brew, better than the N°1. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution, shared with Bertanne) 3.8 23-04-2017
Brasserie La Fouillotte La Fouillotte Single Hop N°1 Cascade Quite well done ipa with typical spruce hops. Clean but simple fermentation, nice development. Smooth body, drinkable enough. Quite nice actually! (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution, shared with Bertanne) 3.6 23-04-2017
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Meuri Senne Blond, typical De la Senne appeal with clean Belgian yeast, big bubble, simple but well made style. Light hopped, drinkable. It’s another very decent ale. But a little more special couldn’t hurt. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.4 23-04-2017
Einbecker Brauhaus Einbecker Winter-Bock Red, stable head. Dusty, Christmas cake, red berries, caramel. It’s a bock. Not sweet, in fact I’d like it to be sweeter, more concentrated. It’s okay, not quite my thing. (33cl bottle traded with Bardo, thanks!) 3.4 22-04-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Leireken Special Spelt (Leireken Witte Spelt Ale) Golden light hazy body. Simple tasting Belgian golden ale, touch spicy. It’s okay. Decent enough bubble. Good enough for the small bottle. I dint get why you’d make a spelt beer though, it’s pricy an harder to do, without any apparent benefits. (25cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.3 22-04-2017
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest Poker Face Yellow, cloudy, nice stable head. Zesty orange, biscuit and golden malts, fresh grass. Light spicy yeast, but quite clean actually. Foamy and mouth filling but surprisingly smooth and drinkable palate, very nice! Perfect bitterness... Perhaps not a prototypical Belgian wit, but that’s for the better. A surprisingly great beer! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 4.2 21-04-2017
Ratsherrn Brauerei Ratsherrn Rotbier Amber brown, large head. Very dry light malts, biscuit and dusty caramel. Drinks nice, but not a big fan of the style. (33cl bottle traded with Bardo, thanks!) 3.2 21-04-2017
Time and Tide Brewing Time and Tide The Kraken Coffee Stout Black, thick head. Deep dry roast, espresso, spicy, yet creamy enough too. Very nice. Super creamy taste, full of roast, bitterness, very butter chocolate. Black IPA like, super yummy. Modern hops, full flavour. Stunning! (33cl can from Homebrewshop Leuven) 4.3 19-04-2017
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest Two Faced Jack (Green Label) UPDATED: APR 19, 2017 Dark brown, nice stable head. Dark caramel, coffee, warming alcohol, light spicy, some esters. It?s quite interesting, against my expectations. Nice sweet but balanced taste with bubbly carbonation. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.4 19-04-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Oudstrijder Dobbel-Tripel Dark brown, creamy stable head. Very toasty but but not all dry, or too fruity for that matter. Yummy. Quite bitter actually, nice bubbly carbonation. Surprisingly modern tasting, not alcoholic or filtered at all. Positive surprise! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.8 19-04-2017
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Johnny Low Yellow golden, light hazy. Very pale malts, grassy and lemony hops, certainly enough. Summery and light. Taste is light but appealing, not overcompensated by bitterness. Nice! Great quality and awesome recipe at this crazy low abv. (33cl can from Bière Révolution, shared with Bertanne) 3.8 19-04-2017
Brouwerij Cnudde Cnudde Oudenaards Bruin Brown, small head. Light sour, brown bread malts, woody. It’s okay, palate is very light though. Not a very complex example of the style, but all right. (25cl bottle at Café Botteltje) 3.1 19-04-2017
Time and Tide Brewing Time and Tide Calista IPA Orange, hazy but glowing, very nice. Super juicy grapefruit aroma and taste, hop explosion, almost oily even. Full mouth filling palate with lots of juicy bitterness. Awesome ipa, super satisfying. (33cl can from Homebrewshop Leuven) 4.3 19-04-2017
Time and Tide Brewing Time and Tide Papa Midnight Black. Strong roast and licorice, fruity and very green hops. Bitter but not too crazy. Raw roast malt taste, quite lingering bitterness. (33cl can from Homebrewshop Leuven, shared with Darren) 3.8 19-04-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Ichtegems Oud Bruin Brown to red, glowy, nice looks. Light wine like aroma, touch woody, not dry though. Moderate taste, refined and classical but still interesting. For such a stunningly cheap beer this is a very nice surprise. Such an odd find... History in a bottle. (25cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 18-04-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Leireken Bio Boekweit Bruin Sarrasin Brune Brown, small head. Quite light aroma, some toast and oatmeal biscuits and chewy dried fruit. Prickly but still okay taste, light spicy, quite bitter. Pairs surprisingly well with cheese and onion crisps... (25cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.4 18-04-2017
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest Dead Man’s Hand Dark brown, super creamy stable head. Deep brown malts, raisins, double cream. Full flavoured, touch sweet, very creamy. Quite unique, the Belgian brewing influence quite changes this. I do like it, although a real stout for me is expected to be roasted, this is nice! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 4.1 18-04-2017
Brouwerij Oud Beersel Oud Beersel Bersalis Sourblend Sweet malts of pear and kiwi with sour fermenting fruit. Lots of esters still. Taste is indeed somewhat sour, of the lactic kind, but quite sweet too. Cloying body even. It’s barely okay. Would like to drink this more often. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.9 18-04-2017
Time and Tide Brewing Time and Tide Root of all Evil Dark pink, headless. Fruity sweet aroma, dank, different. Taste is too alcoholic, interesting dry body, not sweet at all. It’s okay, original for sure. (33cl bottle from Homebrewshop Leuven, shared with Bertanne, Darren and Alyssa) 3.4 17-04-2017
Brasserie La Fouillotte La Fouillotte Time Travel Amber body. Toast, very fruity very yeasty. Taste is sharp, underdeveloped. Could be worse but loads of room for improvement. Impatient beer. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution, shared with Darren and Alyssa) 2.8 16-04-2017
Brasserie La Fouillotte La Fouillotte Tropical Saison Strong yeasty, fruity,. Orange jam. Very murky, amber, unrefined but pleasant enough, especially the aroma. Ending a bit astringent. Bit more development but good recipe. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution, shared with Darren, Bertanne and Alyssa) 3.3 16-04-2017
Time and Tide Brewing Time and Tide Spratwaffler Pale Ale Crisp lemon, very clean. Fresh and vibrant, simple but refreshing drink. Bitter, bubbly. Pretty nice. (33cl bottle from Homebrewshop Leuven) 3.8 15-04-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Strubbe Keyte Jubileum Amber, headless. Surprisingly fruity, sour, very malts too, fermentation. Nice integrated carbonation, pretty flavourful. Good special release actually! (75cl bottle shared with Bertanne, Darren and Alyssa at Café Botteltje) 3.9 13-04-2017
Blackberry Farm Blackberry Farm Barrel Series - Brett Fruit Blend 2016 Not quite as appealing to me as the non fruit version. Still good development, touch underpowered, in flavour. Aged berries, complex aftertaste. Quality all around but a touch less appealing than hoped, after tasting the stunning Saison. (375ml bottle bought by and shared with Bertanne, from Être Gourmet) 3.9 11-04-2017
Blackberry Farm Blackberry Farm Barrel Series - Brett Saison 2016 Misty, good looking. Farmy, matured, refined, rich. Woody. Delicious. Lrab. (375ml bottle bought by and shared with Bertanne from Être Gourmet) 4.4 11-04-2017
Bierbrouwerij de Eem Eem Dr. Rudi By Dr. Rudi Sweet concentrated fruit hop, bit dimmed overall. Interesting hop mix, only the taste isn’t quite so special, bit dusty. Okay brew. (33cl bottle gifted by Elaine, thanks!) 3.5 11-04-2017
Mean Sardine Brewery Mean Sardine / De Molen Ginja Ninja Black, small head. Deep chocolate, Chipotle, licorice. Nice not feel, not too bubbly. Good. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 11-04-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Mosaic Hop Explosion Strong hoppy aroma, minty even, with pale malts only to balance, just enough. Nice. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.7 08-04-2017
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Birthday Cake Dark brown, large head. Deep chocolate ganache, double cream, fresh wood, deep brown toast and cane sugar. Foamy mouthfeel, a bit too much, but still nice palate. Nice to drink! (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.8 07-04-2017
Bierbrouwerij de Eem Eem Dorstig Light hazy, large head. Hoppy, but an odd mix. Good clean body but perhaps a bit simple in flavour complexity. (33cl bottle gifted by Elaine, thanks!) 3.6 07-04-2017
La Choulette La Choulette Bière des Sans Culottes Traditional French ale, clear and shiny. Golden malts, developed honey like sweetness, light alcohol, mostly hopless. Nice balanced bitterness though. Pretty nice beer, traditional but satisfying and well made. Horrible horrible label and name though... Or am I missing a reference? (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 07-04-2017
Brasserie des Géants (Brasserie des Légendes) Goliath Winter 7° Amber, looks nice, stable. Spicy, toasty, pretty decent, nothing odd. Quite dry and herbal, especially in the taste, which I like less. Drinks well, despite the big bubble. It’s decent. Not too filtered or anything. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 07-04-2017
Ratsherrn Brauerei Ratsherrn Pale Ale Simple appeal to this one. Decent fruit hop aroma but quite mild. I like the palate, but there is not too much character in this beer overall. Some toasty malts, quite dry. It’s okay. (33cl bottle traded with Bardo, thanks!) 3.3 06-04-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees West Coast IPA Amber, hazy. Very hoppy, prototypical West Coast indeed, with pine and caramel and quite some bitterness too. Nice! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet, shared with Bertanne) 3.8 05-04-2017
Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev) Goose Island Festivity Brown Ale Brown, inviting. Dusty, biscuit, berries. Traditional, dry. It’s okay, not a super pleasant drink. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 04-04-2017
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme Tonton Robert Hazy, amber orange. Sweaty, yeasty, yellow fruit. Quite bitter. Very flavourful, drinkable despite the characterful Belgian yeast and malt. Sweet enough, super smooth yet deepened. Lovely. Hideous label though! (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.9 04-04-2017
360° Brewing Company 360° Best Glowing brown, very lasting head. Toast, caramel candy, somewhat metallic. Raw, undermalted taste, as of too little ingredients are used. Traditional but not in a good way. Dry and even astringent aftertaste. Blegh. Can’t see much of a future for this brewer... (50cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.6 04-04-2017
Speyside Speyside Glenfiddich Brew Two IPA Amber coloured, small head. Caramel malts, English fermentation. Pine and grapefruit extract hop aromas, but quite dimmed route honest. More traditional than I expected. Moderate bitterness, okay taste, but very shirt aftertaste. Quite toasty, not much character from the barrel aging really. Bubbly body. It’s okay. Fun to try though! (33cl bottle shared at the Whiskey Leiden festival) 3.3 04-04-2017
BOMBrouwerij Triporteur Wild Killed in Action Amber, hazy. Soft sour indeed, golden malts, it’s okay. Bit underdeveloped, especially the palate. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.1 04-04-2017
Ratsherrn Brauerei Ratsherrn Coast Guard Westküsten IPA Light brown, clear. Resin hops, clean, typical for the sudden surge of euro bewers giving it a try. Not very fresh but clean and bitter enough and at least a decent flavour with cara malts. It’s the hops that aren’t too fresh maybe... Or the classic brewing style. It’s good but not up to, or simply similar too, the American examples. (33cl bottle from shared with Bertanne, gifted by Bardo, thanks!) 3.5 02-04-2017
Naparbier Naparbier Sandokan Hazy amber. Superb hoppy aroma, resin, pine, dried fruit. Full flavoured, sweet an fulfilling yet lots of hoppy goodness. Very yummy! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.1 31-03-2017
Bueckenholt Bueckenholt 3008 X-mas Dobbel Brown, flimsy head. Old wood, cherry jam, dusty. Sour, no fruit though, toast, dry woody. Original you could say, but I’m not a fan. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.9 30-03-2017
Siren Siren Proteus - Vol.4 Version 2 - Apollo, Bravo, Simcoe Think this is vol 4... At least the hops natch up. Confusing letters though. Anyway, golden but a bit grey murky. Lovely passion fruit hops but a touch lighter maybe than expected. Taste is more accentuated and true, hoppy, clean yet still some warmth to make a body. Drinkable low carbonation. Yummy! (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.9 30-03-2017
Brouwerij Lindemans Lindemans Oude Gueuze Cuvée René Special Blend 2010 Golden, shiny. Sour but distinctively malty. Apple cider and umami. Nice and rich, personally prefer a touch more body, but as a geuze it’s great. (75cl bottle shared with Benoit) 3.6 30-03-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Ichtegems Grand Cru (25cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) Red brown, looks good. Dark fermenting fruit, quite sweet but the sourness balances just enough. Smooth drink. Better than expected, in fact quite pleasant. 3.6 29-03-2017
Stone Brewing Chris Banker / Insurgente / Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout Dark brown, very creamy. Super nice dark nutty and mocha aroma with a spicy edge and dark creamy hot chocolate. Rich taste, light chili edge buy only to lift your spirits. Amazing creamy fulfilling brown malty taste, amazing palate too. Wow, honestly impressive beer! (33cl can from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 4.5 29-03-2017
BOMBrouwerij Triporteur Belgian Oak (Medium Toast) Golden, light hazy. More straightforward, classic Belgian golden ale aroma than expected, but it is very well developed. Not woody really but a well rounded Belgian ale. Particularly tasty aftertaste where indeed some toast is lingering. Nice brew! (75cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 4.0 29-03-2017
Broeder Jacob Broeder Jacob Beiaardbier Berry, strawberry type sweetness. Bit of an odd aroma really. Taste is similar, almost aspartame like sweetness. Not very tasty and certainly not refreshing. Poor! (33cl bottle from the Straffe Streek market) 2.6 28-03-2017
Brouwerij de Bie De Bie Winter Bie UPDATED: MAR 27, 2017 Dark brown, cream head. Sweet winter spices, dark caramel, bay leaves. Some raisons maybe. Sweet and tongue coating, wintery, nice heat from the alcohol. Very fulfilling winter beer. Very nice surprise! Touch simple but a true Belgian dark ale for the Christmas days, or when you simply fancy a dark sweet well done brown. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.8 27-03-2017
Mean Sardine Brewery Mean Sardine Zagaia Brown, glowing, tan head. Amber and toasted malts. Light caramel sweetness, light flowery. Taste is more bitter than expected. Would have liked a more rounded body perhaps, the carbonation is prickly. Decent brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 27-03-2017
Au Grimoire Des Légendes - Elfique Elfique La Robuste Ambrée Amber but headless. Biscuit and caramel. Easily drinkable. Light sweet, okay. (33cl bottle at Forestia) 3.2 26-03-2017
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest Four Aces Black IPA Dark brown, stable head. Quite dull aroma with roast and biscuit malts, classic and bay leave hops, okay fermentation but overall disappointing. Taste isn’t as full as I hoped either. Was expecting much more. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.3 24-03-2017
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest Four Aces Barley Wine Dark amber, stable head. Deep amber malts, red fruit compote sweetness, calvados, fresh wood. Nice! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 4.2 24-03-2017
BOMBrouwerij Triporteur Bling Bling Imperial King Surprisingly refined golden ale. Smooth golden hops, bit simple in malt bill but to blanche that there’s enough hop. Light warming body, well integrated. Nice brew. Above expectation. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.8 24-03-2017
Peak Organic Brewing Company Peak Organic Winter Session Ale Brown, small head. Surprisingly hoppy, very pine and citrus, nice. Dry taste of tasted malts. Quite the contrast! Interesting and flavourful brew, yet very drinkable. Fun brown versus hoppy combo. Nice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 23-03-2017
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest Schuppenboer Tripel Golden, nice looks. Quite dimmed aroma actually, pleasant but not very strong for a beer this strong. Refined typical triple taste and indeed very tasty, hiding the alcohol well. Though you could argue if it really needs it. Quite dry. Good taste but unimpressive aroma. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 22-03-2017
Pühaste Pühaste Vulin UPDATED: MAR 22, 2017 Golden cloudy body body. Very passion and citrus fruit aroma, super hoppy, very nice. Bitter, light body, good drink of not for the bit too fizzy body. Decent brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bertanne) 3.7 22-03-2017
Orgemont Valmy Bière Ambrée Brown, small head. Dank, dusty fruits, compote, toast and very unclean fermentation. Typical but on a very rainy day quite appealing. Caramel sweet taste with shorter aftertaste. Almost historical and not particularly flawless, but I dig it’s farmy and warming character. Could use a little more alcohol, even. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 22-03-2017
Craywinckelhof Mariake Wit bier like malts and yeast, apple too. Fresh, with the yeast not too thin. Quite interesting actually! Fizzy body isn’t great, but it’s summery and different than most plain golden ales from local producers like these. (Sample at the Straffe Streek market) 3.1 21-03-2017
Brouwerij Anders! 7PK Classic Belgian tripel but very well done actually. Strong carbonation to balance those golden malts and fruity yeast. Bitter enough. Nothing you’ve never tasted before, but I was pleasantly surprised. (Sample at the Straffe Streek market) 3.7 21-03-2017
De Kale Ridders De Kale Ridders Tumulus Magna Dusty herbal hops, simple malts. Pretty interesting aroma. Taste is simplistic though, with a good bubble but boring flavour. It’s okay. (Sample at the Straffe Streek market) 3.2 21-03-2017
De Kale Ridders De Kale Ridders Tumulus Amara Straightforward Belgian blond, golden malts. Less character than expected. Disappointing, though it drink well, nice palate. (Sample at the Straffe Streek market) 3.1 21-03-2017
Brouwerij Anders! eXcalibur IPA Dark amber, medium head. Decent fruity hops. Quite bubbly palate, medium bitter. It’s simplistic, especially the body, but the aroma is nice and hoppy. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.2 20-03-2017
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest KoekeDam Sourish golden malts, bit toasty. Saison style only in the unclean fermentation, but it doesn’t have the deep developed character of a good Belgian Saison. The base recipe is good enough, but the brewing style is rushed. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.1 19-03-2017
Thornbridge Thornbridge Huck Resin and almost onion like hops, oily and rich. Medium bitter, English but too thin palate. Had perhaps too high hopes... Disappointing beer. Still decent though. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 19-03-2017
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme La Dalmatienne (Light) UPDATED: MAR 19, 2017 Super farmy, lemony even, yeast, fresh and dank at the same time. Like young cow milk cheese. Light grassy fresh hop. Quite balanced yet layered taste, golden crisp and unique. Prototypical Saison as only found in Belgium. Yummy! (75cl bottle shared with Bertanne, from Être Gourmet) 4.3 19-03-2017
Mean Sardine Brewery Mean Sardine Amura Hazy amber, minimal head, ugly. Sweet amber malts, flat appeal, old hops. Carbonation yet flat tasting, with toasted malts and medium bitterness. Very disappointing. My bottle isn’t that old but it certainly tastes that way. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 19-03-2017
Anarchy Brew Co. Anarchy Urban Assault Deep sweet hops, passion fruit, including the pit. Also already degrading hard though, quickly! Alcoholic taste, very clean fermentation, bitter, hard, amber. Drinkable but too boozy for the abv. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 19-03-2017
Dilewyns Vicaris Winter 10° Almost black, beige head. Dark cake like malt sweetness, some rye, herbal. Very Belgian. Almost knäckebröd like malty taste, including the seeds. Sweet and indulging, spicy edge. Very Belgian and sweet but fairly well done. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 18-03-2017
Privatbrauerei Höss der Hirschbräu Höss Allgäuer Hüttenbier Mostly clean, very stable head. Very typical German with toasty golden malts, bready, dry grass. Strangely appealing. Taste is quite simple, good but uneventful. Heavy carbonation fits the style. It’s all okay. (50cl bottle gift from Bardo, thanks!) 2.8 18-03-2017
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0037 - Chili Fruity sweet, Belgian yeast, camomille tea. Light carbonation, odd but funnily balanced. Quite special. Long lasting taste. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.7 17-03-2017
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0028 - GMGK Beerstorming in bottle. Misty light amber, frothy head. Original and spring style aroma with fun spicy but fresh edge, lime, light golden malts. Nice not totally clean fermentation. Touch buttery but nothing unpleasant. And yes it doesn’t lift the palate up, at moderate abv. Very light bitter, easy to drink. Nice brew, especially nice original aroma. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.5 17-03-2017
Mikkeller Mikkeller SpontanBeetroot Dark red, small but lasting pink head. Dark sweet aroma like a kriek but deeper. Properly sour, developed. Quite frankly it is just very greatly tasting. But pricy (though I got it at a very fine deal) but I very much liked this. (375ml bottle from Convento) 4.1 16-03-2017
Spencer Brewery Spencer India Pale Ale Misty golden, looks okay. Sweat peachy hops, English yeast. Smooth but nice enough. Very nice tasting, with enough bitterness, dry, not too clean, almost barny. Surprisingly nice brew. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.8 16-03-2017
Stadsbrouwerij ’t Koelschip Koelschip Tank 1 L’Amour Fou Golden, fairy clear, small head. Simple traditional Tripel beer, golden malts, simple herbal hop. Light carbonated, thin... It’s an okay beer but very unimaginative and for the steep price... Lots to work on. (75cl bottle from Koelschip shop/brewery itself) 2.9 16-03-2017
Brunehaut Brunehaut Hoppybrett 125e Anniversaire Big but thin foam, amber. Ripe red fruit, nasal herbal, brett. Quite nice but I especially love the taste. Surprisingly fulfilling with so much sweet and bitter and umami. Surprisingly nice beer! (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 15-03-2017
San Miguel Red Horse Extra Strong UPDATED: MAR 15, 2017 Totally clear, minimal head. Even the looks are off... Almost aromaless, bland. Very faint malt sweetness, very big bubble. Blegh. (50cl bottle from an Asian supermarket in Oostende) 2.2 15-03-2017
The Flying Dutchman Nomad Brewing Company The Flying Dutchman Nomad Black is Black and I want My Baby Back Pitch black, tan head. Both a dark coffee, cereal but also very hoppy citrus aroma. Mmmmm yummy! Somewhat light bitter, roasty. Nice beer. (33cl bottle from Convento) 3.9 14-03-2017
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Onbekende Soldaat Dark brown, bit clean, small head. Brown malts with toffee and dark caramel. That typicalDe Vlier carbonation but at least it has the sweet malts to balance. Nice touch of yeast help with making this a bit fuller. Could be better still with less carbonation, but its decent. (75cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.4 14-03-2017
Elysian Brewing (AB InBev) Elysian The Immortal IPA Golden, frothy head. Very fresh, very light but hoppy aroma. Very floral. Smooth carbonation, not super bitter but very pleasant. Mixing classic and modern ipa styles. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 14-03-2017
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor 8410 Wenduine Blond Golden, clear. Green plantain, wheat, very Belgian esters, clean Belgian fermentation. Little orange like sweetness overtone. Mouth filling palate, foamy, light bitter, surprisingly smooth drink. It’s decent. (33cl bottle from Carrefour in Mariakerke) 3.3 13-03-2017
Hugel Zeven Zonden Superbia Amber looks, small head. Sweet citrus hops, amber malt balance, Belgian but nice. Very quaffable, bubbly but the taste is full enough to balance that carbonation. Nice brew. (33cl bottle at Toogoloog) 3.5 12-03-2017
Brouwerij Palm Arthur’s Legacy 01. Return of the White Widow Hazy gray yellow. Fresh white bread, light lemony. Zesty, not bitter at all but refreshing. Summery, but not the banana bomb or lemon scented cleaning agent I was fearing. Pretty nice! (On tap at Toogoloog) 3.2 12-03-2017
Bryggja Bryggja Amuse Misty dark golden, huge head. Sweet amber, very toasty, pot-pourri. Bitter flower taste. Quite spiced but it’s just within bounds for me. Decent brew, quality is there, just the style doesn’t interest me much. (33cl bottle at Toogoloog) 2.9 12-03-2017
Brouwerij Anders! PoppoLou (Classic) Very stable head, misty golden, one from the books. Zesty citrus, light pale malts, fresh and refreshing, but bit simple. Wheat and light bitterness, salty even. It’s okay. (33cl bottle at Toogoloog) 3.4 12-03-2017
Kustbrouwerij Kustbrouwerij Dronkenput Bruin Coffee, toasted, sticky brown fruit. Taste is quite decent actually, light sour, dark surgery fruit. Surprisingly nice sweet Belgian dark ale. (33cl bottle from Carrefour in Mariakerke) 3.5 11-03-2017
Brouwerij Strubbe Keyte Triple Blonde, simple looks. Really odd aroma, vegetable looks, flimsy, watery, dusty. Light sweet, simple taste, not dry but just dusty... Really not nice. (On tap at Café Botteltje) 2.5 11-03-2017
The Flying Dutchman Nomad Brewing Company The Flying Dutchman Nomad Rose Hipped Hibiscus Dipped Flower Power Funky Sour Hazy, golden orange, foamy frothy. Herbal, bubble gum. Funky, plucky. Very easy to drink, nice palate. Not very sour. Decent brew. (33cl bottle from Convento) 3.5 11-03-2017
Dorpsbrouwerij De Meester De Meester Dul Meesterke Traditional tripel style Belgian golden ale with loads of esters, heavy carbonation, touch sweet but altogether just in balance I suppose. Dull though... Hey, the name warned me! (33cl bottle at Café Botteltje) 3.3 11-03-2017
Kustbrouwerij Kustbrouwerij Dunekeun Blond Very murky, nice foamy head. Sweet Belgian yeast, sourish carbonation, some dried flowers, in your nose deep. Smoother than expected, not so much alcohol. Simple amber malt taste with crisp bitter bite. Better than expected for sure. (33cl bottle from Carrefour in Mariakerke) 3.5 11-03-2017
Mikkeller Mikkeller Nelson Sauvignon Very dense head, looks great. Refined Saison aroma, soft sweet, marmelade. Very balanced taste, interesting bubbly actually. Well done brew, touch sweet but the hops are great. (33cl can from Convento) 4.1 10-03-2017
Doctor Brew Doctor Brew Sunny Ale Sweaty malts, amber too. Light bitter only, malty, bready. Not sure if I’d call this summer but it’s a decent ale. Nice palate. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 09-03-2017
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Mok Ale A De Vlier beer so I expected a very special style... Bit it’s a surprisingly hoppy and smooth beer. Very nice sweaty yellow fruit malts and a sweetness that apparently is from those coffee cherries (never heard of). Still too fizzy in the mouth, but all okay. Short aftertaste. It’s a nice aroma, taste is okay too. (75cl bottle from Mok coffee shop in Leuven) 3.5 08-03-2017
Anarchy Brew Co. Anarchy Sublime Chaos Black, tan head. Great cookie, chocolate, smooth cereal malts. Soft, very low carbonation body, creamy, milky brown malts. Enough hop bitterness. Very nice smooth brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 07-03-2017
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant / Sulauze T’ame! Super hoppy really expressive. Raw dried hop, pine, grapefruit... Yummy, yummy. Strong bitterness but just balanced enough. Sweet malts actually. Actually, not balanced but pleasant enough. Raw and fulfilling. Good. I read those reviews about diacetyl... Please try it again! You’ll get a very hoppy, raw ipa. Do it. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.9 07-03-2017
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne / Toccalmatto Schieve Funambulo Post classic aroma with dense golden malts, rich blond, warming. Even more so the taste, full of flavour, dangerously light drinkable yet super warming palate. Delicious. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.2 07-03-2017
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk / Against the Grain Patrons Projects 2.01 Smokin’ Bees Banana vanilla muffins, raisins. Aromatic and unique. And appealing. Full palate, fulfilling and complete. Rich raisin sweetness with roasted coffee and malts and proper hop backup. Deliciously rich. Sweet but totally worth it. Great stuff and lots of complexities to discover when tasting. (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 4.0 05-03-2017
Craig Allan Craig Allan / Les Brasseurs du grand Paris La Time And Tide Brown, beige head. Very woody, bready, black tea. Taste is very woody too. Dry, grapes. Odd beer, but special. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 05-03-2017
Brouwerij De Vlier Malterfakker I Want More Dark brown, foamy head. Light roast, odd funk, almost mushroom like. Quite sour, foamy... Not in style, not very pleasant, nor very unique and generally an odd taste. Unimpressed. Perhaps, I admit, it’s personal taste, but personally I hoped for much more in this seemingly new brewing lineup from De Vlier. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 2.9 04-03-2017
Vliegende Paard Brouwers Préaris Smokey Li Amber, misty, really nice looking. Amber malts light pleasant smoke, of the woody kind. Bready, yeasty taste. Pretty nice actually! (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.8 04-03-2017
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Blonde Beer Sweet fruity malts. Sweaty yeast, sweet golden malts. Light bitter, classic mouth feel. Well brewed but it’s not very special of course. Warming though, nice to drink. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.4 04-03-2017
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Dormaal Fresh Hop 2016 Light hazy, stable foamy head. Green and actuallyf fresh, very light, delicate actually. Light bitter, olive oil... Refined, Yummy . (33cl bottle at the brewery shared with Ego and Bertanne) 3.7 04-03-2017
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Barbera UPDATED: MAR 4, 2017 Grape skin is noticeable, yes. Also sour fermentation aromas, sour peach. Milky mouth feel, beautiful plucky sourness. Yummy. (33cl bottle at the brewery shared with Ego and Bertanne) 4.0 04-03-2017
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Troebel in Paradise Troebel indeed, and foamy. Very fresh, juicy as hell, delicious. Not bitter indeed, light citrus zesty. Superb. (33cl bottle at the brewery shared with Ego and Bertanne) 4.0 04-03-2017
Beavertown Brewery Beavertown Lupuloid Clean golden, stable. Full of hops, fresh, crisp fermentation, modern. Super tasty and drinkable, super hoppy but not so bitter actually. Great brew! (33cl can from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.9 02-03-2017
No Science No Science Noisy Pale Ale Amber, very foamy. Toasty and tea and biscuit malts, herbal hops, English feel. Mouth filling palate, decent stuff. Bitter, but good flavour overall. Nice brew. Starting to dig this brewer! (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.7 28-02-2017
No Science No Science Psycho Table Beer Full of citrus hops, pale but quality malts. Light, fresh, appealing. Touch of apricot. Very light but smooth body, bitter, hoppy. Very low carbonation.. I really like it! Big positive surprise, never heard of this brewery before. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.9 28-02-2017
Brouwerij van Campenhout Witlov Kriek Pink body, foamy head. Surprisingly beery, not so sour and certainly not sweet. Light cherry only. Light pale malt taste, light fruity, red yes, but not quite as I expected. Nice to drink, just more of a non sweet fruit beer than a kriek you might expect. Good palate. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.2 28-02-2017
Brasserie Warsage Warsage Triple Hazy, looks nice. Sharp golden malts, plain, alcohol. Bleh. Taste is even more sharp and tasteless and poor. All white sugar, not malt? Seriously bad. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 2.5 27-02-2017
Brouwerij van Campenhout Witlov K Hazy, huge head. Aroma is classic hopped, big esters. Taste is quite full, nice, smooth malts with a bubbly crisp palate. Good traditional brew. (On tap at the brewery) 3.5 26-02-2017
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier X-mas Spicy Dark brown, clear. Belgian dubbel feel, light spice (clove, allspice, aniseed). Light brown sugar taste, some dark spice. Not very malty, more fruity, pot-pourri. It’s okay. Quite fizzy though. (75cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.4 25-02-2017
Thorberg Thorberg Five Hop UPDATED: FEB 24, 2017 Golden, cloudy. Large nice head, looks great. Very hoppy, mixing modern and classic hops. Touch of a Tripel feel too, but it matches very well. Very bitter but all that Belgian fermentation character really works with that. Surprisingly great! (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.0 24-02-2017
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne / Bruton Racines Orval like, brett, lively development, farmy, cheesy. Golden and delicious. Amazing palate too. Wow, really great beer in all its simpleness. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.3 23-02-2017
Brouwhuys De Vaart Luvanium Tripel Golden cloudy body, looks really nice. Surprisingly banana, yeasty, golden malts, alcohol. Surprisingly tasty too with more complexity than expected. Nice warming alcohol ending. Much better than expected really! (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven), 3.7 23-02-2017
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project / La pirata ¡Déu N’hi Do! Cloudy brown, stable beige head. Light brown malts, like a dubbel mixed with an English brown ale. Dark, simple tea, touch woody, or dry leaves. Light dry taste, quite bitter, toasty. Odd beer. It’s okay, interesting, traditional feeling (though it really probably isn’t at all). Beer for tea lovers? (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.3 23-02-2017
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony The Crow Imperial Stout Very nice looks. Burned sugar, sweet malt extract, stale coffee... Not Impressive. Sweet taste, simple, malty sharp, thin. Let’s say it’s a quad... then it’d still miss the spice. No really, very disappointing. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.1 22-02-2017
Browar Kingpin Kingpin Most Wanted Perhaps not quite as hoppy as hoped, but that might be my bottle. Great mix though with a solid amount of malt backup. Very full and pleasant palate. Looks a bit amateurish but I don’t mind. Still a nice drink. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 21-02-2017
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project / Anspach & Hobday Black Bird Dark brown, foamy head. Great aroma with resin and pine and red grapefruit hops but also a nice coffee roast. Taste is fairly light, bitter enough but a touch thin. Ending is better though, roast and a light dark sugar. Great beer, very drinkable and well made, typical BBP and with a well enough development in the palate. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.8 21-02-2017
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Bière d’Hiver Brown body, small grey head. Rich berries, dark brown malts, nice. Classic but very well developed. Enough sweetness to carry the dark roast and spicy touches. Really well done, tasty winter warmer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bardo and Ellen) 3.9 19-02-2017
Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn The Defender UPDATED: FEB 19, 2017 Copper. Spicy hop, light golden malts, very very clean fermentation. Bitter enough, bit simple taste but nice body. Very drinkable. Overall a touch classic and dull but very well executed. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière shared with Bardo and Bertanne) 3.4 19-02-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Caramel Fudge Stout All black, creamy tan head. Quality chocolate pralines, not roasted. Creamy palate. Fun beer try it! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bardo and Ellen) 3.6 19-02-2017
Brasserie de Silly Silly IPA Green Killer Copper, misty. Green hops, low diacetyl, golden malts, light green herbs. Not much to it. Taste is simple, bitter enough but no flavour complexity at all, just some sharp malts and hop extract flavour. Body is decent, not much to complain there. But the taste disappoints. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven, notably extremely cheap) 3.0 19-02-2017
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Dame Jeanne Brut Sur Lie Fruity Belgian blond, nasal carbonation. Quite refined. Better than expected after, light sweet, apple, bubbly. Decent beer. (75cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.7 19-02-2017
Thornbridge Thornbridge Valravn Dark copper, grey head. Delicious balance but strong aroma of coffee, juniper berry, pine hops. Full flavour, very bitter, roasted, toasty, sharp edged. Great palate, low drinkable carbonation. Very good. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bardo and Bertanne) 4.1 19-02-2017
Domus Pub and Brewery Domus Engel As Domus Nen Engel. Dark brown, stable head. Sweet caramel, fudge, light roast. Sweet an simple bit pleasant. Drinks okay. Belgian dubbel like. Okay carbonation. It’s better than feared. (8% on tap at the brewery) 3.4 19-02-2017
Doctor Brew Doctor Brew American IPA Dank and resin hops, British style fermentation. Not fruity but dark spicy, hoppy, yummy. Good body, full flavoured. Good stuff. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bardo and Bertanne) 3.8 19-02-2017
De Dochter van de Korenaar De Dochter van de Korenaar Noblesse Extra-Ordinaire Saveur Biere Special Edition Very nasal hops, spicy even. Very refined yet hoppy. Quite special indeed, not in originality but in refinement. Good stuff! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bertanne and Bardo) 4.1 19-02-2017
Brouwerij de Kroon De Kroon Crown Lager Yellow grey, hazy. Pleasant rounded off lager, golden malts. Light citrus, very low carbonation. Surprisingly nice. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.4 19-02-2017
Brouwerij de Kroon De Kroon Tripel Also called Proefbier B. Golden hazy. Light but pleasing citrus aroma. Warming golden malts. Moderate but pleasant. More refined. Shirt aftertaste though. Mwa, not so bad. (Tasting glass at the brewery) 3.4 19-02-2017
Brouwerij Kees Kees Xmas Chocolate Muffin Not the fullest palate, but the sweet cake and raisin aroma with brown sugar and red fruit taste work quite well. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Ellen) 3.5 18-02-2017
Oersoep Oersoep Berlin Very pale, grey, minimal head. Pretty ugly. Soft yellow fruit, light sour. Bit flat. Taste is great though, very plucky, fresh, crisp, fulfilling. Poor start but much enjoyable. (75cl bought at Libf 2015, shared with Bardo) 3.5 18-02-2017
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Flying Monkeys Aurora Heart Quite minty, cacao bean. Raspberry sharpness but not sweetness. Okay ish stout, bit watery, bit flat. Expected much more. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bardo) 3.2 18-02-2017
360° Brewing Company 360° APA Simple looks, simple character overall. Bit dimmed, dusty but citrus hops. Okay medium bitter taste. It’s decent. Nice bubbly but not very integrated. (50cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven, shared with Bardo) 3.4 18-02-2017
360° Brewing Company 360° Pale #39 Bottle named simple Pale, at 3.6%. Copper, nice grey head. Biscuit malts, herbal nice smooth hop mix. Drinks easily nice round bitter taste. Decent brew. (50cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven, shared with Bardo and Bertanne) 3.6 18-02-2017
The Flying Dutchman Nomad Brewing Company The Flying Dutchman Nomad More Complicated Than Your Girlfriend Stout Pitch black, creamy tan head. Creamy dark chocolate, very rich. Touch sweet but nice stuff, good roast balance to all that inherit sweetness. (Bottle at M-Café museumcafe Leuven) 3.9 18-02-2017
The Flying Dutchman Nomad Brewing Company The Flying Dutchman Tree Hugging Wood Chopping Mother Nature Loving IPA UPDATED: FEB 19, 2017 Apricot, very clean fermentation. Very bitter, very dry, only the fruit of the hips to keep you busy. Never boring though! (Bottle at M-Café museumcafe Leuven) 3.9 18-02-2017
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Flying Monkeys The Chocolate Manifesto Black, huge tan head. Loads of vanilla chocolate nibs, marshmallow. Very sweet, but fun. But Damn sweet. Light alcohol heat. Sweet Choco, hot edge. It’s okay. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bardo and Ellen) 3.4 17-02-2017
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Wild Lab Stout sans alcool Black, nice looks. Roasted, dry, cacao. Watery, as expected, and bitter to balance. Impressive aroma and taste too for such extreme low abv. Not so bad at all! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bardo) 3.5 17-02-2017
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal BA Project 2014 (Blond Ale) Bruichladdig Organic Light brown, small head. Refined woody, soft whiskey. Alcohol presence but also a soft wood, berries, traditional. Shorter than expected aftertaste. It’s nice, bit sharp. (75cl bottle from the brewery, shared with Bardo) 3.5 17-02-2017
Doctor Brew Doctor Brew Kinky Ale Amber to brown body, looks decent. Balanced aroma, hoppy but not extreme, but very modern and appealing. Taste is truely excellent. Almost spicy hop, but good balance from amber hops and an outstanding fermentation. Aroma not overwhelming but a very decent brew. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 15-02-2017
Doctor Brew Doctor Brew Double IPA Surprisingly brown and surprisingly murky. Okay resin hops and amber oat malts. Not really fresh ipa, but nice mix. Drinks well, good body. Enjoyable. Bit old hops already? Anyway the hops are a touch dimmed but still a good brew. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 14-02-2017
Browar Kingpin Kingpin Headbanger Amber body, looks nice. Nice red fruity hops, light amber malts. Not crazy hoppy though. Taste is stronger, strong bitterness and lasting too. Decent brew. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 13-02-2017
Browar Kingpin Kingpin Berserker Black and stable head. Besides the typical Polish diacetyl aroma, there are dark creamy malts, classic hops, hay. Nice strong bitterness, yet drinkable too due to the creamy malts. If it wasn’t for the label, I would never have guessed the style. Good porter though. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 13-02-2017
Browar Kingpin Kingpin / Freigeist Gosebuster Brown, large head. Nice looks. Very unique aroma, peppery, tamarind, cacao. Very special! Like it taste starts almost minty, but very beery and traditional ale like too. Not extreme just special. Well done brew! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 13-02-2017
Doctor Brew Doctor Brew Centennial IPA Typical Polish light butter, so nice full body despite the clean fermentation. Very good. But the freshness leaves a bit to be desired, with okay resin but dimmed hops. Simple taste, perhaps also due to the single hop. It’s okay, nice body. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 13-02-2017
Pühaste Pühaste Patt Black, light tan head. Nutty dark malts, very creamy, some nutmeg. Very nice. Impressive taste too, creamy, chocolate, bitter. Yummy! Quite unique too. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 11-02-2017
Buxton Buxton Winter IPA Deep resin hops and sweet apple malts. Very fulfilling hop and malt balance, just clean enough fermentation. Great stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 11-02-2017
Thornbridge Thornbridge Cocoa Mint Stout To be honest, I have low expectations of this. Looks okay, light brown, nothing special. Totally an After Eight vibe, peppermint, surely does what it says on the tin (label...). Taste is more brown ale. It’s very particular. Okay, not really my thing. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 11-02-2017
Browar Amber Amber Kozlak Red brown, decent looks. Sweet berries, nice red malts. Great development in the palate, somewhat clean but very flavourful. Drinks very easily, but still a nice soft dark sweetness. Good stuff. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 10-02-2017
Kompaan Kompaan Hop Weizen Bock Nice red malts, surprisingly non clean, non dusty aroma for a lager... Is it a lager? Anyway nice herbal hops too. Nice malty mouthfeel, again not too clean and thin which bocks often have it they aren’t sweet. Could be the wheat. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 10-02-2017
Brewski Brewski Mango Hallon Feber Very murky, maybe in all honestly not very good looking. But Damn nice aroma and taste, full of fruit and hop and appeal. Soooo flavourful. Stunning brew if not for the poor looks. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 08-02-2017
Mean Sardine Brewery Mean Sardine Voragem Pitch black, nice tan head. Very nice fresh pine hops. Taste is more stout like, malty and bitter. Super body, very well done. Very successful brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 07-02-2017
Mean Sardine Brewery Mean Sardine Imperial Stout 2015 Edition Totally dark, creamy tan head. Light smoke, light rye, syrup, some roast. Quite flavourful alcohol too but that’s okay, nice warming feeling. Very nice beer actually, want to try more of the brewer now. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 07-02-2017
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk Patrons Projects 1.02 Coffee Porter UPDATED: FEB 7, 2017 Costa Rican San Isidro. Delicious and truly unique spicy coffee. Amazing and interesting aroma really. Also a great taste, good palate. Appealing. Yummy and very fun to try. (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 4.3 07-02-2017
Thornbridge Thornbridge Crackendale Fresh, simple but appealing hoppy. Typical citra, lemony, light pale malts, light herbal. Light fresh and very modern taste. Yummy fermentation. High quality and simple but tasty. Good brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 07-02-2017
Browar Amber Amber Pszeniczniak Typical Hefe banana type yeast, bready too. Very misty, murky. Okay spritzy body. Typical but not the nice German spice. It’s okay. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 07-02-2017
Browar Amber Amber APA UPDATED: FEB 6, 2017 Surprisingly grassy hops, okay profile. Nice very light creaminess in the palate, typical Eastern European. Solid bitterness, juicy hops, good taste. Touch underwhelming aroma but overall very pleasant and very quaffable. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 06-02-2017
Anarchy Brew Co. Anarchy AntiVenom Resin and dusty but nice enough malts. Quite a rough fermentation. Tough bitterness, okay mouth feel. It’d decent. Sort of grassy, wet hopping like. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 05-02-2017
Craig Allan Craig Allan India Project Ale Athanum Dark golden to amber. Immediately got the typical Athanum hop, but also a lot of diacetyl. Even more so in the taste, a real shame! (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 05-02-2017
Brewski Brewski Conan DIPA Holy moly, this is a great ipa. Stunning hop aroma, among the very best imperial IPAs I’ve ever had. Delicious and not too sturdy bitterness, delicious palate. Great looks stunning aroma... A truely amazing beer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.6 05-02-2017
Craig Allan Craig Allan Black Market Pinot Noir Black bodied, nice head. Very characterful for the abv, with refined dark malts, wine, complex fermentation aromas, full flavour, red berries, light roast. Very good mouth feel too, bubbly but appealing and great palate overall for the moderate alcohol level. Good brew, very well done. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 03-02-2017
Akerbeltz Akerbeltz Iluna (Brune) Creamy stable head over a nice brown body. English style fermentation, more typical French Brune type malts, and a surprisingly okay hop backup. In between styles but not the typical Belgian clone for sure. Drinks very well, nice bitterness under the brown bready nutty malts and non clean fermentation. Not fruity. Very decent brew. Classic but appealing. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 02-02-2017
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk Patrons Projects 1.01 Coffee Porter Delicious coffee stout like the others in the series. This one is nutty, toffee, rounded, light spiced. Super smooth, even more than the others. Stunning beer that really highlights the coffee. (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 4.1 02-02-2017
Haacht Rince Cochon IPA I had the lowest of expectations here, knowing the ’brand’... It’s not all bad. Light American amber style ale with okay resin hops. Quite clean. Somewhat bitter, it’s okay. I mean not great but well above my expectations. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 02-02-2017
Kiuchi Brewery (Hitachino) Hitachino Nest Saison du Japon Really great looks. Refined aroma with fermenting fruit but not sour. Lots of yeast taste but not in the palate. Good brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 01-02-2017
Brasserie Saint Germain (Page 24) Saint Germain Page 24 Black Edition American Brown Ale Brown, quite translucent. Bready, rye spice, hazelnut. Clean drink, bit underwhelming maybe. Okay nut cake malts, but palate is too watery. Ends okay though due to the bitterness. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 01-02-2017
Verhaeghe Verhaeghe Barbe Noël Golden, quite clean, ugly. Some simple golden malts, light alcohol, really not much to it.... Poor sweetness, poor malts, light sour. Not a nice beer at all and certainly not for Christmas! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.4 01-02-2017
Brewski Brewski Barbarian Light misty, golden. Peach, hoppy, refined clean but interesting, somewhat English fermentation. Very smooth taste despite the hop and bitter bite. Super nice to drink. Yummy, delicious. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bertanne) 4.3 01-02-2017
Brouwerij De Ranke De Ranke Hop Harvest 2016 I love this brewery and love this range. But it’s a touch underwhelming this year. Still a very well made balanced brew with amazing development, true hop spirit, very classic in all the good ways. But the aroma misses a touch. Having said that, as awesome as De Ranke brews, you should totally still try it! (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 30-01-2017
De Graal Rangsken Golden, light hazy. Banana, sweet malts, clementine. Extremely Belgian. Heavy bubbly yeasty taste. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.0 29-01-2017
Haacht Haacht Super 8 IPA A much more present and fresh citrus hop aroma than expected, or feared really. Mostly clean and not very bitter but enough so. Nice light bubbly, simple but very drinkable. To be honest this is not so bad at all. Nothing post modern, but a decent ans cheap ipa. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.5 29-01-2017
Van Eecke Van Eecke Hommelbier Nieuwe Oogst Fresh Harvest 2017 The new year batch. Fresh aroma of plum and clementine fruits. Fairly simple yeast. Well made but not the fresh hop exciting edge one hopes to have here. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 29-01-2017
Haacht Horst Bier Spicy light golden, nice crisp aroma. Light warming golden malts. Fruit yeast, but typical Belgian. Better than expected. (33cl bottle at the castle in Horst) 3.4 29-01-2017
Staatliches Hofbräuhaus München Hofbräu München Oktoberfestbier Aroma is certainly on the sweet side for a German lager (although in line with other Oktoberfest beers I remember). Very quaffable though, easy to drink, not devoid of all character. Decent brew, for what the style is worth. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 27-01-2017
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Hello Nasty Dry-Hopped Sour Hazy light amber, very stable head. Sour fruit aroma, touch candy like. Simple but pleasant. More towards the lactic sourness. Sweaty malts to balance. Somewhat herbal hoppy. Very flavourful beer. First sip is mostly the sourness, but then the beer becomes surprisingly balanced, sweet rounded malty balance that. Bit bitter too, but wouldn’t call it hoppy. Nice brew, quite refreshing except perhaps for the sweet middle. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 27-01-2017
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk Patrons Projects 1.03 Coffee Porter Black and nice small stable head. Very strong and unique aroma. Liquorice? Ginger? Leather? I am not even sure, Very flavourful and appealing. Hugely unique, and super tasty. Certainlybuy this if you can! (33cl can from Bachenalia Cambridge) 4.4 18-01-2017
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse White Label Imperial Saison White Wine BA Golden amber, stable head. White wine, herbal, touch yeasty. Barrel aging is even more dominant in the taste, strong and flavourful. Good special, sharp taste, some a bit underwhelming. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 14-01-2017
Collective Arts Brewing Collective Arts Papaya Saison Dimmed aroma, fizzy body. A very moderate aroma, herbal and light sweet vegetable style hop. Bubbly tate not too outspoken and dimmed flavour. It’s okay. (50cl bottle can from Saveur Bière) 3.1 14-01-2017
Microbrouwerij De Keukenbrouwers De Keukenbrouwers Hip Hop USA Good looks, especially the lasting head. Belgian fruitiness, nice amber raw malts. Quite clean but also a touch watery body. Good bubbly mouth feel. Very Belgian but just hoppy enough. (33cl bottle at Honolulu Mechelen) 3.6 14-01-2017
Microbrouwerij De Keukenbrouwers De Keukenbrouwers Hip Hop Wipa Very yellow, creamy pearl head, nice. Lemon, wheat, crisp, floral, fresh and quite sharp. Typical banana yeast, lemony but not sour taste. It’s okay, expected a bit more hop freshness though. (33cl bottle at Honolulu Mechelen) 3.3 14-01-2017
Brouwerij Het Anker Het Anker Gouden Carolus Christmas/Noël Dark brown, creamy lasting small head. Dark spices like juniper berries, cloves and Jamaican piment, with herbal hoppy notes and toasted brown bread. Lots of alcohol but also satisfying, with bubbly but not heavy carbonation. Not so sweet as expected actually. Decent brew, extremely Belgian and quality is fine. Clean but not filtered to death. Decent brew. (On tap at the brewery restaurant) 3.5 14-01-2017
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk 822 Double IPA Cloudy amber, very nice head, great looking. Delicious rich hop aroma, dense, floral, resin. Very flavourful, but not too bitter. Not warmth too. Low, totally integrated carbonation. Delicious. (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 4.4 13-01-2017
Browar Stu Mostów WRCLW Rye RIS Pitch black, small head. Sweet marshmallow, chocolate. Surprisingly balanced between roasted malts, chocolate sweetness. The carbonation seems a bit forced, stand alone, but decent palate overall. Lasting sweetness. Decent brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 11-01-2017
Pracownia Piwa Pracownia Piwa Mr. Hard’s Rocks Peated This is like pure iodine. Sharp medicinal aroma and thin over roasted malts. Taste is luckily a bit more in balance with some more rounded chocolate type malts too and sweetness. Tastes okay but that aroma is totally off. (33cl bottle from Saveur) 3.3 11-01-2017
Tempel Brygghus Tempel Nanna Golden, light misty. Apple cider, light sour, fairly clean. Quite traditional feeling, with a nice sourness and a fruity balance. Not blowing my mind, but decent brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 10-01-2017
Sori Brewing Sori Raspberry Punch Copper, quite headless. Dusty berry, lemonade, basement, woody, caster sugar maltiness. Strong sourness, fruity but sharp, not terribly complex. Not very malty so not much to carry the flavours. Also little raspberry character, which is okay but surprising to me. Aroma disappoints, taste is okay, palate is limited. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 10-01-2017
To Øl To Øl Sur Galaxy Very nice looking black and tan headed beer. Very original and appealing aroma too, modern fresh hop, dry roast, lactic sourness, well mixed in. Quite some bitternes upfront, with a dark fruit and toasted sourness taking over soon. Lasting flavour, very nice ale, yummy. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 09-01-2017
Gentse Traditie Gentse Maagd Witbier Large and very frothy but lasting head. Herbal and grassy hops, floral, very pale malts, bit party like. Surprisingly nice! Soft but refined. Taste is different from my expectations, light and soft citrus acidity with a herbal undertone. Very light mouth feel but the carbonation balances it all. Not so bad at all, especially if you like more balanced Belgian brews. (33cl bottle a gift shop in Gent) 3.6 08-01-2017
Gentse Traditie Gentse Graaf Bruin Brown, small head. Lightly burned malts, sticky fruit cake, fairly simple but pleasant. Very Belgian fermentation with lots of esters this also dominates the taste, together with dark caramel, but actually not so sweet. Surprisingly nice beer. (33cl bottle a gift shop in Gent) 3.6 08-01-2017
De Hemelbrouwers De Hemelbrouwers Eulegoemse Hemelhopper Golden, a bit too clean for my taste. Okay aromas with Belgian yeast, light yellow fruit, some hop aroma, quite moderate. Foamy mouthfeel fits less well here, dimming the flavours except for the bitternes. It’s decent, but a bit more development and aroma hops please. (33cl bottle at the neighbors, thanks Marlies!) 3.4 08-01-2017
De Hemelbrouwers De Hemelbrouwers Eulegoemse Sterrenhemel Brown, nice creamy head. Belgian yeast, whole wheat bread, dry leaves, light spicy hops, almost English. Strongly bitter but the yeast and fruity dark malts balance a bit. Foamy mouthfeel. Pretty decent beer, sort of a hopped up dubbel, I like it. (33cl bottle at the neighbors, thanks Marlies!) 3.7 08-01-2017
Nene Valley Brewery Nene Valley Supersonic Very hazy orange yellow. Juniper berries, light apple, floral. Fresh and unique but not exactly my thing. (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 3.3 08-01-2017
Einstök Ölgerð Einstök Icelandic Wee Heavy Dark brown, very stable small beige head. Sweet berries, candy, quite original. Taste is nice sweet, traditional. Bit thin, but in style. Quite nice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 08-01-2017
Brouwerij ’t IJ ’t IJ Dubbel Bock Speciale Editie Brown, large nice stable head. Light nutty, touch woody, almost smokey even. But quite moderate. Taste is more straightforward bock with solid but clean light brown malts. It’s nice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 08-01-2017
Westbrook Brewing Westbrook Key Lime Pie Gose Yellow, small head. From lime and lemon, mint, cocktail like, but with pale malts. Light and refreshing. Taste is a bit watery, even at the low abv. And more simple, lemony than the aroma. Decent brew. (33cl can at Uncle Babe’s Gent) 3.4 08-01-2017
Sixpoint Brewery Sixpoint Resin Light golden, large head. Resin and spruce hops, light malt backup only. Spicy hop edge and alcohol warmth. Sharp bitter bite. Very nice, harsh but satisfying. (33cl bottle as tasted from Bertanne’s at Uncle Babe’s Gent) 4.0 08-01-2017
To Øl To Øl Kaffe og Røg Creamy pillowy head, brown body. Smoke, clove, star anise, medium roast coffee. More common flavours in the taste, but nice, with good malty sweetness to balance overall. Satisfying beer to drink. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 08-01-2017
Buxton Buxton Berlinoise Brown and headless, quite ugly to be honest. Sort of Flemish brown style with dark fruit, bit not very sweet, fermentation aromas, almost soy sauce. Mild though and in fact the whole aroma is a bit dimmed. Strong upfront sour taste, with a middle that reveals lots of plucky fruit sourness, red wine vinegar and woody complexities, easily the beer’s best part. Lingering light funky and brown malt ending. Pretty decent, very nice and complex middle, especially at the abv, but it looks ugly and the aroma doesn’t do much. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 07-01-2017
Hop Valley Brewing Company Hop Valley Alphadelic IPA Golden, super pretty. Very fresh, light citrus hops, raw. Very yummy! Good bitterness and prototypical American fermentation. Very juicy taste, not too carbonated. Delicious. (33cl can at Uncle Babe’s Gent) 4.3 07-01-2017
Ironfire Brewing Company Ironfire Six Killer Stout Dark brown, very dense and creamy and lasting brown head, beautiful! Huge hazelnut (liquor) aroma, with light American coffee, milk chocolate and some spruce in the back. Very creamy and foamy mouth feel, surprisingly easy to drink and even refreshing, to my surprise. Really nice, original brew. To my own surprise (I don’t typically love nutty beers) I really liked this! (66cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 06-01-2017
Collective Arts Brewing Collective Arts Rhyme and Reason Not pale at all, but nice looking. Fresh hops, tropical and citrus fruit, centennial maybe? Also good caramel malts to back up. Superb body, very smooth and creamy and delicious, really outstanding mouth feel. Great bitterness too, strong but not lasting. Yummy! Hugely impressive brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 05-01-2017
Mad River Brewery Mad River Kick Start Imperial Porter Black, nice stable tan head. Dry roasted, coffee, rye flour, some pecan nut and a cane sugar sweetness. Coconut perhaps too. Good sweet malts, touch cloying but I don’t mind, you get lots of flavour in return. (66cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 05-01-2017
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk / De Molen Malt Dark brown body, nice head. Brown malts, toffee sweet coffee. Tat underwhelming bit quite unique. The taste is very nice though, full without cloying or sharpness, well pronounced foamy mouth feel. Successful brew, if you ask me. (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 4.1 04-01-2017
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk / Epic Trilogy MMXVI Hops Copper and hazy, very nice stable head. Extremely raw hoppy with a deep floral, spicy, peppery and just raw hop pellet mix. Great stuff! Taste is beautifully hoppy, spicy, peppery, bitter, full, somewhat alcoholic in the end. American iipa in style and execution but very well done, great development despite hop freshness. The canning helps too, perhaps? Great stuff! (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 4.4 03-01-2017
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk / Cigar City The Trilogy MMXVI: Yeast Copper body, very creamy head. Interesting, refined but very present yeast, green banana, floral, almost peppermint even. String yeast taste, but again clean too. Quite sharp, punchy. Pale malts only to balance that out, and a light grassy classic hop choice. Very interesting beer and look much forward to taste the others in the series. (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 4.1 02-01-2017
To Øl To Øl Frost Bite Copper, very hazy, very stable head. Light spice, very bready yet quite crisp. Some potpourri like aromas. Shortbread sweetness, foamy body, surprisingly light taste, even a touch watery. Quite original, especially for a Christmas brew. Well, within reason, it’s not that crazy. Nice though. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 01-01-2017
Sori Brewing Sori Delirious Quite crisp body, pale and copper malts, nice citrus light fruity hops. Clean bitter taste nut enough malt sweetness. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bertanne) 3.8 01-01-2017
Craig Allan Craig Allan India Project Ale Columbus / Citra Dark copper, cloudy. Very nice dark sweet hops of tropical fruit compote, orange juice. Nice medium bitter and somewhat rough but pleasant body. Not so refined but very pleasing to my taste buds. Compared to the others this has the distinct Columbus hop profile and I very much dig that. Also richer in taste than the Citra single hop. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 01-01-2017
Mother Earth Brew Company Mother Earth Sin-Tax (Sintax) Imperial Stout Crème brûlée, fudge, choco milk. It’s a real desert beer. Taste isn’t as sweet actually as your nose tells me. Sticky palate. Quite yummy! (66cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 01-01-2017
Collective Arts Brewing Collective Arts Stranger Than Fiction Deep dark brown, medium head. Very nice malt mix with roasted notes, mocha, almond. Yummy. Very appealing taste too, well balanced bitter and sweetness, hoppy enough too. Despite that it’s also refreshing. Yes, good brew! (50cl can from Saveur Bière) 4.1 31-12-2016
Nickel Brook Brewing Co. Nickel Brook Uber Berliner Weisse (Raspberry) Bright pink, haha, but also fizzy. Extremely raspberry like, very nice. Bit like a kriek Lambic but without the strong sourness. Very basic pale malts, perhaps bready. It’s quite nice, especially the very accentuated aroma. Good stuff. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 31-12-2016
Flying Dog Brewery Flying Dog Tropical Bitch Belgian-Style IPA Red copper. Red berries, sort of fruity, some cheesy yeast. Okay taste, quite bitter, bit of a sharp edge. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bertanne) 3.3 30-12-2016
Brouwerij ’t IJ ’t IJ Mosaic Pale Ale Nice looking hazy orange. Very fruity, orange, clementine. Nice. Taste is a bit simple being single hop (probably?) but it fits me well, nice and dry, summery. Yummy! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bertanne) 3.7 30-12-2016
Brewski Brewski / Evil Twin Little Big Hoppy Very fruity lemon freshness. Super modern, juicy. Crisp and lemon taste, touch of sourness but also a decent bitternes. Full flavoured and yet light on the palate. Super nice, really good brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bertanne) 4.3 30-12-2016
Black Sheep Black Sheep Shearer Absolutely flavourless. Watery body, a bit bitter, a bit dusty. Man it’s hard to call this a beer at all... Even in style! (Pint at The Green Dragon Cambridge) 2.3 29-12-2016
Hook Norton Hook Norton Greedy Goose No aroma at all, except for a faint spice and amber malt. Flavourless too, mostly, some very light sweetness. Hopeless beer. (Pint at The Green Dragon Cambridge) 2.6 29-12-2016
Sori Brewing Sori Soulmate Light copper. Surprisingly Belgian aroma, almost a Duvel like bubble in the nose. A light but sweet orange marmelade aroma too, as well as some grapefruit and pale malts. Bubbly palate dominates the taste, not so bitter but refreshing. Nice brew, right up my alley. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 29-12-2016
Brewski Brewski Persikofeber UPDATED: DEC 26, 2016 Lovely peach aroma, fresh and true. None of that artificial stuff here! Also hops, floral and a lovely slight sourness. Sharp peach taste with sour start and a nice bitter undertone. Nice brew, and very original so certainly try it! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 26-12-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Rasputin Heaven Hill Dark brown and mostly headless. Intricate aroma of dense dark malts, bourbon, vanilla, some fudge and a faint floral note. Sticky mouth feel, lively sweet, very long lasting. Great development, loads of complexities. Very nice beer and the aging really transformed it. Liked it a lot! (75cl bottle, gift from John for my wedding, many many thanks, shared with Paul at Christmas) 4.1 25-12-2016
Boulevard Brewing Company (Duvel-Moortgat) Boulevard Smokestack Series: Imperial Stout X - Tart Cherry Dark brown, small head. Powerful brown malt and woody aroma, with a berry and red wine fruitiness. Original beer. Smooth and developed. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee, yes really!) 4.0 25-12-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Stille Natt Super Christmas like aroma of fruit and spice cake. Really beautiful body, balanced and smooth despite all those malts and alcohol. Very yummy! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Paul at Christmas) 4.0 25-12-2016
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Klaas Dark body, small head. Loads of chocolate, some marshmallow, spruce. Smooth fulfilling sweet malty taste with a spice touch. Excellent Christmas beer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Paul at Christmas) 4.0 25-12-2016
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers Speakeasy Black Hand Chocolate Milk Stout Deep brown, creamy head. Very flavourful, lasting taste with roasted malts, nice sweetness, some extra coffee. Very nice. (66cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 24-12-2016
Duyck Duyck Jenlain Bière de Noël Light brown, small head. Quite filtered but okay caramel malts. Not so rich, quite simple. Disappointing. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 24-12-2016
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers Speakeasy Payback Porter UPDATED: DEC 24, 2016 Black body, minimal head. Spicy dark mocha aroma, Christmas-y, satisfying. Nice sweetness, but not cloying. And a real heat too, to balance. Lively brew actually! (66cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 24-12-2016
Brouwerij Kees Kees Peated Imperial Stout A very impressive beer, with dense roasted malts, a smoky but deep character. Superb palate, filling and satisfying. Very long lasting taste, delicious. Stunning brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.5 23-12-2016
Einstök Ölgerð Einstök Icelandic Doppelbock UPDATED: DEC 22, 2016 Sweet aromatic, berries, spruce. Glowing red, looks good. Taste is better. Not a very long taste, but a good development with typical bock spice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 22-12-2016
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche / Goutte d’Or - Chamanka Deep brown body and dense tan head. Despite some butter, very much within limits, I get lots of smooth dark roasted malts, spelt bread, spruce and more. Nice. Great full taste with powerful malt an hop bitterness, lasting licorice malt taste and another layer of more raw bitterness in the very end. Yummy yummy yummy, my kind of brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 22-12-2016
Greene King Hardys & Hansons Rocking Rudolph (Cask) Copper, classic looks. Sweet resin, woody, simple brown malts. Quite sweet with a light spice. Watery body but it’s not devoid of all flavour. Could be worse. (Pint at The Green Dragon Cambridge) 3.2 22-12-2016
Sori Brewing Sori Leaping Lena Okay sweaty malt and hop mix, clementine, fairly modern bit bit very well developed. Don’t really kind the full palate but the taste is affected by that yeasty residue. It’s okay, hoped for a bit more. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 22-12-2016
Pressure Drop Pressure Drop ENZ Southern IPA UPDATED: DEC 21, 2016 Copper very cloudy. Resin and citrus hops, modern and characterful. Great stuff. Liked the Bosko even better than, to my own surprise. But really tasty. (33cl bottle from Bacchanalia, shared with Darren and Bertanne) 3.9 21-12-2016
Nene Valley Brewery Nene Valley Release The Chimps Mineral and clementine hops. Modern, very pale malts. Clean and a real bitter bite. Very dry bitter ending. Almost too cleanly fermented, because there’s not many malts to give body. Leaves a very dry mouth. Not so sure about this one... (33cl can from Bacchanalia) 3.3 21-12-2016
Pressure Drop Pressure Drop Bosko Copper orange, creamy off white stable head. Huge juicy citrus fruit hops aroma but certainly also a characterful back with surprisingly sweaty yeast and cara malts. Great integrated carbonation, bit bubbly. Super juicy bitterness and rich mouth filling malts. Really great beer with density if double ipa standards. Try it! (33cl bottle from Bacchanalia, shared with Darren and Bertanne) 4.2 21-12-2016
The Kernel The Kernel India Pale Ale Citra Ella UPDATED: DEC 21, 2016 Misty golden, stable grey lace. Super floral and grapefruit. Good balance in tate with the two hops, helping each other out. Delish. (50cl bottle from Bacchanalia, shared by and with Darren, Bertanne and Alyssa) 4.0 21-12-2016
Tesco Tesco Original Pear Cider Totally clear, filtered, fizzy head. Odd bitter water aroma, not very fruity at all, carbonated in the nose. Tastes like a soda. That’s okay for a soda, but this is a perry. Ah well, did my duty to help Darren and Alyssa get of it. (50cl can shared by Darren, thanks bud...) 2.2 21-12-2016
Slater’s Slater’s Green Hop IPA Very nice stable head. Sharp hops, pale malts, almost olive oil green. Taste is bitter and a touch simple but very nice. (Pint bottle from Bacchanalia, shared by and with Darren) 3.6 20-12-2016
The Kernel The Kernel Pale Ale Cascade Citra Centennial Hazy, orange. Hugely hoppy, fresh grapefruit. Typical for the brewer a very clean fermentation. Great, honest flavours, very high quality brew with all ingredients helping out together to form a tasty super team. Yummy. (50cl bottle from Bacchanalia, shared by and with Darren and Bertanne) 3.9 20-12-2016
Adnams Adnams Old Ale Glowing red brown body, nice. Brown and berry malts. Not thin, but soft surgery body, quite slick actually. Light spice taste, decent brew, nice alternative. (Half pint on cask at The Castle Inn Cambridge) 3.4 20-12-2016
Adnams Adnams Blackshore Stout Licorice, roasted not as dry and flat as feared. Certainly not imperial but a decent taste and palate, with enough bubble too. Good aroma, okay taste too. (Half pint at The Castle Inn Cambridge) 3.7 20-12-2016
Adnams Adnams Shingle Shells Brown, creamy head. Resin, leaves, rhum. Smooth but pleasant bitternes, harder in the end. Quite different, it’s okay, taste is a bit flat. (Half pint at The Castle Inn Cambridge) 3.4 20-12-2016
Adnams Adnams Jack Brand Ease Up IPA Golden light copper. Creamy head. Good grapefruit aroma, English fermentation. Simple taste, good bubbly bottle. Just the taste is a tat flat. (Half pint at The Castle Inn Cambridge) 3.5 20-12-2016
Adnams Adnams / Aegir Longboat Copper and creamy head. Light spice, light caramel, light strawberry. Soft sweet body, okay light spice taste. Drink okay, not so original as I hoped. (Half pint at The Castle Inn Cambridge) 3.4 20-12-2016
Nickel Brook Brewing Co. Nickel Brook Naughty Neighbour American Pale Ale Fresh, light, crisp, pale malts, quality brew. Not too bubbly, fulfilling palate but not too thick, yummy! (50cl can from Saveur Bière) 3.8 20-12-2016
Vocation Brewery Vocation Heart & Soul Cloudy golden, super frothy. Medium hoppy, modern, clean, golden. Nice bitter and sweet balance. Good brew. (33cl can from Tesco) 3.6 20-12-2016
Shepherd Neame Shepherd Neame 1698 Very clean copper, okay head. Grainy, brown sugar, apples, hopless. Simple caramel taste. Boozy, too clean. (Pint bottle from Tesco) 2.5 19-12-2016
Omnipollo Omnipollo Arzachel Fresh hop lemon, sourish. Bready pale malts. Great clean, perhaps English style fermentation. Nice stuff. Certainly worth trying even if you know the style well. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 19-12-2016
Buxton Buxton / Omnipollo Original Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie Yummy creamy lemon and fruity freshness. Very nice sharp lemon niceness. Still juicy though, nothing like a geuze, it’s distinctly beery. Towards the end there’s a bit less complexity. Pretty nice and original. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 19-12-2016
Vocation Brewery Vocation Pride & Joy Fresh and accessible, resin and pine hops, touch of cara, crisp. Nice clean fermentation but full bodied for the abv. Surprisingly nice. (33cl can from Tesco, shared with Darren and Alyssa) 3.7 19-12-2016
Spendrups Bryggeri Brutal Brewing Pistonhead Full Amber Nice copper amber malt aroma with soft herbal yeast to back up. Taste is simple and the big bubble doesn’t help that, but I still think it’s a well made beer. Just a bit watery. (33cl can from Tesco, shared at Darren and Alyssa) 3.3 18-12-2016
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Flying Monkeys Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale Dark brown, creamy head. Spicy rye bread, resin, sweeter berry back notes. Quite rough and a touch watery. But I do like the dark roast and bitter hop combo. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 18-12-2016
Collective Arts Brewing Collective Arts Ransack the Universe IPA Orange and somewhat golden. Clean carmel malts and light resin hops. Sharp bitterness but I don’t mind. Touch touch drinking, yet totally worth it for the flavours. Nice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 18-12-2016
Brew By Numbers Brew By Numbers 08/03 Stout - Chocolate & Orange Pitch black. Rye spice, cacao. Beautiful malty roast bitterness. Super flavour, rich. Worth every sip. Yummy! (On tap at The Pint Shop) 4.1 18-12-2016
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk Pint Shop Awesome Wave Super dark, tan head. Rounded off roast. Fairly mild though. Some pine apple, coffee. Taste is smooth brown malts. No alcohol here, which is well hidden but perhaps therefore not quite justified. Smooth texture. It’s nice. (On tap at The Pint Shop) 3.6 18-12-2016
Magic Rock Brewing Magic Rock Contortionist Golden, creamy nice head, bubbly. Not so sour or Berliner like in general. Especially the aroma is quite malty, golden, simple. Taste is a touch more in style but still not quite what I hoped for. Drinks okay though. (On tap at The Pint Shop) 3.3 18-12-2016
Green Flash Brewing Company Green Flash Tangerine Soul Style IPA Pleasant but mild orange hops aroma, pale and golden malts. Drinks easily, nice hubble, not quite as bitter as my personal flavour would go, but well done brew. (On tap at The Pint Shop) 3.4 18-12-2016
St. James’s Gate (Diageo) Guinness Golden Ale Golden brown, very fluffy head. Grainy bready, some clove. It’s okay. Very smooth, drinkable. Light malty, dry ending. Not so bad, people are harsh on this one. Drink in big gulps. (Pint bottle from Tesco, drank at Darren and Alyssa) 3.4 17-12-2016
Nickel Brook Brewing Co. Nickel Brook Pissed Off Petes Pumpkin Porter UPDATED: DEC 16, 2016 Very nice dark spice, some roasted nuts, cinnamon cookies and foresty hop. Not too roasted, nice. Touch thin at first but a solid carbonation to help out. Quite sweet. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 16-12-2016
Gulpener Bierbrouwerij Gulpener Plato 18.25 Golden, nice frothy head. Well developed sweet caramel malts, clean. Smells like a Bière de garde to be honest. Eh... Dry hopping? Decent taste, nice spicy hint in the middle. A nice boozy taste too, which I like more than expected. So poor start but oddly satisfying to drink. (75cl bottle gift from Sjoerd, thanks!, shared with Darren) 3.6 15-12-2016
Dieu du Ciel Dieu du Ciel / Trou du Diable La Divine Comédie Blond, nice head. Modern but a bit more dimmed than expected. Drinks simple, bit watery. Meh.. Not so much going in here. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 15-12-2016
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges / Stillwater Tropic Folk Murky light golden, nice stable head. Bready, soft sour fruit, some yogurt notes. Quite unique and very nicely balanced. Crisp body due to sour bite but also bitterness and fruity juicy start. Dry and plucky towards the end. Really well done beer, quite unique, bit gose like, but still beery. Great stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 15-12-2016
Gulpener Bierbrouwerij Gulpener IJsbock Brown, lasting head. Rustic brown malt, typical lager palate, clean caramel. Strong, good taste, but not like German eisbock, more like a well aged normal one. I don’t mind, it’s good. Not too boozy either. Could even use more. (75cl bottle gift from Sjoerd, thanks! Shared with Darren) 3.6 14-12-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Yards Fire, Flood & Plague Very sweet thick malts, vanilla, hot cacao. Starts sweet too but a bit more balanced later. Not boozy, and complex. But somehow it’s not wow for me. Very well made and actually enjoyable but for some reason my expectation was a bit too high. (33cl bottle from the brewpub) 3.7 13-12-2016
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Flying Monkeys 12 Minutes to Destiny Very much a grenadine smell. Almost aspartame like. Not pleasant to be honest. Dry astringency. Short aftertaste, sweet and thin. Not sure what the deal is here. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.7 13-12-2016
Flying Dog Brewery Flying Dog The Gourd Standard Typical pumpkin pie spices, also bready, leaves, resin. Quite different and I like that, plus generally it’s just a pleasant beer to drink. Not heavy but welcoming bitterness. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 13-12-2016
CREW Republic Brewery CREW Republic Foundation 11 Very modern sweet fruit hop aroma, lovely. Very clean fermentation, really accentuating the hop without diminishing the palate. Very drinkable indeed. Super nice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 13-12-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Mad Clown Light but modern hops, nice juicy bitterness, American style carbonation. Almost a buttery touch here which is nice, helping giving the body. Yum. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 13-12-2016
Collective Arts Brewing Collective Arts State of Mind Hazy orange, nice. Great fresh hopped an very dry aroma, crisp and very fruity. An almost Berliner Weisse like undertone. Very stark bitterness, bone dry but not too raw actually. Super nice integrated low carbonation. Perhaps a touch thin but it’s all worth in in the aroma and taste. Excellent brew. Yummy. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 12-12-2016
To Øl To Øl Sur Amarillo Filling mouth feel, foamy and delicious. Great soft sour taste with lots of hop, juicy, floral, fresh. Fulfilling and great light tart, lemon like taste. Summery boy. Absolutely delicious! I love this style of sour ale. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 11-12-2016
Flying Dog Brewery Flying Dog Imperial IPA - Nugget Single Hop Orange, bit misty, creamy grey lacing. Oranges, hibiscus, grapefruit, herbs. Very juice actually! Nice balancing caramel malts. Yummy clean fermentation and very good mouth feel from the low carbonation. Very dangerously drinkable despite sharp bitterness. Great. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Bertanne) 4.1 11-12-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Vintersolverv Dark brown. Nice Christmas aroma, dark fruit, thick dark malts, rye spice. Great aroma. Decent taste too, nice balanced spice with dark roast. Yummy mouth feel. Good brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 10-12-2016
Browar Birbant Birbant Double Robust Porter Thick black body, tan head. Sweet sticky toffee and banana bread malts. Nice creamy thick body, mouth filling. Delicious. Lrab. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 10-12-2016
Birrificio Indipendente Elav Elav Progressive Barley Wine Glowing light copper, nice head. Heavy but somewhat odd aroma. Like the sharp malty taste, heavy bitters. But the aroma is a bit dimmed for the abv. My style of beer and yes I enjoyed drinking this. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 10-12-2016
Sainte Crucienne Sainte Crucienne Don’t think twice, it’s all right Dense beautiful head over a great shiny misty body. Very very fresh and rich citrus hop aroma, inviting and satisfying. Nice caramel malt backbone. Strong bitterness, great body for the average abv. Great stuff! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 09-12-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Dios Mio! Cloudy orange, frothy head. Apricot, vegetable, amber malts. Quite hot, but not sharp. Lasting though, till the very end. Balancing bitternes. It’s all just inside reason. Decent beer, which says a lot for someone who hates chilli beers. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 08-12-2016
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Flying Monkeys Mythology Canadian Golden Pilsner Surprisingly nice pilsner. The aroma a quite boring still but the taste is full and fulfilling, excellent lager body with refined carbonation and juicy bitterness. Smooth yet flavourful, not too sweet. Good brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 07-12-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Sjokolade & Kirsebærporter Dark bodied, nice looks. Good stout aroma, dark roast, bourbon vanilla, candy sugar. Sweet aroma but taste isn’t so much, luckily. But too Prickly carbonation though, not very fine palate. Nice brew, especially the aroma. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.6 07-12-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Mørk Skog Not my favourite style, with its low bitterness and shallow taste, but thus one is well done. Still a flat body but a nice aroma, different in a good way. Bit of rye like spice, which I really dig. Good bitter ending... Yeah nice! (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.6 07-12-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Citra Saison Cloudy orange, appealing fresh looks. Lots of fresh citrus hops, biscuit malts, fruity but quite clean fermentation. Very satisfying big bubble. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.9 06-12-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann / De Molen Mannus & Blodøks Pitch black, creamy head. Very nice rich yet refined aroma. Unique spicy edge, licorice or even salmajak. Exactly like Dutch stophoest candy. Full flavour, long aftertaste. Solid bitterness, spice, licorice, treacle. Yummy, very high quality stuff and quite unique. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 4.5 05-12-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Onkel I Amerika Attractive clear golden, stable head. Resin, tea, bit herbal. Great bitterness, very satisfying. Plucky even. Very dry, bit peppery. Good stuff and I my own surprise it’s quite a bit different than most beers in the style. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.7 05-12-2016
Schneider Weisse G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH Schneider Weisse Tap X Marie’s Rendezvous Dark copper, fairly fizzy, minimal head. Caramel, woody, pot pourri. Malty and quite well done flavour but not quite as powerful as hoped. Barley wine aroma but the taste doesn’t quite match modern craft or the best German bock or doppelsticke. Still nice though and great choice for a cold night. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 04-12-2016
Au Baron (Bailleux) Au Baron La Belle Glaneuse Amber, white stable head. Nice bready malt, soft cheese, grassy hops. Refined beer. Quite nice to drink, bit very classically styled. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière, I think) 3.5 04-12-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Amarillo Mon Amour Fun beer to try, very much in between an ipa and Belgian blond. Super Murky, almost orange juice like. Strong yeasty, grapefruit, even bergamot, aroma, with golden and biscuit malts, very rough and artisanal. Much in my personal taste profile, despite the rough edges. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.0 04-12-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Charlepoeng - Mennekesbrug Blond, simple. Golden malts, not much to it. Minimal hop, though quite refined. Just underwhelming. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.4 04-12-2016
Duyck Duyck Jenlain Humeur du Brasseur Amber body, quite filtered. Simple amber malts with some bready and leathery aromas. No hop. Simple taste, but nice amber malt. I do not mind the absence of hops, but the abv is too low, it is not warming enough for the style. Now it all feels very underwhelming and clean. (75cl bottle from Savuer Bière) 3.2 02-12-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Charlepoeng - St. Roch UPDATED: DEC 4, 2016 Dark amber, large head. Sweet malts mix between a dubbel and a gruit, not terribly spicy but the herbal character, with the simple caramel malts. Pungent yeast, typical Belgian. Nice very foamy body, nice. Quite dry, probably used lots of sugar. But that?s okay for me, quite satisfying. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.7 30-11-2016
Gulden Spoor Bierboom Bruin Murky, unrefined. Simple amber malts, faint bitterness, fairly sweet, apple and grainy. Bleh. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 2.9 29-11-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Fader Halvard Very murky looks. Cheesy yeast, malty, very sweet. Not tripel like really, but let’s disregards that. Sweet taste, light coloured caramel, orange jam, very malty and not clean... Not a fan to be honest, neither very modern nor satisfying. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.1 29-11-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Tre Gamle Damer Nice malts, golden and light biscuit. Good herbal but bitter hop. Great body, nice and clean. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.8 29-11-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann Gamle Eirik Dark red, nice stable head, great looks. Rye spice, berries, juniper, pine and resin. Very drinkable body. Satisfying hoppy autumn beer. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.8 29-11-2016
Brasserie De L’abbaye De Villers Abbaye De Villers Ténébreuse Brune Light brown, red even, with creamy head, tan. Light berry and brown malts, simple fruity yeast, quite clean, perhaps even filtered. Drinks okay. (33cl bottle shared by, at and with Benoit) 3.2 28-11-2016
Brasserie De L’abbaye De Villers Abbaye De Villers Lumineuse Blonde Cloudy. Bit yeasty but nice malts, but not very sweet, much more bready. Drinks okay but more simple, filtered even. Expected a drier beer, but it’s okay. (33cl bottle shared by, at and with Benoit) 3.2 28-11-2016
Magic Rock Brewing Magic Rock / Kissmeyer Salty Kiss Okay gose. Hard to call this beer still with the sourness, dryness, umami, raspberry... Quite carbonated. It’s nice, but a beer... (33cl can from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.4 28-11-2016
Ratpenat Cervesers Ratpenat Imperial stout Very black, dark tan head. Sticky dark brown malts, syrup, brown sugar, milk chocolate. Low carbonation accentuating even further the thick malts. Dense, satisfying. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 27-11-2016
Brouwerij Kerkom Kerkom Hopverdomme Didn’t expect this... I mean with an ipa name and hoppy label you can expect some hops right? But all I got was alcohol, strong golden malts and a slight aromatic Noble hop perhaps in the back. I wouldn’t call this English IPA either, as it’s way too strong. So out of style, do I like it? The aroma not so much, it’s okay, bit the taste is decent with an alcohol warmth and big bubbly, bit fresh style, but working well. I dint mind this beer, but the aroma leaves you confused. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.1 24-11-2016
Brouwerij Loterbol (was Duysters) Loterbol Sint-Jan Diest Nice looking dark brown, creamy off white head. Dark caramel, rye, syrup. Very foamy body, bit harsh. Not so sweet actually. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.3 24-11-2016
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Tess A very green aroma with floral and herbal notes, fresh yeast. Light fruit, nice bubbly palate. Please summery drink. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.7 24-11-2016
Brouwerij Montaigu Echt Diesterse Beker 9° Quite filtered. Amber and caramel malts, simple and sweet, underdeveloped. Not Bière de garde style either, as it’s too fruity and sugary. It’s okay I guess, but on the edge. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.1 24-11-2016
Dille & Kamille (Nederland) Dille & Kamille Bock Brown, stable head. Looks like it should. Nice bready malts, juniper berries. Nice body, not very refined or spiced but pleasant enough malts. (33cl bottle Dille & Kamille Leuven) 3.5 24-11-2016
Hedonis Ambachtsbier Hedonis Suzanne Interesting aroma, with a sweet tea like floral note, bit of caramel malts, grapes. Like a sweet white wine, almost. Very much a spicy edgy taste, nice and original stuff. Very carbonated as it should be. Nice brew! (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.1 24-11-2016
Brouwerij Eutropius Eutropius Stafke Not sure what they were after, but an alcoholic, ester bomb with sharp golden malts, unbalanced bitterness, cloudy ugly mode and flimsy head, while gusher, was hopefully not it. That’s what it is though. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 2.9 24-11-2016
Totem Totem / Hedonis Vrie Weisse Green plantain, citrus hop, good white bread. Decent bitterness, foamy fulfilling body. Belgian tripel like malts disappoint a bit but the aroma is nice. Just a bit too full. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.4 23-11-2016
Brouwerij Van Steenberge Leuvense Tripel Typical strong Tripel malts, golden and sweet, with loads of esters and underdeveloped fermentation. Pretty present alcohol, but fair enough it’s fairly full flavoured too so it’s quite nice to drink. Just extremely typical small producer Belgian tripel. Still decent brew. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.5 22-11-2016
Gulden Spoor Bierboom Stevigen Tripel Amber body, small head. Heavy malty, touching on raisins. Alcohol, sharp malts, lots of caramel. It’s amateurish but pleasant in its traditional way. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.5 21-11-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Belgian Psycho Cloudy brown body, bubbly head. Speculaas/ginger bread spices, pine hops, amber malts. String bitterness but lots of amber and brown bready malts to balance. English style yeast, I think, clean ish but with a foresty character. Nice beer, good idea and well executed, my kind of brew. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.0 20-11-2016
La Quince Brewery La Quince / Guineu Unknown Pleasures Pitch black, tiny head. Vanilla sugar, thick choco malts. Boozy, thick, bitter, coffee, vanilla. Losts of whiskey, a bit too much IMHO, since it dims the base beer. But enjoyable. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.4 19-11-2016
Cervesa Guineu Guineu Esgarrapats Golden hazy beer. Pine, sharp freshness, lemon. Hot hoppy taste, alcohol, bitter but on the edgy side, not juicy. Quite clean fermentation, well enough developed. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.8 19-11-2016
Cervesa Guineu Guineu WIPA Somewhat underwhelming aroma, less fresh and less deep than hoped. The wheat gives a nice appearance and decent body, but the hop isn’t as well thought out an present as I hoped. Drinks okay but ultimately a bit underwhelming, especially the aroma. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.4 18-11-2016
Cervesa Guineu Guineu Mr. Petroli UPDATED: NOV 16, 2016 Black, small head, nice. Choco malts, dark sweetness rye bread, roast, nice. Good palate, clean enough fermentation. Nice. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.8 16-11-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project / Kaapse Brouwers Cheeky Kamille Brown body. Very tea like, sweet fruit juice, floral Lovely taste, indeed spring season like. Quite malty, a bit too much maybe. But nice brew, fulfilling palate. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.6 16-11-2016
Cervesa Guineu Guineu Sorachi Madness Very cloudy, golden, nice. Superb development, lovely fermentation profile. Great hop to malt balance, spicy, peppery, fresh tea, touch of fennel. Refreshing, mouth filling, great present but smooth bitterness. Fantastic body, really mouth filling palate. Yummy! (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 4.1 15-11-2016
Cervesa Guineu Guineu / Canediguerra Volpediguerra Nice looks. Hoppy but refined aroma, but it’s the taste that I find absolutely spot on. Mouth fulling, great bitterness. Nice little spicy edge, very clean but characterful fermentation. Great beer! (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 4.2 15-11-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Morning Sunshine Golden body, hazy. Very candy sweet aroma... Not sure if I like that. Like jelly beans. Also some herbal notes. Taste is somewhat more balanced but still that unpleasant candy sweetness running through. Not too impressed by this beer from a brewer I generally like a lot. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.3 14-11-2016
Browar Profesja Profesja Dudziarz UPDATED: NOV 13, 2016 Brown, cloudy, fluffy head. Very much in style with golden syrup sweetness, booze. This particular one is quite well developed though, especially the taste had enough bitterness and development to balance out all those sweet malts. Nice carbonation. (33cl bottle from De Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.8 13-11-2016
Gigantic Brewing Co. Gigantic / Beaus / Cider Riot! Snakebite Surprisingly like a French Bière de garde in aroma, with golden malts clean fruity fermentation. Apple and apricot brioche. Cider taste with little hop at all, though there are some herbal notes. Nice brew, different yet eventually a bit unexciting.) 66cl bottle from Kaapse Brouwers shop) 3.5 12-11-2016
Gigantic Brewing Co. Gigantic White Light White Heat Thick imperial ipa, bordering strong ale. Clean fermentation, amber malts and bucket loads of hops. And I really mean bucket loads. Juicy, bitter, fatty, full. Mandarine, resin. Delicious. (66cl bottle from Kaapse Brouwers shop) 4.3 12-11-2016
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Arthur Cloudy copper, creamy stable head. Fig compote, orange, deep. Very strong taste, American strong ale style. Really great. Punchy alcohol, but smooth malts and bucket loads of hops sort of keep things together. Yeah, beer can be daunting. (On tap at the brewery tap room) 4.1 11-11-2016
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Carrie Dark copper, very hazy stable creamy head. Very nice dank, deep hops. Beautiful juicy bitterness and clean enough too, but I mostly like the surprising balance between darker malts and loads of hop. Actually it’s the fermentation that does this, so that’s the best part. Regardless, it’s awesome. (On tap at the brewery tap room) 4.2 11-11-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Black Eyed King Imp Vietnamese Coffee Edition (Can) Thick yet clean impy, dark rye spice, toffee, coffee. Taste is sweet though, ice cream like. Molasses, thick, body. Very sweet but quite nice. Coconut? Ends with a welcoming bitterness though. (33cl can from Beer Lovers Shop LLN, I think) 3.8 10-11-2016
Brasserie de Silly Scotch Silly Barrel Aged 2014 (Cognac) Quite unique in that this already special style is augmented with barrel aging, from a quite classical brewer. It does carry lots of grape aromas and the malty sweetness is balanced a bit by that aging process. Still quite a heavy beer, biut I wouldn’t call it cloying. Don’t expect any hop, but more balanced through warming cheesy yeast and that barrel. Interesting beer. I must say though that it’s quite expensive. Still, I’d buy it if you haven’t tried it before and I think it’s my favourite in the barrel aged Scotch series, so far. (75cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN, I think, or was it Être Gourmet?) 4.1 10-11-2016
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier 28 Imperial Stout Nice dark aromas with pecan, cacao. But the taste is way too hot, chili. Agreeably a good malt backup, bit the alcohol with the heat is too much, sorry, hard to taste much more. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Ter Bank, yes really!) 3.4 09-11-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Rasputin Bourbon BA UPDATED: NOV 8, 2016 Dark brown, small head. Lovely sweet chocolate, fatty vanilla, deep wood, amazing. Not boozy actually, very balanced with different flavours going on from start to finish. Very soft carbonation makes this a smooth late night treat rather than a beery beer, super nice. Loved it, the bourbon really lifts this up. (33cl bottle from the brewpub) 4.4 08-11-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Elvis Juice (2016 -) Not the hoppiest ipa I’ve ever had, but nice and quite different citrus aromas still with just enough malty backup. Taste is more pronounced and special, with a slight sour zing to it, quite nice actually. Especially with the bubbly but moderate carbonation. Nice brew. Intesting to find this in the local supermarket.... (33cl bottle from AH Stevenshof) 3.8 06-11-2016
Kompaan Kompaan Badgast Cloudy golden. Sweet orange, somewhat spiced, golden malts. Pretty nice. Nice bitter bite. Very juicy, very drinkable, excellent body. Yeah surprisingly nice beer. White ipa more than a wit though. Not that I care. (33cl bottle from a liquor store in The Hague) 3.8 05-11-2016
Kompaan Kompaan 070 Kameraad Golden, clean, small lasting head. Nice smooth aromatic hops, classic but also citrus. Yummy. Solid bitterness, clean. Surprisingly good! (33cl bottle from a liquor store in The Hague) 3.7 04-11-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata Vallenato Coffee Porter Dark brown, creamy small head. Stale coffee, bit nutty, herbal, traditional. Very foamy, dimming the taste quite a bit. With a fair bitterness but less overall flavour than I hoped and expected from this great brewer. Overall a bit disappointing, to be honest. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 03-11-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Mexicake Beautiful. Vanilla ice cream, thick choco cream. Quite some Chili, but to my own surprise I liked it. Enough balancing sweetness. Not boozy. Nice brew, special and rich. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 02-11-2016
De Dochter van de Korenaar De Dochter van de Korenaar Bien-Sûr Light amber, very bubbly short lived head. Spiced, berries, Belgian yeast, amber malts. Nice original taste, traditional ale like but with a modern quality. Somewhat sweet but far from cloying due to the sour ale acidity and spiced middle. Only the ending is more nasal, less flavourful perhaps, and an alcohol heat. But that’s being nitpicky. Great ale, original stuff. (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.6 02-11-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Brew By Numbers Name & No. 01 Lemon curd, sharp, pound cake, yoghurt like even. Taste is a touch watery, but also more typical pale ale like. Towards the ending the beer reveals its real secret, with lovely bitterness and lingering, somewhat sour fruit flavours. Yes, eggs really nice! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 01-11-2016
Brasserie Saint Germain (Page 24) Saint Germain Page 24 Belgian Dubbel Burgundy Barrel Aged What a unique brew, fruity, woody, red wine like. Quite some alcohol over the brown bready malts, but very different and that what makes me recommend it. Not the alcohol heat, uncompromising, but the difference from whatever dubbel or barrel aged dark ale you’ve had just makes it fun. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 31-10-2016
Brasserie Saint Germain (Page 24) Saint Germain Page 24 Barley Wine Whisky Barrel Aged Again in the series a unique approach to a barrel aged craft beer style. This barley wine isn’t anything I would recognize from an American brewer or even euro craft, instead giving an unrefined and powerful beer, not hiding the alcohol, concentrated but with proper heat. Not going to give high marks, but just give it a try, it’s what makes beer tasting fun! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 31-10-2016
To Øl To Øl Roses are Brett Sour ale with strawberry, flowers, sharp vinegar. Strong sour taste, unrefined but refreshing. High, fitting carbonation. Lingering raspberry pit astringency. It’s all very rough, but okay enough. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.0 30-10-2016
To Øl To Øl Sur Mosaic Very fragrant yeast, mango hops, cinnamon, nice soft sweet malts, refined. Taste starts a bit thin, but unique, cucumber like? Weird and not quite my thing. Okay carbonation. Bit so beery almost, but a fun try. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 29-10-2016
To Øl To Øl Mr. Blonde Hazy and stable grey head. Sour apricots, farmy yeast. White wine like too. Unique brew and flavourful too. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 29-10-2016
Brasserie Saint Germain (Page 24) Saint Germain Page 24 Whisky Barrel Imperial Stout UPDATED: OCT 29, 2016 Black. Woody, light worked booze, sweet licorice. Different than the usual barrel aged impy, I like it! Sweet malty taste, bit too alcohol and sharp but again quite unique. Very vanilla. Bubbly body. More of a whiskey aged quad but that doesn?t matter, it?s very nice despite the big alcohol heat. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 29-10-2016
Õllenaut Õllenaut Kuukõndija Good looking black body, beige head. Mocha malts, herbal hop. Some coffee in the taste, smooth. Very soft but long aftertaste, sweet and pleasant. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 28-10-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Finisterra Imperial Porter Nice modern porter. Fairly sweet but satisfying and rich with also lots of hop. Very smooth, slick palate. Enjoyable end not too much for a bottle to drink by yourself despite the sweetness upfront. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 28-10-2016
To Øl To Øl Ginger Weisse Extreme candied ginger aroma. Exactly that! Those suger coated ones. Sharp nasal and hot in the throat. Oh my... I am no fan but also don’t mind those sweets, being very sharp and quite unique, but in beer... well it is certainly a first! Over the whole beer the sharpness dims a bit, but not much is getting in that place. You must really be a ginger lovers to dig this. For me... a 1 time fun try. Like holding your lips to a 9V battery. You know it;s gonna hurt, but you gotta try ti some time. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 2.8 28-10-2016
To Øl To Øl Baltic Frontier Seabuckthorn IPA Lovely developed with big juicy hops, farmy sweaty yeast. Some fermenting fruit. Taste is soury as well, gose like, plucky, really nice. Unexpectedly great mix of strong modern hops and (kettle?) sourness. Super beer, so drinkable yet special! (33cl bottle from Saveur Biere) 4.3 28-10-2016
Żywiec (Żywiec Group/Heineken) Lezajsk Pszeniczne Klarowne Very filtered and very pale golden. Besides the simple and quite sweet golden malts, there is still a hidden fermentation note there, lifting it above the extremely bland. It might be looking for a positive in so much nothing, but given the standard of super bubbly euro lagers, I can’t complain much with this late night tick. Even some bitterness. Could be worse, much worse. (50cl bottle from night shop in Lodz) 2.7 28-10-2016
Warka (Zywiec Group/Heineken) Warka Strong (2015- ) Pale golden with a touch of amber. Very stable head. Very sweet malts, very filtered. Golden and some alcohol shining through. Quite smooth to drink but devoid of any hop. That would have made this ok, but no it is bland and despite the easy to drink body I can’t be bothered with it. Not really watery, just not much flavour at all. Except for the lingering strong sweetness. (50cl bottle from night shop in Lodz) 1.9 28-10-2016
Carlsberg Polska Okocim Mocne Very filtered and very simple golden grainy aroma, but it isn’t offensive and not at all can be called bad. The alcohol makes it fairly smooth actually. As far as pale euro strong lagers go... this is not so bad at all, surprisingly. Very soft drinking. I bet you can easily get very boozed on this. (50cl bottle from night shop in Lodz) 2.8 28-10-2016
To Øl To Øl Mr. Pink Hard to describe beer. Fruity, strawberry, milky, but pale malts too and not overly expressive. Less creamy than expected but a well done and original taste. Light sour. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 25-10-2016
Belgo Sapiens Brewers Belgo Sapiens Blanche de Thines Much like those fresh brewers who just finding out American hops, this is a classic example of the (witbier, in this case) style, with hops thrown in. It sort of works, but not going to blow your mind. I think mostly the bubble is too big. Nice enough though. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN, I think) 3.2 25-10-2016
Browar PINTA Pinta Likier Słodowy Sweet malts, golden. Warming alcohol, light bubbly. Mouth fulling, nice. Ending bitterness. It’s the craft version of but lager. Decent enough but so much more to explore. (On tap at Piwoteka Lodz) 3.3 25-10-2016
Browar Piwoteka Piwoteka Smashing Stones Creamy, smooth hoppy. Very very good body. Orange hops, quite a dry lingering bitternes. Yummy ! (On tap at Piwoteka Lodz) 3.8 25-10-2016
Ziemia Obiecana Ziemia Obiecana Rin Tin Tin Very well made wheat beer with Bready malts, good modern hops, very appealing fruity herbal and rounded very much. Super smooth, hoppy but drinkable. Impressive stuff to be honest! Polish beer is awesome. (On tap at Piwoteka Lodz) 4.2 25-10-2016
Browar PINTA Pinta Czarna Dziura Black, small head. Malts bill felt a bit thin, generic. Neither very roasted or creamy. That’s okay for the aroma, but the taste left me wanting for more. Agreed, the large bottle doesn’t want you to have a too strong beer, but some more character is needed, or hops perhaps, to make me like it. (50cl bottle at All Star Lodz) 3.3 25-10-2016
Browar PINTA PINTA FarmHouse! Golden hazy, creamy grey head. Not quite a farmy as I expected, but that doesn’t matter. It has just enough character and it sur has a good quality malt base. Nice brew. (50cl bottle at All Star Lodz) 3.8 25-10-2016
Browar PINTA Pinta Hoplaaga Lemony hops, farmy, smooth, super fresh! Quite light but tasty, rich flavour. Nice brew, great palate. (50cl bottle at All Star Lodz) 3.8 25-10-2016
Browar PINTA Pinta Oto Mata IPA Orange hops. Appealing, warming but from the malts and sweet modern hops, not the alcohol. Great! Very smooth, finished this in no time. (50cl bottle at All Star Lodz) 4.1 25-10-2016
Browar Namyslow Namyslow Pils Plain, straight forward pils, but not so bad at all. Enough hop to keep you drinkable and not quite too fizzy. Slightly better than the average euro lager. (50cl bottle at All Star Lodz) 3.0 24-10-2016
Sulimar - Browar Cornelius Cornelius Baltic Porter 9% Brown body, lasting head. Bready, dark sugar, alcohol, hot ending, little hop, low carbonation, roasty. It’s okay, but much less nice than I hoped and expected from a Polish porter. (40cl bottle from and at the Tobaco hotel in Lodz) 3.0 22-10-2016
Põhjala Põhjala / To Øl Ginie (In a Bottle) Light toast, light caramel, apple pie, perhaps some pickle juice. Taste is stronger, sourish, but a bit one sized. Would have liked a more milky palate. Still an original and tasty brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 21-10-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Pumpkin Tzar Dense head, dark brown, lovely. Coffee, double cream, hazelnut liquor, toffee. Very creamy body, sweet and then chill heat. Coffee liquor. I typically am no fan of chili beers, but it’s just within reason here. Good brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 21-10-2016
Brouwerij Palm Arthur’s Legacy 10. Hop(e)less Ginny Odd beer. It’s well made, but its not as experimental as you might expect. The Belgian character is more dominant than any gin topic aromas that are there but dimmed by the used malts. In fact it’s a bit too malty to live up to that spice and herbal promise. Like drinking it though, quality brew, but at the price it’s sold for you expect something much more unique. (75cl bottle from Bier Circus) 3.4 20-10-2016
To Øl To Øl Fuck Art - This is Architecture Nice and surprisingly accessible saison with decent amount of fermentation character, not needlessly sour or spiced. Son brett would be lovely but the seats pal malts already work with the modern hop. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 20-10-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony What the Fuck?! Batch two Simcoe Amarillo. Very spicy hops, toasty malts, golden base. Sharp bitterness and alcohol, unrefined, but I have to say I’m a sucker for such beers. Decent brew, unrefined but liked drinking it. Typical White Pony alcohol heat. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.7 20-10-2016
Belgo Sapiens Brewers Belgo Sapiens Colonel Arch Nice toasty malts with decent pine hops. Nice fermentation, fairly clean but more English than American. Decent bitterness throughout. Not so much fresh as it is more rich, resiny. But nice brew for sure, my kind of beer. Touch rough but that’s fine. No, I really liked it, but sure why all the low ratings here. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.7 19-10-2016
Basqueland Brewing Project Basqueland Begi Haundi Very stable looks, creamy an appealing. Toffee, touch of licorice, rye spice, raisin, breakfast granola. Very foamy, bit too much even, even for me. Strong bitterness, even dry. Very tasty, dense stout. Very tasty indeed. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 19-10-2016
Sori Brewing Sori Coffee Gorilla Brown malts, palm sugar, bark, touch of tobacco. Foamy body, mouth filling and luckily that’s a very good thing, lots of dark roast bitterness and spicy malts to explore. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 18-10-2016
Brouwerij The Musketeers Troubadour Magma Special Edition 2016 Maris Otter Would have been nice to compare to the base version, but I didn’t have one. Nice aroma with toasted malts, fragrant spruce hops, well balanced, mineral. But it’s especially the taste that is spot on. Bitter yet great mouth feel. Bready appeal. Nice beer. (75cl bottle from Bier Circus) 3.8 18-10-2016
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Bruxellensis Super large head. Very Belgian in all the good ways, yeasty character, brett, toasty, bubbly, full of flavour. Super Yummy taste, funky, spicy, peppery. A real bitter bite. Great stuff even though it can’t quite reach the very high heights of the Mont Saleve brett beer colab. But really great. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.1 18-10-2016
Õllenaut Õllenaut Suitsu Porter Thin for the style. Roasted nutty malts, classic but disappointing, really not much complexity and not enough sweetness. Palate an taste are both disappointing, and this brewer has such good dark beers. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 15-10-2016
Silenrieux Cuvée des Lacs de l’Eau d’Heure Golden filtered looks, bubbly fine head. Very grainy, totally hopless, apple yeast, very simplistic. Sweet taste, very short aftertaste. Pretty hopeless. This is so terribly Belgian, in the less flattering sense of the Belgian beer culture. From the label, purpose and fermentation to its hopless aroma... Belgian beer can be utterly stunning, but, well, not always. Fun fund though. :-) (25cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 2.5 15-10-2016
Einstök Ölgerð Einstök Icelandic Arctic Berry Ale Thin, herbal, fruit, watery, no bitterness. Oh man this is disappointing. Not very traditional not crafty, just... Lightly spiced soda water. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 2.7 15-10-2016
Thornbridge Thornbridge Lukas Dry pale malts, almost herbal tobacco. Easy to drink despite decent amount of carbonation. Okay golden looks. Well done in a style that’s not normally going to blow your mind. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 15-10-2016
BrewDog BrewDog KingPin Straightforward lager, pale and not very fresh. The lack of hop is one thing, but I found the palate also to be too fizzy. Sorry Brewdog. (On tap at Brewdog Brussels) 3.0 15-10-2016
Cervecería Mexicana (Grupo Modelo) Dia De Los Muertos Queen of the Night Pale Ale Nice toasty butter taste with medium carbonation, but a Simplistic aroma and not the hop there I hope to find in a pale ale. (by the way, it’s not very pale at all.) drinks okay. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 14-10-2016
Ratpenat Cervesers Ratpenat Flavored Stout Very foamy, dry bitterness, misses sweetness really. Good looking, creamy, very dry, bit too much with all that roast. Less flavour than it should have, and where’s that Vanilla? Okay brew, but I just dislike the palate a lot. Sorry. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.5 14-10-2016
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne / Mont Salève Double Saison (with Brett, bottle only) Two of my absolute favourite brewers, an I style I love. What can go wrong? Pours a huge head, misty golden attractive body. Very bretty, very much. Farmy, lemon meringue. Absolutely delicious rich tasty, fresh, bretty, alive, layered, classic bitterness. Super dry, plucky even. Nasal classic hops. Amazing. Soooo glad I got to try this. Exactly my type of beer. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.4 14-10-2016
Brasserie de la Lesse De La Lesse La Cambrée Amber body. Light aroma, somewhat toasty. Very yeasty but not a lot of character from it still. But bubble. Uninspiring. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.1 14-10-2016
Brasserie de la Lesse De La Lesse La Chinette Simple yellow golden appearance, lots of yeast residue. Typical Belgian blonde, simple malty character, not very clean, warming or rich. Certainly a Simplistic yeast and fermentation. It’s okay, at best. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN, I think) 3.0 14-10-2016
Cervecería Mexicana (Grupo Modelo) Dia De Los Muertos Pay The Ferryman Porter UPDATED: OCT 14, 2016 Very toasted, dry, nasal. Bready, English fermentation. Watery palate. Overall a touch disappointing. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 14-10-2016
To Øl To Øl Mr. Orange Funky saison with modern hops like orange and mandarin. Some heat funky. Bit too carbonated perhaps. It’s a decent brew and fits my taste well. Touch pricy though, even at the always great value Être Gourmet shop. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.6 14-10-2016
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne / Pleine Lune / Bières Cultes Sîneke A Belgian ale in typical De La Senne style with golden and pale malts, accessible yet perfectly brewed, well done Belgian but dry fermentation and solid bitterness. Although it wouldn’t be my choice for a colab, it’s actually a great beer, very drinkable and bitter. Very well done. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.8 14-10-2016
Belgo Sapiens Brewers Belgo Sapiens P’tit Granit Dark brown, creamy head. Good body, English fermentation an hops, but craft style malts and fullness, very unfiltered. Good bitterness balance. Very pleasant brew. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN, I think) 3.7 14-10-2016
Õllenaut Õllenaut Lumelausuja Chocolate and toffee, not sweet but very beery. Delicious palate, rich taste and bitterness yet also dessert like. In fact it paired amazingly with home made brownies. Creamy mouth feel, delicious. Brilliant stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 13-10-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Drop Kick Me Jesus Starts more like a pale ale, with pale golden malts, small but pleasant and modern hops, zesty grapefruit and a light funk, but clean yeast profile. Taste is more pronounced sour, of the light yoghurt and perhaps pickle kind. Clean palate, touch sharp making it very refreshing and summery. Very nice fitting palate with low carbonation. Yum, good brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 12-10-2016
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Summer Oddity UPDATED: OCT 11, 2016 An odd beer indeed. Hard to identify this aroma... It?s dry and hoppy but also a flowery quality. What is this? Like the body, unique flavourful taste, bit herbal, somewhat sweet but balancing modern hops. Very fun to try! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) Edit: Doh! It?s on the bottle: cucumber. 3.5 11-10-2016
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme Santé-18! Small but very stable, creamy head, nice amber brown body. Very sweet sweaty aroma full of sweet, almost fermenting fruit, orange liquor, cheesy farmy fermentation, raisin. Very Belgian, sweet but good. (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.5 11-10-2016
Buxton Buxton / Arizona Wilderness Deep Rainbow Valley (Brett Edition) So much win in this beer. The complexities of the ingredients and its process are very well noticeable and worth it. Funky, farmy, toasty, fruity, spicy... all in there. Stronger sourness on taste, dry and super bretty. Yummy! (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.3 10-10-2016
Ratpenat Cervesers Ratpenat Barcelonina Orange marmelade hops, light cara malts. Bubbly fresh carbonation. Not so bad at all, nice sweaty summer aroma and not too bitter. Decent brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 10-10-2016
Vaat Vaat Witty Nelson Fresh aroma of passion fruit, grapes, pineapple. Pale and somewhat toasted malts, but all in balance. Very light carbonation, which makes it quite a bit fuller tasting than expected. Not sure if that fits the beer, but it’s not bad or anything. Soft bitterness. Nice aroma, okay taste. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, I think) 3.5 10-10-2016
Blue Point Brewing (AB InBev) Blue Point Summer Ale Pale, headless, ugly. Simplistic, sweet orange, clean fermentation. Prickly but artificial carbonation. Okay bitterness for the style, but devoid of any complexities, and most certainly of any fermentation character. Poor stuff, very poor. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.7 09-10-2016
Raduga Raduga Potiomkin Black, pretty headless. Chocolate, liquor. Alcohol but rich, rhum like. Slick body. It’s nice enough, exactly what I wanted to drink now. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 08-10-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Totally Radler Shandy like, citrus, soda, pale and light but also a bit beery, just enough. Quite watery, but at this abv not bad at all, at all. Spritzy carbonation. Nice brew, I am much impressed how decent it is. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 07-10-2016
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme Santé-20! Typical begins ale. Golden and quite attractive. Aroma is simple with pale golden malts, only some fruity yeast, somewhat farmy. Very spicy, hot even, but not in the spice addition sense, more fermentation aromas. Fennel, sage, throat warming. Not everyone will like this, but I do. Classicly styled yet original brew. (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.5 07-10-2016
Õllenaut Õllenaut Must Eksport Nice sweet porter, lots of milk chocolate malts, toffee, rye. Very nice body. Good! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 07-10-2016
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme Santé-19! UPDATED: OCT 7, 2016 Quite clean but still very farmy. Pale malts and classic hop, but not boring. Especially the taste,which has plenty of funky character. Yummy and drinkable although it?s a touch sweet for me. (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.7 07-10-2016
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse / Bad Hair White Label Barley Wine (Yura / Old Pulteney) Strong stuff. Pretty headless (bad hair day?), pungent aroma of iodine, dried fruit, meaty almost. Strong sweetness to ’balance’ all those barrel aromas. Like the taste much better, comforting and after dinner like, with a nice sweet malt extract style base. Be nice, but you must like this barrel aging character as well as heavy sweetness. I do. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, I think) 4.1 05-10-2016
Brasserie Sainte Hélène La Kiosque Amber murky looks, nice head. Light spice, lots of fruity esters, nice cara malts. Okay development, quite dry actually. Flavourful body, lots of fruity esters in teh taste, especially in the middle. Not very but sufficiently bitter. A very nice Belgian amber ale with enough warmth despite the low abv and dry enough to be drinkable. Good palate, like it. (75cl bottle from delicatessen gift shop in LLN) 3.7 04-10-2016
Brasserie Valduc Valduc Rio A typical but well developed Belgian blond ale, lots of fruity sweetness but not cloying. Spritzy, heavy carbonation at first, quickly dims. Decent brew, better than expected. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN, I think) 3.6 04-10-2016
De Dochter van de Korenaar De Dochter van de Korenaar La Frontière Resin, mango, amber malts, brioche. Strong, fitting carbonation. Soft bitterness (for the style). It’s a very decent pale ale. (33cl bottle from Être Gourmet, I think) 3.7 04-10-2016
Belching Beaver Belching Beaver Me So Honey Golden amber, very clear. Simple fermentation, quite clean. Light toast, some floral sweetness. Big but somewhat artificial feeling bubble. It’s okay, hoped for more flavour. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 3.1 04-10-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata / Green Street Imperial Saison Golden, big head. Bit dank, very Belgian yeast, simple cara malts but also a slight funk luckily to keep thus from being totally passable. Very foamy, strong, alcohol heat, classic hops. Objectively not very good perhaps but there’s something to be said for high abv carbonation bombs... Strangely indulgent, in all its simplicity. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 03-10-2016
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier 28 Saison UPDATED: OCT 3, 2016 Very misty yellow golden. Lively looks. Fresh citrus and farmy, mandarin, summery. Low carbonation for the style which is fine as the malts and hop are quite refined an it makes for a drinkable beer. Much above my expectations. Only the end is a bit short and simple. Good stuff! Doesn’t quite reach Dupont complexities but I love it. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee!) 4.0 03-10-2016
Brasserie de la Lesse De La Lesse La Rouge-Croix Brown sugar, simple coffee, fig, cola. Sticky body from the residual sugar. Sweet and very Belgian fermentation. Not so filtered so at least there’s some character left. But very sweet without too much complexity, so that’s no good. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.0 02-10-2016
Ratpenat Cervesers Ratpenat Bandera Negra Black IPA UPDATED: OCT 2, 2016 Pitch black, very nice looks. Stout like roast, dry, some pine hops, nice bit a touch underwhelming. Taste is more pronounced with strong bitter and spicy notes, as well as a very nice body. Rich taste, matches my preferences very well. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 02-10-2016
Basqueland Brewing Project Basqueland Coastal Eddie Black body, creamy head. Very much in the stout edge of black IPA, but I have to admit the bitterness is decent too and some nice fresher hops in the aroma too. Pretty big carbonation. Ending is quite juicy. Nice brew, drinks well. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 01-10-2016
Browar Amber Amber Grand Imperial Porter UPDATED: SEP 30, 2016 Very creamy tan head, dark to black body. Coffee, toast, humus, earthy, but also fresher notes of pear and nougat. Lighter than expected body but well made. In fact this makes it drinkable. Different and nice! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 30-09-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Saison des Prairies Spot in looks for the style. Funky for sure, also farmy, esters, peach, lemon, light cake. Foamy bubbly very nice palate, very Belgian. Makes it less drinkable but I don’t mind. Taste is a touch more normal, simpler, but nice brew, fairly bitter actually. Good stuff, my kind if beer. (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.8 30-09-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Red My Lips Very yummy ale. Totally against expectation (as its marked as a Belgian session ale) this is very hoppy, pine, great british style yeast, caramel and toasted malts, resin... Great aroma. Big bubble but I like that. Very good brew, above expectations. Nothing Belgian about this beer! (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.9 30-09-2016
Boulevard Brewing Company (Duvel-Moortgat) Boulevard Smokestack Series: The Calling IPA Crisp, clean, vibrant orange, pine, simple biscuit. A real classic American fermentation, drinkable despite the heat from the alcohol. Pretty big bitterness. Nice prototypical American ipa, pretty big. Crazy that the supermarket in Belgium carries this now... (Bottle from Delhaize Heverlee!!) 3.9 30-09-2016
Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille L’amer des Moeders UPDATED: SEP 29, 2016 Unique an yummy beer, all about the palate and development. Woody sourness, apple pie, oak, bready. Geuze like yet not at all that kind of sourness or funk. Very unique and honestly Belgian. Zesty hops, rich taste. Must try, whether you like it or not... I did! (On tap at Moeder Lambic Original) 4.2 29-09-2016
Lehe Pruulikoda Lehe Aus Karu Tuleb (Fair Bear Comes) 7.5% Nice spice, strong but balanced by the roasted malts. Good body, well developed. Yummy flavour rich but far from cloying. Enough bitterness. Really liked it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 29-09-2016
Lehe Pruulikoda Lehe Suur Reheahi A very nice stout. Starts with a very solid appearance, deep and inviting. Creamy mouth feel, rich, fitting low carbonation. Yummy! Nice little spice, dark cacao and roasted nuts. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 28-09-2016
Brasserie Sainte Hélène Sainte Hélène Mistinguett Amber and quite hazy. Belgian fruity yeast, light brown sugar, touch of English style hops. Nice palate, just bubbly enough, light spicy ending. Good brew. (75cl bottle from a delicatessen type gift shop in LLN) 3.8 27-09-2016
Brasserie du Clocher Du Clocher Philomène Florale Very fresh feeling with its huge foamy head, spices, pale malts, floral hop and adjunct aromas. Super flowery but I like it much better than feared. Okay mouth feel, simple and quite carbonated, but decent enough fermentation. It’s nice enough. (75cl bottle from a delicatessen type gift shop in LLN) 3.4 26-09-2016
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Borefts Kellerpils Great Keller, bit lighter than the others at the festival, but fresher too. Nice very drinkable body and fitting bubbly carbonation. Flowery hopping, good stuff. Tasty! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.6 25-09-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata Lab Nº 003 Hoppy Lager It’s a pilsner, it’s hoppy, modern, but simple in style. Classic and modern hops. Not too much to say... Very nice body though! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.5 25-09-2016
Dry & Bitter Brewing Company Dry & Bitter Everybody Dance Not the best looking. Light funk but also ipa like, with a Saison style yeast... A real mix of styles and it really works. Summery aromas, pale malts, funky undertone. Bit short ending but that only makes you sip more. Nice brew, original. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.7 25-09-2016
Bakunin Brewery Bakunin Salty Dog Murky, mostly headless. Aroma isn’t much either, with flat apple juice, almost filtered, some herbal notes, pine tips maybe. Underdeveloped I think. Quite a bland taste, light bitter, not very sour... Can’t find much to like to be honest, very underwhelming. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 2.9 25-09-2016
Gänstaller Bräu Gänstaller Bräu Schwarze 90 This was one of my biggest (positive) surprises of the festival. Super dark and dense and flavourful yet with a clean low fermentation cleanliness, smoothing everything out and also helping the hops come out. Heavy bitterness but as this must be fermentation/aged super long, everything work so well together. My wife, not typically a big imperial stout fan, loved this, and so did I! Impressive stuff, world class quality. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.4 25-09-2016
Gänstaller Bräu Gänstaller Bräu Kellerbier UPDATED: SEP 25, 2016 From all brewers at Borefts, this must have been the obvious one to do a great Keller... And they did. Very spot on on style, lightly toasted, perhaps a bit too traditional as it?s not the most exciting. But the development and fermentation is perhaps the best I had. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.5 25-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Honeybush & The Mango UPDATED: SEP 25, 2016 Cloudy amber, small lasting head. Flowers, candy, caramel and a biscuit malt balance, but quite fresh as well. Taste is more expressive, spicy even. But also more sweet, off centered. It?s nice. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.6 25-09-2016
Sahtipaja Sahtipaja Passion For Mango Nice creamy looks. Typical Berliner body with its yoghurt like sourness and always great richness in texture at the low abv it has. The mango works well, soft sweet and fruity, while staying beery too. Very rich taste and really up my alley. Great! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.9 25-09-2016
Sahtipaja Sahtipaja Almost Same But More Didn’t know what to expect of this dipa, but it’s quite unique on its own. It had the hop levels and abv of a dipa, but bit more herbal maybe than the usual? Might be the hops chosen; earthy. It’s different. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.6 25-09-2016
Sahtipaja Sahtipaja Sahti Herbal, humus, light spice, tea, touch woody. Quite flat and not bitter, but that’s the style it is. Maybe a bit young though? As I can remember the other samples in this style I had to be deeper and smoother. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.3 25-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Prinses & De Perzik Decent amount of peach, but very beery, not like in a peach Lambic or Berliner Weisse. The hop choice (I think it’s the hops) further being some fruitiness that, together with never full pale ish malts, really give a good glow. The looks aren’t great, way too flat, but alas. Never super sweet tasting though. Good stuff, fun to try. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.5 25-09-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata Keller Had to try the festival special. But it’s not very special. In style and well executed but the biscuit malts are the only thing from making this totally blend, as the fermentation isn’t up to true Keller standards of the beery competition at Borefts. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.1 25-09-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata Súria (2016-) (Gluten Free) Hazy orange. Touch thin. Zesty orange marmelade, refined fermentation. Yummy. Certainly one of the very best gluten free beers I ever had. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.7 25-09-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata / Kaapse Piet UPDATED: SEP 25, 2016 On the malty side, but I like how it?s pale still. Great mouthfeel worth the abv. Tropical hop choice, mango. Not too bitter actually compared to their own ipa and other blond beers, but that makes it more than just a higher abv ipa, with more pale and biscuit malt character to explore. Good stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.0 25-09-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata ViaKrucis A very decent ipa with almost American levels of cleanliness in the fermentation, so the hops cab really shine. Fairly bubbly but this tap version drinks smoothly still. Yummy levels of bitterness, perfect for me. Great stuff! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.9 25-09-2016
Bevog Brewery Bevog Kramah India Pale Ale Superb ipa in flavour development and freshness. Sweet fruity and more classic grassy hops, very good mix. Great palate not too bubbly but refreshing and juicy bitter. Quickly make you get another sip, and again. Great fresh modern hops, great beer, really well done. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.2 25-09-2016
Bevog Brewery Bevog Rudeen Black IPA UPDATED: SEP 25, 2016 Dark brown. Aroma is kind of roasted toasted, with resin and fresh fruity hops, but as it should (its an ipa, not a stout) the taste is really bitter and hoppy and dry. Great stuff. Its why I love Black IPAs, there?s much to explore and never feel heavy if done well like this. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.1 25-09-2016
Oedipus Oedipus Kinderyoga Barrel Aged Very well done beer. The aging doesn’t override the character of the beer, which is a well executed imperial stout with nice dark brown sugar sweetness and toasted bits. Smoothed out a bit with the aging into a full flavoured and surprisingly rounded beer. Nice! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.1 25-09-2016
Gänstaller Bräu Gänstaller Bräu Andreator A good strong dark bock, nice spice and the body (wheat?) is full and fulfilling. Licorice malts give a little twist. Somewhat burned toast. Good stuff! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.9 25-09-2016
Gänstaller Bräu Gänstaller Bräu Affumicator Dark brown. Super creamy beautiful smoked lager combined with thick spicy German doppelweizen style bock... I adored it, one of the very few beers I had multiple of at Borefts, and and my closer beer. Concentrated taste, enough sweetness against the spice and strong burned wood style smoke. Absolutely delicious! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.5 25-09-2016
Cigar City Brewing Cigar City Trousseau Amazing beer. I live barley wines, the sweet and thick variety as well as this cleaner hopped up version. This one is American string ale style almost, but maltier, fuller. Concentrated flavours, smooth thick but never cloying body. Very well developed, the clean American fermentation works surprisingly, shockingly well. Yummy, delicious. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.4 25-09-2016
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne / Laugar Ich bin ein Berliner Framboos Nicely done Berliner Weisse, very fruity, fresh, yoghurt, full flavour and body for the abv, packed with raspberry and strawberry flavours. Yummy. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.0 25-09-2016
Thiriez Thiriez Lager des Houblons Their first lager for over 20 years... Well they did good. It’s odd from a brewer perhaps best know for its Belgian unique farmhouse yeast... But they did well with a great fermentation, very clean and not crisp but clean and classic but present and refined hops. Loved to have tried this one! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.8 25-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Balsamico Year 3 Finally this beer is starting to smooth our, with still a strong vinigar sourness overlaying the darker and brows sugar malts, but the aroma and taste both get a bit of balance now. Its still string sour but of the fermenting fruit kind, with lots of sweetness throughout as well. Heavy stuff, but people seem to really like it and I did kind of as well, for the first time... (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.5 24-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Good & Bad A very dense imperial stout with great stand-out palate and amazing dark looks. The heavy roast also gets much backup from a tropical kind of aromas. Peaches or something? Very slick ending. Liked it a lot if in smaller quantities I think. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.3 24-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Hemel & Aarde (Bourbon BA) UPDATED: FEB 24, 2017 Black body with small head. Served a bit cold TBH but still directly hit you with it?s rich sweet bourbon vanilla, milk chocolate and clearly present but well integrated smoked malts, of the woody kind. The aging didn?t thin the beer much and added a strong character of its own. The smokey malt further help to make sure this is still a solid stout in the beginning. Grat stuff! (On tap at Borefts 2016) Re-rate. Bottle bought at the brewery. Amazing complexity, rich malts, not too dimmed by the barrel aging. Super dull flavour. Wow, stunning beer! Upped my rating another bit. (33cl bottle from the brewpub shop) 4.3 24-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Mooi & Meedogenloos (Bourbon BA) Pitch black, full on boozy. Vanilla, creamy, bourbon, chocolate milk. Sweet and luscious, very rich palate and sticky ending. Great stuff and the barrel aging (not sure what blend they used, need to ask) works wonders here to smoothen everything into a powerhouse yet refined sweet stout. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.3 24-09-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Chili Hammer Super nice light mango hoppy. That’s the aroma... But luckily the taste is nice too with a heat in the back but also a nice hoppy bite and some spicy hops, English too. Interesting brew with the heat separate from th base (solid) ipa but somehow it kind of works. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.7 24-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Vermouth Beer Reddish, quite clean. Herbal, tea like. Super odd... Thin body, overall okay I guess, hard to judge (or like). Fun idea and the body and floral nasal aromas are quite unique. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.4 24-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Fruit IPA Grapefruit Murky but still nice looking. Really fresh, grapefruit, marmelade. Juicy bitterness but spritzy carbonation. Fermentation is out of the way. Good stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.9 24-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Hell & Dessert Cherry-Cinnamon Thick black body, amazing stuff. This version is slightly less aromatic, but that only makes the malts shine even more. Stunning brew, complex and worth every drop. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.1 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Hell & Dessert Cherry-Vanilla Just like this a touch better than the cinnamon version, unexpectedly, as this carries even more complexity and the vanilla shines more than the cinnamon even could. Super rich body, great sweetness only just balanced out with all that hop. Long, long ending. Great beer. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.3 23-09-2016
Oedipus Oedipus Lager Lager Lager 1 Fresh hops, pillowy head, smooth fermentation. What’s not to like? Certainly dig the bitter taste and creamy texture. Yes, very successful and refreshing! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.0 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Framboos & Framblij Unexpected beer, blond and Belgian ale aromas with sweet red fruit but only in the back, as the pale malts are more dominant than expected. Long lasting different berry like aromas though. Unexpected, even odd beer. Not my thing but fun to try anyway. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.4 23-09-2016
Cigar City Brewing Cigar City Invasion Pale Ale Super creamy. Typical American fermentation. Modern hops, super well preserved too, with darker resin notes to keep you in your toes. The palate is stunning and the best about this beer, despite the great hoppy aroma. Great beer. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.1 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Hair of the Dog Fred From the Wood Brown copper, small head. Dried fruit, vanilla, herbal liquor, woody. Super well aged, really good development. Punchy buy again very well developed taste, amazing flavours. Long aftertaste, burning a bit bit o love it! Stunning! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.4 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Hair of the Dog Adam From The Wood Dark brown, small head. Deep bourbon, wood, humus, chocolate. Rich sweet and bitter and boozy and roasted aroma. Not thin either from all that aging. Super powerful, yummy, overwhelming almost. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.1 23-09-2016
Dry & Bitter Brewing Company Dry & Bitter / Bierol / Loncium Everybody Dance Not sour per se, but nice balance between fresh fruit, grapes, berries, modern hops and very very clean fermentation. Delicious palate, as every beer from these guys. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.0 23-09-2016
Dry & Bitter Brewing Company Dry & Bitter Still Lifestyle Super creamy head, black body. Coffee, deep brown sugar. Rich dry taste, rich coffee and dry bready ending. Yummy! Long lasting goodness. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.0 23-09-2016
Dry & Bitter Brewing Company Dry & Bitter Dank & Juicy Super well developed, dry, hoppy. Great beer palate, low carbonation. Long lasting flavour at this low ish abv. Yummy. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.9 23-09-2016
Dry & Bitter Brewing Company Dry & Bitter Christian Bale Ale Mosaic hops shine with this bone dry body, but it perhaps shown its flaws too here and there. It misses a tough of fruitiness and deepness. Having said that I love this beer, you can drink this all day long. But if I plan on that I would pick the citra version, to my own surprise. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.8 23-09-2016
Dry & Bitter Brewing Company Dry & Bitter Citra Bale Ale Oh my this is good. Great dry fermentation, amazing freshness and considering its a single hop the aroma is very complex. Lots of orangey goodness. I, to my own surprise, love this more than the Mosaic version. But for both I can hardly recommend it enough... 4.0 23-09-2016
Dry & Bitter Brewing Company Dry & Bitter / Jopen Under The Radar Black, super stable head. Creamy, super well developed. Roasted, coffee. Super tasty. Long lasting taste. Amazing beer! (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.2 23-09-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Neon Overlord Nice smooth pale ale aroma. But then huge Chili heat. Wow... Way too much. The throat got burned... Out if balance with its nice hops and decent palate but stupid heat. . (On tap at Borefts 2016) 2.7 23-09-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Blitz Gin Lychee, tonic water, cucumber. Summery but odd. Very soda like. Drinks well though, not getting any alcohol. A unique brew. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.6 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Weer & Wind (2016) Copper to brown body, creamy head. Very dense, rich malty sweetness of light caramel and toffee. Vanilla and thick bourbon base. Super strong, boozy but satisfying. Very sweet, desert beer. Love it. On a bottle this could come out a bit less sweet, but I love it. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.1 23-09-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Electric India (5.2%) Nice summery modern odd aroma, with hops cucumber, cocktail. Taste is more traditional. Nice pale malts, well developed. Nice brew. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.8 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Hair of the Dog Binkie Claws UPDATED: SEP 23, 2016 Brown, crazy frothy head. Sweet, very sweet, bourbon, vanilla, fig compote. Aged to perfection, delicious. Stunning beer. Misty copper golden, creamy head. Light malty, clean but characterful fermentation, light caramel, sweet berry note. Woody in the ending. Drinks flavourful, much more powerful than expected. Bitter bite in the middle. Certainly a very modern beer, but I expected more lager qualities. Good stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.5 23-09-2016
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Brewers Reserve Oat IPA Misty golden, frothy. Lemony, sharp spice lifting up the fresh hop. But it’s the fermentation that stands out, superb. Excellent beer. Again. . (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.3 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Tea & Orchids Odd aroma of sweet fermenting fruit. Flowery to almost bubble gum. Taste is more balanced with some herbal bitterness. Nice low carbonation. Good brew. Quite unique. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.5 23-09-2016
Cigar City Brewing Cigar City / Knee Deep Continental Drift Super creamy, super well developed. American style fermentation rarely seen in euro IPAs. Very clean yeast, giving all the way to the hops and pale but nice malt mix. Nice. . (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.1 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Tsarina Esra BA Eisbock Totally black, headless. Punchy strong, powerful booze and chocolate. Enough sweetness over the strong dry bitterness from the roasted malts. Deep sweet ending but powerful and delicious. Heavy stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.1 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Thirty Grams Very dank, muddy. Super hop oil but the actual hop freshness seem to flow away quickly, starting huge and ending minimal. Not necessarily crazy bitter. Good beer but the hop amounts seem a bit lost on me. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.4 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Apple & Pie Murky. Very interesting idea and it really works too. Apple and fresh hop. Super juicy full body. Yummy! Lrab. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.0 23-09-2016
Brouwerij Kees Kees Da Hong Pao Strong aroma full of sweet flowers, honey, caramel, spicy pepper. Heavy full taste, touch cloying. I’m a bit oversaturated right now but still much enjoy it, top notch stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.0 23-09-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Abstrakt AB:21 Pitch black, creamy body. Licorice galore but also lavender. Very thick and very sweet. Long lasting aftertaste. Good but heavy, for a very small tasting glass. Cloying body. Misty copper golden, creamy head. Light malty, clean but characterful fermentation, light caramel, sweet berry note. Woody in the ending, chili. Drinks flavourful, much more powerful than expected. Bitter bite in the middle. Certainly a very modern beer, but I expected more lager qualities. Good stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.6 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Zon & Gezelligheid Light yellow copper to grey, nice small lasting head, grey. Lots of apricot, sweet apple pie, cheesy yeast. Creamy mouthfeel with Prickly carbonation. Yummy summery beer, starts very sweet but evens out due to the dry Bretty body. Misty copper golden, creamy head. Light malty, clean but characterful fermentation, light caramel, sweet berry note. Woody in the ending. Drinks flavourful, much more powerful than expected. Bitter bite in the middle. Certainly a very modern beer, but I expected more lager qualities. Good stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.5 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Bitter & Noodzaak Misty copper golden, creamy head. Light malty, clean but characterful fermentation, light caramel, sweet berry note. Woody in the ending. Drinks flavourful, much more powerful than expected. Bitter bite in the middle. Certainly a very modern beer, but I expected more lager qualities. Good stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.6 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Roest & Rogge Almost headless, but clean and copper. Spicy start from hop and rye. Different malt bill makes this nice and original. Great bitter bite, spicy, anise seed, yummy. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.9 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Zombier Nibs & Beans Pitch black, cream body. Extremely nice extreme coffee and dark roasted aroma. Concentrated espresso, vanilla, touch of bacon like smoke. Amazing. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 4.6 23-09-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Hier & Nu (Here & Now) Light misty golden. Very fresh, modern citrus hops. Very clean fermentation. Bitter and dry, but nice and drinkable, with a sharper hop kick in the back. (On tap at Borefts 2016) 3.7 23-09-2016
Brasserie de Silly Silly Sour Copper body, small head. Amber malts and tea, but mostly a fruity danky sourness. Red vinegar like bit not sharp,quite juicy. Decent beer. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.4 22-09-2016
Baba Jaga Baba Jaga Black Widow Hugely smokey. Didn’t expect that... But I like it! Really bbq smoke style, meaty. Love it! Also a rhum type of booze, dark roast, earthy. Taste is much less rough and smokey, but still dry and toasted. Perhaps a bit watery, but it’d only moderate in abv after all. Bitter ending. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 22-09-2016
To Øl To Øl Peardon My French Amber copper, creamy head. Fruity aroma, peachy, sweet dried fruit, light herbal. Taste is quite sweet, bit farmy but not enough. Towards the end there’s something more interesting, almost funky. Not really my type of beer and with all this aging and fruity I expected a bit more. (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.4 22-09-2016
Sainte Crucienne Sainte Crucienne Projet Chaos Absolutely delicious. Fresh, hoppy, modern but enough fermentation character too. Super juicy body, really great. Not too bitter, super drinkable. Wow. I could drink this all the time, all day long.. . (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 21-09-2016
Browar Birbant Birbant Old Ale Brown body, stable. Black tea, licorice, brown malts, toast and a humus type hop undertone. Nice body, very full but far from cloying, with nice heavy carbonation to bring balance to those quite strong flavours. Enjoyed it much. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 21-09-2016
Authentique Brasserie Authentique Houblon Typical Belgian blond, simple yeast. Aroma is okay with a herbal touch, but the taste isnt anything special at all. Somewhat but not not terribly bitter ending. It’s okay, bit amateurish. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.2 20-09-2016
To Øl To Øl Sur Yule Red copper body, stable grey to off white head. Nice fresh aroma full of foresty aromas like fresh berries, green leaves sweet flowers and humus. The initially sour fruit taste flows into a fruity malty fade and back all the way into a plucky sourness again. Low carbonation, but sharp, further enhances the dry and plucky character of this fine ale. I really dig it, quite different unique actually and better developed than expected. Yummy! (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 4.2 19-09-2016
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme de Tous les D’iâpes Murky Orange amber, nice glow. Heads starts nice, but totally disappears... Rough amber malts, berries, gin, fruity fermentation, farmy. Very typically atypical Fantôme beer! Foamy carbonation, ugly head and an alcohol heat can’t prevent me from really liking this... Sorry! Must be the typical farmhouse yeast. (75cl bottle from Être Gourmet) 3.8 19-09-2016
Brewski Brewski Passionfeber Lots of passion fruit indeed, but the sour astringent bite of a passion fruit pit is also in here. Both are in aroma and taste. Not sure it that makes the beer better... (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 19-09-2016
Lehe Pruulikoda Lehe Lõbus Njuufa A Black IPA... No, it’s a stout. But that’s okay. Lots of coffee, dark roast, herbal. But the body isn’t clean not freshly hopped... That’s okay I like the fermentation going on an the palate is nice and just full enough. Short ish aftertaste but very pleasant drink. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 19-09-2016
Lehe Pruulikoda Lehe Suur India Tea, resin, old sock... Dull. Amber malts and equal body. It’s fairly clean but even considering it’s not an ipa, this can’t convince me much of its qualities. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 18-09-2016
In Peccatum Craft Beer In Peccatum Cowboys From Hops Remastered Cascade and similar typical American hops, but a bit old fashioned already, almost. Okay body but again the recipe feels unfinished, amateurish. Expected more. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 18-09-2016
Brewski Brewski Pango IPA Very murky pale busy, huge head. Flimsy though. Very fresh, very modern, very appealing. Nice dry bitter body. Simple maybe, with a minimal malt backup, but due to the aromatic start I still like it a lot. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 18-09-2016
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Summer ale Amber to copper body and stable head, nice! Lovely amber malts and orange marmelade hops. Summery, not sure I can think of more summery beers, but regardless, very pleasant to drink. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 17-09-2016
Brewski Brewski Mangofeber DIPA Very murky, flimsy head, frothy. Hugely hoppy and fresh. Indeed mango galore, and also great malts to balance. Very nice bitterness and clean fermentation but sharp carbonation too. Very nice aroma, good taste and odd palate... (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 17-09-2016
Brasserie St-Feuillien / Friart Grisette Blanche Bio Murky golden, flimsy white head. Very Coriandre seed spiced. Light nice body but quite watery. Luckily also dry, fresh. On the bright sun this isn’t so bad! Underhopped but better than the sweeter non bio version actually. (25cl bottle at Exki lunch shop LLN) 3.3 17-09-2016
Lehe Pruulikoda Lehe Tagasi Etioopiasse Brown body, flimsy head, super foamy. Not a fan of the palate of this one. Coffee us there, but couldn’t we get it from just the malts? Not sure either about the taste, quite bland. Disappointing. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 16-09-2016
Browar Kingpin Kingpin Aficionado Interesting one! Creamy beautiful beer. Starts with a distinct peat aroma, but after some sips the whole aroma transforms into something unique and balanced yet characterful. Despite the clean fermentation there’s so many things going on, from black tea to woody herbs and a cake like malts base. Nice ! Taste is nicely balanced too, not very bitter at all but a nice smooth smoke layered though the tea flavours. Touch of mocha. Nice brew. Would love to try it with different teas or even different yeasts. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 14-09-2016
Browar Piwoteka Piwoteka Zacny Zalcman Golden body, but murky. Kind of sweet for the style, and malty. I dint get the drinkable unique body of a gose. Not tart or yoghurt like or even umami as some can be. Disappointing for sure. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 14-09-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Saison UPDATED: SEP 14, 2016 Considering the brewery?s location, this is about as farmhouse as you can get, but it?s the beer character itself too, luckily, that is true to the name. Loads of fermentation character over a lemony and pale malt base flavour. Some good tartness in the middle keep things interesting throughout. The murky looks are in line with the rough palate of this tasty are still quite refreshing ale. Finish has some bitterness and overall things are certainly dry. In fact the lovely dry body is my favourite part of this successful brew. A fine beer on my book! (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.8 14-09-2016
Browar Solipiwko Solipiwko Czarna Pitch Black, creamy. Very nice roast aromas, with the hops pushed a bit backward. The taste reveals them again, together with an ever so slight heavy cream character. Bit sweet in the end due to the heavy body. Nice brew, more of a stout type but decent stuff. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 13-09-2016
Belgo Sapiens Brewers Belgo Sapiens Le Pain Quotidien Primeur Ambrée Light copper, small head. Light toast, not so sweet. Decent simple Belgian amber, not so fruity and it makes it more drinkable for it. (33cl bottle at Pain Quotienne Leuven, with Darren and Alyssa) 3.3 13-09-2016
Browar Kingpin Kingpin Rocknrolla Amber looks, nice. Tea, tropical, clove, touch medicinal. Nice, bit typical and just refreshing enough. Carbonation is a bit too, eh, harsh maybe, which subdued the nice malts and clean fermentation a bit. On the other hand it’s nicely drinkable and just enough bitterness for my taste buds. Decent brew. More amber ale than APA, but whatever. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 07-09-2016
Browar PINTA Pinta Atak Chmielu Dark copper, small head. Resin, lots of it. Touch rough bit very fulfilling body. In fact a very fulfilling beer as a whole. Only the taste itself it a but one sided perhaps. And the carbonation really disappeared... (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 07-09-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Três Santos Citrus and light biscuit malts, but also a bit of ethanol. Simple malts, clean enough but not sure why I’m not digging it... Odd temperatures? Its not quite as I hoped. Bertanne liked it though, so it’s personal. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 07-09-2016
Browar Setka Setka Ich Bin Ein Minister Hazy light golden. Mellow aroma of sweet melon, white bread. Delicate but decent. Touch watery and an odd dryness to it, but very drinkable. Yoghurt touch, like that. Good flavour for the low abv. Yeah I don’t mind this at all as a refresher. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 07-09-2016
Brokreacja Brokreacja The Lumberjack Dark dense looks, nice. Coffee toasty, light spice. Very dry, very much so. Spicy base malts, roasted again. Good body for the abv. If you like dry beers that is! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 07-09-2016
Baird Brewing Co. Baird Rising Sun Pale Ale Mango fruity hops, resin too. Some tea and toasty malts, nice smooth fermentation. Taste is simpler, as is the quite heavy body. Started so nice. But disappointing really in the end. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 07-09-2016
PR Distribution La Fessée Blonde Very classically French brew, fine herbal hops, wheaty pale malts, slight brioche like sweetness and fruity but quite clean fermentation. Goudale like, but ever so slightly more hoppy and herbal, which I think diminishes the overall quality a bit in this style. Also not quite alcoholic enough. But decently done beer in a boring, admittedly, style. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 06-09-2016
Baird Brewing Co. Baird Kurofune Porter Dark brown, very cream head, nice looks. Refined roasty and coffee aroma, herbal hop. Quite smoothed out, pleasant. Taste is nice but I do feel it’s a bit heavy on the stomach. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 06-09-2016
Sori Brewing Sori Investor IPA Tropical and citrus fruit, yes, but not the post modern mango and passion fruit, more ’classic’ American style. Big carbonation and not quite the American level cleanliness in fermentation, but pleasant body. Touch of sweetness in the body is certainly there, next to the inherent hop bitterness. Nice brew, very quaffable. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 06-09-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Metropolitan Pale Ale Dark copper, instable head. Very nice amber aroma with modern hops, toasty (but but dry) malts, sweet tangerine, floral hops too. Really nice, if not at all what I’d expect from a pale ale. Drinkable foamy body, really filling the mouth with flavours. Nice stuff, not too bitter too (for me). Longer than expected aftertaste, albeit a touch simpler. Fermentation is just interesting enough, but mostly out of the way. Really nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 05-09-2016
Coreff Coreff Dramm Hud Faint caramel, herbal hop, very filtered. Nicer taste, more expressive, herbal, traditional ale like. Pretty sweet but it has something typical that’s nicer than feared. Could be worse. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 05-09-2016
Coreff Coreff Blanche Bio Misty golden. Wheat is there, as is a Belgian fruitiness but clean fermentation, light herbal. Small spice over the decently full base malts. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 05-09-2016
Coreff Coreff Ambrée Bio Quite clean, light brown body. Simple palate, quite a big bubble. Aroma is light toasted, but still quite uninteresting. Bit too filtered. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 05-09-2016
Coreff Coreff Blonde Bio Blond, slightly misty. Large head. Simple apple like pale malts. Okay I guess. Light herbal spicy, almost fennel taste over the base boring golden malt sweetness and balancing foamy carbonation. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 05-09-2016
McAuslan Brewing (Brasseurs RJ) McAuslan Griffon Brown Ale Herbal, Irish feel to this one. English hops with a quite sweet yet filtered taste. Not very modern, but that’s fine, I still enjoyed it. In the same way I enjoy a bock. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 05-09-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Matiné Session IPA Copper body. Huge head. Very spicy and citrus, very hoppy and quite special. I wonder about the hops used... Nice spicy bitter taste too, with light but pleasant body. Carbonated but drinkable. Shorter ending, as fits the beer. Very nice. Accidentally bought two but I don’t regret that! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 05-09-2016
Baird Brewing Co. Baird Wabi Sabi Japan Pale Ale Misty copper body, creamy head. Great looks, very appealing! Nice aroma with herbal fermentation, foresty, almost floral Violet in the nose. Certain heat to the body, but drinkable and quite spicy nice, with enough bitterness. Interesting brew, fairly clean, professional. Tasty. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 04-09-2016
In Peccatum Craft Beer Keltius Los Suaves Dark brown body and medium but foamy head. Stout like with roasted malts, but also a molasses like sweetness. Taste is quite pronounced in sweetness and herbal bitterness, but a bit simple, underdeveloped. I especially am not font of the texture, very bubbly. Are they hiding something? Rough yeast residue. Hoped for more. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 03-09-2016
Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Scorcher IPA Fresh hops of mandarin and a spicy touch. Pale and golden base malts. Strong bitterness, full flavour for the moderate abv. Very clean, perhaps too much even. Typical classic American ipa, which I like. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 03-09-2016
Õllenaut Õllenaut Eesti Rukki Eil Dark brown and small but stable head. Aroma starts out between a Belgian dark ale and an Irish ale perhaps. Sweet, somewhat dark fruity fermentation and from there steady it’s more herbal and lots of licorice malts character. Full flavoured, very nice. Great brew, actually different too. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 03-09-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Roasted Rye Black IPA Reddish brown, creamy head. Roast, spice, licorice, but also some funk. Bit typical Black IPA I think, but I enjoy it for sure. Nice modern body, low but present carbonation. Nice brew, different, which it good. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 02-09-2016
Browar Faktoria Faktoria Winchester IIPA UPDATED: SEP 1, 2016 Somewhat copper body, small stable head. Resin and herbal hops, very nice. Some raisin and grapefruit peel. Strong and juicy bitterness, very nice. Good mouth feel, just clean enough but certainly a creamy, even corny, but as nasty as that may sound it?s actually really great. Touch buttery, but very nice brew. An Imperial IPA for drinking in large amounts. Yummy! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 01-09-2016
Cervecería Mexicana (Grupo Modelo) Dia De Los Muertos Death Becomes You Amber Ale German feeling amber with light toasty and herbal classic hop. Thin but still quite pleasant to drink. Simple aftertaste, decent flavour overall. Didn’t know what to expect, but enjoyed it enough. (33cl bottle from 3.2 01-09-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Fuzeta Very cloudy, but nice looks with its creamy lasting head. Lots of hop, that’s for sure, and a nice cake malt mix to balance. Bit of an alcohol burn in the end though. Not that I hate that, but it’s not exactly refined. Tasty brew, I like it a lot. (33 cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 31-08-2016
Brouwerij Strubbe Leireken Pils - Pilsener - Lager Golden, light misty, nice looks actually. Taste is simple, quite ale like for a lager, with a filter than wanted body. Perhaps judge it as a Belgian ale, then the effort, without gluten, is commendable. Simple, but decent brew. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.1 31-08-2016
Browar Kormoran Kormoran Podroze Kormorana American IPA Copper and small stable head. Very nice clean beer, despite the biscuit malt base, really giving rise to the resin and pine hops. Nice bitterness and again an almost prototypical American style fermentation. Nice. Admittedly after some sips the aroma dims, but still a nice beer. Like it a lot! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 30-08-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata Doppelbock Brown, small head. Walnut, cream, herbs, toast... Odd actually. Taste is more common and also very nice. Que dry like a bock can be, dusty even, but just enough sweetness to counter. Only just though. Herbal spicy ending. Decent stuff. (33 cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 30-08-2016
Browar Fortuna Fortuna Komes Porter Baltycki Quite a dry toast in aroma, but it’s all about the taste here. Punchy, sweet yet balanced, roasted bitter end, yummy long ending. This beer shield for itself and surely doesn’t need the Gold Medal Winner badge on its level. Full flavour, nice alcohol warmth, lots of dark character. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 29-08-2016
Browar Kormoran Kormoran Podroze Kormorana Witbier UPDATED: AUG 29, 2016 Delicious light spice and mandarin aroma. Quite refined yet without any pretence either. Smooth, low carbonated body. Yummy! Typical wit? Not sure, but it?s very nice and the wheat really helps! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 29-08-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Bambi Brown Ale Brown malts, dry cacao. Drinks well, porter like in malt choice, but less smooth, which is nice sometimes. End a little simple. It’s nice enough. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 29-08-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Avant-Garde Series Dubbel (Edición 2015) Brown body, very stable head. Nice dark fruit and coffee aromas, not to roasted though, nice dark bread or even cake like malts. Good brew, will done and very satisfying on a windy day. (Bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.7 28-08-2016
Brouwerij Kees Kees Pink Grapefruit IPA Sweet citrus, moderate modern hops. Juicy but a little underwhelming body. Low carbonation, a bit too low for me, as it’s not very refreshing add I hoped it would be. It’s okay, expected a bit more maybe. (33 cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 28-08-2016
Beerbliotek Beerbliotek A Passion For Gingers Huge head over a very pale body. Fruity and sour. I know it’s ginger, but also get yuzu and lychee. Tropical yogurt sourness to the body, like it should. And I like it! It’s getting further away from beer beer (ie fizzy blond and bitter), but very very nice to drink in the sun. Yummy yummy! (33cll bottle bought during LIBF 2016) 4.1 28-08-2016
Browar Kingpin Kingpin Mandarin Big hop, resin, but also lots of fermentation character, to my surprise. And even more surprisingly it makes for an even better beer, never dimming the hops. Tea, black tea, like dry, very nice! Bordering astringent, but I like it. Touch of alcohol and certainly a diacetyl hint. Super interesting, taking the American example and running with it. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 28-08-2016
Ratpenat Cervesers Ratpenat Rondes Cinnamon, biscuits, some toffee even. Herbal hops, faint modern fermentation. It’s okay. However I expected a bit more. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 28-08-2016
Browar Artezan Artezan Pacific Pale Ale Super fresh appeal, summery hops, nice clean fermentation, yummy yummy. Bit jealous... In want to make this but never get my dry hopping like this. Shared this with Bertanne and both absolutely loved it. Stunning brew! And it’s only a pale ale ... (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 28-08-2016
Coreff Coreff IPA Golden copper, quite clean. Punchy malts, also a punchy bitterness. Very malty and somewhat sharp taste, buy also balancing bitterness. Well, balancing is perhaps the wrong word. Countering? Untypical but enjoyable enough. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 28-08-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Avenida Blonde Ale Very hazy but appealing blonde. Huge head, but a touch too low on carbonation, reducing the crispness and therefore drinkability. Accessible but expected a bit more summery freshness. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 28-08-2016
BFM (Brasserie des Franches-Montagnes) BFM La Salamandre Tart, lemon, pale malts, lots of character from the fermentation, with sourness, fruity and light wood even. Delicious! But the taste is even better. Fruity sourness, lots of character. Yummy yummy. Pushing amazing amounts of flavours and still fresh and drinkable. Highly underrated, in my opinion. As a side note, was this what those American thought of when they started their saison reimagination? Because most are more similar to this BFM beer than a Dupont Saison. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 4.4 28-08-2016
Akerbeltz Akerbeltz Indar Euskal Pale Ale (IEPA) Vegetable, sweet and golden malts, some herbal hops, Belgian fermentation. Quite sweet, Irish appeal, but watery for the flavour you get, spicy hops, not so nice. Not really my beer but mostly not an IPA. At all. Also says triple on the bother, so... But more like a herbal spiced beer, without spiced added. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.7 27-08-2016
Harviestoun Harviestoun IPA (5.8%) UPDATED: AUG 27, 2016 Fragrance from the hops is great, refined but still fresh and expressive, certainly pleasant. Very drinkable, spot on body, not very bubbly and it fits the taste. Great stuff! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 27-08-2016
Brasserie d’Oster Oster Blonde UPDATED: AUG 26, 2016 Shiny golden copper, small stable head. Very typical aromas, quite clean yet very fruity, much like orange liquor like 43 or curacao. Sweet taste, alcoholic, un beery... Something is different here .. honey or even clove... mace! And I am not convinced it?s for the better. (75cl bottle from Exotic World Leuven, not cheap either) 2.9 26-08-2016
Brasserie {C} Waroux - Bière de château UPDATED: AUG 26, 2016 Brown body, very large head. Loads of Belgian fruity esters, like Chimay levels. Quite sweet, autumn beer, but servers cod it is still kind of refreshing. Decent stuff, classic but well done enough to enjoy as a beer nerd. (75cl bottle from the brewpub) 3.6 25-08-2016
Brasserie de Bastogne Ardenne Spirit Old Ale Dark brown. Mix mesh of styles. Brown malts, English yeast, herbal hops, some dark fruit esters. Nice beer, quite unique! (75cl bottle from BeerLoversShop LLN I think) 4.0 25-08-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Saison Very yeast, but also character. Pale malts, some biscuit too. Spicy hop and yeast finish the aroma. Good flavour, full mouth feel, solid bitter actually. Nice brew, my kind of beer, it doesn’t always have to be all hops or full on chocolate roast. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 24-08-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Passionfruit Berlinner Very appealing passion fruit aromas with sweaty but light yeast and some wheat, giving rise to a great body. Yummy juicy soft sourness, but balancing with passion fruit sweetness too. Super nice! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 23-08-2016
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne / Laugar Ich bin ein Berliner Ryesse Hazy golden, small head. Quite sour start, vinegar type. Bit sharp and not much more than the sour golden malts. Nice body though, soft carbonation and solid plucky sourness, getting into your cheeks. Some fruit addition would make this great. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven, I think) 3.6 23-08-2016
Blue Point Brewing (AB InBev) Blue Point Toasted Lager Much like those Spanish toasted lagers, actually. Clean fermentation and light toasty malts. Drinks just fine, but a little undercarbonated. It’s nice enough. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 23-08-2016
Cervezas Arriaca Arriaca Porter Yum yum. Sweet dark malts with milk chocolate, English fermentation, a touch woody. Taste is a bit simpler but still nice, with enough body fit the abv. Towards the end a touch watery, but again, nicely done and certainly for a non imperial porter very good mouth feel. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 22-08-2016
Brouwerij Huyghe St. Idesbald Rousse Very fruity aroma, almost strawberry. Quite diminishing bubbly head. Very foamy mouth feel. Simple sweetness, bit of toast. It’s okay. (33 cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 2.8 22-08-2016
Den Herberg Leeuwse Schutter Very hazy golden body, lasting frothy head. Belgian tripel like aroma with golden malts, vienna, sweaty yeast and light classic hop. Drinks well, nice carbonation. I think it looks excellent and as far the style goes out is a really good example too. I mean, it’s bit going to blow you away but it’s honestly very well done. Surprisingly good. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.8 22-08-2016
Brouwerij Corsendonk Corsendonk Dubbel Kriek Strangely satisfying, this one, with both brown and biscuit malts as well as lots of cherry juice aromas. Totally wrong yet exactly what I wanted to drink right now. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 21-08-2016
De Sutter De Sutter Dément’brée UPDATED: AUG 21, 2016 Typical Belgian style and finish, this one. Bready malts, lots of fruity esters. Taste is as expected, fairly sweet and enough malts to balance the miss of hops. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 21-08-2016
Brasserie {C} Torpah 30 Light misty body, bubbly head. Stats with a nice hop aroma, summery, mandarin, passion fruit. Soft Belgian fermentation and once you start drinking the hop disappears a bit, unfortunately. Decent brew and nice it even exists, but the other Torpah beers are better. (33cl bottle at the brewpub) 3.4 20-08-2016
Brasserie {C} Black {C} UPDATED: AUG 20, 2016 Dark body and bubbly head. Dark roast, nice appeal, light Belgian fermentation. Nice brew. (Bottle at the brewpub) 3.4 20-08-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Halen Mariënrode Quadrupel Black body, bubbly head. Typical quad aromas with dark fruity, some chocolate, brown malts, rye. Bit simple in taste, rushed. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.2 20-08-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Dood & Verderf Barley Wines from De Molen are about my favourite thing in the world, so how does this attack up? Very dense great, amazing red brown body. Super concentrated woody and deep dark fruit aromas, with thick cherry and apricot jam, chocolate, cranberries, oak... Amazing. Powerful sweet body, creamy and lucious, perfect soft carbonation. Wow, this is so good... (75cl bottle as marriage gift from John, many many many thanks!) 4.6 19-08-2016
Brugs Bierinstituut De Witte Zwaan Hazy and quickly headless. Light dive, fruity yeast yet not so much esters. Bread dough malts. Quite refined. Taste is more flat, simple. Expected more, good start but ultimately not special enough. (Bottle at M Cafe Leuven) 3.1 19-08-2016
Blue Point Brewing (AB InBev) Blue Point Mosaic Session IPA Very clean, to much really. Bit too clean for its own good, because the low abv doesn’t help the body and nether do the pale malts. It’s a super nice hop, but it can still get some help. Really misses done body, a shame because the good are brilliant and the quality of the brew is high. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 19-08-2016
Cervezas Arriaca Arriaca IPA Amber malts, clean fermentation but still fruity over the pine and resin hops. Biscuit sweetness, solid bitter bite. Very Spanish somehow, oddly. It’s nice and not very American. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 19-08-2016
De Sutter De Sutter Zin Zin Copper body, not blond at all, large head. Clean, alcohol, simple candy sweetness, some cola like aromas. Even mushroom like... Fairly strong taste and while I wanted to hate it, the alcohol makes for quite a smooth sweet drink and I kind of dig it. Really ups and downs with this one! (33 cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 19-08-2016
Brouwerij Het Sas ND Ridder Streekbier Typical Belgian pils, yet even sweeter and more lifeless than most. To be honest, the body and flavour are not bad at all due this abv, but that makes it all the more a shame that it has no more hops and characterless fermentation aromas. (25cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 2.6 18-08-2016
De Proefbrouwerij Giesbaargs Muurken Geraardsbergs Bruin Copper red, small head. Typical aroma, very French amber like, with dry roasted malts. Moderate sweet, Belgian yeast and simple fermentation. It’s quite well done but not my favourite style. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.2 18-08-2016
Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev) Goose Island Honkers Ale Clean orange brown body, large stable head. Bready malts with American pine hops, nice. Taste is simpler, but still nice. The clean fermentation makes it very drinkable. Nice brew. (33 cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.5 18-08-2016
Haacht Haacht Super 8 Export As Super Acht Export. Simple pilsner with very little hop. Very little character altogether actually... Malty sweetness, too filtered. Pffff. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 2.5 17-08-2016
De Brabandere Bavik Super Pils As Bavik Super Pils. Had to laugh a bit at the claim that hop was merely user for aroma... But even given that this could appeal to come, I don’t get the hop there either. Simplistic body with big bubble and surely a very short fermentation, despite the claim of the contrary. Ah well, what could I expect? (25cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 2.3 16-08-2016
Coronado Brewing Company Coronado 19th Anniversary Imperial IPA Nice imperial IPA. Strong hop but certainly also malts, with pine in front. Pleasant bitterness, lasting. Bit a hop bomb but string flavours all round. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.7 16-08-2016
Orgemont Orgemont Bière Rèmes Speciale au Marc de Champagne UPDATED: AUG 16, 2016 Sweet golden malts, nice bubble but hopless and way too filtered. Simple tasted profile, refined at best... But really quite boring. Expected more! At least pouring in the yeast makes it much better, with a nice smooth body. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 16-08-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Halen Mariënrode Dubbel Black and shallow head. Dark caramel, earthy, leather, overripe fruit. Very sweet but clean enough to be pleasant and not cloying. Belgian syrup like. Not bad but not my style. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.3 15-08-2016
De Proefbrouwerij Giesbaargs Muurken Geraardsbergs Blond Labeled Muurken Blond. Golden body, too clear, white head. Crisp and typical Belgian clean pale malts with a touch of golden malt sweetness. Simple hops but not totally absent. Taste is more expressive, surprisingly bitter actually. Very clean but not alcoholic or simplistic. Better than expected. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.5 15-08-2016
Hanscraft & Co. Hanscraft & Co. / Kompaan Mahoni Marina UPDATED: AUG 14, 2016 Brown body. Sweet berries, cherry even, milky chocolate, leather, fig compote. Sweet but aromatic. Taste is more herbal with a fruit pie like sweetness. Hard to place this beer in a style, but I like it more for it. English malts with Belgian sweet aroma and American fermentation, yes or of everything out geeks mostly German. Yeah, nice beer to try for sure. Oh and don’t mind the smoke description, just take it for what it is. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 14-08-2016
Brouwerij Anders! La Cambre Blonde UPDATED: AUG 14, 2016 Golden hazy, small but nice head. Quite a spicy yeast. Nice Belgian fermentation, good full body with big carbonation. More refined than expected, quite an artisinal feel to this one. Spicy ending. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Leuven) 3.5 14-08-2016
Brasserie Dupont Dupont / Lost Abbey Deux Amis Nice misty body and pearl white, stable head. Rounded malts, great fermentation, orange and lychee fruits from the hops. Lots of barn, summery and crisp. Big carbonation. Solid bitterness, but enough carbonation and cake malt sweetness to balance. Refined and support well done. Towing high hopes for this one and it pretty much delivers on all fronts. Awesome. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 14-08-2016
Craig Allan Craig Allan La Saint Jean Gosh and quite clear, big bubbles. Blond Belgian yeast, apple, spritzy carbonation in the nose. Quality stuff. Noble hops, light but refined. Good brew, in all its relative simplicity. Yum. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 14-08-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Hoger & Lager Very nice crisp aroma with citrus fruit and clean pale malts. Typical lager like fermentation, very refreshing. (33 cl bottle from the brewery) 3.8 13-08-2016
Brasserie St-Feuillien / Friart St-Feuillien Limited Edition No 1 (2016) A quality Belgian ale. Not only spot on looks, with a fine bubble and nice haze, but the aroma is refined hoppy, crisp enough to be refreshing and the taste is lasting but accessible. Spotless quality, no alcohol in the slightest noticeable. Yummy. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with colleagues) 4.1 12-08-2016
John Martin Waterloo Cuvée Impériale Brown with small head. Lots of fruity esters, dark brown malts like dry leaves and fig. Also dark caramel and cake. To be totally honest I like it much better than expected. Feared loads of alcohol, but it’s quite refined actually. French in style even, like a dark Bière de Garde. (Fancy 75cl bottle from the brewery, shared with colleges) 3.6 12-08-2016
Sori Brewing Sori Dark Humor Club Coconut Chocolate, mocha, bacon. Not getting much coconut, but a really nice mix of malts here. Equally super creamy head and mouth feel. Long bitter aftertaste. Holy shit this is good! Packs soooo much flavour.(33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 11-08-2016
Cervezas Arriaca Arriaca Centeno Light hazy copper body, white head. Citrus, pine, clean but refined. English style yeast and body, but with modern and continental malts and hops. More interesting than expected! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 10-08-2016
Birrificio Indipendente Elav Elav Dark Chocolate Dark yet sweet chocolate. Toast, touch of cream. Taste has both dry roasted bitterness and just enough dark sugar for the body. Looks amazing. Yes, it’s on the sweet side, but that makes it better on my opinion. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 10-08-2016
Brasserie Piedboeuf (InBev) Jupiler NA Poor clean looks. Very faint pilsner grain, dull, very slight brioche. Slight of dry taste, astringent. Thin body. Not a great alcohol free pills... blegh (25cl can from Prik & Tik Leuven) 1.7 10-08-2016
Birra Peroni Industriale (SABMiller) Tourtel Puro Malto (Blonde) Golden, clear, not horrible. Watery but not too tasty. White bread, wheat even. Dry pilsner malts, simple sweetness. Short but not horrible aftertaste. Could be worse, don’t remember having a true alcoholic free pils that was better. For whatever that’s worth. (25cl can from Prik & Tik Leuven) 2.4 10-08-2016
Brouwerij Hoegaarden (AB-InBev) Hoegaarden 0.0 Cloudy and honestly quite appealing. Very citric, but to much cleaning agent like, certainly not hoppy. Sweet taste, lemonade. Okay mouth feel but to low in carbonation. Way to much aspartame, ugh! Much worse than I remember those non alcoholic wits to be. I rated Bavaria 0.0 much higher, but now I much doubt myself. (33cl can from Prik & Tik Leuven) 1.7 10-08-2016
Thomas Carteron Thomas Carteron La Trop Ambrée By far the best of this brewer (but that’s easy...). Fig, wine, raisin. Bit too clean but a decent about of flavours here. Soft caramel, small spritzy carbonation. Quite drinkable, especially after those other La Trop beers... (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 10-08-2016
Thomas Carteron Thomas Carteron La Trop Blanche UPDATED: AUG 10, 2016 Looks like apple juice, smells like apple juice, taste like a poor sweet extract brew by a brewing beginner who couldn?t afford hop. (33 cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.5 10-08-2016
Brouwerij Palm Palm Green Ugly copper, flimsy head. Super grainy, cheap brown bread. Quite sweet, artificial. Not only quite disgusting, but every compared to its direct competitors it tasted miserable. (25cl can from Prik & Tik Leuven) 1.0 10-08-2016
Brasserie Piedboeuf (InBev) Jupiler Blue UPDATED: AUG 10, 2016 Extremely pale and filtered. Simple aroma, light apple and floral sweetness. Better body than a non alcoholic Jupiler ,but certainly not as good as even a poor normal mass produced pils. No reason to exist. And not tasty. (25cl can from Prik & Tik Leuven) 2.3 10-08-2016
Thomas Carteron Thomas Carteron La Trop Rosee Pale yellow golden. Sunny appearance, but then... Not very nice at all. Filtered sweet water, lemonade. Rose water, white sugar. Pffff it’s hard to technically fault perhaps but man this is boring. Even Leffe has more character. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.0 09-08-2016
Thomas Carteron Thomas Carteron La Trop Blonde Straw coloured blonde, headless. Hopelessly hopless too, with only getting sweet pale malts giving some taste. Way to filtered. Not quite as watery as feared, but that makes it not even very refreshing. Yeah.... No thanks. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.6 09-08-2016
Cervesa Guineu Guineu / BIIR Macchiato Roasted, frozen coffee, lactic, milk chocolate drink. Really smooth, double cream like palate. Not much to do with IPA at all, but I don’t care about the name. A fine and fun to try milk stout with good creamy coffee aroma. (From the bottle at Hapje Tapje 2016) 4.1 08-08-2016
Domus Pub and Brewery Domus Bitter Bisserke Aromaless. Sweet, cloying even. Blegh. Not bitter, hopless, hopeless. Where did the hop go? Or bitterness? Or taste? Oh my... (On tap at Hapje Tapje 2016) 2.5 08-08-2016
Castelain Castelain Grand Cru (2016-) Classic Bière de Garde, golden malts, clean but sweet yeast, light alcohol. Medium sweet taste, light citrus, medium long aftertaste. Simple but I don’t mind it. Warning ending is the best part. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 08-08-2016
BIIR BIIR / EDGE Melon Bomb Copper and very cloudy. Lots of fruit, sweaty, melon desert. Yeast is nice but not clean, more English. Bit undercarbonated. Interesting stuff, fun and well made. (From bottle during Hapje Tapje 2016) 3.6 08-08-2016
Brouwerij F. Boon Boon Oude Geuze VAT 79 Golden hazy and nice head actually. Fruity and woody sourness, dank. Good rounded sourness with a slight dark caramel sweetness to back up. Fig and red wine vinegar. Like it, nice sour ale, almost Flemish brown. (From the bottle at Hapje Tapje 2016) 3.8 08-08-2016
Brouwerij Van Steenberge Gulden Draak The Brewmasters Edition Very sweet malts, lots of wood. Cloying body, alcohol. Hazy and dirty looks. Quite a fail to be honest... (on tap during Hapje Tapje) 2.9 08-08-2016
De Graal Flurk 900 Golden shiny looks. Large head, really good looking. Wheat, Belgian yeast. Simple but quite bitter taste, well, for the style. Well made blonde. (On tap during Hapje Tapje) 3.6 08-08-2016
Boelens Lander Baatsem Belgian yeast, classic hops, nice fermentation. Quite malty sweet, not bad at all. Very rich actually, especially for the style. Good stuff, very unexpected. (Sample from bottle at Hapje Tapje) 3.9 08-08-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Bomber Super powerful hoppy very, very clean American fermentation. Powerful hops, big bitterness. Yummy! (Bomber from Saveur Bière, shared after Hapje Tapje 2016) 4.3 08-08-2016
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata ¡Ay, Carmela! Copper, hazy, nice head. Fruit compote, sweet good but not necessarily IPA like. Cake, alcoholic. Pretty nice brew, very heavy on the palate. (33cl bottle frog Saveur Bière, shared after Hapje Tapje 2016) 3.9 08-08-2016
Oersoep Oersoep Saison Melon Very blond, pale. Wheat, cuyt like, light sour, summery fresh. Soft fresh herbs. Interesting brew, and very likeable. Good stuff, original too. (33cl bottle from Stoom Nijmegen, shared after Hapje Tapje 2016) 4.0 08-08-2016
Buxton Buxton Extra Porter Dark brown, creamy creme brulee. Coffee, touch of wood, vanilla. Dapper syrup rich body. Very lucious, nice beer if you don’t mind the sweetness. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared after Hapje Tapje) 3.7 08-08-2016
Oersoep Oersoep Pulp Fiction Super nice passion fruit, hops, fresh, powerful, clean but not crisp. Quite bitter, very summery. Very nice body, spot on mouth feel. Way advice expectation. Love it! (33cl bottle from Stoom Nijmegen) 4.3 07-08-2016
Craig Allan Craig Allan India Project Ale Citra L10 2016 Single hop Citra. More lemony than the Sorachi ace version. Still lots of cara malts and fruity yeast. The citra only barely is powerful enough to reach above, without any other hop help, but when it does it does it well. Nice brew, again. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 06-08-2016
Craig Allan Craig Allan India Project Ale Sorachie Ace / Tomahawk L09 2016 Sorachie Ace / Tomahawk. As the others in the series,a quite yeasty and cara malt IPA, but the hops do will here. The Tomahawk is quite distinct in this one, with spruce and pine, while the Sorachi ace doesn’t come into play really. Nice beer in the series. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 06-08-2016
De Proefbrouwerij Lousberg Nice full body of sweet malts and very Belgian sweaty yeast. Not underdeveloped but not clean either, a cheesy, unsurprisingly, appeal. Better than expected drivability with its soft bubbly carbonation and medium sweetness. Really nice actually! Not original or funky or farmy or even fresh, but well done tripel in artisinal style. (75cl bottle from cheese shop in Leuven) 3.6 06-08-2016
Brasserie de Bastogne Ardenne Saison Hoppy and sour, fairly clean and almost Danish in appeal. Didn’t mouth filling taste, clean fermentation yet a distinct palate, almost woody. Really nice and really original. Much better than expected too. Lasting bitterness over a sour yellow fruit. Yummy. Shame of the very high price point... (75cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN, I think) 4.1 06-08-2016
Birrificio Indipendente Elav Elav Je T’Aime Golden body, murky, but small head. Red apple, bit yeasty, but not very clean. But too cloying for the style, too malty of you will. It’s okay, liked drinking it, nothing new really. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 06-08-2016
Oersoep Oersoep Incredible Puppy Awesomeness Got the puppy with the oversized Gremlin ears and stoned look. Super nice modern hops, melon, grapefruit, cara malts to help out. Moderate smooth bitterness, rich mouth filling body, really nice palate with the low abv and juicy bitterness. Summery beer but enough character and richness to satisfy on colder occasions. Great stuff. (33cl bottle from Stoom Nijmegen) 4.2 05-08-2016
Marble Marble Howgate & Kemp Cloudy golden. Super summery, crisp, modern, fresh hops. Yummy! (On keg at The Pint Shop) 3.9 04-08-2016
Oersoep Oersoep Petite Saison (Saison) Given hazy body. Very nice sour fruit, mandarin, pale malts. Soft pluck sourness, full filling mouth feel, nice sweetness to it too. Nice brew, quite refined, not as difficult as a lambic and quite beery. Liked it a lot! (75cl bottle from Stoom Nijmegen) 4.1 03-08-2016
Wiper and True Wiper and True Amber Ale Citra And Rye Very very nice. Modern hoppy, support nice. Spicy touch, very fulfilling and rich mouth feel and taste. So good! (On tap at The Pint Shop) 4.1 02-08-2016
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale Very murky copper golden. Lots of modern hops, citrus, grapefruit. Very mouth filling, delicious. Very high quality stuff! (On tap at Stadsbrouwhuis Leiden) 4.2 02-08-2016
Jopen Jopen Brown Madonna Very spicy, herbal, brown malts. Unexpected and quite out off bounds. Will typical Jopen, still accessible and very drinkable. Quality stuff, very nice and very unexpected! (On tap at Stadsbrouwhuis Leiden) 3.7 02-08-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Aristophanes Black and creamy head. Licorice, toast, charcoal herbal hops and only a touch of lactic aromas. Bubbly but appealing mouth feel. Medium bitter, good toasty malts. Not to long in the aftertaste, but that’s okay, ideal a nice rich dry flavour and enough body to carry the big bubble. Very appealing and well done beer! (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.1 02-08-2016
Camden Town Brewery (AB InBev) Camden Town Camden Ink Perfect looking pitch black stout. Roast, luscious dark malts. High quality stuff and very modern yet with distinct English fermentation characteristics. Yummy. (On tap at The Pint Shop) 4.1 02-08-2016
Oersoep Oersoep Plan 9 From Outer Space Hazy golden, small stable head. Fresh modern hops, orange mandarin and sweet cake malts. Yummy! Soft to medium bitter, juicy. Nice crisp aftertaste and great mouth feel. Hard to fault, and I really liked drinking this! (On tap at Stoom Nijmegen) 3.8 02-08-2016
Bird Brewery Bird Brewery De Rumoerige Roodborst Light brown, creamy head. Pine, spruce, biscuit. Low carbonation, smooth drinking. Nice brew, quite original. (On tap at Stadsbrouwhuis Leiden) 3.7 02-08-2016
Brouwerij Noordt Noordt / Oersoep Extra Special Bitter Typical ESB like but a bit sweeter in aroma and a touch of sourness in the taste. Very foamy fit the style, something that I can’t find to fitting. But overall an enjoyable beer , just the mouth feel doesn’t really match the aromas. (33cl bottle from Stoom Nijmegen) 3.3 02-08-2016
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse English Bitter Biscuit, herbal, black tea, hopless. Very dry, typical. Dry dusty malt taste but oddly satisfying. Not my style but well done. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 01-08-2016
Walhalla Craft Beer Walhalla Osiris Farmhouse Ale Hazy and very attractive. Fruity good, flowers, great fermentation aromas. Yummy yummy. Good bitterness. Short but satisfying aftertaste. Great stuff! (On tap at Stadsbrouwhuis Leiden) 4.0 31-07-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Plato’s Chariot Triple India Pale Ale Copper and misty. Very strong aromas of concentrated cara, toast and biscuit malts, lots of pale caramel sweetness together with huge fermentation aromas, spruce and herbal hops and yet still everything can not conceal that the alcohol is very heavy in this one. Powerful stuff. Equally so in the taste, which extends the autistic aromas with a strong bitterness. Balanced, well, that’s hard to say of such a huge beer, but I do live it! Cheap too for what it is. Really nice, out of bounds, unrefined and well done. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven, shared with Bertanne) 3.8 31-07-2016
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Me Myself & IPA Copper golden. Tropical, mango, kiwi, juicy. Very modern. Not so bitter actually, but that’s not needed here, it’s all about the hop aroma. Very appealing to me and most certainly well made. (On tap at Stoom Nijmegen) 4.1 30-07-2016
Browar PINTA Pinta Modern Drinking Super juicy modern hops, touch of but actually but very mildly so I don’t mind at all. Very dry and a light butter start, nice crisp but full enough body. Interesting beer but that typical Eastern European fermentation... Not sure about it. (50cl bottle at Stoom Nijmegen) 3.1 30-07-2016
Wiper and True Wiper and True / Hellfire Video Club All the Colours of the Dark Dark brown. Dark fruit, choco muffin, raspberry, strawberry compote. Hint of sourness over a full flavour brown ale together with red fruit sweetness. Unique brew! (On tap at The Pint Shop) 4.0 29-07-2016
BAD Brewing & Distilling BAD Slow Rider Golden, misty. Soft grapefruit, light golden malts. Bit too moderate for my taste but we’ll done. At 2.9 percent this is super full to. Really liked it! (On tap at The Pint Shop) 3.7 29-07-2016
Erdinger Weissbräu Erdinger Pikantus Dark brown, stable head. Dry toast, dried fig, wood. Taste is more expressive, foamy mouth feel, nice bitterness underlying the toast and a little bit of heat. (50cl bottle from from Saveur Bière) 3.8 28-07-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Perfect Day Odd choice for a winter beer, but fair enough mid summer now and spot on on what I wanted. Modern hops, also grassy, very nice. Cake and biscuit malt backup, nice sweaty sweetness given the style. Not clean per se but rather crisp still, especially in the taste, with a sharp bitterness and equal carbonation. Yummy! (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.0 28-07-2016
Grain Grain Slate Chocolate galore. Sorry creamy rich smooth, like chocolate milk with hops. A shame about the flat cask looks. But here at least the taste is worth it! (Cask at The Maypole) 4.0 28-07-2016
XT Brewing XT 16 Amber, misty. Very creamy. Moderate but interesting. Bit woody. Very English, both in serving without carbonation but also in appeal and low abv. But then Belgian notes to. What is this? But of and undefined. (Cask at The Maypole) 3.4 28-07-2016
Humpty Dumpty Humpty Dumpty Red Mill Very creamy in aroma and body. Amber malts, fruit pie. Served with typical low carbonation. Moderate taste, accessible perhaps but a bit boring. (Cask at The Maypole) 3.4 28-07-2016
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme Magic Ghost Wow, holy shit that’s green! Didn’t expect that. Anyway, not sure I like that, not an I too crazy about the very sweet fruit beer like aroma, with sugar, peach, grenadine lemonade... There must be more than just tea used to make this green. Taste is okay I suppose, but too sweet for me. Aftertaste is quite nice, just a bit sticky. The low are of putting but with my eyes closed its not so bad at all. (75cl bottle from Exotic World Leuven) 3.1 27-07-2016
St. Austell St. Austell Proper Black Stout like, roast, hoppy herbal, modern. Bit too clean perhaps, but very nice to drink. Great looks too. (50cl bottle shared by Darren in Cambridge) 3.6 27-07-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony WinterDawn Odd spice and herbs mix, licorice, alcohol. Not very professional. Very sweet, lots of residual sugar. Alcohol heat. Behb what happened here. Totally underdeveloped and hopelessly sweet to the point of artificial sweetness. Hard to finish. Horrible! (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 1.5 26-07-2016
Mad Squirrel Brewing (prev Red Squirrel Brewing) Mad Squirrel $umo Given to amber. Super sweet good summer fruit hops. Very soft bitterness only, all about the aroma. Very will done beer! Lovely. (Cask at The Maypole) 3.8 26-07-2016
Brouwerij Huyghe Van Diest Früli Strawberry Beer Foamy, raspberry. Yogurt candy aroma, and taste. Strawberry juice. Beer? Not so much, but the right person will like it. Me... Not really. . (Tap at The Maypole) 2.7 26-07-2016
Colchester Colchester AK Pale Golden and misty. Mandarin and delicate cake malts. Smooth, low carbonation. Nice juicy bitterness, more than the modern but moderate aroma. Nice brew. (Cask at The Maypole) 3.3 26-07-2016
Milton Beach Waikiki UPDATED: JUL 26, 2016 Dank citrus, liquor, sweet apple pie, herbal, sweet. Odd sourness upfront, wheat, Brett, fermentation. Hum, very interesting, much more than expected. Lasting bitterness, yet sufficiently drinkable. The tests complexity end a bit abruptly though. (On keg at The Maypole) 3.9 26-07-2016
Milton Milton Cyclops Copper, quite clean. Dark peach. Good mouth feel, but short aftertaste. It’s okay. (Pint shared at Haymakers pub) 3.4 26-07-2016
Milton Milton Othello UPDATED: JUL 26, 2016 Black. Nice roast, toast, BBQ. Smooth, good taste. Very short after taste, but still like it. (Pint shared at Haymakers pub) 3.5 26-07-2016
Milton Milton Minerva Golden. Very pale, medium bitter. Simple. Apple. Not much to it, very English, served with low carbonation. (Pint shared at Haymakers pub) 3.0 26-07-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Nasty White Snow Witbier huh... Right... Barley wine like, steering amber malts, sweet pound cake, raisin, lots of alcohol. Far from refined. Strong taste, alcohol heat. I happen to be a sticker for those type of beers, but I can’t call it very well developed or balanced or evena great plan. Almost feels like a tasty accident. Regardless, I enjoyed it surely. Oh and please do something about those labels. Taking about amateurish! (33 cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.4 26-07-2016
Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle Westmalle Extra Hazy blond. Classic Belgian yet very fresh, light, crisp, noble hops. Tasty light bitter, drinkable, not too clean. Simple aftertaste. Very nice beer actually, but don’t expect something too unique. Drink fresh. (33cl bottle shared by Stijn en Ineke, via the Westmalle brewery director! Many thanks) 3.7 26-07-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony What the Fuck (batch one: Palisade / Sorachi Ace) Passion fruit, light golden malts, Belgian sweaty yeast. Not very refined at all but I liked the taste sou all was okay in the world. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.6 25-07-2016
Black Sheep Black Sheep IPA "Hmmm beer good.", Bertanne. "Yeah.", Darren. "Herbal and soft hops, nice pretty clear fermentation, lifting those hops up. Biscuit malt base, very drinkable especially due to the low carbonation and clean edge. Yummy IPA, nothing American but still very modern.", Eric (50cl bottle shared at, by and with Darren and Allyssa. ) 3.5 24-07-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Plato’s Cave (Batch #1) UPDATED: JUL 22, 2016 Quickly diminishing head, but amateurish looking. Tasting too like that, in a way, but that bit just bad. Full aroma with hops that are sweet and citrus and peach but even in vast quantities only just make it above the sweet malts and fruitier then expected fermentation. Good string taste, although it?s not clean at all. Full fatty mouth feel. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.7 22-07-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Dormaal Amber Amber very stable head. Inviting. Cookie dough, fresh hops to balance the Belgian yeast. Very bubbly but those disappear quickly, I’m afraid. Perhaps try a bottle some time. (On tap at Cafe Belge Leuven) 3.5 21-07-2016
Nieuwhuys Nieuwhuys Alpaïde Blond (Cuvée van de Generaal) Cinnamon like oddly. Medium bitter and a spicy, even hot base. Strange beer. Looks good and shiny, just a bit too clear. More fun to try than expected. But bit my kind off brew. (33cl bottle at The Capital) 3.1 21-07-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant American Dream Hazy orange. Lots and lots of barrel, dark citrus, lovely developed. Tangy edge, cake make, big but very soft bubbly. Excellent mouth feel. I used to not dig barrel aged ipas much but recently i came to really like them and stuff like this is the reason. Such nice woody, developed stuff. Much recommended. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.1 20-07-2016
Brouwerij Oud Beersel Oud Beersel Green Walnut Odd large head. Good sourness, plucky, more juicy than expected. Very interesting aroma with the classic and week dive lambic plus a sort of herbal, earthy aroma and green leaves. Great stuff! Such long lasting sourness. Against my expectation this is really, really good. (15cl pour at the sour beer tasting event at M-Cafe Leuven) 4.2 20-07-2016
Gueuzerie Tilquin Tilquin Oude Mûre à l’Ancienne Very sharp but very nice taste with plucky fruit. Aroma a bit dimmed in comparison, with the base beer and fermentation aromas plus some wood all coming into play, but still I think the taste is the highlight. Well done, classic in the great sense of the word. (15cl pour at the sour beer tasting event at M-Cafe Leuven) 3.9 20-07-2016
Brodie’s Beers Brodies London Sour (Cherry Edition) UPDATED: JUL 20, 2016 Traditional ale like. Some yeast, lots of wood. Very dry, maybe a bit too subtle sour. Will developed, not really to cherry like, but it sure adds character. Great woody brew. (15cl pour at the sour beer tasting event at M-Cafe Leuven) 3.7 20-07-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Vesalius The new batch, to be sold starting this summer. I was told by the beer this is somewhat sweeter than last. Also 1? lower abv. Very cool dark looks, not so clear, like it. Rich cherry aroma, but deep, almost chocolate. Not the most complex as base beer but cherry properly adds character. Good sourness but not a lambic kriek. Liked it a lot! (15cl pour at the sour beer tasting event at M-Cafe Leuven) 3.9 20-07-2016
Beerbliotek Beerbliotek What’s The Difference Between Marmalade & Jam? Bright red, pink even. Very strong fresh raspberry and a very nasal aroma from the mint. Very refreshing luckily. Not terribly sour, just nice. I dig the yogurt like kick in the ending. Unique beer and a really liked drinking it, even more so rating it. (33cl bottle bought at the LIBF 2016) 4.0 20-07-2016
De Sutter De Sutter La Givrée Golden, simple. Since wheat, yes, but mostly a Belgian ale as you know it. Body to follow that, somewhat too filtered and very accessible but fit a beer geek very passable. Certainly for me. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 19-07-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Oneka Indeed a typical Belgian ale, well hopped but it’s the fermentation that impressed me, oddly. Nice smooth mouth feel, good foamy carbonation. Apple like taste finish. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.9 18-07-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Hefeweizen Typical cloudy golden orange. Not as banana and spicy as the best known German versions, but I dig the fuller body with lower carbonation. Less sweet too, nice. Super tasty and actually quite unique mouth feel. Recommended! (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.8 18-07-2016
Craywinckelhof Kraaike Tripel Donker Dark fruit, cake. Nice sweetness. Low carbonation Smith. Very nice actually, fit a late night cap. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.7 18-07-2016
Birrificio Indipendente Elav Elav Grunge IPA with blackberries Reddish glowing body, small head. Odds mix of the dark berries and an IPA. Certainly not fruit juice though, so I rely like the experiment. Quite astringent, very much so actually, but that makes the beer dry too, nice. Cool tick. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.8 18-07-2016
Craywinckelhof Kraaike Metteko Nice glow. Nice well developed red malts and spicy aroma with good hop backup. Solid bitterness actually for such a Belgian ale. Decent brew, enjoyed it. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.5 18-07-2016
Craywinckelhof Kraaike Tripel Amber Copper body, small head. Yeasty, bready, herbal English hops. Quite dry and a bit astringent. Unexpected in a way, not the typical fruity Belgian ale. Fun to try. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.3 18-07-2016
Craywinckelhof Kraaike Tripel Blond Golden and cloudy but shiny. Nice and somewhat original pale but fragrant aroma, good hops to, unexpectedly. Very pleasant bitterness. Surprisingly good! (33cl bottle feeding the brewery) 3.8 18-07-2016
Brouwerij Het Anker Het Anker Maneblusser Lente Golden and very shiny. Fresh and summery. More interesting fermentation than expected, quite refined. Medium bitter, nice, not full but that fits the beer will. Quite dry too, especially for a Belgian blonde. Nice brew, if not very complex. (33cl bottle from the shop at the brewery) 3.6 18-07-2016
Belching Beaver Belching Beaver Hop Highway IPA Very floral hops, modern and a touch English in appeal (modern craft English). Very clear and so the hops shine through sharply. It’s not very refined or unique or with much complexity perhaps, but decent enough, certainly don’t mind drinking this. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 18-07-2016
Mother Earth Brew Company Mother Earth Boo Koo Clean, bit too clean, large head. Pine, clean pale malts, nice aromatic. Good but certainly no string bitterness. It’s more about the aroma here. And that’s fine! Very drinkable. (33 cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 18-07-2016
Belching Beaver Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout UPDATED: AUG 2, 2016 Dark brown. Very typical peanut butter aroma, while the taste is more classical and more appealing to me. It’s not like it’s not well done, but not my personal preference. Like that it comes on cans. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 3.5 18-07-2016
Ironfire Brewing Company Ironfire 51/50 IPA Cleanly fermented and typical bubbly body. Very big bitterness, pale and at most some golden honey malts to back up all that sharp citrus hop. Did I mention the huge bitterness? Bit on the edge but I dig it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 17-07-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Plzeň Golden and somewhat misty. Spicy classic hops but also a modern touch. Bit too sticky for a pilsner. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.5 17-07-2016
Black Market Brewing Company Black Market Rye IPA Copper, large head. Very nice multi grain, but a lot of hop too, must be loaded with it. Like! Good clean fermentation, lovely bitter. Very impressed by the expressive taste versus how amazingly drinkable it is. Yummy yummy! (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 4.4 17-07-2016
Brouwerij Het Anker Het Anker Pils Dusty golden, cheap looks. Light malty, very watery. Cheap feel but very drinkable so in the hot sun I don’t mind. (On tap at the brewpub) 2.6 17-07-2016
Brouwerij Het Anker Het Anker Maneblusser Hazy yellow, frothy head. The lemony notes of a typical wheat, nice enough but a little more hop please. Refreshing medium bitterness with a simple body but nice long lasting actually. Pretty nicely done especially for a wit! (On tap at the brewpub) 3.4 17-07-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Death Is Life Such an odd style. Dry malty start, cheap brown bread, but this one is still appealing, oddly. Kind of spicy, very nice buddy. Much better than expected! (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.6 16-07-2016
Weyerbacher Brewing Co. Weyerbacher Old Heathen Rich dark malts, fatty body, lovely. Roast but also dark caramel and licorice. Yummy fermentation, not quite clean and accentuating the malts without adding too much fruitiness. Good stuff! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 16-07-2016
Haacht Haacht Speciale 1900 Light malty, light brown sugar, touch woody, hopless. Bit kolsch like. A very odd style and this is a typical if not quite clean example. I enjoyed it still, but not going to rock your world. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.0 16-07-2016
Haacht Haacht Adler Premium Luxus 6.5% pilsner. Stable head, simple. Quite malty, decent enough body, very little hop. Quaffable but as expected bit crazy interesting. Still, I didn’t mind a single sip. (On tap at the brewpub) 2.8 16-07-2016
Haacht Haacht Gildenbier Brown, small head. Brown bread, caramel sweetness. But German styled. Nice enough body actually and very very drinkable. In fact that’s most certainly the outstanding (literally) quality. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.5 16-07-2016
Haacht Haacht Primus Met Gist Yellow and very murky. Certainly different from the normal Primus, for the better, but it’s not there last word in tasty pilsner either. In fact the yeast dims the bitterness and it’s already bit very bitter from the start. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.0 16-07-2016
To Øl To Øl Gose To Hollywood Plucky fruity sourness, great mouth feel. Bubbly and satisfying. But yogurt like almost, with great mouth filling flavour. Solid ending bitterness actually. Really liked it! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 16-07-2016
Vliegende Paard Brouwers Préaris Chocolate porter Dark brown. Milk chocolate (Dutch koetjesreep), sweet pound cake, little bit woody. Not very bitter, body is too prickly. Not creamy enough too. But that’s being a bit picky, it’s a decent stout, especially fun aroma. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.4 15-07-2016
De Sutter De Sutter Folle des Bois Red looks, foamy. Fruit juice, sugar sweet, little to no beery aromas. Okay taste I suppose, bubbly and light bitter, with cherry juice sweetness. But industrial but also far from a fruity properly developed lambic, with next to no complexity. Drinks okay though, far from a bad beer too. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 14-07-2016
Bear Republic Brewing Company Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout Amazing looks. Very licorice, bay leaves. Soft, hot taste of roast, rye, even chili. Super body too for the abv, creamy and rich. Lasting bitterness. Lrab. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 4.4 14-07-2016
Craig Allan Craig Allan Black Market UPDATED: JUL 14, 2016 Dark brown, nice big foamy head. Smooth roasted aroma with solid hop backup. Quite creamy actually and some licorice too. Very nice low carbonation body that fits very well the creamy roasted malt. Gives a rich mouth feel for the moderate abv. Very long lasting bitterness. Tasty stout! (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 13-07-2016
De Sutter De Sutter Crazy IPA Very cloudy, but nice enough looking. Belgian yeast, sweaty even, and an odd hop mix, perhaps English and citrus hops together. Nice but not what I expected at all. Full, very Belgian style fermentation, probably refermented in the bottle. IPA? Eh... whatever, it’s a nice Belgian ale, decent enough bitterness. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.5 13-07-2016
Naparbier Naparbier HopDoom The label and name certainly prepare you for something extreme. So is it? Well, it delivers in punch I’d say, with string pale malts, alcohol, sharp and intense hops. Would have liked some more foam. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.7 13-07-2016
De Sutter De Sutter La Folie Douce Golden very clear looks. Simple aroma, pound cake, some banana, light biscuit. Straightforward bubble. Light bitter, but pleasant enough. Exactly as expected. And that’s okay. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.2 12-07-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Ankles Breaker UPDATED: JUL 12, 2016 Very heavy beer this one. Powerful barley wine aroma, spicy, fatty, luscious, thick malts with caramel and toast, alcohol. Very appealing to me to be honest. Love the big dense foam. I was all ready to dislike this beer for its overly high abv and missing power, but it?s the opposite. I adore it. Yummy! (33cl from Etre Gourmet) 4.5 12-07-2016
To Øl To Øl Thirsty Frontier More dimmed than expected. Okay hop mix but the body is a bit too pale for me, as it dims the already very light body even further. Dry but simple fermentation. Didn’t like the simple mouth feel, neither rich or refreshing. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 10-07-2016
Rogue Ales Rogue Farms 4 Hop IPA Typical onion like hops, dank, which together with the biscuit malts and fairly clean fermentation makes this a more interesting, original bet than expected. Tasty strong bitterness, sharp even. Satisfying even though the body is generally light. Big bubble, good feel, lingering bitterness. Like it, original hoppy brew, almost a classic English appeal despite the modern American style. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 10-07-2016
The Kernel The Kernel Dry Stout Chinook Richer than one expects from such a low abv and roasted beer. Nice hoppy kick in the back, excellent mouth feel. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 4.2 09-07-2016
The Kernel The Kernel Export India Porter UPDATED: JUL 9, 2016 Dark roast, bay leave. Hard to say what the hops do in such a dark beer. Not because there?s bit there, it?s awesome, but it?s the mix together that makes the brew. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) Earlier Rating: 9/30/2013 Total Score: 4 Chocolate milk, full rich malts, solid hop backup. Smooth, bitter, dark, clean, rich. It’s all in there. Really good. (Bottle shared at th Borefts 2013 afterparty) 4.4 09-07-2016
Deca Services Vleteren Bruin 8° Oak Barrel Aged Typical Belgian yeast, quite sticky and roast with caramel sweetness and some wood. It’s okay, but perhaps not the right moment (warm, busy) to drink... (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.5 09-07-2016
InBev Belgium Leffe Royale Mapuche UPDATED: JUL 8, 2016 Copper and clear. Very stable head. Brown sugar, herbal, really not much to it. Hop? I don?t smell it. Yellow fruit of mostly apricot and sugar sweetness, caramel and a faint bitter bite in the end. Could be worse. Much worse considering it?s a Leffe. But it?s far from good either. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Ter Bank) 3.0 08-07-2016
Löwenbräu Munich (InBev) Löwenbräu Triumphator Brian body, beige head. Brown bread, pound cake, bay leaves, bit dusty. Totally in style and while the clean fermentation makes it a little dull, it’s quality stuff. Tasty malty body, very pleasant alcohol warmth. Not sharp or nasal at all, which i like. Generally I would prefer more sweetness but from now and then a good bock is very much appreciated, and this a good one. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 07-07-2016
Côteaux Côteaux Oxit Bière de Printemps Copper to light brown body. Malty, of the biscuit and herbal kind, light Belgian yeast, not much hop or even much to our at all to be honest. Taste is a continuation of that, with soft bready and biscuit malts, a dark but faint sweetness and not an awful lot of things that could make it special or stand out. I do like the body though, full for the abv. And a dry ending actually. Decent beer, won’t change your world but that’s okay, I enjoyed it still. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 07-07-2016
Störtebeker Braumanufaktur Störtebeker Stark-Bier Dark body, very nice. Licorice, rye bread, toasted, lovely development. Smooth actually due to the lower than expected carbonation, but also a decent bitter bite over the very malty and flavourful body. Yummy! Clean yet the dark malts really give a full feel. Like it! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 06-07-2016
BIIR BIIR White IPA Los nice, yellow golden. Pale malts, lemon citrus aroma, crisp. But more interesting than my description. Almost Brett like. Light body with sharp yet pleasant carbonation. Taste bitterness throughout. Not the most complex taste, bit summery for sure. Not really a typical IPA, but a nice golden ale. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.7 05-07-2016
Brouwhuys De Vaart Luvanium Cuyt Yellow and misty, nice. Light herbal, crisp yet fruity yeast, distinctly multi grain. Light but pleasant bitterness, drier than expected. Nice summery body actually. Find brew, in between a Belgian wit and kuyt. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.6 05-07-2016
To Øl To Øl Fuck Art - The Heathens Are Coming Nice looks, pretty spot on. Great amount of Brett, bone dry and freshly hopped with citrus and spruce hops. Yummy yummy yummy. Good taste, quite bitter, as I like it, perhaps the dryness diminishes the body a bit but I can’t complain. Great beer! (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 4.3 04-07-2016
Albert Heijn Albert Heijn Brouwers Premium Pilsener Huh, a new AH pilsner. Well, have to tick I suppose... ;-) golden and stable head, looks okay actually. Very sweet for the style (euro lager), more so than most Dutch lagers even. Will, from memory. It does have a very malty taste, not thin. A little more hop and it would match the better macro Polish stuff. That’s a compliment, much better than expected. (33cl can from AH Stevenshof) 3.2 02-07-2016
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges / Stillwater Tropic Sunrise Orange and cloudy. Fizzy but still attractive. Mango yogurt, spritzy. Nice plucky but certainly not sharp sourness, but also a bit of a bitter lemon type bite. The nice lactic aroma isn’t dominant in the taste, and that makes it more refreshing. Very nice brew, not really beery, but very tasty. Very tasty indeed! (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 4.0 02-07-2016
Eeterij & Proeflokaal Stadsbrouwhuis SBH Withert 5.8% wit. Amber looks, certainly not typical. Herbal, English style, soft spice edge, perhaps coriander. Nice Bière bite and great modern carbonation. Not sure what style I would count this as, but certainly not a wit. Didn’t matter, it’s tasty and something different. Bit more aroma hop though, please! (On tap at the brewpub) 3.3 02-07-2016
Eeterij & Proeflokaal Stadsbrouwhuis SBH Batch 3 4.8% kolsch. Hazy, spot on looks. Light pale malts, not quite clean, as it should be. Not devoid of bitterness for sure. Very flavourful. Surprisingly interesting actually and very tasty. Well done! (On tap at the brewpub) 3.7 02-07-2016
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges Bow Tie Daddy Fruity start, bit thin but original. Soft sour, malty too. Not much complexity but tasty one still. Not as diverse as hoped, but good full bodied for the abv. Disappointing. I like the beery malty part but overall a bit simple.(33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 02-07-2016
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges / Beer Here Sugar Daddy Creamy black body, looks great. Very cranky aroma to, almost creme brule like. Smooth body. Bit sticky, but worth it. Yummy and rich! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 02-07-2016
Companyia Artesana Maians Espiga Garage IPA Golden murky. Modern hops, very clean fermentation. Juicy bitterness, lasting citrus lemony taste. Very light but fitting body. Drinkable yet interesting enough. Summery, BBQ beer, nice. (On tap at Stadsbrouwhuis Leiden) 3.5 02-07-2016
Jopen Jopen Tulpomania Golden cloudy. Light toast, light herbal, amber malts, somewhat fruity fermentation. Belgian ale but not with the high alcohol. Flavourful multi grain taste, distinctly malty. It’s okay, wasn’t sure what to expect but decent enough brew, of not a bit dull. (On tap at Stadsbrouwhuis Leiden) 3.1 02-07-2016
Buxton Buxton King Maker Huge beer. Okay the looks are not amazing, but the huge resin hops blue in your face and that’s only the start. Lovely big alcohol warmth and big bitterness throughout. Lovely big brew, not even so expensive either. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 4.4 01-07-2016
De Kale Ridders De Kale Ridders Tumulus Experiment X Copper and glowing, nice. Fermentation fruit sourness, red malts, raisin, banana. Soft taste, not so sour tasting in fact, which reduces its appeal. (33cl bottle at M Cafe Leuven) 3.3 30-06-2016
Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille Ambras Hazy golden, stable head. Well developed, classically styled. Since hop artist at first, then a biscuit malt base. Soft carbonation, but simplistic. Bit underwhelming. Expected more from this brewer. It is it just a contact brewed recipe? (Bottle at M Cafe Leuven) 3.4 30-06-2016
Brouwerij Lindemans Lindemans Pêche Lambic (Pêcheresse) Sticky sweet, peach and orange. Very candy like, those that are sour (but candy, so still really sweet). Sugar but not cloying. Strangely appealing. (375ml bottle from Dekoninck I think) 3.5 30-06-2016
Brouwerij Palm Palm Speciale Belge (Belgian Amber) Caramel edge over a dry roasted body. No hops at all. Bit devoid of bitterness, mostly because it’s really quite dry. Watery body unfortunately. It’s such a strange style. But better than I remember actually! (25cl bottle from Delhaize Leuven) 3.0 29-06-2016
Brekeriet Brekeriet Brillant Pineapple. Soft yellow fruit, mineral, salty. Quite watery at first sight (well, sniff). Soft yogurt like sourness, but very watery body. Expected much more. Not even particularly beery. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 29-06-2016
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter IPA Never even heard of hop oil before... but this is nice! Hugely citrus, nice base malts, pale and light toasted. Nice medium but lasting bitterness. Very yummy fermentation totally out of the way yet giving a fine structure. Great stuff! (33 CL bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 28-06-2016
Camba Bavaria Camba Bavaria Imperial IPA Quite a bit more dimmed than their Ei Pi Ai actually, surpassingly, but still nice. More malt based, English IPA almost, but with American hops and still very strong. Pretty heavy bitterness but nothing to much or even out of the ordinary (when used to this kind of brew). The alcohol.... not sure if it’s needed or even adds much to the taste, but it’s surely not disturbing. At least the body is very well done, so the alcohol, bedsides giving you a glow, helps there. Nice brew if bit a bit dimmed on the hop aroma compared to their own lineup. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 27-06-2016
Camba Bavaria Camba Bavaria Ei Pi Ai Hazy golden to orange, nice. Quite a clean fermentation, giving good way for fresh hops, American modern and orange aromas. Tasty decent bitterness from the start onwards, but really drinkable too actually. Carbonation is quite sharp actually, perhaps a touch too much. well done brew.Nice beer! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 27-06-2016
Brouwerij ’t Verzet Verzet Oakey Moakey Wiskey Stout Dusty sourness. Is this intended? Roasted too, but thin. Taste had more of this, very oakey, sure, but dusty and quite thin. It’s the opposite of what I got to find in a stout. (375ml bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.0 26-06-2016
Buxton Buxton / Lervig Trolltunga Terri amazing brewers, so what did they make? Aroma is nice i suppose, but less fruity than expected. Light sour only. Taste is much more expressive, full, pleasing, laying, yummy. Refreshing despite the low abv, too. Really nice beer despite the moderate aroma. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 4.0 26-06-2016
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Blonde Spéciale Misty golden. Bit spicy, golden malts, little alcohol, herbal perhaps. Ginger perhaps? Light sour herbal taste over the golden warning tripel like body. I like this brewer and this is good to despite the style that doesn’t typically attract me much. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 26-06-2016
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Volga Amber try copper body, bubbly yet obstacle head. Nice hoppy start but certainly not simplistic. Multiple aromas from the malts and hop mix. Peach compote, fig, bready yeast, raisin even. Good development, moderate but lasting bitterness. Smooth even. Well done. Tasty! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 26-06-2016
Arcense Bierbrouwerij (AB-InBev) Hertog Jan Ongekend HJA15/1 Dutch bock beer style. Shallow malts, light toast, light caramel, minimal hops. Stable head but not particularly interesting. Light sweet, somewhat full but not fulfilling really. Palates is nice though, fine bubble and not cloying or anything. Not bad but the style and ideas behind it lead me to hope for something a little more different. (50cl bottle, gift from the neighbour at number 5, thanks!) 3.2 25-06-2016
Monteiths Brewing Co. (DB Breweries) Monteiths Brewer’s Series India Pale Ale Very underwhelming beer, especially since it’s very mildly hopped and quite simple too. Clean enough fermentation, but not any complexity. Sometimes simple is nice, but for that it misses freshness of a satisfying bubble. No. (33cl bottle from Albert Heijn Leuven) 3.2 24-06-2016
Craig Allan Craig Allan India Project Ale Nugget With these more herbal English hops and the already quite fruity ale fermentation, this goes further from what I expect from an IPA than the already non-clean Sorachi Ace variant I tried earlier. Drinks will enough but when I see IPA on a bottle I expect something dry, but, fragrant, fresh. It’s not really any of these. Decent brew but it falls short in the end, both in style and outside. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 22-06-2016
Moor Moor / BrewDog Bristol Not Another Eurovision Beer Tropical,even lychee hops. Thick malts, English fermentation. Lie carbonation, giving a juicy bitter feel. Not at all crisp, but a soothing drinker. Touch of smoke like malts without that particular smoke aroma. Interesting beer, much enjoyed it. (33cl bottle from Etre Gourmet) 3.7 22-06-2016
Monteiths Brewing Co. (DB Breweries) Monteiths Southern Pale Ale Dry malt appeal, dusty even. Little hops, very clean fermentation but still distinctly ale like. Taste is overall a bit bland though, I didn’t get much taste out of it after a few sips. Expected more. (33 CL bottle from Albert Heijn Leuven) 3.2 22-06-2016
Kona Brewing Company Kona Castaway IPA Clean very American looking. Indeed a clean west coast style fermentation, mostly pale malts, fruity but fairly moderate hops for the style. Tasty juicy bitterness, moderate. It’s okay,i like body. (33cl bottle from Albert Heijn Leuven) 3.5 22-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Mère Vertus Very hazy, but appealing. Warming alcohol, nice sweaty bready yeast. Full body, not as crisp or clean as the best known Belgian triples, but i like it. Solid bitterness to, not sugar sweet but malt sweet. Almost like an American amber with Belgian yeast. Like it a lot, unexpected beer, recommended. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.9 21-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Petite Vertus Compensates for the low abv and low sugar with rotated and cara malts. Quite dry in appeal, but a decent amount of body, nice. A low abv Belgian style brew, you don’t see that very often, but it seems to work, thb. Decent sweetness, short but pleasant ending. Nice. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.5 20-06-2016
Sint Christoffel Bier Christoffel Weissen IPA Dark copper and stable head. Dank hops, bread, spruce... really nice, well enough developed. Taste is quite sweet though, almost cloying considering the style and abv. Low carbonation doesn’t help. Not sure about this one tbh. (33 CL bottle from AH Leuven) 3.4 18-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Matildica Very spiced, anise, rosemary. With best malts and some toast. Enough sweetness to balance, but I’m not a personal fan of such spice. Herbal taste, vegetable perhaps. Sweet malts to balance. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.5 18-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Poivrote Amber body, stalker grey head. Peppery, spiced, rye, light barn fermentation. Little heat kick to this one, but not as bad as some of the stupid American craft brewers do. Warning sweetness is balanced by this heat and a big but present bubble. Bit of a short ending. Heat lingers on though. Better than feared for sure, add I typically hate chili beers. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.4 17-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Mac Vertus Dark brown, large stable head. Smooth and indeed English in style. Soft taste, bit sweet but also the smoothness of an English classic stout. Much enjoyed this. Didn’t know what to expect but it’s a different and unexpected beer from this traditional Belgian brewer. Like it. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.7 17-06-2016
Hop Valley Brewing Company Hop Valley Citrus Mistress A disappointment to be honest, with a much smaller than hopped hop aroma, even though the mix of lemony modern hops and herbal notes works well. Bit thin in appeal, not much make complexity or fermentation aromas. A shame because it wasn’t cheap either and with the given readings I was craving for a high hitter. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 16-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Vertus Ose UPDATED: JUN 16, 2016 Copper most body, small stable head. Cheesy year, apricot marmalade, sweet cake. Nice sweet taste, fulfilling and especially on a rainy day. Nice low carbonation, fitting the style. Like it, classic bet but will done. This brewer doesn?t make great blond beers but his amber ones are really nice so far! (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.6 16-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Fumette de Millevertus Full smoke aroma, with accompanying bready malts too. Simpler taste, quite a full body, no doubt partially due to the smoked malts. Nice brew, the British style with smoke works better than expected. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.6 16-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Zanzi Fresh aroma, nice good, push, crisp bubbly carbonation in the nose. Nice sweet malt but certainly well balanced. Yummy yellow fruit malt taste and we’ll done, appropriate fermentation, soft sweet ending, buy again well developed so really enjoyable. Classic bet, but certainly not old fashioned. Real nice! (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.9 15-06-2016
To Øl To Øl Maj Pilsner Fresh hops, not dull at all malts, lemony, summery, light but not crisp actually. Even more so in the taste, smooth and juicy rather than dry and crisp. Extremely drinkable, yummy! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 15-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Douce Vertus Nice sweet dark malts, deep caramel, toasted, woody even, syrup. Nice! Traditional in style but appealing. Decent bitterness for the style and together with the big bubble it doesn’t feel cloying despite the sweet malts. Only the ending is a bit short and body feels a touch thin. Not very alcoholic though. Nice, enjoyable brew. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.5 15-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Bella Mère More typical than expected Belgian ale, with fruity yeast, light sweet bread type malts, very moderate hops actually. I think the hops are pushed away because of the yeast choice, so much more should have been used or a cleaner fermentation. Taste isn’t very bitter at all either. It’s an okay Belgian ale, but really too common for its own good. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.3 14-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus 421 A Belgian ale of which I wouldn’t immediately suspect there’s something inherently different about its malt bill. There’s perhaps some extra spice, but the body and flavour don’t seem to take on much of the spelt qualities. Or is spelt that inconspicuous? Regardless, a decent Belgian ale, just above blond, with a very light bitterness and decent bubble, but a quite underdeveloped fermentation profile. It’s okay. (33 CL bottle from the brewery) 3.0 14-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Safranaise Golden yellow, fairly clean.Heavy aroma of the saffron used in this beer. It’s hard to say if I like it, but I don’t dislike it and it’s certainly original (can only remember one other saffron beer I’ve tried, which was very poor). Also some pale malts, perfume, floral. Fun to try but ultimately not my thing. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.0 13-06-2016
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus Blanchette de Gaume (Lemon) Pale appearance, white head. Floral classic hops, very foamy in your nose carbonation, white bread. Light and quite fresh, but somehow not so interesting. It’s bubbly, but too sweet for me and plays to much on the bubble rather than the fermentation. Okay. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 2.9 13-06-2016
Oppigårds Bryggeri Oppigårds Everyday IPA Bright yellow, fresh and inviting. Lemony hops, very pale malts, fresh and vibrant. Cleanly fermented, nice big bubbles but certainly not Belgian style hard. Nice brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 13-06-2016
NovaBirra NovaBirra HOLY IPA Very caramel malts, modern hops. Not a clear, but a pleasant fermentation. Sweet at first but also a juicy style bitterness. At least there’s a full body to enjoy. Not a typical American IPA, but a pleasant beer nonetheless. Would drink again for sure. (33cl bottle father’s day gift, yeah so nice!) 3.5 13-06-2016
De Struise Brouwers Struise Aestatis Dark copper, very big head. Won’t aromas, sticky marmalade, rye, very aromatic. Worth the big abv. Very satisfying, great development. Huge but flavourful, a beer that (as not always the case imho) owned Struise the big craft name. Worth every sip.(33cl bottle as father’s day gift, so cool!) 4.3 13-06-2016
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Retro IPA Clean golden, frothy head. Herbal spicy hops ,biscuit. Very nice clean development, good bitterness. I like it! The hood are clearly different from the Modern IPA, but I wouldn’t say I like the one necessarily better than the other. (33 CL can from Saveur Bière) 3.8 13-06-2016
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Modern IPA Murky yellow body. Very light, very summery aroma based around citrus hops and pale malts, but it’s actually the fermentation that makes it stand out. Indeed more modern, as on the American hops, than the Retro IPA, but just as nice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 13-06-2016
Oppigårds Bryggeri Oppigårds Session Pale Ale Not very pale, more copper. Toasted bread, resin modern hops but asks herbal. Yay very clean fermentation. Nice beer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 12-06-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis Bruichladdich BA Thick black and small head, as I know Hel & Verdoemenis to be. Loads of vanilla and wood, refined yet huge. Very smooth taste actually, not to thin from the aging, I like it. Like it a lot. Very satisfying and despite the high price I can’t think of many beers that would be more worth it. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket I belief.) 4.5 12-06-2016
Brouwerij Kerkom Bink Tripel Double Dry-Hopped Very cloudy, orange. Indeed a nice aroma hopping, classic but it works nicely with the bit quite pale Belgian ale. Simpler taste, not particularly bitter actually. (75cl bottle shared by Jo, thanks!) 3.6 11-06-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Halen Mariënrode Tripel Golden hazy, stable head. Very sweet malts, but the aroma is nice, herbal hops. Classic but better than expected, just a straightforward taste. Buy to alcoholic fit the richness of the beer. (33cl bottle shared by Jo, thanks!) 3.4 10-06-2016
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges Orange Haze Light and glowing body, very nice, hard to fault at all. Very fresh hugely hoppy aroma. Sorry drinkable, flavourful, appealing. Lrab. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 09-06-2016
Redwillow Redwillow Wreckless Amber misty body, frothy head. English yeast, not quite clean fermentation, very juicy hops, modern and with very low carbonation. Smooth and drinkable despite solid bitterness. Bit watery perhaps but it’s the style more than the quality, which is awesome. Good stuff. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 3.6 09-06-2016
Black Diamond Brewing Company Black Diamond White Witch Glowing copper body and stable but small head. Tobacco, resin, out of the way yeast, line and biscuit malts. Low carbonation, juicy mouth feel, medium but very lasting bitterness. Very appealing and rich, especially for the abv. Partly due to the low bubble, but also the plain great hop mix. Very nice! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 09-06-2016
Flying Dog Brewery Flying Dog The Truth Imperial IPA Golden appearance, stable head. Orange hops, cara malts, bit more dimmed than hoped. Strong taste though, well hopped for sure. Light, perhaps too light, carbonation. Yummy, not quite as fresh as hoped. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 09-06-2016
Weird Beard Weird Beard / La Debauche Pankot Palace Very original beer. Aroma starts directly with spices like star anise, bay leave and allspice. Dark rye bread and toasted malts too. Cheesy yeast, dank. Great! Not too spiced in the taste, a real achievement, with just a heat from it and the alcohol, enough darkness to balance. Less bitter than expected, but it matches the beer well. Very yummy. Quite long aftertaste too. A very good beer, despite or thanks to the spices I am not sure. But I like it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 08-06-2016
Anchor Brewing Company Anchor Go West! IPA A nicely but more balanced than strongly hopped American IPA with pine and citrus as well as cara malts and a golden cereal base. It is the taste that impressed me though, strongly bitter yet juicy enough, fulfilling and even challenging. Lovely clean American style fermentation yet distinctly ale like. Really brings everything together. Without bells and whistles, just a plain good -- no, great -- ipa, and that is bliss. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 08-06-2016
To Øl To Øl LikeWeisse Glowing yellow but also dusty. Vegetable, berries, pale crackers, bit milky maybe. Less impressive than hoped, but original. Bit sour, very juicy, nice light mouth feel. Indeed you can drink lots of this. Although the abv is THAT low. Still, I like the idea and the execution. Only the aroma is a bit underwhelming given its hopped promise. Yummy! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 08-06-2016
Mad River Brewery Mad River Redwood Stout Extremely think Black body. Deep chocolate. Intense and yet nothing cloying or overwhelming. No big alcohol either, could even use some more. Very rich and satisfying. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 08-06-2016
Hawthorn Brewing Company Hawthorn Brewing Australian IPA Better than expected aroma, well hopped and balanced. Simpler taste profile, drinkable but to short aftertaste. Still a great BBQ beer I reckon. Much better than expected. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 08-06-2016
Dilewyns Vicaris Tripel Huge head, nice. Light caramel, apple pie, prickly carbonation. It does miss some alcohol warmth for me, which can lift the style. Still a decent example and I did enjoy it enough. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.3 08-06-2016
Basqueland Brewing Project Basqueland Capt. Norb Kölsch Mild but aromatic and appealing. Light bitter only, as per the style, but style distinctly modern compared to the style classics. Very smooth as it should. Nice modern variation on the style. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 08-06-2016
Brasserie Du Bocq Du Bocq La Gauloise Ambrée Gusher. Amber caramel malts, cookie dough, fatty sweetness, cereal and some marmelade. Typical Belgian yeast, not too filtered. Light bitterness but also a relatively light bubble for the style so it;s fairly balanced. Main issue is that it falls a bit in nomansland when it comes to the style. I like amber beers, but it’s a bit too liquorice and cloying for its own good. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.2 08-06-2016
Broeder Jacob Broeder Jacob Formidabel Apple like yeast, pale and golden malts, biscuit, fruity but simple. Quite filtered, not much to excite. Low bitterness, accessible. Very sorry aftertaste, big bubble. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.1 07-06-2016
Brouwerij Girardin Girardin Gueuze Black Label Very nice apple and barn aromas. Very accessible actually despite the significant sourness. Will developed, perhaps not the most woody or complex but I enjoyed it a lot. (375cl bottle from Dekoninck), 3.8 07-06-2016
To Øl To Øl Sur Citra Starts off mostly hoppy with lemon. But after sipping and experiencing the fruit yoghurt like taste, the aroma also carries more distinct lactic sourness. Very pale malts, even though the great looks aren’t so pale, seem to form the malt base and that’s a great choice. Super refreshing and exactly what I hoped for. Quite a unique beer and I love it! Mixes Berliner Weisse with a Sesison IPA. Great stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 06-06-2016
Basqueland Brewing Project Basqueland Arraun Amber Ale Nice amber looks, very stable head. Hugely hoppy, very nice, resin, forest berries. Solid bitterness. Impressive beer, hoppy, rich and enjoyable. Need to make some of this myself some time, really my kind of brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 05-06-2016
Brouwerij Oud Beersel Oud Beersel Bersalis Tripel Oak Aged Complex aroma of sour peaches, cider, light wood and basement. Strong sourness, long lasting flavour, golden malts. Very well developed and very appealing, but heavy for a whole 75cl bottle. Share! You’ll be loved for it. (75cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN, I think) 3.9 04-06-2016
Broeder Jacob Broeder Jacob Tripel Huge carbonation in the nose, then fruity Belgian yeast, then golden cereal malts. Simple and quite filtered but due to the big bubbly and warning alcohol I enjoy it much more than I should. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.4 04-06-2016
De Struise Brouwers Struise Blue Monk Special Reserve (Bottled) Nice beer. Dark brown, decent head. Well developed, well aged. Raisin, Port wine, brown malts. Very well rounded off classic Belgian dark ale, very yummy. Pricy but worth it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière I think) 4.0 03-06-2016
Brasserie des Fagnes Super des Fagnes Blonde By clear, clearly very filtered. Okay aroma overall but devoid of hops or much character. Like the big bubbly body though. Not a horrible beer by any standard, but not exciting either, and I secretly hoped for that. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.3 02-06-2016
Basqueland Brewing Project Basqueland Aupa All United Pale Ale Hazy golden copper body. Stable head. Modern hops, mango, grapefruit. Very American fermentation, clean and appealing. Not terribly bitter, but bitter enough. I like it, mostly because of the dry body and modern hop aroma. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 01-06-2016
Basqueland Brewing Project Basqueland Equinox Wheat Ale Very bright and vibrant carbonation. Lemonade, golden malts. Nice! Modern, appealing. Only the looks are off, no head at all. (33cl bottle from Sauveur Bière) 3.7 01-06-2016
Brouwerij Roman Ename Pater Very dull aroma, light bready malts.b Belgian style yeast but hopelessly filtered. Simplistic taste from start to the short finish. (33cl bottle from Sauveur Bière) 3.0 31-05-2016
Barcelona Beer Company Barcelona Beer Company Barcelona Beer Golden Ale style, with golden cereal and biscuit malts. Some soft herbal but pleasant hops. Medium bitter, fairly big bubble. Tasty brew, nothing special but nice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 31-05-2016
Thistly Cross Cider Thistly Cross / Tempest Saison Cider Very mild aroma actually. Some red apple and English yeast perhaps. Nice but dimmed. Taste is balanced, bubbly, bit bitter. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 31-05-2016
Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie Bootjesbier Amber, cloudy. Sweet caramel malts, but not sticky at all. Nice robust malts and good rich hop build-up too. Belgian yeast I think but well developed, not sharp at all. Good Base bitterness. Very yummy! (33cl bottle at old colleagues bbq at Thierry’s) 4.0 30-05-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Farmhouse Ale Lovely developed blond beer, light cheesy yeast, modern hopped, not overdone. Slight sourness, light bitter. If fact the light bitterness on about the only thing dulling my opinion ; it’s a really great beer! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 30-05-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest A Face With No Name Red malts, bready, berries, fresh and dank hops, modern. Mixed bag but it works for me, something I would brew myself. Full enough body, bit rough around the edges. Decent bitterness. Lots of cereals and full body for the abv. Again, totally something I would brew myself and unexpectedly so I dig it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bieère) 3.8 29-05-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Mango Berlinner Pale yellow, headless mostly. Light body. Indeed lots of mango, much less funky, sour than expected. (33cl botke from Saveur Biere) 3.3 29-05-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Elemental Porter Flimsy head, nice dark body. Very harsh toasted aroma, but quite weak. Bit watery tbh. Good bitterness, lasting. Ups and downs. I like it, but I don’t consider it very good. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 28-05-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Unforgiven Ale Smokey, sweet bread, spiced, juniper berrie, earthy. Nice body, especially given the low carbonation and low abv. Well balanced spice but a good smokey aroma wins me over in the end. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 27-05-2016
Brains Brains Craft Brewery Barry Island IPA I like the idea behind this beer. An English style, reimagined in America reimagined again in England. Looks good too, very stable head. But the aroma misses much panache. Not very hoppy nor very malty or delicate. Taste is much better, nice juicy bitterness, lasting. Very quaffable. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 27-05-2016
La Caracole Forestinne Mysteria Dark golden. Very Belgian in yeast and development. Drinks okay though, not too bubbly not too filtered, just straightforward. Expected a bit more tbh. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.2 26-05-2016
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne Lanti (batch 2) Funky dank fruit, fermenting red berries. Not sharp at all, which is nice. Taste is quiet delicate actually, not too bubbly, not thin. It’s not for the lambic lover I guess but I dig it. Very nice aging. Just damn expensive, a big minus. (50cl bottle bought at the Libf 2016) 4.0 25-05-2016
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Gayant La Goudale Ambrée Amber body, fairly clean. Dull aroma, too filtered. Even a bit sharp. Light carbonation further doesn’t help it. It’s just too dulled. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 25-05-2016
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse Black & Tan Port Charlotte BA Perfect dark looks, luscious and very appealing. Complex set of dark aroma, fruity mites but mostly dark smooth malts. Very smooth, not cloying but very rich. Lovely sweet portification flavours. Top brew, really nice barrel aging, something I don’t often say! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 25-05-2016
Brouwerij Roman Ename Dubbel Caramel, licorice, wood, filtered. Sweet, malty, filtered sticky taste. Exactly as expected. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.3 25-05-2016
Brouwerij Affligem / De Smedt (Heineken) Angel Blond Simple golden appearance and typical light malty aroma. Some apple perhaps, fruity esters but not terribly interesting fermentation. It’s all on moderation I guess. Taste is decent enough, nothing remarkable (literally). Nice big bubble, fits the beer very well. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.4 25-05-2016
Brouwerij Van Steenberge Vlaamsche Leeuw Tripel Standard aroma, ni bad but uninviting. Taste is nice though, nice wanting alcohol, golden malts, classic hopping. Nice beer, very typical Belgian, not new or surprising, but I enjoy the taste a lot tbh. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.7 25-05-2016
Van Den Bossche Lamoral Degmont Tripel Little funky start, then golden malts. Some cereal like sweetness ss on taste, a spicy bite, nothing out if the ordinary. Not very clean and certainly not dry, but it all fits the style. More interesting start than the beer turned out to be. Decent brew though. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.5 25-05-2016
Craig Allan Craig Allan India Project Ale Caramel, wet hopping, canned tropical fruit, heavy fermentation aromas of Saison like yeast. Kind of sweet, even more so with the low carbonation. Drinks wel, but very yeasty. Floating all over the place. Not as refined or developed as Craig Allan’s other beers. I expected more tbh, even if you take it for the Belgian ale it is and disregard the style label. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 23-05-2016
Brouwerij Hoegaarden (AB-InBev) Hoegaarden Radler Agrum Oddly hazy appealing body, but ugly bubbles. Fresh spritzy soda aroma, big bubbles, white sugar, lemon. Taste is sweet at first, dimmed by the soda like bubbles, then a faint lemony taste, but never sour. Not beery. In fact it’s almost closer to cider, if anything. No body at all, which would be my main complaint next title eh filtered to death taste. But it’s a soda, so what am I complaining about really? (Free can from the Delhaize Heverlee) 2.0 22-05-2016
Brasserie {C} Torpah 90 UPDATED: AUG 20, 2016 Clean golden looks, bubbly Duvel like head. Sweet hops, white wine, summery, orange peel perhaps,but not the fresh flowery experience I expected. Nice though, soft balanced hop aroma. Low, perhaps too low, carbonation. Not as bitter either given the 96 claimed IBUs. Ending does have a bitterness though and I don?t think it?s appropriate either given the good but relatively balanced start. It?s a nice Belgian ale then, just don?t go in with expectations. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) Re-rate: Liked it better this time, fresher bottle perhaps. Nice typical American hop and solid bitterness. (Bottle at the brewpub) 3.6 21-05-2016
Timmermans (John Martin) Timmermans Oude Gueuze Strong fruity funk, pear, clear, golden. Strong sour taste, juicy, nice carbonation. Not for the faint hearted, but well done. 3.5 21-05-2016
To Øl To Øl Garden of Eden Cloudy golden, very lasting head. Hard citrus, peach, summery yet full. Funky, woody, vinegar, golden malts, citrus sweetness. Very original and very tasty. A classic beer it is not, but it is classy and very well developed, nothing crazy, which makes it all the better. Yummy! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 21-05-2016
Haacht Haacht Primus Simple sweet euro lager, not much to say about it. It’s seemingly devoid of any hop whatsoever and I don’t like the certainly rushed fermentation either, not clean enough, no character, no smoothness. You’re better off with the big brands. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 2.0 21-05-2016
Brasserie {C} Torpah 60 Herbal hops, bit sweet but well developed. Taste is better balanced, nice bitterness. Don’t like the Amaris hops much but still a successful beer. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.7 20-05-2016
Haacht Tongerlo Christmas Simple fermentation aromas, golden sweet malts, corn, spices, very filtered. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.1 20-05-2016
Liefmans (Duvel-Moortgat) Liefmans Goudenband Flemish red like aromas with fermenting fruit, amber malts, red wine notes. Very flavourful, not too clean. Nice stuff. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.7 19-05-2016
Brouwerij Hoegaarden (AB-InBev) Hoegaarden Julius (Blond) Fruity esters, biscuit, banana, classically styled which is okay but it tastes old fashioned too. Sweet alcohol heat without any reason. Not clear enough either. No, no good. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.1 19-05-2016
Duvel Moortgat Duvel Tripel Hop 2007 - 2011 (Amarillo) The original Tripel hop, back from when most people never had an ipa. Things have changed, a lot. I have never had the original release, but I sure dig this one. The body does loose it’s Duvel dry character and adds sweetness, but it makes for a good beer nonetheless. Still a distinctive big bubble, just not as dry. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 18-05-2016
To Øl To Øl Cloud 3 Wit Very light cloudy and grey. Soft lemon, aromatic, light fruit, not thin. Lemony funk, not vinigar like or sharp. Very nice! Light body as expected, but not too thin I have to say. Summery, good start of the day beer. I like it! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 17-05-2016
Brasserie à Vapeur Vapeur Cochonne Sweet malts, fermnting fruit, brown caramel, alcohol and estery fermentation. Sweet alcohol throughout, but oddly still satisfying. Some spices. Not refined nor well developed, but I still enjoy it. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.4 17-05-2016
Cervezas Arriaca Arriaca Cappra Boris Brew Yellow, nice head. Very hoppy clean. Soft, very low carbonation. Great bitterness. Yummy! The hops get out so well with this low and dry fermentation. (At Libf 2016) 4.0 17-05-2016
Cervezas Arriaca Arriaca Vikingathor Boris Brew Brown, small head. Cake, biscuit, light smoke. Odd hopping, but it works. Clear lager fermentation. Smooth and bitter start, simple, bit then more smoke, harshness, bit of complexity. (At Libf 2016) 3.7 17-05-2016
Domus Domus Aurea Grey head, cloudy body. Fresh aroma, orange, grasses. Light carbonation, light bitter, yummy, quite well done brew. (At Libf 2016) 3.5 17-05-2016
Thisted Bryghus Thisted / Mikkeller Beer Geek Limfjordsporter Black bodied. Roasted, licorice. Good bitterness, lasting full flavour, yummy ending. Pecan and dry toasted peanuts. (At Libf 2016) 4.0 17-05-2016
Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof Bayerischer Bahnhof Goseator - Rum Barrel Cloudy body, orange. Super strong. Lots of alcohol. Punchy aroma. Rum works well in this Base beer, luckily, so I like the flavours. Very powerful though. (At Libf 2016) 3.5 17-05-2016
Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof Bayerischer Bahnhof Goseator Double Wood Misty golden. Pungent, cookie, stingy fruit. Miss mesh of tastes, sharp, sourish. Interesting and different, not totally my thing. (At Libf 2016) 3.4 17-05-2016
Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof Bayerischer Bahnhof Original Leipziger Gose Mostly clean, light yellow. Sweeter than expected malts, funk. Moderate taste, both fruity and dry, umami, developed. Odd style and this is a prototypical example, perhaps a bit sweeter on the nose. (At Libf 2016) 3.5 17-05-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal / New Belgium Heavy Nettle Vegetable, pale malts, salty, gose like. Odd. Taste an body are more traditional, albeit a bit underwhelming. Vegetable taste gets back in the ending. It’s okay, fun experiment. (At Libf 2016) 3.4 17-05-2016
Boulevard Brewing Company (Duvel-Moortgat) Boulevard Smokestack Series: Imperial Stout X - Coconut Black, large head. Dry roasted coconut, cane cane sugar. Odd but it works in the aroma. The taste isn’t quite as rich, full as hoped. (At Libf 2016) 3.6 17-05-2016
Boulevard Brewing Company (Duvel-Moortgat) Boulevard Smokestack Series: Bourbon Barrel Quad Sweet berries, bready, bit underwhelming. Soft taste, too barrel aged go me, thinning down the beer and giving sharp edges that don’t match the beer’s malt and yeast Base. It’s nice but I hoped for amazing. (At Libf 2016) 3.5 17-05-2016
Boulevard Brewing Company (Duvel-Moortgat) Boulevard Smokestack Series: Saison-Brett Hazy golden yellow. Sweet floral, honey, rich. Sourness, bit straightforward. But very summery. Like it. (At Libf 2016) 3.9 17-05-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Leuven Innovation Beer Festival 2016 Black, small head. Sour, smoke, roast... It’s all there and quite odd but I like it. Not terribly full body, but enough to support the huge flavours coming again from roasted malts, lactic sourness and some smoke too. Described as an impy but more of a Flemish Brown. And that’s okay, I dig it. (At Libf 2016) 3.7 17-05-2016
Browar Kormoran Kormoran Podroze Kormorana Rauchbock Bbq smoke, umami, cookie, rye. Smokey taste too. Good body, interesting, fulfilling, lovely. Very smooth, top notch. (At Libf 2016) 4.1 17-05-2016
Browar Kormoran Kormoran Podroze Kormorana Coffee Stout Lots of coffee, but stale coffee. Roast taste, but watery. The aroma promises more power. It’s okay. (At Libf 2016) 3.4 17-05-2016
Oersoep Oersoep Brettalicious (Saison) Hazy grey orange. Funky, woody, apples, refined. Quite sour. Taste is raw, artisanal, light bodied. Nice, original. (At Libf 2016) 3.7 17-05-2016
Oersoep Oersoep Raspberry Tart - Brett Saison Foudre 1 Red berries, weak malts. Well developed but a bit dusty. Prickly carbonation. The tartness isn’t too overpowering but the fruit is all you get to balance, so it has a quite watery feel if you ask me. But it must be my palate, I do think it’s very well done. Unique too. (At Libf 2016) 3.4 17-05-2016
Oersoep Oersoep Zeebier Seaweed Imperial Stout Funky, roast, chocolate, vegetable, roast. Little thin for the abv but strong tasting. (At Libf 2016) 3.7 17-05-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Avant-Garde Series Barley Wine Aged for 20 Months. Oloroso Ed. 2016 Small lacing, brown. Toasted, sour wood, red wine vinegar, fermenting fruit. Funky, characterful. Yummy! (At Libf 2016) 4.1 17-05-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Back In Black Black, stable head. Toast and resin mix. Super nice aroma! Smooth bitterness, lasting, very good. (At Libf 2016) 4.2 17-05-2016
Naparbier Naparbier The Crimson Bird Strawberries Cloudy, off white head. Strawberry galore, biscuit, sticky sweet bread. Watery start, odd fruity enhanced flavour. Short ending. Not sure about this one. Weak beer and not my thing either. (At Libf 2016) 3.0 17-05-2016
Wild Beer Wild Beer Brettbrett (2015) Cloudy orange. Passion fruit and mango hops. Medium bitter, bit astringent. Bone dry. (At Libf 2016) 3.7 17-05-2016
Canediguerra Canediguerra Brown Porter Black, nice. Toast, licorice, rich. Rye bread. Good solid bitterness considering, but a touch flat overall in favour profile. Short ending, but great stuff, love the malt mix. (At Libf 2016) 4.0 17-05-2016
Canediguerra Canediguerra Berliner Weisse Light, pale malts, soft white grapes. Taste is more expressive, powerful even. Sour, not complex, lactic. It’s decent. Bit too straightforward perhaps. (At Libf 2016) 3.4 17-05-2016
Canediguerra Canediguerra / Anspach & Hobday English IPA Clean looking, grey head. Spicy and herbal hops, with some pine added. Very clean, biscuit, not boring at all. Low carbonation, very low. But fitting. Enjoyable brew. (At Libf 2016) 3.8 17-05-2016
Canediguerra Canediguerra American IPA Golden, clear. Pine, sharp but fragrant America hops, grapes. Strong bitter, long lasting. Very good, if more strong than fresh. (At Libf 2016) 3.8 17-05-2016
Victory Art Brew Victory Art Brew Red Machine IPA Copper, nice head. Strong aroma, red fruit, resin. Bubbly but drinkable. Strong taste of hops, alcohol and cookie malts. (At Libf 2016) 3.7 17-05-2016
Victory Art Brew Victory Art Brew Ivan Pitch black, lasting head. Big smoke, roasted, charcoal. Thick body, syrupy, dark caramel, very smooth. Alcohol heat ending. Love it, string and rewarding. Creamy and delicious. (At Libf 2016) 4.2 17-05-2016
Victory Art Brew Victory Art Brew Queen Mary Sweet malts, caramel, simple, Belgian. Surpringly it’s strong, concentrated, little fermenting fruit sourness, alcohol. Odd start, huge taste, very enjoyable on small quantities. Nothing Burton Ale stout it though, I reckon. (At Libf 2016) 3.8 17-05-2016
Victory Art Brew Victory Art Brew / Σόλο (Solo) Lacto No More Copper hazy. Surpringly light aroma with peach and biscuits. Stronger taste, yoghurt, peach lemonade, full rich mouthfeel, plucky sour ending. Nice different brew. Ups and downs but I like it. (At Libf 2016) 3.8 17-05-2016
Victory Art Brew Victory Art Brew Garden Sensation Cloudy, stable head. Sweet herbs, raspberry, sharp ending. Sahti like even, odd. Original. (At Libf 2016) 3.5 17-05-2016
Free Will Brewing Company Free Will The Kragle IPA Clear light golden. Balanced hops, light fermentation. Herbal, pine, grapefruit. Well developed. (At Libf 2016) 3.9 17-05-2016
Free Will Brewing Company Free Will Provisional Funk - Brett Saison Coudy, orange. Fermenting fruit, canned fruit. Very dry, pluckery, different. Characterful, different, well made. Good stuff. (At Libf 2016) 3.9 17-05-2016
Free Will Brewing Company Free Will Ella (Black Friday) Burnt cookie, black tea, red berries. Very original and it really works. Vanilla, aging. Super wel developed, powerful stuff. Only the body is a touch thin for my taste. Great stuff! (At Libf 2016) 3.8 17-05-2016
Free Will Brewing Company Free Will Whit Light misty, golden. Sour, wheat, apples, very original. Punchy sourness, well developed. Great combo of wheat and fruity sourness throughout. Yummy carbonation. Very successful beer. (At Libf 2016) 3.9 17-05-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Hagelandse Parel Brut Kaneel Light yellow, headless. White wine like. Simple apple juice, floral funk, dry spice. Foamy mouthfeel, medium sour, interesting brew. (Sample from bottle at the brewery) 3.6 17-05-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Hagelandse Parel Brut Nature Cloudy grey. Funky, lemon green apple. Very fresh, dry, pear, sour. Surprisingly nice! Totally different from my expectations. (Sample from bottle at the brewery) 3.8 17-05-2016
Cerveja Artesanal BEATA BEATA Stout Black body and small yet stable creamy head. Dry toast, rye bread, nutty. Watery texture but not characterless, with smooth toasted flavours as well as a delicate bitterness. Not alcoholic. Light palate but not bad at all. (33cl bottle from Bohemia Faro) 3.6 17-05-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier Holsbeek Lente Tripel Golden, filtered appearance. Sweet bread, popcorn, hopless, cake. Bit astringent start, simple malts then to give sweetness. Not a fan, not my type of beer. (On tap at the brewery) 3.1 17-05-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier Gulden Delle Grey hazy yellow body. Sweet floral beer, apple, pale malts. Sweet simple fruity fermentation, crisp carbonation but underwhelming flavour. Not quite my thing perhaps. (33cl bottle at the brewery) 3.1 17-05-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Dark Dark brown, flimsy head. Chocolate, lots of it, but funnily not very thick or ’dark’. Quite punchy flavour. Interesting, a Belgian dubbel but much more chocolate. (On tap at the brewery) 3.6 16-05-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Smokin’ Elder Yellow golden, light haze. Light smoke aroma. Dry smoke taste, mild, fruity fermentation. Not as nice as I expected, the Belgian yeast doesn’t match the light smokey malts. Not sure about this one. (33cl bottle at the brewery) 3.0 16-05-2016
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Gayant La Goudale de Printemps Copper, light haze. Bière the garde style, alcohol, sweet malts, not too flowery. Light spice. Clean and quite sweet, but oddly satisfying. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared) 3.4 15-05-2016
To Øl To Øl Friends With Benefits Cloudy orange golden. Moderate but very nice modern hops, mandarin, mango. Easily drinkable, but moderate in its style. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared) 3.5 15-05-2016
To Øl To Øl Hoppy Mondays Golden, mostly clear. Nelson Sauvin I think, nice and modern, cleanly enough fermented. Drinkable, low carbonation. Good brew, although no surprises here, but that’s okay. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 15-05-2016
Mikkeller Mikkeller Stick In The Ear Golden copper, hazy, nice. Tropical fruits, sweet cake, clean yeast. Bit too clean perhaps, as it reduces character, but the hop is very prominent and the bitter juicy taste is very long. Which I like a lot! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 15-05-2016
Brouwerij de Kroon Witte van de Kroon Hazy, blond head, stable. Good crusty white bread aroma, delicate, quite dry. Very drinkable, well developed. Nice! (On tap at the brewery) 3.7 15-05-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Saison Very murky, yellow. Floral, honey, sweet but interesting. Very sweet, flowery, bubbly. Ending is a bit cloying, but I do like the aroma, original stuff. (On tap at the brewery) 3.3 14-05-2016
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Slap a Banker UPDATED: MAY 14, 2016 Beautiful, unique look. Fig, Christmas pudding, bit buttery though. Alcohol, ethanol even? Not quite right. Sharp, alcohol, warming though and nice cake and fig sweetness. Not full, unfortunately. Disappointing, for the first time from this brewery I think. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 13-05-2016
Gueuzerie Tilquin Tilquin Oude Quetsche à l’Ancienne Glowing copper. Fruity sourness, cake batter. Plucky sourness, not sharp though. Powerful ending, dripping taste buts guaranteed. Nice low but present carbonation. Great stuff, honestly great! Characterful and layered, not too thin or sharp. (375ml bottle from Dekoninck) 4.1 13-05-2016
Vocation Brewery Vocation Life & Death UPDATED: MAY 13, 2016 Golden, decent head. Heavy hops, tropical, fresh, crisp lovely. Not hugely bitter, but very drinkable. Big bubbly, but I don?t mind. Bit filtered perhaps but great stuff. (33cl can from and shared with Darren and Alyssa, many thanks!) 3.9 13-05-2016
Brasserie Lefebvre La Quenast Golden glowing body, decent head actually, but very filtered. Golden malts, touch of cake, somewhat sweet, not too watery it seems. Soft taste zero low bitterness. It’s all about the name, but for once it’s not a drag to tick a gimmick beer. Not good either, mind you. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 2.7 13-05-2016
Brouwerij Lindemans Lindemans Gueuze Unpretentious bottle, even ugly. Fruity funk with a caramel touch, oddly. Foamy mouthfeel, soft sour. Accessible geuze, like a mariage parfait but somewhat less complex. (25cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.3 12-05-2016
Brouwerij Belgoo Belgoo Bio Amber (former Bioloo Amber) Golden bodied, very light for an amber, bubbly head. Sweet malts, light caramel, apple juice, grapes. Soft bitterness, very foamy mouthfeel, but soft carbonation. Enjoyable medium sweetness with just enough balancing. Bit simple perhaps, but nice for the style. Only thing is the fruity fermentation, which feels a bit underdeveloped. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.2 11-05-2016
Brouwerij Belgoo Belgoo Bio Blond (former Bioloo Blond) Grey yellow body, small bubbly head. White bread, grains, faint herbal and grassy hop. Easy to drink, quite low carbonated for the style. That gives a smooth mouthfeel. Quite bitter actually. Starts with a simple aroma but good taste overall, better than expected. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.5 11-05-2016
Oitava Colina Oitava Colina Zé Arnaldo Dark brown, creamy head. Fruity hops, roast. Very roasty taste, not too sweet, but quite expressive. Little bit unbalanced between aroma and taste. Low carbonation, which I don’t mind at all. (33cl bottle from Bohemia Faro) 3.6 09-05-2016
Amphora Amphora Rvber UPDATED: MAY 8, 2016 Copper body, yellowish head, flimsy head. Light sweet cookie malts, dry peaches, little complexity or hop, although the fermentation is okay. Flat, bit cloying. Too sweet for me, but it?s the style, luckily there’s also a (intended?) sourness. Okay brew. (33cl bottle from Bohemia Faro) 3.1 08-05-2016
Oitava Colina Oitava Colina Urraca Vendaval Copper, hazy, beige head. Pine and grapefruit hops, amber malts. Juicy bitterness, light alcohol warmth, good low carbonation. Yummy, full enough and although not necessarily original, it’s great to have this from Portugal. (33cl bottle from Bohemia Faro) 3.7 08-05-2016
Fermentum - Engenharia das fermentações, LDA Cerveja Letra C Stout Very bubbly, flimsy deep brown head, black body. burnt sugar, toast rye bread. Quite dry. Hoppy kick but overall a but disappointing taste, very thin and passable. A shame, their other beers are mostly so rich. (33cl bottle from a supermarket on my Algarve holiday) 3.1 07-05-2016
Cerveja Buja Cerveja Buja Stout Very dark, tan head. Light smoke, roasted, dry. Creamy taste, but dry roasted, touch of coffee. Quite dry, but there’s an earthy sweetness too. It does miss some character, either via sweeter malts, residual sugar or fresh hops. Just my personal option though, some might live this. (33cl bottle from Bohemia Faro) 3.4 07-05-2016
Passarola Brewing Passarola Amber Rye Ale UPDATED: MAY 7, 2016 Very cloudy amber body, flimsy head. Lovely rye, toast, marmelade, sticky fig aroma, some resin hops. Smooth body, moderate bitter, lots of caramel sweetness but balanced overall. Good rich palate, thick even,considering the style and character. Nice! Great brewery. (33cl bottle from Bohemia Faro) 3.8 07-05-2016
Fermentum - Engenharia das fermentações, LDA Cerveja Letra A Weiss Hazy yellow beige, stable huge head, dense. White bread, yeast, mild. Big bubble, style appropriate but since its a very mild tasting beer, it becomes even more simple. The flavour disappears now. On tap this could be very summery, but in bottle I don’t like it much. Sorry. (33cl bottle from a supermarket on my Algarve holiday) 3.0 07-05-2016
Fermentum - Engenharia das fermentações, LDA Cerveja Letra B Pilsner Golden, fluffy head. Citrus hops over a quite clean pale body, with a touch of diacetyl and a biscuit Base. Nice character. (33cl bottle from Bohemia Faro) 3.6 07-05-2016
Oitava Colina Oitava Colina Florinda Amber body, beige head. Caramel, bread, pine, resin, fresh and lively, not pale at all. Juicy, low carbonation. Yummy! (33cl bottle at Hamburgeria Casanostre on Algave holiday) 3.9 07-05-2016
Dois Corvos Cervejeira Dois Corvos Galáxia Milk Stout 4.9 Black, very thick body for the abv. Typical milk stout, nice smooth roast. Very nice palate, decent bitterness to balance, but not hoppy. Nice recipe, I much enjoyed drinking this! (33cl bottle at Hamburgeria Casanostre on Algave holiday) 3.9 07-05-2016
Deusa - Cerveja Artesanal Deusa Núbia Dark brown, bubbly head. Brown bread, cake, milk chocolate, not much hop. Light body, some moderate roast. It’s okay. (50cl bottle from Bohemia Faro) 3.4 06-05-2016
Faustino Microcervejeira Maldita Robust Porter Black, tan head. Toast and toffee and brown sugar malts, very moderate herbal hop, English yeast I think. Quite fragrant, I like it. Tasty body, roasted and a nice creaminess. Decent brew! (33cl bottle from a supermarket on my Algarve holiday) 3.8 06-05-2016
Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas (Heineken Group) Cergal Extremely filtered, flimsy bubbly head. Practically aromaless, some American sweet bread, popcorn perhaps. Totally hopless. Totally hopeless, like water with some herbal notes. Ugh. (25cl bottle from a supermarket on my Algarve holiday) 1.4 06-05-2016
Quinta dos Avós Quinta dos Avós Marafada Pale Ale Golden body, stable head. Lots of fresh citrus hops, pale malts, quite clean, perhaps English, but American hops. Surprisingly nice! Light body, bit watery perhaps. Looses a bit, but nice aroma. (33cl bottle at Tertulia in Faro) 3.4 06-05-2016
Quinta dos Avós Marafada Fresh hops, grapefruit and resin. Soft bitter, but still a hop kick. English yeast I think. Less bitter than the pale ale, in appeal, but nice aroma. (33cl bottle at Tertulia in Faro) 3.3 06-05-2016
Cerveja Bolina Cerveja Bolina Nelson Sauvin IPA Murky orange copper body. Pineapple and orange marmelade, amber malts. Soft but pleasant bitterness, fruity (33cl bottle at Bohemia Faro) 3.7 06-05-2016
Passarola Brewing Passarola Double Oatmeal Stout Pitch black. Dark roasted malts licorice root, pine. Smooth mouthfeel, low carbonation. Moderate bitter with toasty edge. Very nice! (33cl bottle at Bohemia Faro) 4.0 06-05-2016
Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas (Heineken Group) Sagres Preta Black. Licorice, roasted wood, simple but appealing. Smooth and very easy to drink, clean and filteredbut not without flavour. I liked it better than expected. (33cl bottle form a supermarket in Portugal) 3.3 06-05-2016
Unicer Bebidas Cerveja Cristal Thin headed. Sweet industrial appeal, hopless, hopeless. Watery, straightforward, short ending. Bland and uninteresting, even Super Bock is better. (33cl bottle from a supermarket on my Algarve holiday) 2.0 05-05-2016
Faustino Microcervejeira Maldita English BarleyWine Nice Reddish brown body, but small head. Amber malts, breakfast tea, herbal spicy spicy hop, biscuit yeast. Cookie taste, oatmeal, medium bitter, amber malts again. Nice brew, not heavy or hoppy or sweet, but an old ale type beer that’s especially nice with rainy weather or when you don’t feel like fruit, fresh or funky. (33cl bottle from a supermarket on my Algarve holiday) 3.6 05-05-2016
Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas (Heineken Group) Sagres Bohemia Brown, clear. Brown sugar, raisin, but very thin. Sweet taste of industrial jam and black tea. Short and sweet ending. It’s okay. (33cl bottle form a supermarket in Portugal) 2.8 05-05-2016
OPO 74 Brewing Co. OPO 74 Gyroscope Golden misty, large head. Mild hop, very mild. Some citrus? Taste isn’t a bit more expressive but still simplistic bitter, bitterness but little character. Really nice palate, but underwhelming beer overall. (33cl bottle at Hamburgeria Casanostre on Algave holiday) 3.2 04-05-2016
Faustino Microcervejeira Maldita Bohemian Pilsener Golden cloudy body. Orange marmelade, ale yeast, mostly hopless. Not pilsner like at all. Or low temperature fermented ever. Low carbonation, sweet ending. About opposite of a pilsner. Okay ish pale ale though, bit underdeveloped. (33cl bottle from a supermarket on my Algarve holiday) 2.9 04-05-2016
Damm Damm Daura Märzen Gluten Free Hazy body, quite nice looking. Light malt, delicate. Very smooth, very easy to drink. Not thin nor is it boring. Surprise, I have to be honest. (33cl bottle from a supermarket on my Algarve holiday) 3.3 04-05-2016
Fermentum - Engenharia das fermentações, LDA Cerveja Letra D Red Ale Nice reddish brown body, large head. Dusty malts, dank and tea like malts, with some dark hop backup. Nice complexity and palate, dense. Nice brew. (33cl bottle at Hamburgeria Casanostre on Algave holiday) 3.5 04-05-2016
Fermentum - Engenharia das fermentações, LDA Cerveja Letra F India Pale Ale Amber body, misty, large head. Resin and tropical malts, dank Cascade hops too, amber malts. Surprisingly fruity taste, moderate malts, a citric touch too. Rich, even powerful brew, spicy fruity and flavourful. (33cl bottle at Hamburgeria Casanostre on Algave holiday) 3.8 04-05-2016
Brouwerijen Alken-Maes (Heineken) Cristal Alken Hoppige Pils Sweet malts, corn, hopless, but also reasonably rich to be totally honest. Very smooth to drink. I like my pils dry and hoppy, but for what it is it could be much, much worse. To be drunken in large quantities. (25cl bottle from Dekoninck) 2.8 04-05-2016
Basqueland Brewing Project Basqueland Imparable IPA Dark golden body, attractive. Fresh hops, clean fermentation. Very nice palate, tasty spritzy bubble. Yum. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 04-05-2016
Brouwerij F. Boon Boon Framboise Dark mahogany. Deep cherry, almost cherry chocolate. Sweet and fruity sour balance, enough complexity. Big bubble. Decent stuff. (25cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.7 03-05-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Blood Orange IPA Copper body. Hugely hoppy, grapefruit, juicy, very fresh, delicious, nice sweet malts too. Lovely beer, characterful, aromatic, unique and rich. (33cl bottle at Brouwcafe De Molen) 4.0 02-05-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Bommen & Granaten (Rioja BA) Dark Ruby. Super rich, sweet, caramel, toasted fig, jam, berries, but honestly it’s like only a barley wine can be. Very rich, luscious, flavourful, sweet. Totally in love with this. Again a bommen & granaten that blows me away. (On tap at Brouwcafe De Molen) 4.4 01-05-2016
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse / de Molen / Monk’s Café Campfire Porter Black, creamy head. Very nice smoke, toasted bread, very nice. Even better taste. Very well made, rich, characterful, not too bitter, not too carbonated. Yummy! (On tap at Brouwcafe De Molen) 4.1 01-05-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Pizza Port Pepperoni Pizza Porter Dark brown, small head. Very nice dark malt aroma, toast, roasted, good dark wholewheat bread. Smoke undertone, bbq style. (On tap at Brouwcafe De Molen) 4.1 01-05-2016
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Karel on Steroids Copper, mostly clean. Amber malts, tropical but modern hop aroma. Some caramel hops, not so bitter. Nice, but not quite what I hoped. (On tap at Brouwcafe De Molen) 3.5 01-05-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Sturm & Drang Clear golden body, stable Pearl White head. Soft sourness, salty. Taste is well balanced, or rather well divided between sour, sharp, yellow fruit sweetness. Gose like, nice! (On tap at Brouwcafe De Molen) 3.7 01-05-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen A12 & A20 Murky, small head,creamy. Quite lemony, funky, white bread. Juicy sourness, lemon. Summery. (On tap at Brouwcafe De Molen) 3.6 01-05-2016
Sori Brewing Sori Madonna of Sori Tropical fruit, fresh, crisp. Dry, medium bitter, super juicy drinkable. Nice drinkable brew, touch high in alcohol for the richness and aroma. (On tap at Brouwcafe De Molen) 3.5 01-05-2016
Brouwerij Kees Kees Farmhouse IPA Light dough, summery hops, grass. Ends on a stringer bitter note. Good drinkable brew, slightly underwhelming perhaps but solid quality. (On tap at Brouwcafe De Molen) 3.8 01-05-2016
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen 3 Fonteinen Doesjel Surprisingly misty, headless. Round apply sweetness, fermenting fruit like sourness, plum pie, rhubarb. Juicy flavour and body, soft carbonation. Long soft sour aftertaste. Nice beer, despite the big sourness it’s reasonably accessible. (375ml bottle from Dekoninck) 3.8 01-05-2016
Brasserie de Marsinne Léopold 7 Clear dark golden body. Sweet ish but interesting aroma, cinnamon, marzipan, apple. Cookie spice taste too, quite a nice concept. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 30-04-2016
Van Den Bossche Pater Lieven Tripel Golden body, clear. Dry malts, bread yeast, tobacco, medicinal. As expected not terribly interesting. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.2 29-04-2016
Ferme Brasserie de Beaumont Bellus Triple Nice cloudy looks. Very cheesy yeasty. High bubbly carbonation, sweet but also full flavoured. Not bad at all, very classically styled and fatty full taste. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 29-04-2016
Haacht Charles Quint / Keizer Karel Ommegang Extremely pale body, large bubbly head. Soft lemony, faint grassy, light sweet (American style) bread. Soft bitter yet some sharp tasting notes too. Much less nice and refined as expected. In fact almost watery. Huge disappointment. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 2.7 29-04-2016
Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste (Bockor) Vander Ghinste Brasserie LeFort Mahogany coloured. Toasted, toffee, brown sugar. Bitter for the style, but also quite clean. Alcohol warms up and enriches, which is good because the crisp carbonation doesn’t help. 3.3 29-04-2016
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Glowing golden body, grey head. Apple sourness, bready, delicate. Yum. Strong sourness, fruity aftertaste. Plucky ending. Great stuff, top quality. You have to dig string sourness though. (375ml bottle from Dekoninck) 3.9 28-04-2016
Gibrit Nivoo Tripel Light copper, small head. Sweet Belgian yeast, cake, wheat, hopless, some alcohol too. Very sweet aroma taste is a bit more balanced due to big carbonation and simple starting bitterness. It’s decent enough, nothing you never tried before. But a very nice mouth feel. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.4 28-04-2016
Brouwerij De Ryck De Ryck Arend Blond Golden, clear body. Simplistic brew, pale and golden malts, hopless. Boring, clean. Disappointing even. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.0 26-04-2016
Brouwerij F. Boon Dekoninck (Oude) Gueuze Very yellow fruit sourness, cider like even, but very typical geuze. Strong juicy sourness, plucky even, but well developed so I very much dig the appeal. Good brew! (375ml bottle from Dekoninck) 3.8 25-04-2016
Brasserie La Binchoise Ginette Natural Blond Banana, Belgian yeast. Fairly clean, quite strong sharp carbonation, but this makes it more characterful than I feared. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.5 25-04-2016
Brouwerij F. Boon Dekoninck Oude Kriek (2014 - ... ) Dark purple. Dark cherry, brown sugar strawberry, fruit juice. Sour but not too delicate. I like the juicy, mouth filling palate. Short but taste soft fruity sour ending. Decent stuff. (375ml bottle from Dekoninck) 3.6 25-04-2016
Ferme Brasserie de Beaumont Bellus Ambré Caramel cookies, sweet tea, strong Belgian yeast esters, fig compote. Very Belgian but I like it more than I thought I would for sure. (75cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.9 24-04-2016
Hopscheppers Imperial Kroezer Special Edition Pitch black, large head. Dark bread. Mocha, milky, not too expensive. Very creamy taste though! (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.7 24-04-2016
Inglorious Brew Stars Inglorious Brew Stars Inglorious Quad UPDATED: APR 26, 2016 Almost black. Lots of coffee, some roast, brown sugar. Great full bitter and malty aroma. (On tap at Zythos 2016) Cocoa And Coffee Bean version rating: (3.9) Black. Loads of coffee. The normal version is lots of coffee, this is huge. A touch sharper, but very tasty. It really looses touch with the original. Great coffee aroma though. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 4.2 24-04-2016
Inglorious Brew Stars Inglorious Brew Stars Cum Laude UPDATED: APR 25, 2016 Hazy golden. Hoppy, light golden malts. Lemon grass, light bread, fresh, yummy aroma. Tasty sharp bitter, fairly clean. Good brew! (On tap at Zythos 2016) Hop Infused version: Oddly clearer than normal version. But hoppier than the normal one, in aroma. Fairly clean still, juicy bitterness with grassy herbal notes. Loved drinking this! (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.8 24-04-2016
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest SchuppenAas Misty amber, dusty. Cognac, grape, light sweet, soft berries. Touch of sour, soft sweet. Less interesting than expected. Improved on warming. But ultimately a bit disappointing. (On tap at Zythos) 3.5 24-04-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Anders! Quadrupel Hop 2016 UPDATED: APR 25, 2016 Brown,. Resin and spruce hops over a malty beer. Black ipa mix Belgian dubbel. Very interesting idea and we really liked the execution too, surprised this hasn’t been done much before. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 4.2 24-04-2016
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Den Triest Hoptimist Soft sweet malts, golden, biscuit. Softer hop than expected. Yeasty. You’re an optimist if you find this hoppy. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.2 24-04-2016
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest Two Faced Jack (Cognac BA) Dark grapes, dark caramel, wood. Big çarbonation. Cold but more expressive. Soft biscuit sweetness. Enough complexity and development, bit not quite my beer. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.4 24-04-2016
Domus Pub and Brewery Domus Saison Freshly cut grass, light yeasty, light, more than expected character. Taste is a bit watery though, very soft bitterness, bit too clean. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.2 24-04-2016
Boelens Eskedene Rouge Perdu Soft berries and cherry aroma. Balanced perhaps but also moderate. Too moderate if you ask me. No, this doesn’t work, sorry. Even a bit artificial. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.2 24-04-2016
Hopscheppers Hopschepper Grapefruit, onion, light toasted malts. Bit sweet for the style. That gives a nice mouth feel, but I don’t like the taste too much. Certainly not bitter enough.(On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.2 24-04-2016
Brouwerij Het Nest Het Nest / Marina Full of Hops Belgian White IPA Yellow grey. Very clean, lager yeast, soft grassy hops. Less bitter than expected and the wheat doesn’t quite does it for me. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.3 24-04-2016
Weldebrouck Weldebrouck Tripel Aromatic, sweet hops, very delicate but nice. It’s classicly done in the style but not terribly interesting. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.4 24-04-2016
Hedonis Ambachtsbier Hedonis Excuse Me While I Kiss My Stout (... - 2016) Quadruple meets stout. Woody, quite dry, strong roast. Sharp woody, but well dried. Very nice! (On tap at Zythos 2016) 4.1 24-04-2016
Hedonis Ambachtsbier Hedonis Ouwen Duiker Hazy golden. Very nice dank hoppy aroma. Quite dry, very well developed. Plucky bitter ending, full flavour. Not thin at all. Very yummy. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 4.0 24-04-2016
Vleesmeester Brewery Bittere Bloemen Golden misty. Hoppy aroma of citrus and herbal hops, modern, fairly clean for a Belgian ipa. Well developed, nice brew. Very nice brewer too. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.8 24-04-2016
Vleesmeester Brewery Hoogheid (2016-...) Golden, very clear. Nice hop an malt mix, Belgian touch still with yellow fruit. Not very bitter, accessible even. But enjoyable because it tastes just as a very well done beer. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.8 24-04-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Proto Yellow: Bohemian Session Belgian yeast, peach, dry,.smooth despite the active carbonation. Not very dry, but still quite quaffable. Really nice beer! (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.8 24-04-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Chove Chuva Black to dark brown . toasted brown bread, some toffee. Ligt body, not creamy nor very bitter. English yeast, herbal aftertaste. Nice, well done but not my taste exactly. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.7 24-04-2016
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Den Triest Mukainada Pale and hazy golden. White head. Soft citrus aroma, sharper lime, Belgian body in sweetness and carbonation, but a bit simple. Not as good as expected. Not boring or simple but just not quite my thing. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.4 24-04-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Anders Brett and Oak Grey cloudy golden. Soft sour, mild sweet cake malts. Taste is equally soft sour, but a bit mild overall, not much complexity. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.4 24-04-2016
Brouwerij ’t Drankorgel Vals Paterke Tripel Flimsy head, hazy. Golden malts. Very typical for the style, some bready malts, minimal hop presence. Soft sweet taste. It’s okay. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.2 24-04-2016
Brouwerij ’t Drankorgel Vals Paterke Goud Sweet pale malts. Simple malt bill, a touch of grassy, more excess hops (the Willamete). Simple taste, high carbonation. Very, very friendly brewer. (On tap at Zythos) 3.0 24-04-2016
Stadsbrouwerij Aarschot Aarschotse Duc Black. Very toasty, licorice. Some herbs. Sharp, underdeveloped. I like how it’s different than most Belgian dubbels, but it’s not quite my type of taste. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.0 24-04-2016
De Leite De Leite Fils à Papa V (2016/02) Golden, cloudy. Light funk, pear, wood, very refined. Nice spice sourness, refreshing. Very interesting and unexpected!(On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.9 24-04-2016
Brouwerij De Koninck (Duvel-Moortgat) De Koninck TSTBRW 03 Pierre’s Bock Disappointing soft sweetness, light caramel malts. Doesn’t feel like a properly lagered low temperature fermented Bock, not even the spring bock typical type. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.2 24-04-2016
Brouwerij De Koninck (Duvel-Moortgat) De Koninck TSTBRW 02 Russian Imperial Stout Roasted malts, fairly clean, solid bitterness, burnt caramel edge. Glowing alcohol. Better than expected, great roast. (On tap at Zythos) 3.9 24-04-2016
Brouwerij De Koninck (Duvel-Moortgat) De Koninck TSTBRW 01 Imperial Red Ale UPDATED: APR 24, 2016 Dark copper, small stable head. Soft cake and cookie malts, soft American hops. Taste is a bit clean and sweet, bit too fruity for the style. For decent brew, not too expressive. (On tap at Zythos 2016) 3.5 24-04-2016
Green Flash Brewing Company Green Flash Hop Odyssey 30th Street Pale Ale Yum. Golden attractive looks. Very inviting and fresh aroma, soft balancing sweetness. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 23-04-2016
Van Eecke Van Eecke Hommelbier Nieuwe Oogst Fresh Harvest 2014 Golden yellow body, bubbly head. Nice hoppy aroma, classic but well defined. I don’t expect wet hopping though, it’s more spicy than that. Quite spicy ever. Full foamy mouth feel, which I like a lot. Typical Belgian yeast, medium fruity, but not sweet. Well done beer, much better that the 2015 version actually, if I remember correctly. (75cl bottle from Dekoninck) 4.1 22-04-2016
Green Flash Brewing Company Green Flash Segal Ranch Session IPA Glowing clean orange golden. Fresh pine, red grapefruit, cardamon, mandarin, cinnamon and cake. Yummy, light and fulfilling. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 21-04-2016
Sainte Crucienne Sainte Crucienne No Future Licorice, wood, milky, slick body. Fat, full tasting licorice stout, some roast too. Warming alcohol. Very tasty indeed. Very well made too, quality stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 21-04-2016
Brouwerij Oud Beersel Oud Beersel Bersalis Kadet Golden body, quite clear. Golden and biscuit malts, soft can sugar sweetness, little to no hops. Odd body, very low carbonation, especially for the style. Taste is good and so is the quality, but it doesn’t look or feel like it. Odd! (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.1 21-04-2016
Van Moll Van Moll Doerak Very pleasant hop mix, although not necessarily fresh (even though the bottle is). Decent malts to support. The 95 percent rating here surprises me though. It’s decent and tasty, but doesn’t bring much special to the table, like a good dry body, a super freshness or unique hop, which it should at scores like that. Having said that, I finished this in no time and it’s well produced for sure. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 20-04-2016
Brouwerij F. Boon Boon Kriek Candy cherry, sweet, sugar syrup. Simple taste, cherry flavouring, soft sour. Not very fine, very little complexity. Nice looks though. (25cl bottle from Dekoninck) 2.8 20-04-2016
Mort Subite (Alken-Maes - Heineken) Mort Subite Kriek Lambic Filtered red body, stable pink head. Artificial cherry aroma, no complexity, no yeast,just some basic pale malts. Taste is a bit better, some simple sourness, easy to drink, nice bubble. Doesn’t hold up to the real deal at all, but it’s fairly enjoyable in small quantities. (25cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.0 20-04-2016
Brouwerij F. Boon Boon Faro Copper body, clean and very small head. Soft woody, brown sugar syrup, but not very sweet. Bit leather like, but not terribly complex. Medium sweet with a red wine vinegar like but very mellow sourness. It’s fairly nice but really not my style and still too sweet for me. (25cl bottle from Dekoninck) 2.9 19-04-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Ace of Simcoe Grey golden body,flimsy head. Extremely fruit hop aroma, lemony, lychee. Very juicy bitterness although the ending is fairly simple, perhaps because of a single hop? Quite clean, I expect lager yeast or low fermentation temperatures. Enjoyable brew with excellent aroma. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 18-04-2016
Boelens Prins van Horne Clear without the yeast, but I’d pour it all, it makes the beer more versatile. And gives it a richer body. Nice fruity yeast, cake and cookie malts. Sweet ish aroma, taste is more balanced. Full mouth feel, nice. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.6 18-04-2016
Berghoeve Brouwerij Berghoeve Zwarte Snorre UPDATED: APR 17, 2016 Motor oil with a dark brown head. Lots of licorice, dark roast too. Fairly sweet, warming alcohol, burned taste. I like it, quite different than most imperial stouts who tent to be more roasted or coffee like. It?s not the creamy or richest stout though. I mean, it?s 11%. I like it though, unique beer, flavourful and well brewed. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 17-04-2016
Brouwerij Affligem / De Smedt (Heineken) Affligem Dubbel Copper brown, large head. Sweet nose, cherry, filtered, sugar. Unexpected, not really Dubbel like almost, too fruity. But drinks okay, too filtered and quite sweet yet easy to finish the bottle. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.0 17-04-2016
Brouwerij Affligem / De Smedt (Heineken) Affligem Patersvat Blond Sweet and filtered but not really boring aroma. Hopless, but just enough malt variance to not be hopeless. Especially the taste is better than feared, with a sweet but pleasant body. Could be worse, certainly not Affligem’s worst. (33cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.1 17-04-2016
Brasserie Dupont Dupont Biolégère OYellow clean looks, nice. Simple aroma, pale malts, light herbal grassy hops. Light but very well made, especially clear in the taste. Good bitterness. Yummy in the end despite modest beginnings. (25cl bottle from Dekoninck) 3.5 17-04-2016
Brasserie des Fagnes Fagnes Cuvée Vigneronne Grape juice, yes, but not very sweet and certainly not wine like. Taste is quite sweet, but also quite tasty luckily. But too filtered, not bitter enough, but I still enjoy it. (75cl bottle from f Dekoninck) 3.2 16-04-2016
Brasserie des Carrières Diôle Ambrée A Copper body. Biscuit malts, classic sweet malt taste. Little hop character, but a decent carbonation to balance those amber and raisin malts. (33cl bottle at Beer Bar LLN) 3.1 16-04-2016
Brouwerij De Ranke De Ranke Hop Harvest 2013 It’s no longer fresh, but I still wanted to try it, to compare and complete my De Ranke beers. Having said that, I still get the unique spicy hop character from the Hop Harvest series, and I also still much enjoy it. (75cl bottle from Dekoninck) 4.0 16-04-2016
Den Herberg Den Herberg Bruin Murky brown body. Cognac, brown bread, wood and brown sugar. Classic and ’artisanal’ taste. Bit rough, but characterful start, ends simpler. Good brew. (33cl bottle from De Lambiek) 3.5 16-04-2016
Den Herberg Den Herberg Cuvée Devillé Amber to copper body, stable head. Amber malts, little funky, characterful yeast. Quite clean but not without character. Sweet cake like malts. Taste is fairly sweet but still better developed than feared. In fact I quite dig this! Nice soft bubble. Very enjoyable. (33cl bottle from De Lambiek) 3.7 16-04-2016
LOC Brewery LOC 84 Pitch black, large brown pillowy head. Coffee, sweet toffee, dark caramel, resin... Lots of yum! Sticky Dutch rye bread, mouth filling, lovely long bitterness. Very impressed! Who needs all that barrel aging shot or Chili or crazy (expensive) ingredients... A thick stout with flavour by the bucket is all I really desire of a world class impy, and it’s all here. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière I think) 4.5 14-04-2016
Den Herberg Den Herberg Tripel Cloudy orange, small stable head. Sweet orange, candy, little classic hop undertone. Light farmy and quite estery. Soft sweet with big bitter bubbles. Light warming alcohol in the beginning, softer ending. Nice. Much tastier than expected to be honest. Almost feels like it’s accidentally a very spot on recipe, but I do like it a lot! (33cl bottle from De Lambiek) 4.0 14-04-2016
Den Herberg Den Herberg Tarwe Golden body, nice fluffy white head bit it disappears very quickly. Strong Belgian yeast aroma, bit amateurish, sweet, very little hop character. Okay taste, not watery. Short ending though. Better than feared, although some more hop would make this good rather than decent. (33cl bottle from De Lambiek) 3.3 14-04-2016
Brasserie Dunham Dunham Cyclope Epsilon Very foamy. Fresh, lots of hops, crisp. Super juicy drinkable body, fine carbonation, smooth pale malts. I like it a lot! (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 14-04-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0045 - Sour Smash Spot on looks, hazy and inviting. Huge surprise, interesting and modern and fresh and vibrant. Delicious moderate sourness to balance. And with the yoghurt in the mash... A revelation for me, excellent quality brew. (On tap at the brewpub) 4.2 13-04-2016
Spencer Brewery Spencer Trappist Ale Very nice palate, soft but active carbonation. But the taste lacks a bit, a bit simple, hopless. Average taste, just rich enough but mostly due to the sweetish yeasty profile. Could be worse but after the huge gusher I’m not entirely convinced again. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 13-04-2016
Brouwerij The Musketeers The Musketeers Antigoon Light misty golden body, large head, bubbly. Belgian yeast notes, pear, young cheese. Full taste, very nice actually, not super bitter, but outspoken for the style. Lovely long and quite dry ending. Yummy spicy peppery notes too. Pleasant surprise from this anonymous looking bottle. (75cl bottle from Deconinck) 4.0 13-04-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0038 - Brownberry Brown body, stable head. Toffee, red berries, soft funk, Christmas pudding, resin... So much and so nice! Really unique too. Foamy palate. Unfortunately the taste is kinda cheap, thin, underdeveloped. Very flawed, which is such a shame after that interesting start. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.3 13-04-2016
Stallhagen Stallhagen Historic Beer 1843 Fizzy, golden. Very much red apple like, some golden malts, mostly hopless. Very flat, watery palate. Flat taste too, barely any flavour. Wow this is lame... Not bad, just tasteless. (Fancy corked bottle from Deconinck) 2.9 12-04-2016
Mort Subite (Alken-Maes - Heineken) Mort Subite Oude Kriek Nice glowing red body and pink head. Juicy sourness, not too sour, not so cherry actually but still fruity. Not so funky, unfortunately, but still nice. (375ml bottle from Dekoninck) 3.5 12-04-2016
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Gayant La Goudale IPA As expected , golden filtered body and fluffy head. Hopless it seems, at least for an ipa. How can a brewer justify this beer? I mean... Marketing one thing, but someone had to brew this stuff. Anyway, not a bad French style blonde. Quite sweet aftertaste. It’s not bad but I have put in penalty points for the pretence. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.6 11-04-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0042 - Maris Bitter Very misty yellow orange. Light citrus but also quite apparent (pale) malts. Refined and seemingly quite dry. Nice! Good solid bitterness, a little harsh perhaps, especially in the end. Sharp carbonation. Tasty, very much, and a bit different too so that’s nice to taste. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.8 11-04-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0044 - Saisana Copper body, small head. Don’t get much of the pineapple tbh. More amber malts, woody almost, with clove and rosemary spices. Tasty, moderate bitter, not as farmy or yeasty in general as expected. Bit disappointing. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.3 11-04-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0040 - L’Epine Murky amber body, stable off white head. Nice spice and hop and malt combo, quite interesting. More balanced taste than I expected actually. Soft carbonation, very fitting. The spices make this surprisingly fresh. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 4.0 11-04-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0034 - Lord Kent Black body, creamy head. Toasted, cake, bready. Different light brown malts but not much additional aromas from the hop, just some support, and the yeast is biscuity at most. Soft bitter roasted taste, some residual sugar to balance but not too much differences throughout. Decent beer though, good low carbonation, nice bitterness. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.7 10-04-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Bunga Bunga Murky light orange. Tropical malts, not extreme but nicely done, especially with this not so clean yeast, so we have more than just hops. As it should! Juicy, big carbonation. (33cl bottle from De Biertempel Brussels) 3.7 10-04-2016
Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles La Rulles Saison XIII Amber and stablr head. Nice aroma, balanced. On the malty side for a Saison, but well done. Biscuit and brown bread too. Soft taste actually, but interesting enough due to the yeast. Yummy! (75cl bottle bought at the brewery) 3.8 10-04-2016
Brouwerij Girardin Girardin Faro Copper body, nice head. Sweet cake malts, caramel, berries. Soft sour sweet balance, drinkable actually, accessible. Quite woody. Ends sweeter again. One of if not the best faro I’ve had this far, but well that doesn’t really says much... (375ml bottle from Dekoninck) 3.3 09-04-2016
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Hagelandse Tripel Cloudy orange, small head. Lots of fruit from the apple an pear, but not very refined or beery. Could they just have made cider and perry next time? Sweet, sweaty, underdeveloped. Residual sugars, golden malts, simple. Only the ending is more acidic, interesting. (33cl bottle from De Appelfabriek) 3.3 09-04-2016
Brouwerij Huyghe Poiluchette Brune Cuvée du Château Cherry, brown sugar. Old fashioned and not terribly interesting but the taste risk better, some sour touch, spice, decent stuff! (33cl bottle from ROM Koffiebranders shop) 3.4 08-04-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Smells Like Hop Spirit Very murky body, large attractive head. Very hoppy, rich barn like yeast, much more rounded than I expected at this style and abv. Yummy. Decent palate, just a little thin and not too bitter (which would make it harsh I’m sure). Classy brew, very well build aroma. (33cl bottle bought at the brewery) 3.8 08-04-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project I Like it Bitter (Cluster & Galena ed.) Murky amber body, stable head. Lots of hops, American but also I think English or German. Well balanced, not a hop bomb per se, but a double load of hops and malts with Belgian brewing quality. Very flavourful. Impressed to be honest! (33cl bottle bought at the brewery) 4.1 08-04-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Princess Jasmine Hazy yellow grey body, small head. Light wheat body, soft summery grass aroma. Crisp and reasonably dry, with a soft bitterness. Summery but a touch simple perhaps. A summer beer can also have a more bewhelming fermentation profile. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.6 08-04-2016
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne / Thiriez Birthday Session Fresh aroma of spritzy lemon, very pale malts, lighter and more clean yeast than expected, but nice and dry. Medium bitter, quaffable. Session ipa is an odd style choice here in RB by the way. It’s a Belgian ale or saison, just pretty hoppy. Very well done beer, just want a touch more complexity. (33cl bottle at the brewery) 3.9 08-04-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Orange is Black Black body, beer stable head. Well balanced stout with moderate orange aroma, fairly balanced between roasted and toasted malts. Full of flavour, especially the aftertaste is very long and complex. Nice! (On tap at the brewpub) 4.1 08-04-2016
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen 3 Fonteinen Oude Lambik Headless, which is the style but it still looks off to me. It’s beer. Sorry. Soft funky, some apple cider, amber malt like aromas even. Still woody, although not AS woody as expected. Very different sourness and taste profile than the bottles, quite flat (but bit watery), very woody taste, plucking in the end but oddly not really sour in the sharper, vinegar sense. Aroma is hard to grasp after some sips. A unique beer and I find it tasty too. Wouldn’t drink it all the time. (On tap at the 3 Fonteinen restaurant) 3.5 08-04-2016
Hanssens Artisanaal Hanssens Oude Schaerbeekse Kriek Headless, dark red body. Strong cherry aroma, very deep actually, going towrads chocolate, interesting. Very powerful taste, string sourness, yes, but also strong fruit aromas and a touch of barn. Quite short ending though. Very typical thin limbic style body, tasty bubbly though. Really nice. Expensive! (Bottle at De Lambiek visitor centre) 3.9 08-04-2016
Brasserie Lion Lion 8 Active body, looking golden but ugly murky and headless. Very sweet yeasty, amateurish, hopelessly hopless. Sweet taste too, alcohol, sharp even. Not nice at all. Big disappointment. (Funny metallic bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 2.5 07-04-2016
Unknown Origin - Belgium (onbekende brouwer / brasseur inconnu) Delhaize Cidre Normand Doux I hoped this would be any good. Cheap, 2% and apple cider is strangely excusable to drink at times beer isn’t. Smell isn’t too bad at all. Simple, not very funky or yeasty, but not sweet either, reasonably dry. Taste in similar vain - not too sweet. Most importably, it actually has some body and ends fairly dry so I am pleasantly surprised. It even has an IGP label... Delhaize could have done much worse. 3.1 07-04-2016
Deca Services Kartuis Bruin Brown body, small-ish head. Coffee and brown bread malts, very little hop backup Fairly clean tasting actually given the yeast is fairly aggressive Belgian. Strong taste, but also a bit filtered and the alcohol is a bit too much here. Drinks well, nice artisinal feel to this, but not great per se. (33cl bottle from ROM Koffiebranders shop) 3.4 07-04-2016
Brasserie de Bouillon Het Jachtseizoen Blond (Saison des Chasses) Very pale golden, frothy head. Light herbal, pale, wheat. Typical Belgian but a cross between a wit and a blonde, so quite interesting. Drinkable although a bit watery body. It’s okay, better than feared. (33cl bottle at La Vaudree II) 3.3 07-04-2016
Deca Services Kartuis Blond Quite hazy golden orange body, stable grey head. Very fruity yeast, prototypical Belgian and it is quite well done here. Sweet perhaps, but not sugary. Quite some fermentation aromas, cheesy. Quite a strong flavour, with ripe banana, doughy, warming alcohol. More unique beer than expected, typical example for the style and quite sweaty sweet but you get a lot of flavour in return. (33cl bottle from ROM Koffiebranders shop) 3.5 07-04-2016
Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles La Rulles Brune UPDATED: APR 6, 2016 Surprisingly dark. Very aromatic, roasted, dry nuts. Nice bitterness, quite strong for the style. Very dry ending. Great flavourful beer, one of the best brown Belgian ales for sure I?ve tasted in a long time. (75cl bottle bought at the brewery) 4.1 06-04-2016
MC77 MC77 Mild The Gap Black body, large head. Toasted and brown malts, small hop backup. Light taste, as appropriate for the abv. Quite tasty though. Bit watery body to be honest, but right now I wanted something light so I can’t complain. (Bottle at La Tana Bruxelles) 3.6 06-04-2016
Karma Karma Na’ Tazzulella ’e Cafè AsBlack body, large head. Lots of coffee and mocha aromas. Roasted too, very well balanced and nothing extreme. Bit lighter body perhaps than I expected at 8+%, but the taste is very nice indeed. Yeast is a bit cheesy. Soft and nice carbonation. Good brew. Light body though. (Fancy 33cl bottle at La Tana Bruxelles) 3.6 06-04-2016
Brasserie d’Achouffe (Duvel-Moortgat) Chouffe Soleil Golden body, filtered, very stable frothy head. Alcohol, sugar, citrus lemonade, Belgian yeast. Much less expressive than expected. More delicate taste too, despite the big bubble. Decent brew. (33cl bottle bought at the brewery shop) 3.6 06-04-2016
La Caracole La Caracole Troublette Mirabelle UPDATED: APR 6, 2016 Glowing golden body, flimsy head. Pleasant aroma from the fruit, quite sweet but with a little classic hop balance and very refined, quite appealing. Unfortunately the taste is way to sweet for me. I do like the fruitiness and there?s a hint of funk but it?s too sweet, and of the white sugar kind. After a bottle the fruit dominates though, luckily, so I still enjoyed it. (33cl bottle from Intermarché Florenville) 3.2 06-04-2016
Mort Subite (Alken-Maes - Heineken) Mort Subite Oude Gueuze (formerly: Fond) Served nicely, pillowy head. Soft peachy sourness. Taste is sharper but still quite accessible and I like the residual sugar too, a good start of the day geuze. In fact I don’t get the hate on this beer. Just because it’s not super sharply sour? (On tap at La Mort Subite Bruxelles) 3.8 06-04-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Prototype Hopped-Up Brown Ale Red to brown body, stable wheat head. Very American hops, yet also biscuit and brown malts. Nice! Certainly bitter enough, very tasty. But fresh/summery enough to, enjoyable in the sun. Nice! (On tap at Brew Dog Brussels) 4.0 05-04-2016
Brouwerij Belgoo Belgoo Luppo Extra (1) UPDATED: APR 5, 2016 Nelson Sauvin version. Hazy golden body, stable pillowy head. Fresh hops, wheat, tropical fruit, dry enough, lovely. (On tap at Bier Circus Bruxelles) 4.1 05-04-2016
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Stouterik Can’t believe I never rated this. A great excuse to drink again! Lovely looks, huge head. Soft roast, but dry as it should. Nuts and still fresh. Great sift carbonation. Great toasty taste too, good stuff. Lots of flavour for the abv (very moderate for a Belgian). Love it. As I knew. (33cl bottle at Piechenellekelder) 4.2 05-04-2016
Brouwerij The Musketeers Gollems Precious IPA Very murky, large cappuccino like head. Amazingly nice fermentation aromas, balancing and being awesome together with modern hops. One thebthe most pillowy heads, like typically only find on Czech lagers. Yummy yummy juicy bitterness. Wow, honestly very impressive beer! (On tap at Moeder Lambic Fontainas) 4.4 05-04-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Arcade Nation Black body, quite heavy carbonation. Nice hop an malt mix but a bit understated perhaps. I like more balanced beers too, but for that it’s a bit clean in character. Love the style, this is a fine albeit not outstanding example. Perhaps I am more of a roasted (’hoppy stout’) person. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.5 05-04-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Jet Black Heart Refined roast and cacao malts mixed with pretty decent hop backup, and a light milky undertone. Looks great, feels great too. Proper bitterness. The milk part of this stout gives body without overwhelming. Excellent recipe, spot on execution. Only thing missing is some extra refinement in the overall fermentation profile, something smooth or complex. It feels young. (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.9 05-04-2016
InBev Belgium Leffe Royale Crystal UPDATED: APR 4, 2016 Golden body, flimsy head. Must certainly be the hoppiest Leffe ever. Much better than the other attempts. But that doesn?t say much, does it? Sure, it has some sweet hop character, but the bitter bite to go with that is quite flat. And the simplistic hop goes with a vastly overfiltered taste profile. So adding Crystal (never heard of, btw, where do they suddenly get vast quantities to produce this) hops to this flawed brew, is ultimately still a failure. It?s a shame because it?s almost getting to a nice beer, but filtered so much that all character is lost. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Florenville) 3.3 04-04-2016
Gengoulf GenGoulf Hazy blond body, looks okay. Classical Belgian feel, lots of fruity yeast aromas. Simple taste, very simple hop and malt profile, light bitter. Not bad but hardly interesting no? (33cl bottle from Delhaize Florenville) 2.9 04-04-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Albino Squid Assassin Beautiful can! Nice aroma mix of cara and biscuit malts, resin, mandarin and English hops. Softer than expected taste, in fact I’d like some bite. Ending is nice though! (33cl can from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.7 03-04-2016
Brasserie Lefebvre Lefebvre Hopus Primeur 2015 Fresh, Classic hops. Fresh summery sweetness too. Pale supporting malts. Quite yummy, quite hard to describe. Minty perhaps? Medium bitter, tasty. Much more summery and drinkable than expected. Nice beer! (Bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 3.9 03-04-2016
Dilewyns Dilewyns Mira Tripel Hop Fizzy, cloudy body. Hop? Not a lot. Belgian yeast, very murky, amateurish. And still tastes too filtered, I don’t know how they do it... (33cl bottle from Beer Lovers Shop LLN) 2.9 03-04-2016
Brouwerij Wilderen Wilderen Cuvée Clarisse Brown ale, very large head. Lighter than expected roast, brown sugar. Taste is classic Belgian, fruity (cherry, berries), burned sugar and a very light body for the abv, neither crisp nor full. (33cl bottle at La Vaudree II) 3.4 03-04-2016
Brasserie dOrval Petit Orval Finally made the pilgrimage and so my opinion is very much coloured. But this is absolutely awesome. So much flavour at this abv, and hugely hoppy! Fresh, vibrant yet already with great fermentation qualities. I adore it. (On tap at l’Ange Gardien) 4.6 02-04-2016
Le Brasse-Temps Louvain-la-Neuve (Dubuisson) Le Brasse-Temps Brew Time Amber IPA Apparently a reworked recipe of an earlier ipa release (of which I can’t find much evidence). Marketed as l’Amber IPA and Brew Time Amber IPA. Amber hazy body, nice pearl white head. Modern raisin hops, amber malts. Belgian taste profile, fizzy carbonation, light bitter. Not very ipa, as it’s not very hoppy, but nice amber ale. Pretty sure this is Belgian yeast too. I’ll leave the ipa style as brewer’s intent. :-) (On tap at the brewpub in LLN) 3.5 01-04-2016
L’Échasse – Brasserie Artisanale de Namur Houppe Interesting Belgian ipa kind of brew. Fairly hoppy in aroma, but the taste is more Belgian strong blond like. The yeast is even sweaty, cheesy. Mandarin hops? Not dry, but I do like it. Even at the high-ish abv it’s quite quiaffable. Dangerous! (75cl obottle from Beer Lovers LLN, shared with Bertanne) 3.6 01-04-2016
Le Brasse-Temps Mons (Dubuisson) La Brasse-Temps des Cerises UPDATED: APR 1, 2016 Brown with a red glow. Candy like cherry, pale malts. Not too sweet though, actually a nice fruity taste and starts with a bitter bite. I wouldn?t drink this often but better than feared. (Sample from tap at the brewpub in LLN) 3.3 01-04-2016
Le Brasse-Temps Mons (Dubuisson) La Temps des Brunes Fairly clean brown body, very stable lacing. Toasted malts, cookies, very little hop character, if any at all. Medium bitter for the style, bit very little to it, very watery considering. Disappointing. Drinkable, but this doesn’t carry much flavour at all. Too filtered, too little malts, no hop. Recipe for failure. Not bad per se in quality terms, but I don’t like it. 2.9 01-04-2016
Le Brasse-Temps Louvain-la-Neuve (Dubuisson) L Ambrasse-Temps Light brown, copper body, small stable head. Brown caramel, raw amber malts, brown sugar. Fairly sweet, but pleasant enough. Simple taste, little watery even. Light sweet, typical Belgian ale, not much to it. It’s okay. (Sample from tap at the brewpub in LLN) 3.2 01-04-2016
Le Brasse-Temps Louvain-la-Neuve (Dubuisson) Le Brasse-Temps Blanche Neuve Fruity for a wit, lemon peel and light banana as usual, but more malty than the big produced examples. I like it better for it. Taste is light and has a more artificial citrus note, and white sugar, less good than the aroma. Bit odd on mouthfeel, very small tingling carbonation. It’s okay. (Sample from tap at the brewpub in LLN) 3.1 01-04-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Grosse Bertha Golden body, very large head. Light funk, pear, umami, crisp. Summery but not dry. Pale malts, light biscuit, sweeter than expected. Good body for the style but still a bit cloying,a shame. A nice beer to drink, but I expected something more exciting, richer, fresher. (33cl bottle at La Galoute LLN) 3.5 01-04-2016
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Meneer de Uil (Clynelish BA) Pitch black, dark head. Very appealing and surprisingly delicate dark roast, mineral even. Some ethanol like aromas but not in a bad way. Quite unique. Very interesting taste profile, both roasted and rich as well as nasal, spicy even. All in moderation, though, overall very delicate for the abv and style (and brewer). (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.0 31-03-2016
The Sisters Brewery The Sisters Queen Bee Cloudy light brown body, very stable head. Sweet fruity, original, passion fruit. Light sour hint, moderate bitter. (33cl bottle at Lemmy’s) 3.5 29-03-2016
Naparbier Naparbier Insider IPA Dark golden, very large head. Spicy hops, sharp grapefruit, cara malts. Medium bitter, spicy peppery ending. Saison yeast ? My guess because of these aromas and typical taste. (33cl bottle at Lemmy’s) 3.5 29-03-2016
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Menestho Black body, brown head. Toasted, wholewheat bread, light smoke, some herbal and pine hops. Lovely balance. Quite a big bubble, but very well rounded off beer. I’d like a softer palate, but the quality of the recipe is sound. Very enjoyable! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 29-03-2016
Bear Republic Brewing Company Bear Republic Grand-Am A true classic. For me it’s the fermentation and precision that make this stand out, in all its reasonably simple style origins. Everything just feels right, from the hop mix to the soft but yummy bitterness. Would drink all the time (if not for availability and price). (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 29-03-2016
Brouwerij Maximus Maximus Black Is Black Foamy, dark brown. Typical, dry stout malts, dark nuts. Dry taste, nicely developed, served a bit cold but still a quite rich tasting. Nice. (On tap at Lemmy’s) 3.7 29-03-2016
Jopen Jopen Oost-Indië Porter Roasted malts, toast but certainly also fruitier hops. Not very concentrated, but well balanced. Creamy texture, nice. Bitter enough, very roasty. (33cl bottle from AH Stevensbloem) 3.7 29-03-2016
Austmann Bryggeri Austmann / Brussels Beer Project La Shaman Aztec Stout Black body, very nice head. Smoke, toast but also sweeter, cookie like malts. Nice moderate hops to balance. Bubbly body. Quite some chilli head here... Good quality and interesting brew, but I’m not a lover of chilli stouts. Still, enjoyable and not overdone. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 29-03-2016
Oppigårds Bryggeri Oppigårds Indian Tribute (2008-) Yummy malts form a really good Base here, and so the modern hops hardly have to shine, although they do. Just so much intrinsic quality, good stuff. Bitter enough, very nice palate. Just looks a bit dull, but appealing brew, recommended (even though it’s not original perhaps). (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 29-03-2016
Oppigårds Bryggeri Oppigårds Golden Ale Refined golden malts, light biscuit like malts, appealing hop mix. Bitter enough, very drinkable, fairly big bubble. Nice stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 29-03-2016
Matten Matten / Fleurac Highway to Ale I have written before that the French craft brewers are unknowingly introducing a new Brown IPA style, and this is yet another example! It’s like an ambrée on malts, standard US yeast, well hopped (but more bittering than aroma) and not quite clean. And I personally really dig it. I have to brew one myself some time! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 29-03-2016
Oppigårds Bryggeri Oppigårds Thurbo Double IPA Copper glowing body, quite clean. Orange marmelade, warming alcohol, sweet pale malts, grapefruit and pine hops. Lovely taste, with alcohol shining and enriching the beer. Not too fatty, so the hops are still bright. Good brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 29-03-2016
Poppels Bryggeri Poppels DIPA Double India Pale Ale Dark golden glowing. Thick orange marmelade, resin like sweetness, light caramel, full bodied and good (but certainly not dominating) hop mix. Yummy. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 24-03-2016
McAuslan Brewing (Brasseurs RJ) St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout Pitch black, very nice head. Roasted malts, peppery, dark tea leaves. Full taste, hard roasted, bitter, characterful and outspoken. Nice body too. The oats really do it, I think. Good brew! (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 24-03-2016
McAuslan Brewing (Brasseurs RJ) St-Ambroise Pale Ale Golden malts, giving a biscuit malt base aroma, and taste. Hops are English and perhaps some resin. Balanced recipe and enjoyable, and despite not being extreme at all and flavourful, it’s not one typical style that it reminds me of. English Pale Ale perhaps. Nice bitterness and good drinkable body. Very nice to drink, quality brew. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 23-03-2016
Tartaruga Fine Brewing Tartaruga Super Fresca Misty golden body stable head. Soft citrus hops mixed in with soft sweet and cookie malts. Nice soft carbonation to get a fairly smooth appeal. Nice! Taste is more tangy, bitter, outspoken. Good stuff! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 23-03-2016
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges / Stillwater Tropic Thunder Peach yoghourt, cake malts, very fruity. Medium sour, light tingling carbonation. Mouth filling flavour, juicy too. Nice and interesting. Touch watery perhaps buy the flavours make up for it. Unique brew and I much enjoyed drinking it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 22-03-2016
Peak Organic Brewing Company Peak Organic Hop Noir Dark brown, stable beige head, nice. Crusty whole wheat bread, oatmeal, moderate English hops. Taste is much more expressive. Nice proper bitterness. Very much my kind of beer, even though my nose doesn’t quite catch all aromas right now. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 21-03-2016
Peak Organic Brewing Company Peak Organic Fresh Cut Pilsner Yellow glow, yum, lovely head although it does disappear quickly. Lemony hops, grass, fresh, aromatic, very pale and tasty base malts. Clean palate, very quaffable indeed. Yummy bitterness from start to finish. Great brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 21-03-2016
Poppels Bryggeri Poppels American Pale Ale Reddish glowing body. Lovely red ale malts, caramel, sweet sticky raisin bread, even creamy. Flavourful, great body for the abv. Appealing, modern and accessible, but it’s the character per % abv that impresses me. Out if style? Who cares. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 21-03-2016
La Brasserie du Renard La Brunette Bready brown malts, simple but decent fermentation. Watery body, lacking character and richness, a lot. Simplistic brew, not very good either. (33cl bottle bought at organic grocery shop of De Appelfabriek) 2.8 21-03-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Marmalade on Rye Aroma is more rich than fresh, but I like that actually. Orange marmelade and sticky apple pie. Thick sweet malts. Lovely rich flavour, perfectly balanced between malts and modern hops, everything flowing into each other. Great brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 20-03-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Long White Cloud Golden, mostly clear, small head. Light and very different drinkable. Modern citrus hops together with a classic saaz like delicate hop aroma. Mild, very pale malt base. It’s decent stuff, very good start of a drinking session. And that’s it, it’s not a sipping or tasting beer, but a drinking one. With very nice hops. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 19-03-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Harvest IPA- Mosaic Saison Golden body, small head. Very fruity aroma, banana, wheat, peach, typical Belgian ale. Not saison like at all, or ipa. Was that the intention? Fairly clean fermentation, typical tripel like malts actually, and even a warming body like that, although the hops are more modern. Tasty and different brew for sure, although the named style makes no sense. It’s perhaps not what I wanted to drink right now, but well executed stuff. Just, is this really mosaic? I don’t find it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 19-03-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Red Eye Flight Black body stable head. Creamy mocha like aroma, rye bread, light herbal. Very full, deep flavours, especially considering its quite dry. Short aftertaste but that makes you keep drinking. Lovely beer, so tasty! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 19-03-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest Brave New World IPA Golden body, quite clear. Clean English style fermentation. Modern American style hops, citrus fruit. Due tot the ’cool’ fermentation and clean appeal, it’s not necessarily very rich. Taste is as expected, typical English craft, clean bitterness (not too heavy actually). It could use so sweetness for my taste, but it’s undeniably super drinkable at this abv. And tasty. Good brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 19-03-2016
Tempest Brewing Co Tempest The Pale Armadillo Very English feel to this, despite all those modern home hops. Appealing aroma, tropical and yellow sweet fruits. But far, far from sugary,partly due to the light, more biscuity body. Palate is very light, bordering watery, but not bad at all at this abv. Very English, yet distinctly modern. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 19-03-2016
Buxton Buxton Red Point Light amber body, orange glow, stable head. Lovely hop malt mix. Pine and resin hops, touch of fermenting fruit sweetness, great malt base, berries, caramel, bread... Solid bitterness, full flavour. You do loose some freshness with the more complex malt base, but I dig it a lot. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 18-03-2016
Buxton Buxton Pic Tor Golden, misty. Odd aroma, peppery, galanga, sour fruit. Fruity sourness in taste too, with okay Base pale malts. Seemingly bring forward the more unexpected flavours of passion fruit, like a dry astringent pit taste and simple sourness, and not so much the sweet yellow fruit. When drinking more this really grew on me. Very interesting beer, unique and recommended! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 17-03-2016
Buxton Buxton Anglo-Belgique Misty golden body, grey head. Interesting mix between fruity yeast and citrus hops. Lovely rich aroma, yellow fruit, bitter grapefruit peel. Super juicy taste, great stuff. One of the best Belgian IPAs I’ve tasted. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 17-03-2016
Buxton Buxton Tripel Classically styled with golden and yellow fruit malts. High alcohol warmth dominates at first, then a warming golden malt, then a lasting bitterness. But at the same time I love the taste! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 17-03-2016
Buxton Buxton Old World Saison Clean golden body. Herbal and fresh green hops, light golden malts. Not as farmy as the best Belgian examples though. Quite sour in fact. Enjoyable but old world? Not rally. Bitterness is really nice but also not necessarily old world. Good brew, very tasty. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 17-03-2016
Buxton Buxton Dubbel Brown body, nice looks. Classic Belgian Belgian malt mix, cookie, dry, some roast. But the taste is much more modern, bitter, almost stout like. Lovely full flavour. Superb beer. Great palate too! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 16-03-2016
Buxton Buxton Blonde Golden, mostly clear body, small-ish head. Typical fruity esters, golden malts. Reminds me a lot of classic Northern French brews. Fomay mouthfeel, medium sweet with simple taste profile. Except there is a reasonably strong bitterness that rises from the middle towards a quite expressive bitter ending. Some herbal notes coming through later on. It’s indeed a classically styled blond ale, although much more bitter. Do I like it... well... the end is nice, the aroma I don’t care for the slightest. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 15-03-2016
Beavertown Brewery Beavertown Black Betty Amazing aroma, fresh pine, red grapefruit, dark roasted nuts. Strong bitter, rich mix of roasted and hop flavours. So well build up, so tasty. Very dry, very bitter. Lrab. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 4.3 14-03-2016
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk Northern Star Mocha Porter Dark, attractive body. Mocha, yes, dark roasted coffee, dusty, bit of caramel. Not quite as rich, creamy a I hoped. In fact the taste leaves a bit to be desired. Still, a well build high quality brew an I live the packaging in a can. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 14-03-2016
Flying Dog Brewery Flying Dog Imperial IPA - HBC-291 Single Hop Kiwi hops, very fresh, minty even. Quite clean but still distinctly ale like fermentation. Not too complex and a bit high in alcohol, but a pleasant ipa for sure. Nice interesting hop, even though eventually it’s not one that can be best used all by itself on a beer for the best results. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 14-03-2016
An Alarc’h (SCOP) An Alarc’h Hini Du Dry roasted malts, nutty, toast, English yeast. Bit thin but a decent taste profile, not characterless, very toasty. Not a huge fan of the style, but it drinks well. Like a Swartzbeer crossed with a stout fermentation. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 14-03-2016
An Alarc’h (SCOP) An Alarc’h Ginger Pale Ale Blond to yellow aroma, small head. Very expressive ginger aroma, of the sugar conserved kind. Pale malts, little to know hops. Drinkable body, albeit a bit too bubbly for my taste. Interesting actually. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 14-03-2016
An Alarc’h (SCOP) An Alarc’h Tantad Simpler than expected aroma, although the pale malts are supported by some herbal notes. Sweaty yeast. Odd vegetable undertone. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 14-03-2016
An Alarc’h (SCOP) An Alarc’h Aour Du Light misty dark copper beer. Lots of off flavours. Behind that some very malts, cookie, black tea and fermenting fig. Taste is affected too, unfortunately. Big bubble, astringent, some biscuit but the diacetyl rises a bit again. Luckily it fades when drinking this beer. Very historic feel to this traditional ale. Decent beer, quite different. A shame about the aroma. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 13-03-2016
An Alarc’h (SCOP) An Alarc’h Damruz Pink soda like body and, unfortunately, head. . Not as sweet as expected. Herbal, red berries, English yeast, very watery malt base. Odd fizz, annoying. Watery taste, children’s lemonade, little bit bitter. Like those brandless sodas you can buy by the bulk in cans that have the thinnest walls possible. Yeah, pretty poor. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.2 13-03-2016
Brasserie St-Feuillien / Friart Saint Graal - belga cervisiam traditionem Gusher, dammit. And then headless. No points for appearance. Very sweet, sweaty yeast, mostly hopless. Sweet beer, but taste isn’t unpleasant. Still, very poor quality stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 12-03-2016
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier 28 White Oak IPA Very cloudy yellow body and frothy bubbly white head. Citrus and lychee, farmy yeast, nice and clean. Some wheat I think too, very fresh and light. Mediterranean summer spirit, but with enough character in the yeast. Sharp-ish edge to the light crisp wheaty body, decent bitterness throughout, nothing to strong. And again a nice funk from what could be the wood aging. Liked it better than I usually do with barrel aged IPAs. This had good character. I’m sure it’d get better ratings if it’d carry the name of a famous brewer. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik & Tik Leuven) 4.0 12-03-2016
Beavertown Brewery Beavertown Gamma Ray Fresh spruce, lively, but with a proper biscuit malt backup too. To be honest it’s quite simple though. Single hop? Simple malt bill? I like drinking this, summery and high quality stuff, but it’s not complex at all and with such extensive competition even from England, it can’t quite stand up to the best modern American style pale ales around. Sorry, I don’t see justification for the high ratings (and I love Beavertown). (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 3.4 12-03-2016
Forest Forest L’Abbaye de Maroilles Very fruity yeast, lots of sharp esters, golden malts, alcohol, hopless. Simple golden malt taste, sugary, but drinkable. Yeah not great, but at least it’s not watery. (33cl bottle Saveur Bière) 2.9 11-03-2016
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk Eternal Session IPA Tropical fruit galore, super fresh. Pale malts, clean fermentation. Very rich body for such a low abv. Yum! Lively juicy bitterness, very high quality stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 11-03-2016
Base Camp Brewing Company Base Camp Celestial Meridian Cascadian Dark Lager Dark body, stable head. Roasted and even smoked malts, but also citrus hops. Very bitter, very tasty. Mineral too, great body. Not quite as thirst quenching as a pale ipa/ipl but the roast you get in return is worth it. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 4.0 11-03-2016
Moulins d’Ascq Hellemus Blonde des Flandres (8%) Golden and biscuit malts, soft herbal bitter and tea aromas from the classic malt hop mix. Vegetable and green apple aromas though too. Odd intended or off flavours? Pretty tasty, classic but appealing to me. Good big bubble. Subjectively perhaps flawed, but I dig it. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 11-03-2016
Brouwerij Palm Palm Gust Copper amber beer, large unstable head. Typical aromas from a Belgian ale, the esters, the tripel like golden malts, the alcohol... But not complex. Especially the taste is too simplistic, with just cara like sweetness and some alcohol and that’s it. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Ter Bank) 2.9 10-03-2016
Brasserie La Binchoise La Binchoise Brune Tradition / Cistercienne Bruna UPDATED: MAR 10, 2016 Surprisingly rich aroma for a French brune, with raisin and fig like sweetness as well as a more malty (and even roasted) tone. Belgian dubbel like, but not as dry and with a cleanliness that?s odd for such a fruity beer. Even some bubblegum notes. Nice warming taste, not too little alcohol -- this should have some heat to balance the spiced malts. And a good hoppy, albeit classic bite to it too. Very foamy carbonation which I enjoy a lot, countering the alcohol and toast. Only the ending is a bit abrupt and simpler, but I guess it only sets you up for another sip. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 10-03-2016
Brasserie de la Lienne Lienne Noire Dark roasted malts, English feel, perhaps the yeast, not too dry, a nice choco sweetness. Nice full carbonation, rye bread like undertone to add something extra. Really like this! 4.1 09-03-2016
Brasserie de la Lienne Lienne Grandgousier 2015 (Amarillo) Murky yellow body, large head. Mild yet very pleasant hop aroma, fresh citrus and leaves, cilantro almost, and a soft balanced malt underpinning, mostly pale. Touch sweaty yeast, pretty nice actually, although certainly not clean. Full foamy mouthfeel, juicy tasty bitterness throughout. Not very outspoken or strong, but very pleasant to drink. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 09-03-2016
Van Eecke Van Eecke Hommelbier Nieuwe Oogst Fresh Harvest 2015 Duller than expected, soft classic hops only. Well balanced, but I would expect then to do more with the fresh hops. You also don’t make a coffee stout with two drops of coffee. Anyway, classic Belgian yeast, reasonable bitterness. Drinks okay, bit too carbonated, but I’m not impressed. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 09-03-2016
De Proefbrouwerij L’Arogante Blond Surprisingly hoppy, I have to say. Fresh flowers, citrus, grass. Reminds me indeed of some Belgian IPAs like the Duvel single hop editions, with its big bubble and very pale body. Nice yeast too. Liked it quite a bit. Only the body is a bit too sugary for me. And it’s not the most complex beer around. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 09-03-2016
Duvel Moortgat Duvel Tripel Hop 2016 (HBC-291) Beautiful yellow body and typical Duvel enormous head. Very fresh aroma, melon, lemon, flowers, smack in your face Duvel yeast. Taste is surprisingly tart, with even sharp edges in the middle all through the ending. Tat astringent, I’d say, but it does give a character unique from the classic base beer. While the iconic big bubble is still here, I do get quite some alcohol, and with the very pale body that’s not necessarily pleasant. Overall another great Duvel special hop release, with this one being quite interesting, very nice on the nose yet a touch too alcoholic in my book. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 08-03-2016
BOMBrouwerij Triporteur Special Roast: Belgian Oak Typical Belgian yeast, aged malts, dusty caramel cookies. Refined but not very expressive. Tasty sweet body, alcohol heat, really woody ending. Surprisingly smooth palate. Good in a guilty pleasure way. Plus the recent fined aged malt taste... Much better than expected. Perhaps sweet, but fulfilling. (75cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 4.0 08-03-2016
Brouwerij The Musketeers Troubadour Magma Special Edition 2015 Triple Spiked Brett Misty orange golden, large and stable bubble. Sour smooth aroma, or funky rather, lively developed. Totally blows away the fairly heavy malts if of the base beer. Starts balanced, great hop presence still and dry, gets more spiked towards the ending. (75cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 4.2 07-03-2016
Brouwerij The Musketeers Troubadour Magma Special Edition 2014 Tripel Yeast UPDATED: MAR 7, 2016 Cloudy orange. Sweet orange marmelade aroma, from the yeast, malts as well as the hops I’m sure. All working in powerful balance to deliver a punchy modern and rich bodied triple. Lovely hops but the yeast makes this the delight it is. Great rich (perhaps not very refined) brew. (75cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.9 07-03-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Morellen Berliner Weisse Red and quite clean body. Sweet berries, tobacco, yoghurt. Odd aromas for a beer... Touch artificial feel to it strangely. Taste has vegetable, cherry soda, light sour. Drinks very well, stronger balanced yet somewhat watery taste towards the end. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.8 06-03-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Cuvee #4 Pricy beer, better be worth it. Brown body, headless. Oud Bruin style aroma, sharper and aging aromas dominate. Taste is much smoother, full, wine like, liquid biscuit. Reminds me a lot of the better sour Alvinne beers, but more refined and nice sweet backup. Yum! Still expensive but I understand why and at least the result is top class. Except for the looks. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.1 05-03-2016
vandeStreek bier vandeStreek bier Turf ’n Surf Orange marmelade, spicy Belgian yeast, tripel like malts. Peat? I don’t get it. Decent craft tripel though, with not as dry but a good full malt body. Bitter bite makes this stand out from the average tripel. I like the brew. Not exactly what I wanted to drink right now, but well executed stuff. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 05-03-2016
vandeStreek bier vandeStreek bier Hop Art #5 / Black IPA Beautiful label, beautiful beer. Fresh aroma, not dark at all actually, only light toasty hops next to the huge fresh hops. Right on my preference. Lovely bitter, full taste, cacao, fresh. Yum. Delicious! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.3 05-03-2016
Brouwerij Wolf (formerly Lupus) Lupus Wolf 6 Surprisingly dark brown bodied, stable small head. Toasted malts and classic dry Belgian abbey Dubbel aroma, mostly due to the yeasty esters I think. Decent large bubble, drinks well, perhaps a bit... Average. Overall indeed an average brew. (33cl bottle from brewery restaurant WolfCafé) 3.4 05-03-2016
Brouwerij Wolf (formerly Lupus) Wolf Trezart Orange hazy. Classic Belgian golden ale aroma, herbal and spiced hops, but moderately present. Simple taste, highly carbonated. Tripel like taste profile overall. It’s a decent brew. (On tap at the brewery restaurant WolfCafé) 3.3 05-03-2016
Brouwerij Wolf (formerly Lupus) Wolf Carte Blanche Very cloudy, instable head. Interesting aroma, modern as well as spicy hops, citrus, minty. Spicy taste too, not actually very bitter. Odd beer, quite different. Good to try something time! (On tap at the brewery restaurant WolfCafé) 3.5 05-03-2016
Brouwerij Wolf (formerly Lupus) Wolf Black Clean yellow golden body, stable head. Typical looks. On the malty side, little hop character. Soft bitterness, light carbonation for the style. Drinks easily, but doesn’t tickle my taste buds much. Bit too sweet to be a standout. (On tap at the brewery restaurant WolfCafé) 3.0 05-03-2016
The Sisters Brewery The Sisters Worker Saison Sweet malts, Belgian tripel like, peach, spicy. Nothing Saison about this, in my mind... Drinks okay, low carbonation, but way too much alcohol. It’s a Belgian tripel, but even then it is not dry enough and not b body enough. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 05-03-2016
vandeStreek bier vandeStreek bier Blackbock UPDATED: MAR 4, 2016 Dark roasted aromas, but also quite... metallic. Good malt body for a bock, but the fermentation makes it less rich than I hpoed for. 6% isn’t much, but not low either. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 04-03-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Pumpkinhead Starts a bit spicy, actually very spicy, with biscuit malt base. Some toasted sweetness here too, with a little herbal hop balance. Quite nice even despite the spices which I generally am not a fan of. Good bitterness, smooth taste. A little of the careful side (except for the large spice quantity) but I like it more than I though I would. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 04-03-2016
John Martin Gordon Finest Red I’m not going to say this is a great beer, but put a craft name on it and say how you recreated a classic euro style and scores would have been different... Having said that, it’s too filtered for its own good. The red copper looks are okay, but the taste is flat and alcohol is way too prominent. On the other hand, it has a certain herbal tea appeal that I did oddly appealing. And it drinks surprisingly well. As said, not a good beer, but easy to bash just for its alcoholic heritage. (33cl bottle from Comptoir Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean) 3.0 04-03-2016
’t Hofbrouwerijke ’t Hofbrouwerijke Flower Sour UPDATED: MAR 10, 2016 Keeps foaming... Put a stopper on it. Quite ugly, mostly headless. Very spiced, with fermenting fruit like sources. Some amber malts for backup. A bit too herbal for me perhaps. Sourness isn’t strong though. Bit vegetable but I like it more than I thought I would. (75cl bottle from discount corner at ABS Drinks I belièf) 3.3 03-03-2016
Timmermans (John Martin) Timmermans Oude Kriek Dirty cherry, umami, earthy, basement aromas. Strong sourness, really sharp ending. Like the aromas but the sourness is not as refined as the Catillons of this world. (33cl bottle from Comptoir Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean) 3.4 03-03-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen X & X (8.8% ABV) Copper, minimal head. Barley wine like malts, full and pleasant caramel, not sweet per se. Heavy hops, but overwhelmed by those malts. I dig it! Not what I expected, but great taste. Very flat though, which is a shame. Not in perfect nick. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 02-03-2016
John Martin Waterloo Strong Kriek Large head, very frothy, copper body. Candy cherry aroma, which I like in candy but... No other aroma like malts, hop or yeast. Even soda had more character. Very sweet start, dims down luckily. Very short ending. Alcohol is not too present but again, where’s the character? Surprisingly easy to drink due to the sugared dry body. It’s a bad beer but strangely hard to fault objectively. Certainly a shame to the kriek name. Just so darn sweet! (33cl bottle from Comptoir Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean) 1.8 29-02-2016
Theillier Mincoin Bière Artisanale Blonde Dark golden body, mostly clear. Honey, mild sweet. Simple taste, quite a clean fermentation, warming golden malt base. Not bad at all, but very very classically Northern France styled. (75cl bottle from Estimanet Lille) 3.3 29-02-2016
John Martin Gordon Finest Platinum Horrible filtered looks, grey head. Sugar, full of alcohol, ethanol even. Ricola candy, alcohol heat. Horrible aroma but taste is somewhat acceptable. Just alcohol and those Alps herbs, but I expected a dreadful alcohol water taste. So still poor but I could finish the bottle. (33cl bottle from Comptoir Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean) 2.1 28-02-2016
Brasserie du Pavé PVL Ambrée Surprisingly licorice root, cacao for and Ambrée. Fairly sweet cookie dough malts, very little hop. Super foamy in appearance and palate. Ending is dominated again by that milk chocolate taste, not stout like but almost like an added favouring. Not artificial, mind you, just unexpected and therefore a nice beer to try. Strongly different from modern craft. (33cl flip top bottle from Estimanet Lille) 3.6 28-02-2016
Brasserie du Pavé PVL Brune Quite foamy body. Toasted and slightly burned malts, whole wheat bread, some classic bittering hops. Foamy palate, decent bitterness actually. Enjoyable brew, better than expected. (33cl bottle from Estimanet Lille) 3.6 28-02-2016
John Martin Waterloo Récolte Blonde Looks nice. Light sugary pale malts, reasonably dry. Grey misty looks. Wheat and dry grass. Pale malt extract, hop extract. Would be surprised if this is all grain, all natural. (On tap at the Waterloo brewpub/Orangerie de la Ferme/Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean) 2.8 28-02-2016
John Martin Waterloo Récolte Brune Copper brown, medium head. Smells like a sweet dubbel, wholewheat bread, red apple. Only lightly misty, and quite full carbonation. Touch woody. Light sweet taste, faint bitter, herbal yeast. Simple Belgian ale, it’s okay. (On tap at the Waterloo brewpub/Orangerie de la Ferme/Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean) 2.9 28-02-2016
John Martin Waterloo Triple Blond Creamy head, no idea how it looks in the chalice. Sweet malts, hopless, light alcohol. Alcohol taste, hot, not bitter at all, herbal spicy ending. Very pale, but the body is actually fitting the style and taste. Filtered but strangely tasty. Could be worse, could be much better. (On tap at the Waterloo brewpub/Orangerie de la Ferme/Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean) 3.2 28-02-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Saint & Sinner Sweet yet fresh hops. Crispy white bread, lychee, soft grapefruit. Drinkable body, not so bitter actually. Nice malt base, quality brew, bit too clean perhaps, could use some character. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 28-02-2016
Brouwerij ’t IJ ’t IJ Ciel Bleu Imperial Stout Quite a fruity yeast for an imperial stout, but decent dark malts, raisins, toast, bourbon. Very tasty, quiet a big bubble. The Laos is an interesting addition, not sure what it brings but I do like the almost lemon grass touches. Very well developed, high quality brew. And quite unique too, very well done beer. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.1 28-02-2016
vandeStreek bier vandeStreek bier DEWITT Softer than expected citrus aromas, typical yeast from the style, light aromatic, almost flowery. Touch too subtle I would even say, considering the style expectations, abv and amount of carbonation. Not soft but a bit pretentious. Perhaps it’s not my kind of brew. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 28-02-2016
Brouwerij Kinhem Kinhem / De Watertoren Dark Saison (Oak Aged) Dark brown to black body. Woody, soft roasted coffee, woody herbs, little bit farmy. Taste isn’t AS rich or characterful as hoped, with a quietly diminishing bubble, but interesting merely due to the malt mix and oak. I wouldn’t buy again. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 28-02-2016
Le Baladin Baladin NazionAle 3.3 Blonde hazy body, small frothy head. Light, crisp, appealing, citrus crispy white bread. Soft carbonation, very tasty, super refined, typical modern Italian craft. Tasty, summery, light, drinkable. (On tap at Bellerose Lille, advertised as Nationale 3.5) 3.7 27-02-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Delhaize Ben’s Belgian Saison (Ben Vinken) Pale golden, huge head, looks great! Light, fresh, well developed yet with character. Touch too underhopped for my odd taste buds, but still well balanced and bitter enough. Superb body, honest surprise, not a dumbed down Saison as I feared. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 4.0 27-02-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Delhaize Ben’s Speciale Belge (Ben Vinken) Typical looks for the style, fairly frothy head, reddish brown body. Less dry that the classic examples though, slightly more malty, cookie like body. Drinkable, as it should be, but eventually flawed due not to the recipe quality or the brewing but the style limits. Interesting to try though for the odd style alone. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.3 27-02-2016
BrewDog BrewDog Hop Fiction Pale Ale Golden body, not too filtered. Fresh lychee and lemon like hops. Pale mats, fruity appeal overall. Just clean enough, but not quite crisp and certainly not dry. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPaket Leiden) 4.0 26-02-2016
Coronado Brewing Company Coronado Mermaid’s Red Ale Copper looks, good head. Amber and resin malts, cookie like sweetness. Light palate but very tasty, some floral and herbal hops. Very drinkable, soft bitter for the style. Bit totally clean, which I like. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 24-02-2016
Coronado Brewing Company Coronado Islander IPA Blond, light misty. Soft hops, light citrus. Very drinkable. Nice not-quite-clean fermentation. Yummy soft carbonation. Good brew, despite not being the freshest bottle. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 24-02-2016
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers Speakeasy Prohibition Ale Very stable head, copper amber body. Smooth, rounded malts, but also sweet good, pine and mango. Nice palate, juicy and soft fitting carbonation. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 24-02-2016
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA Not the freshest bottle but still easy to identify the type of beer this is, with balanced hops, clean fermentation, pale but prominent malt backup. Focus on drinkability and it works fairly well. It lost hop appeal but I still enjoyed it. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 24-02-2016
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers Speakeasy Tallulah XPA (Extra Pale Ale) Nice looks. Good hop mix, smooth, fairly juicy, some cookie and amber malt backup. Decent stuff. Juicy soft bitterness, very drinkable. Nice beer, simple but certainly not boring! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 24-02-2016
Mikkeller Mikkeller Hamilton Leithauser Black Hours Stout A balanced stout. Dark but mostly headless look doesn’t impressive, but the soft barrel aging and smooth milk chocolate malts with herbal yeast do well. (33cl bottle from QVID) 3.7 24-02-2016
Brouwerij Maximus Maximus Arcticus Large head, nice appearance. Sweet malts, cookie like, appealing to me, with a soft hop mix. Not extreme but I dig it and the beer has a be very malty full feel to it. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden l 3.7 23-02-2016
Belle-Vue (InBev) Belle-Vue Kriek Extra Red glowing body, almost pink. Artificial candy like cherry sweetness, little golden malt undertone only. Soda like but a touch if sourness to lift it from the more horrible teeth crushing sugar examples usually found in the supermarket. Bit this is Belgian... There’s better. Cheap though, I guess. (25cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 2.5 22-02-2016
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Wal & Schip (Wild Turkey B.A.) Black bodied, small head. Bucket loads of bourbon, of the vanilla and dark sugar and wood kind. Yummy but I feared that it dimmed down the Base beer and indeed the taste is much more watery than a string impy can and should be. Perhaps great for bourbon lovers, but over the too for me. I’d rather have the full bodied non aged original. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden, celebrating a change) 3.4 22-02-2016
Bueckenholt Bueckenholt Witte Gusher (but I was told it would be). Very murky grey yellow.Simple malt bill, yeasty, white bread, citric notes from the wheat and/or witbier yeast. Sharpish notes, strangly, over the simple but sufficiently rich malt body. Reminds me of the French bières blanches. It’s okay but not as original (even in the strong Belgian classic style constraints) as the host brewery Campenhout. (33cl bottle bought at the Labo Cafe Kampenhout) 3.2 21-02-2016
Bell’s Brewery Bell’s Cherry Stout - Bourbon Barrel Aged Very deep, very creamy dark tan head. Dark aroma, red berries, dough Not too sweet, red grapes, aged. Lighter than expected taste, delicate is a better word. After a series of very strong tasting beers, it almost feels flat, but it is complex and intresting. Well done beer. (Sampled at the RBBWG 2016) 4.1 21-02-2016
Brouwerij van Campenhout Witlov C Amber golden, large stale head, good looks. Toasted and caramel malts, light spiced cookies. Noble hops. Nice aroma, classic Belgian style well done. Tasty spiced taste, good body. Carbonated but drinkable. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.7 21-02-2016
Brouwerij van Campenhout Witlov 6 (C en W) Hazy yellow golden. Wheat, light banana bread, cake malts, classic saaz-like hops. Bitter from the style. Good taste, malt forward yet light. Nice brew. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.5 21-02-2016
Brouwerij van Campenhout Witlov 9 Misty golden, medium grey head. Rustic but dusty malts, tripel like fruit and alcohol. Hmm not my type of beer. Alcohol taste too, rounded apple like sweetness. It’s okay, well made but it’s not a recipe I enjoy too much. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.0 21-02-2016
Potts Naturpark Brauerei Potts Barleywine Jahrgangsspezialität No. 2 Dark brown, creamy head. Hay, deep amber malts, barn. Great stuff. Thick amber malt taste, barley wine like, sweet but great great flavour. Amazing beer! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.4 20-02-2016
Cycle Brewing Cycle Pallet 4 Dark black, minimal head. Creamy chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, coffee and milk. Very full taste, although the barrel aging is a touch too much. Rich, alcoholic. Great for a late night sip, nit for a full bottle. Good brew though! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.1 20-02-2016
Microbrasserie Le Castor - Le Castor Brewing Co. Le Castor Sanctuaire Grande Réserve (fûts de vin rouge) Blond, somewhat grey, small head. Interesting aromas for a blond beer, wood, hay, grapes and leaves. Farily moderate actually. Strong taste though, honey, funky, complex. Alcohol heat. Good brew. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.7 20-02-2016
Maui Brewing Company Maui Brewing Big Swell IPA Golden body, nice head. Enormeous hops, huge aroma of fresh pine, onion, citrus, melon. Mouth filling body and carbonation, Yummy fresh taste, juicy bitterness. Stunning beer. Thanks to whomever brought this! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.4 20-02-2016
Jester King Brewery Jester King Hibernal Dichotomous (2015) Golden cloudy body. Light herbal floral, loads and loads of fermentation aromas, farmy barny, light wood. Light sour, lots of character for such a low abv and bond beer. Thanks so much for bringing this! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.9 20-02-2016
Oskar Blues Brewery Oskar Blues Ten FIDY - Barrel Aged Big can. Deep black, creamy head. Bourbon, creamy head, chocolate, strong aroma. Juniper, sticky fig, rye bread. Very full taste, alcohol, strong bourbon flavour, earthy malts. Wow, very strong. Quite alcoholic. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.8 20-02-2016
Rocquette Cider Co. Rocquette XC Exceptional Cider (Bottle) Golden honey coloured. Sweet, apple, clean, filtered. Quite dry actually, not as bad as expected. Apple swetness, yeasty, earthy. Actually muc better than expected. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.4 20-02-2016
Hill Farmstead Brewery Hill Farmstead / Kissmeyer / Cambridge Nordic Saison Grey yellow, pillowy head. Soft saison aroma, light herbal, farmy. Orange, pale malts. Soft sour, very drinkable, very summery. Tasty, but a bit too sharp sour for me. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.6 20-02-2016
Privatbrauerei Hohenfelder Hohenfelder Winterbock (2014+) Dark brown. Juniper berries, bready, hay. Soft bitter, roasted taste, quite clean. Present but low carbonation. It’s okay well brewed. Enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t drink the 1l bottle myself. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.4 20-02-2016
Spencer Brewery Spencer Trappist Imperial Stout Black, tan head. Coffee, dark hay, earthy. Dark fruit esters. Quite sweet, sharp, vanilla, long dry taste, rough roast. Not bad at all. Belgian influences. Intersting brew, certainly different than I though it would be. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.7 20-02-2016
B. Nektar Meadery B. Nektar Wildberry Pyment Reddish brown. Red berries, honey, eldeflower. Swet, sticky, grapes,not as cimplex as the mead I justhad, but still pretty awesome. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.7 20-02-2016
Elysian Brewing (AB InBev) Elysian The Dread Black body, creamy tan head. Chocolate, dark roast, soy sauce. Rich, rye, but also alcohol. Sharper bitterness, roasted malts, hinting to sour even. String falvour, very appealing to me Much roast, much bitter, much falvour. Yum! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.3 20-02-2016
Oceanside Ale Works Oceanside Ale Works Dude DIPA Creamy head, copper golden glowing body. Golden, misty. Very big on hops, dank, pine. But not tóó fresh. Infact, bitter but water too, astringent, dry. Waaay too much abv for what you get. Very disappointing. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.2 20-02-2016
Pasieka Maciej Jaros Dwojniak Koronny Dark brown, headless. Heavy sweetness, honey, super deep, super rich, raisin and sticky fruit. Liquoir and desert wine sweetness. Thick, sweet, sticky, decilious. What a mead! Heavy and rich and sticky and sooo good. Amazing. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.1 20-02-2016
Lakewood Brewing Company Lakewood Bourbon Barrel Temptress (BBT) Pitch black, large tan head. Dark chocolate, light smokey toast, wood, bit too bourbon-y. Not so rich for 11% abv.., quite watery even. It does have alcohol and roast, but not very full. Sometimes you really want that, but together matching with other beers it’s not the last word in (barrel aged) impy’s ... (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.9 20-02-2016
Grimm Artisanal Ales Grimm Double Negative - Bourbon Barrel Pitch black, dark head. Surpridingly refined aroma of toasted and dark roast malts, touch of bbq, rye bread. Full taste, good balance. Super nice, by kind of stout, not too sharp or alcoholic. Thanks! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.2 20-02-2016
Elevation Beer Company Elevation Oil Man Imperial Stout Thick black body. Sweet, toffee like chocolate. raisin, cake, christmas pudding. Not as sticky heavy as expected, but alcoholic, strong alcohol. Nice beer, great to try. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.1 20-02-2016
Pleine Lune Pleine Lune Supernova Barley Wine Golden hazy body, creamy head. Sweet malts, light caramel, lots of farmy yeast, some yellow citrus fruit, cheesy even. Fairly bitter, good character, some alcohol too, certainly. Strong ending. I like it a lot but it’s not very refined. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.9 20-02-2016
Founders Brewing Company Founders Backstage Series #11: Big Lushious Thick black body. Lucious chocolate, raspberry, rich and full, very very nice. Sweet but also some sharper raspberry sour notes. Very rich, thick, superbly crafted. Not a full body, but so well done. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.2 20-02-2016
Le Trou du Diable Le Trou du Diable Buteuse Brassin Spécial (Brandy Oak) Mostly headless, dark golden. Honey, clove, vanilla, apricot. Somewhat foamy, light bitter, but spicy sharp. Complex without being heavy. Good brew! Thanks! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.6 20-02-2016
Stone Brewing Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 3.0 Black bodied. Thick chocolate, rye, tanins, raw earthy. Raw dark roasted malt taste, very long aftertaste. Strong, rich flavour. I sort of wanted this to fail, but it is a great beer, roasted and raw and rich and tasty. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.1 20-02-2016
Pirlot Kempisch Vuur Kriek Bruut Red cloudy body. Soft cherry, anise spice, berries. Phenols. Sharp taste, fennel seed, not much of a mal base, not my type of kriek. Champagne like bubble. It’s okay but not my type of beer. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.2 20-02-2016
Edge Brewing Barcelona Edge Brewing / Cigar City Gift To Gaspar Dark brown, very large tan head, looking good. Dubbel like dry toasty malts, little to no hops. Sweetness from the cara malts. Good taste, fuller than expected, rounded off end. Intersting pepper like notes. I dig it. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.8 20-02-2016
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin / Beavertown XXX Golden hazy body. Very well thought out, refined aroma. Peachy malts, very nice. Smooth yet very strong malts. Strong flavour, bit too alcoholic, but very nice. I dig it, my taste of brew. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.3 20-02-2016
Browar Wąsosz Wąsosz Terrence Golden light misty body. Nice hops, very clean fermentation, some leather even. Pine hops, but cheesy. Clean taste but diacytil butter taste. Is this really intended? Ruins the whole taste. Sorry, maybe some is accepted in (eastern Euro) beers but for me this is bad. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 2.9 20-02-2016
Alpine Beer Company (CA) Alpine Beer Company Duet Godlen body, medium head. Big cat pee aroma (I mean simcoe of course), resin, light cara but not necessarily sweet malts. Medium body, strong dank bitterness. Yum! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.1 20-02-2016
Almanac Beer Company Almanac Golden Gate Gose Godlen, only light misty. No head. Very faint aroma, some barn, some tea. Nit so rich as I expected. Bit sourish, watery, herbal. Sorry but what is this Even for a gose it’s thin and not much chracter. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 2.8 20-02-2016
De Lustige Brouwers De Lustige Brouwers Eden Grand Cru Brown beer. Bay leaves, root licorice, earthy, very little hop. Cognac? Meh maybe. More so in the taste, alcoholic, sharp, jenever like, and too clean. Not sure if I enjoy it much and certainly doesn’t justify the abv. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.4 20-02-2016
Dogfish Head Brewery Dogfish Head Noble Rot Pale golden, light misty. Sweet pale base malt, with very little toast, more classic hops, bit hay, bit herbal. Medium bitter, sour, odd fermentation tastes. Intersting beer, very different. Reminds me a bit of the Brooklyn Sorachi Ace. Fun tick, unique. Thanks for the taste! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.6 20-02-2016
Brouwerij Wageningen Wageningen Otto van Gelre II Speciale Editie Filtered copper. Nice head. Light alcohol, light dough, bread. Very sweet, but not fruity. Alcohol, brown sugar again. Special edition? Don;t care about this one at all.... (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.1 20-02-2016
Midnight Sun Brewing Company Midnight Sun 2010 Pop Ten: Barfly Very black, super dark head. Motor oil, super deep, siegle, earth, hops too though. Rich and appealing. Very full taste, thick, dark chocolate milk, umami. Yes, very nice brew. But for a bit, I would not drink the whole bottle. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.2 20-02-2016
Braukollektiv Braukollektiv Horst California Brown Ale Amber, creamy head, very nice. Very appealing aroma, resin hops, very balanced malts, earthy a bit. Taste is lightly moremoderate, soft bitter, spice like bitterness too, not just the hops. Very nice brew, neither too sweet not spicy. Yummy. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.3 20-02-2016
Browar Gościszewo Gościszewo 55 Porter Baltycki Wedzony 24° Dark brown. Bacon smoke, dark roast, cereal. Very nice. Bready taste, full flavoured, deep, but also alcohol. Nice nice brew! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.3 20-02-2016
Brouwerij Wageningen Wageningen Engelbewaarder Filtered godlen body, flimsy head. Very sweet, light caramel, sugarwater. No complexity, more sugar. Oh my god why? Alcohol and sugar, nothing flavourful about it. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 2.5 20-02-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0030 - La Cartouche Quite clear copper body. Woody, resin hops, interesting leather like malts. Great unique combination. Soft body, English style. Smooth mouthfeel but a decent bitterness actually. Nice beer! (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.9 20-02-2016
Brouwerij Vissenaken Vissenaken Geweide Geschiedenis Golden very misty beer. Large creamy head. Light alcohol, faint golden malts. Sweet sugary taste. Very much the opposite of my personal taste. Bad recipe? Not really but why... (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 2.9 20-02-2016
AleBrowar AleBrowar Rowing Jack Golden, soft misty. Super hoppy, huge and very appealing. Citrus, resin, fresh leaves. Juicy, very flavourful, perfect not too strong but present bitterness. Fantastic tasty brew. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.1 20-02-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal BA Project 2014 (Blonde Ale) Cognac Light copper, flimsy head. Soft spice bread, hay, dough. The cognac is present, very much, but it adds to the existing malt focused beer. And I can’t say it necessarily improves the beer either. Perhaps because of the blond base. Well made, characterful, but not my cup of tea perhaps. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.4 20-02-2016
Bierbrouwerij Onder de Linden Onder de Linden Kerstbier Golden light misty, large head. Spices, Belgian yeast, overripe yellow fruit. Very sweet, banana like. Soft bubble, actually a nice mouthfeel. But so sweet, with those light golden malts it is too much for me. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.0 20-02-2016
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Den Triest Modus Vivendi Brown glowing body, small head. Lots of yeast, caramel, brown sugar, apple pie, some clove. Very sweet, sugary. Not horrible. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.3 20-02-2016
Brouwerij t Kuipertje t Kuipertje Blondie Blond filtered appearance. White head. Golden malts, white sugar, light herbal. Quite tasteless, but not bad at least. Boring beer. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 2.8 20-02-2016
Aldaris (Carlsberg) Aldaris Mežpils Tumšais Brown ale, small head. Dark tea, caramel, leaves, clear fermentation. Light taste, some burned caramel, humous. Not so bad at all. Mostly the watery body is poor. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.1 20-02-2016
Worley’s Cider Worley’s Harvest Moon Cider (Bottle) Artificial sweeter, raw French style apple cider, but watered down. Taste is better, cinnamon, dry, but also alcohol. Very poor, except for the touch of cinnamon that saves it. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.0 20-02-2016
Oedipus Oedipus Speciaal Brown body, copper, headless. Belgian dubbel like, herbal, butterscotch, earthy. Meh. Soft taste, light sweet, not so expressive. Dont see much point in this beer. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.1 20-02-2016
Broeder Jacob Broeder Jacob Brut Rosé Copper red body, very bubbly. Soft cherry, watery, light pale malts, sugar. Soft sourness, no complexness, but not as bad as I feared. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.2 20-02-2016
Cinema Brewers Cinema Brewers 5 Dollar $hake Very cloudy yellow body, large bubble. Very fresh citrus aroma, lots of American citrus hops, light malts, white bread. Moderate bitterness, very drinkable fersh body, super summery. Good brew, nice recipe. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.8 20-02-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0031 - Passion Yellow grey body, fluffy head. Earl grey, mandarin, light malts, but well balanced. Fresh summery feel, rounded. Bit fizzy, soft bitter. Great aroma, decent taste too. Fun brew. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.7 20-02-2016
East End Brewing Company East End Old Nebby Stock Ale Light copper body, very nice creamy head. Herbal, creamy head, some toast, touch farmhouse like funk, bready. Some wood. Very nice mouth feel, excellent round and full flavoured malt malts. Great unique taste. Both historical and very modernistic feel. A characterful and daringly brewed ale with loads of flavour. Love it, big surprise. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 4.2 20-02-2016
Kehrwieder Kreativbrauerei Kehrwieder Weltmeister Weisse - Framboise 2014 Pink, champagne like body, light fizz. Heavy cherry, mostly maltless in aroma, sweet. Soft soda like cherry flavour, soft sourness from the middle onwards. True cherry like but I don’t care much for it. Watery ending. People seem to like it, but nothing stands out much for me.(Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.2 20-02-2016
Beerstorming Beerstorming BS#0021 - Bock des Spores Light copper, flimsy head. Light caramel, hay, black tea, woody, banana. Bock? Not sure, but its quite nice. Soft body, bit watery, dry ending, I don’t like the taste much tbh. Good start though. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.1 20-02-2016
Moor Moor Rider’s Revival Blond, light hazy, large head. Light crisp aroma, fresh aroma, flowers, herbal, tea. Smooth very light, touch watery body. Soft bitterness, but good mix of hops. Enjoyable light brew. Very aromatic. (Sampled during RBBWG 2016) 3.7 20-02-2016
Brasserie Du Bocq La Ramée Blonde Blond light misty. Practically hopless, golden malts, very light. Classic Belgian ale, not so bad but horribly dull. What more can I say? (On tap at Bier Central Antwerpen) 3.0 20-02-2016
The Sisters Brewery The Sisters Drone Nice labels! Beer looks good too, creamy tan head, nice and stable. Interesting aroma, nutty, English yeast, woody, some cacao. Belgian dubbel or English stout... It’s in the middle. Do I like it? It’s okay I guess. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 20-02-2016
The Sisters Brewery The Sisters Honey Misty golden, pillowy head. Fennel, herbal, lightly hopped only, biscuit and pale malts. Soft bitter, herbal again. Very big bubble, Belgian style. Not so interesting as I hoped. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 20-02-2016
Brouwerij Scheveningen Scheveningen Zuidwester Ur Pilsch Yummy hop forward aroma, crisp and lots of phenols/mineral. Nice hop mix. Fairly bitter, crisp taste, big appropriate bubble, harsh and fruity hop ending. U like it. Simple malts, but tasty brew. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 19-02-2016
Jopen Jopen / Stillwater Bloemenmarkt Golden hazy or even cloudy body. Remarkably peppery, juniper berries, light golden malts. Light but present bitter bite. Nice one but the extreme dryness (high attenuation) makes for an odd drink, almost aspartan like (but not the taste of that). Perhaps its all those flowers and spices. Personally I love dry beers, but this could be fuller. More oats? (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 18-02-2016
Jopen Jopen / Oedipus Harlem Shake Very, very good looking beer. Huge dark tan head. Nice aroma with both sweet berry, red fruit notes and milk chocolate malts. Bit salty, umami even. Even more so in the taste, spicy,soy sauce, dried cranberries. Original and tasty! Quite a big bubble. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.9 18-02-2016
Jopen Jopen / Kees! Imperial Pilsner Golden body, small head (after a small gusher). Sweet, clean, sugary, but with hop to balance. Or rather counter, a balanced or refined beer it’s not necessarily. Tasty though, really quite bitter. Sharp, almost. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.8 18-02-2016
Jopen Jopen / Universiteit Gent Haarlemse Genther Brown body, light beige head. Stale coffee, figs, toasted wood chips. Taste is a bit between a dry stout and a Belgian dubbel. Not exactly my kind of brew, but it’s okay I guess. Pricey beer though, what’s up with that? (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.2 18-02-2016
Brouwerij Pronck Pronck Dubbel Brown body, creamy beige head. Typical cacao, bay leave, wood malts. Quite rich but a bit dusty. Better than most dull or underdeveloped Belgians, but not as good as Belgian’s best either, that’s for sure. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 17-02-2016
Brouwerij Pronck Pronck Tripel Murky golden. Very sweet malts, overripe peaches, dried leaves. Okay body, fairly reach, not as crisp as a Belgian classic, but more crafty and I dig it. Not in style and quite sweet aroma but who cares, it’s a nice brew. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 17-02-2016
Brouwerij Pronck Pronck Tarwe Cloudy grey yellow, nice head. Smooth and we’ll developed aroma, light yeasty, light spiced cake like. Certainly not typical German hefe, but a good drinkable and bitter enough blond ale with full wheat body. Tasty to me. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 17-02-2016
Brouwerij Pronck Pronck IPA Quite cloudy, but nice looks. Aroma is more balanced than expressive, aromatic rather than full. Solid bitterness though in the taste, modern and reasonably clean. Like the ending and good light bubble. I like it, good beer. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 16-02-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Origame Ma Pierre à L’édifice Brown body, large head, good looks. Cookie, oatmeal, overripe peaches. Full taste, Belgian dubbel style but more rounded malts. Flavourful, good brew. (75cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.7 14-02-2016
Two Chefs Brewing Two Chefs Dirty Katarina Black, very nice creamy head. Toasted roasted dark malts, not sugary at all. Some rye bread. Lovely beer! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.1 14-02-2016
Ramses Bier Ramses Bier / Grateful Deaf Quail Murky brown, tan bubble. Interesting bready and humous aroma, some tea, resin, hay. Good solid bitterness, touch astringent in the end. Yummy, matches my personal taste very well. Original brew too, very different in style. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.8 14-02-2016
Brouwerij Poort Poort Tripel Murky amber body. Light spice, very murky but flavourful. Certainly not typical, but nice enough. Rich dirty but full body, American amber like, yet lots of Belgian yeast notes. Enjoyable brew. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.4 14-02-2016
Two Chefs Brewing Two Chefs Smokey Honey Nice smoke aroma, quite dry, mesquite like. Perhaps a bit artificial, strangely. I’m not sure it I’m impressed with the blond beer, fresh flowery hops and smoke combo. And all those precious honey is seemingly all fermented away... Was this really the best idea? (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.3 12-02-2016
Two Chefs Brewing Two Chefs Holy Günter Wow, nice beer! Golden looks, lasting creamy bubbly head. Yummy hops, classic but present and lovely aromatic, fresh leaves and flowers. Perfect golden malts support to spice things up (figuratively). Great beer! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.8 12-02-2016
Brouwerij Pontus Pampus Bokshoorn Brown body, simple looks. I don’t quite get this beer. Why make a big brewery bok clone when those already exist in abundance? Simple and quite dry, I don’t like the malts very much. Dusty. Again, don’t see the point much. Not bad at all objectively though. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.0 12-02-2016
Brouwerij Pontus Pampus Nachtschot Dark black body, really appealing. Nice clean fermentation so that the dark roasted and cacao makes really shine uniquely. Enough complexity too. Super nice to drink, deep rich and good bitterness yet with a light enough palate. Yum! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.2 12-02-2016
Brouwerij Pontus Pampus Big Black Beaver Black body and creamy tan head. Very appealing licorice aroma, bit woody, quite sweet and exactly what I was craving for. Yummy sweetness with quite a sweet start, slowly getting backup from modern hops. Rich, full bodied. Yes, lovely sweet beer! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.0 10-02-2016
Two Chefs Brewing Two Chefs Funky Falcon Damn nice. Really fresh and appealing, lots of hop character with nice basic malts. Original hop mix too and so nice with the dry, almost barny yeast. Yum yum yum, should have bought more (but I never do). (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.2 10-02-2016
Brouwerij Pontus Pampus Hoppy Stout Why isn’t this a black ipa on rb? Very orange, citrus hoppy, so much that you’d never expect this to be so dark from the aroma alone. Very appealing. Quite dry, very bitter, again only a toasty harshness reveals the darkness of this beer. Very nicely done and exactly my type of beer. Yummy! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.2 10-02-2016
Brouwerij Pontus Pampus Wisselhop #01/2015 - Sorachi Ace Golden body, medium head, looks nice. Strong hop aroma, resin, dark grapefruit, sharper floral edges, almost olive oil like aroma. Quite clearly fermented (but not necessarily very dry). Good solid bitterness, decent ending. Very enjoyable. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.1 10-02-2016
Brouwerij Pontus Pampus / La Fucina Just A Beer! Small headed, golden hazy bodied. Very nice fresh summery aroma, lemon grass, white rhum, flowers, light amber malt. Not so barnyard like as perhaps expected from the style. Light bitter only tbh. And next to the light sourness, there’s not too much to it considering all these ingredients. Mostly it’s the watery body though that disappoints. A shame! Still recommended to try. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.3 10-02-2016
Brouwerij Pontus Pampus Bombarde Dark brown, nice creamy head. Huge smoke, bacon, rye, nutty and more smoke. German feel, despite the ale yeast, due to the drinkable body. I dig the residual sugar too, which makes the body fuller and give balance to all that smoked malt. Ending is a bit short though, some extra bitterness would be nice. Yum beer. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 09-02-2016
Brouwerij Oud Beersel Oud Beersel Framboise Beautiful refined looks and aroma, cherry all the way. Nice light malt body, barn, perhaps not so funky. In fact the yeast could be more expressive. Good beer, classic and appealing. (375ml bottle from Dranken Pauwels I think) 3.8 09-02-2016
Bierwinkel Bacelle Wevelgemse Tripel Golden light misty body, large bubbly head, almost perfect looks for the style. Moderate amount of classic noble hops, fresh green leaves, crispy biscuit malts, soft sweaty yeast. Okay. Taste is much better and more prominent with full malty sweetness, light raisin-y even, very long alcohol warmth, pleasant bubble. Not so interesting to smell, but it tastes great, above expectation! (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels I think) 3.9 09-02-2016
Brouwerij Noordt Noordt Saison Huge foamy head, barely stays in the glass. Nice yeast malt balance. Light sweet but rich and interesting for such a light, moderate abv beer. Nice bitterness overall, with again yeasty backup and an amber malt that works well. I really dig this, much more than a random Belgian ale or a simplistic placeholder craft recipe. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.1 08-02-2016
Brouwerij Noordt Noordt / de Prael IPAL Interesting aroma. Smooth hops, oranges, light floral, light amber an biscuit malts. Not sure about that Mandarina hops, like always, but all together it works well. Okay bitter, very drinkable, but I especially like the mouthfeel. Highlight of the brew. Overall good! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.9 08-02-2016
Brouwerij Noordt Noordt Blondt Amber copper body, stable head, looks great tbh. Belgian yeast, woody houmous, berries. Nice bubble, keeps you drinking. Starts out too sweet, then flows into a more herbal spiced bitterness which is nice, but it’s a bit all over the place. Pleasant dry ending. Good product, not spot on for my taste but that’s okay. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 08-02-2016
Brouwerij Noordt Noordt Weizen Hmm, interesting. Not tour typical Weizen. In fact, I would have never ever guessed that. Quite clear, lager like yeast, ethanol like almost. Light amber malts. Maybe some clove spice that reveals some of its style. Reasonably bitter. Very light body, watery, if you will. It’s okay, an oddity, bit too less carbonation (even out of the style, in style it would be dead flat). (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.3 08-02-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Zure van Tildonk 2014 Misty copper. Soft funk, refined malts, biscuit, cake, cereal, barnyard. Odd taste, some spice I can’t quite identify it. Quite foamy body for the style. Ending is more sour, overall a nice malt backup. (375ml bottle from the brewery) 3.6 08-02-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Sloe As Winter 15 6% sour with sloeberries. Pluckley sourness, juicy, yellow fruit. Strong vinegar taste, I like it but it’s edging in infection. On the other hand, it remains fruity and full of character. Surprisingly fast did I empty this bottle, considering the very string sourness. (33cl bottle from from the brewery) 3.4 08-02-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Fresa i Chocolate Brown body, very foamy at first (as warned, but it wasn’t too bad actually). Sharp vinegar strawberry notes, dark toasted malts, barn-y, earthy. Strong sourness, but I actually enjoy it, with its dark toasted and cacao powder backup. Surprisingly drinkable for such a edgy beer. Certainly not as fruity, full, rich or complex as the raspberry version, but unique in its own regard. However it was supposed to be. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.6 07-02-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Fixerati Belle Epoque Light misty golden body, stable head. Soft cheesy yeast. Decently hopped, quite classic. Flavourful like overall, fairly full for the style, but just dry enough. Good brew, drinks well. (33cl bottle from the brewery) 3.6 07-02-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Taste Lab - B-Wine Almost headless. Huge aroma. What is that... Sour cherries? Red wine vinegar? Jammy, blueberries, funk, alcohol. Lots here. Heavy stuff, very fulfilling. (Corked bottle from the brewery) 4.1 07-02-2016
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Frambuesa i Chocolate Brown beer, creamy head. Very rich and original aroma, fruity yet loads of choco malts. Super flavourful, sour fruit, berries, full mouth of dark malts. I really really dig it. (33cl bottle at the brewery) 4.2 06-02-2016
De Leite De Leite / Hof ten Dormaal Nondeju Amber body. Light sour, light funk, biscuit malts. Easily drinkable body, golden malts, soft bitter. Decent brew, good aroma, simple taste. Accessible but well done. (33cl bottle at the HtD brewery) 3.5 06-02-2016
St. James’s Gate (Diageo) Guinness West Indies Porter Dark brown, medium head. Dry, ash, tobacco dirty, toasty, coffee. Quite watery but not unpleasant body. It’s not bad, just too filtered. (Bottle from AH Leuven) 3.3 06-02-2016
St. James’s Gate (Diageo) Guinness Dublin Porter Very small head. Very toasty, licorice, cereal. Hopless. Dry, watery body overall. Bit edgy ending, short. It’s certainly not impressive but not too bad. (Bottle from AH Leuven) 3.0 06-02-2016
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Spray-tan Gone Wrong Large tan head, brown body. Fresh cacao aroma, with spruce, Lion candy bar, nutty. Original and very appealing. Taste is too sweet though still for my taste buds. I dig the idea, but it was perhaps doomed from the start. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 06-02-2016
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje BCC: Porter Brown body, big head. Marshmallow, chocolate, candy floss, very very sweet. Foamy mouth feel, very sticky ending. What an odd beer. Original for sure, but do I like it? Hmm it’s okay I guess. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.2 06-02-2016
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Caution KIWI Crossing Very creamy head. Huge aroma of tropical hops, mango, lychee, heavy golden malts. Love it. Strong flavour, rich bitterness, although sharp in the end. Love it again. Overall a great beer, really in my preference, hop galore and huge bitter and sweet taste. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.3 06-02-2016
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje / Beer Cider India Wheat Cider Quite original, and it seems to work too. Funky apple, loads of mosaic, which I adore, those Japanese citrus fruits, flowers. Very low carbonation, bit too flat to be honest. And a very short ending. Low bitterness. Great start but in the end I wanted more. More bitterness, more taste, more bubbles and more malt complexity. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 06-02-2016
BOMBrouwerij Triporteur Total Loss Brown body and stable head. Heavy on both amber, toasted malts as well as the resin hops. Very full mouth feel, lightly yeasty, solid bitterness bit balanced by a string malty treacle sweetness. I like it! Perhaps a bit alcoholic and I could do with a touch more chocolate malts, but tasty brew. (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 4.2 05-02-2016
BOMBrouwerij Triporteur Full Moon 12 What is this devil worshipping mumbo jumbo? Anyway.... Cheap chocolate, figs, fruit jam. Woody start, medium sweet overall, but yeasty bitterness in the end. Typical Belgian but certainly not old fashioned. I like it for what it is. (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.8 05-02-2016
FrogBeer Frog Beer Pearl Pale Ale Mild bubble. Smells like malt extract, medicinal, raw sugar. Not what I hoped... Very medicinal taste, watery, rose petals. Ugh. I hope this isn’t what they intended to make. More Bud than an English or American pale ale... Wtf. (33cl bottle from Monoprix Neuilly sur Seine) 1.9 04-02-2016
FrogBeer Frog Beer Kersplat! Foamt head, hazy body. Lemon juice, crusty white bread, fresh and juicy. Not really hoppy though. Nice aroma. Taste is simpler, soft sweetness of golden malts and wheat, quite clean and probably pretty hefty filtered (despite its looks). Fine brew, better quality than expected although it looses it’s English style and appeal a bit with this foamy bottles stuff. (33cl bottle from Monoprix Neuilly sur Seine) 3.4 04-02-2016
De Plukker De Plukker Keikoppenbier Very cloudy, amber dirty brown. Very bubbly, amateurish strong yeast, lots of fruity esters. Quite sweet but yeast gives bitterness. Full but very unprofessional palate. It’s drinkable but not exactly the latest word in brewing... (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.1 03-02-2016
Brouwerij Maenhout Maenhout Koeketiene Golden amber body, very clear. Indeed a filtered aroma with caramel, light nutty, sugar syrup. Boring. Alcoholic taste, faint bitter. Poor beer, very poor. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 2.7 02-02-2016
Vliegende Paard Brouwers Préaris Belma Golden grey, cloudy. Citrus, lychee, pale malts, grassy hop, fragrant, nice. Cumin spiced taste. Not bad at all, good sunny weather beer, although ultimately underhopped for my personal taste. (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.6 02-02-2016
Brouwerij De Poes De Poes Gusher again... Extremely fizzy, no head after 3 seconds. Apple juice, yeasty. Is this a beer? Any hop at all? Tastes like a classic triple. But too sweet and too bland. Very passable. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 2.8 01-02-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Bloody Pumpkin Bit roasty, sweet tea, some dusty herbs, simple brown bread. Disappointing, thin in character and body. Light sweet, hard herbal bitterness (but not strong). Filtered feel to this. Hoped for more. (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven 3.3 31-01-2016
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Salvation Brown body, mostly clear. Bit toasty, typical choco malts. Very spritz carbonation. Nice roasted bitterness. Bit watery, bit quite drinkable because if that. Like the ending best, toasted bitterness. (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.5 31-01-2016
Brouwerij Noordt Noordt Tank 5 Copper body, medium head. Toasty and amber malts. Herbal hops. Quite bitter, fill flavoured, bit too filtered/clean perhaps for the malts. Could use more character. It falls a bit in between a nice light ipa and a darker ipa with character. Needs work, but still enjoyable. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 31-01-2016
Bryggja Bryggja Tripel Light misty dark golden. Classic Belgian golden malts, apple syrup, sweaty yeast, spice, nice hops. Foamy body, very nice for the style and I enjoy it overall, solidly hopped. True Belgian ale, but well done. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.6 31-01-2016
Bryggja Bierboom / Bryggja Triple-B IPA Light copper, large head. Fruity yeast, filtered, light caramel, light pine, herbal flowers, hennep. Tasty, very smooth, but malt heavy and only a bitterness in the end. Enjoyable Belgian ipa mix. Perhaps a touch to sweet overall, giving a light cloying feel. Like the smooth palate though. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.6 30-01-2016
Huisbrouwerij Klein Duimpje Delfts Mueselare Bier Golden, medium stable head. Frisky fresh aroma, flowers, citrus, apple, Belgian yeast, but quite clean, coriander. Taste is astringent, some fruity esters. I like it much better than expected. (33cl bottle at Stads Koffyhuys Delft) 3.5 30-01-2016
Huisbrouwerij Klein Duimpje Delfts Knollaert Glowing dark golden body, frothy head. Peachy yeast, bit of herbal and sweet hops. Pretty hoppy for what I expected, mild sweet. Just too watery. Nice brew though. (33cl bottle at Stads Koffyhuys Delft) 3.5 30-01-2016
Huisbrouwerij Klein Duimpje Delfts VOC Stout Dark body, very large tan brown head. Chocolate, coffee, toffee, bit sweet brown sugar. Drinks well, but simple, nice bubbly body (Belgian style). Quite dry actually. Burned ending. (33cl bottle at Stads Koffyhuys Delft) 3.5 29-01-2016
Deca Services Karel Cogge Brown copper, creamy head. Cookies, brown sugar, hay. Bit alcoholic, annoying fizz. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.2 28-01-2016
Deca Services Hendrik Geeraert Very stable grey head. Cloudy body. Simple malts, farm aromas (poop), hay, dusty. It’s okay overall, simple sweetness but too poopy in aroma. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 2.9 28-01-2016
De Leite De Leite Fils à Papa II (2015) Amber copper body. Nice. Red wine vinegar, woody, cereal, light spruce notes. Quite sour, but certainly sweetness if brown sugar too. Very decent brew. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels), 3.6 27-01-2016
Fort Lapin Fort Lapin Snowlapin And that makes 6 Fort Lapin beers in a row that are gushers. At least this has a head still, quite nice actually. Dark red berries, chocolate, caramel, gluwein. Medium sweet, full malty taste, good body. I wanted to hate this, with the plain amateurish gushers and style, but I gave to admit to really digging this taste. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.6 27-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Sarne Bruin Brown body, cloudy. Brown bread, cake like sweetness. Full mouth feel, smooth, mouth filling, how I like a moderate abv Belgian style dubbel. Good amber toasty malt taste, enjoyable brew. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.6 27-01-2016
Fort Lapin Fort Lapin 8 Tripel Another Fort Lapin beer, another gusher. And also another headless beer. What the hell. Light spice, sharp, like bad cleaning agent, herbal a bit. Watery taste. Faint bitterness. At least the taste is passable rather than totally wrong. Still... (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 2.5 27-01-2016
Fort Lapin Fort Lapin 10 Extreme gusher.... Again! This beer from this brewer in a row. This is ridiculous. Had to clean half my kitchen again. Bad yeasty smell, okay brown malts. Sweet, short aftertaste. But I don’t want to spend any more time on this monstrosity. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 1.8 26-01-2016
Fort Lapin Fort Lapin 6,5 Rouge Very disappointing beer. Brown murky body, little to no head. Simple Belgian yeast, sweaty, cheap feeling. Hopless. Cereal, medium sweet, boring. Yeasty, especially in the taste. Short ending. Passable and amateurish. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 2.9 25-01-2016
Fort Lapin Fort Lapin Hoplapin Murky grey blond. Gusher alert! Ugly. Grassy hops, yeasty, light spice. Light bitter, smooth mouthfeel. Enjoyable but amateurish. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.3 25-01-2016
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Yvan Denisovitch’s Breakfast Very instable odd bubble, odd and ugly. Interesting aroma, cacao, salty caramel, leather. Strong taste, dark bitterness, long alcohol heat. Like that. Too fizzy though. Damn hideous beer, but damn fine taste. (75cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.6 24-01-2016
Brouwerij de Kroon De Kroon Delvaux Kerstbier Copper body, bubbly big head. Bitter spices, clove, gluwein, dark caramel. Surprisingly bitter, although also way too filtered for my taste. It’s okay. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.4 24-01-2016
Brouwerij de Kroon De Kroon Super Kroon Amber body, small creamy head. Fruity yeast, caramel, pineapple. Light sweet, toasty bitterness, light sour note. Bit watery. Okay beer, not too sweet or too filtered, just a bit, but not overly appealing to me either. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.3 24-01-2016
Brouwerij de Kroon De Kroon Job Pale, light misty, frothy head. Soft citrus, grassy hop, apple. Fairly clean actually and fairly bitter too. Pretty nice on tap, classic appeal. But ripe for a more hopped version, please. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.6 24-01-2016
Moor Moor Smokey Horyzon Amber red body, fine pillowy creamy head. Very nice smoke, very bamberg, cereal like, bit bacon. Taste isn’t AS smokey, more bready. And a nice herbal tea bitterness. Bit thin perhaps. Good brew, nice and clear enough. (33cl can at M Café Leuven) 4.0 24-01-2016
Mikkeller Mikkeller / Grassroots Wheat is the New Hops IPA Light golden, medium head, medium fizzy. Very dry, very grapefruit, full mouth feel. Beautifully rich and juicy and delicious. Love it! (33cl can at M Café Leuven) 4.5 24-01-2016
De Leite De Leite Cuvée Jeune Homme Golden misty body. Funky, Apple cider, big bubbles. Sourdough, lively, fresh enough, very drinkable. Characterful, lots of funk. Like it. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.6 23-01-2016
Brouwerij Cornelissen (formerly Sint Jozef) Donn Off aroma, hardly apple, hardly beery. Way sweet, bubbly, soda like, bit dry. Bleh, worse than my low expectations. (33cl bottle at Mexican food shop Donki Leuven) ---Rated via Beer Buddy for Android 1.3 23-01-2016
De Plukker De Plukker Rookop Brown, pretty clear, large beige head. Toast, butterscotch, salty caramel, cake, coffee liquor. Hard roasty taste, quite dry actually. Not the typical Belgian dubbel. I enjoyed it. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 23-01-2016
Brasserie d’Ebly La Corne du Bois des Pendus Blonde Fresh aroma, typical Belgian yeast. Foamy, bit watery. Good aroma, appealing, but not as smooth as hoped, bit watery. Simple beer, meh. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.1 23-01-2016
Brouwerij De Kazematten De Kazematten Grotten Santé Brown body, fluffy head. Brown sugar, dark caramel, little spice. Much less complex than hoped. Too watery mouthfeel, too filtered, clearly. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.0 23-01-2016
HollandsGoud HollandsGoud WitGoud Amber murky body. Candy like sweetness, almost strawberry bubblegum, yeasty. Very bubbly. Belgian endive, huh... Wouldn’t have guessed in a lifetime. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 0.5 23-01-2016
De Leite De Leite Merci Maman Light amber body. Cookie malts, funky, Apple cider. Quite acidic, tangy, nice. Good spritz low carbonation. Very nice, totally unexpected! (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 4.0 22-01-2016
Brouwerij Palm Palm Cornet Interesting beer. Blond body, but appearing. Fizzy in a good way. Woody, golden malts, light spice, apricot. I dig it. Quite a sharp taste, but with the oak it actually works. Like the champagne like body a lot. Yeah, successful beer, surprisingly! (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.8 21-01-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Delhaize Ben’s Belgian White (Ben Vinken) Not as citrusy as a Wiekse Witte, nor as banana as a Hoegaarden. But luckily also not as coriander as most smaller Belgian wits. It?s a nice wheat balanced beer, soft alcohol, smooth palate. Not too clean too, nice filling foam. I like it a lot, to my own surprise! (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.6 21-01-2016
Brasserie d’Ebly La Corne du Bois des Pendus La Black Dark brown, frothy bubbly head. Molasses, bay leaves, roasted. Medium sweet, alcoholic heat, definite acidity. Expected a bit more but I still like it. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.4 20-01-2016
Brasserie d’Ebly La Corne du Bois des Pendus La Triple 10º Golden body, active carbonation. Simple malts, surprisingly mild, bit floral. Typical tripel spices. Overall I enjoy it quite a bit, as a guilty pleasure though as it’s perhaps not very crafty. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.6 20-01-2016
Brouwerij de Bie De Bie Vélo Clear, dark golden. Moderate aroma, cereal and toast. Hopless. Boring overall, not even spiced or yeasty or refined or crisp. This cycling team deserves better. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.0 19-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor / Schubros / Hugel Angels Golden body, filtered, small head. Simple malts, light spice, grassy hop. Somewhat sharp taste, acidic (for the style) , fruity but clean yeast, simple bitterness. Most certainly less preferable (but incomparable to be honest) to the Demons twin beer. Very possible, a shame! (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.1 19-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor / Schubros / Hugel Demons Black body, but totally headless . Chocolate milk, bit bready. Sweet taste, boozy, sticky, burned caramel. Not amazing but nice enough, and certainly preferable over the Angels twin beer. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.4 19-01-2016
Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan De Halve Maan Brugse Bok Amber brown body, medium head, bit too clean. Lots of caramel, fairly clean yet with a distinctly fruity yeast. No spices, no darker malts, little complexity. Caramel and candy sweetness, which is okay, but not much to balance. Can we have some spice? Decided to use most for cooking. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.2 19-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Tineke van Heule Light misty, very stable head. Overripe banana, clove, sweaty, dark caramel, umami. Medium sweet, banana bread, earthy. I dig it, even though it’s low on hops. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 18-01-2016
Brouwerij De Kazematten De Kazematten Wipers Times 14 Gulden body. Medium carbonation, medium sweet, medium everything... Just so... Bland. Sweet ending. Very disappointing. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 2.8 18-01-2016
’t Gaverhopke Gaverhopke / White Pony Spring Tipple Quite a malty, cookie like base, rather than spicy. Herbal in the nose, sage, honey. Very nice taste actually, rounded sweetness, lovely hops. I am stunned, did not expect this at all. Tangy as well as sweet ending. Very yeast, cheesy, which would not appeal to anyone, but it does to me. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.8 18-01-2016
InBev Belgium Ginder Ale Brown but very clear body, large head. Odd farmyard aroma, caramel. Mouth filling, good body. Nice light taste, thirst quenching quality. You drink this life a soda indeed. Not so sweet. Not complex, but I actually like it. (25cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 18-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Haezen Kasseike Huge head over a clear dark golden body. Fennel, coriander seed, white bread, citrus scented cleaning agent. Spicy, juniper berries and green hop bitterness. Big but suppressed bubbles. Enjoyable and/but quite unique triple like brew. I typically don’t like such spiced brews, but this is strangely appealing as a starting beer of the day. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.8 17-01-2016
De Haeckse Brouwers Spijker Blond For a blonde, it’s certainly not very blond coloured, more dark amber. Okay aroma, biscuit malts, classic but prominent hops. Quite clean and bitter, for the style, but somehow still distinctly Belgian. I actually really like it. Unexpectedly nice brew. A touch cleaner would be nice. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.9 16-01-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Anglium Extra Hop Hoppy indeed. Classic but very nice, good basic malts too. Nice bitterness, not too strong. Very drinkable although a bit too bubbly. Towards the end the bitterness dims a bit, and so does this beer, a bit draggy. But great start, nice bipa! (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.8 16-01-2016
’t Gaverhopke Gaverhopke/Tired Hands Bittersweet Symphony Cloudy amber body, creamy white head. Heavy aroma on amber malts, cookies, oatmeal, overripe peaches, grapefruit. Quite heavy carbonation, that could be improved upon. I love the start, ending is a bit dimmed. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.9 15-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Netebuk Winter Dark brown body, creamy bubbly head, very nice. Coffee liquor, licorice, bay leaf. Quite sweet, sticky, heavy. Certainly no beer quench your thirst... Enjoyable enough, not terribly complex. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.6 14-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Red Ale Red body, creamy head. Odd aroma, mix between an English tradional ale and a Belgian amber. With some us hops thrown in the mix. It doesn’t quite work out, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Taste is more unified, medium bitter, drinkable, creamy mouth feel, carbonation not too high. Overall a decent brew, but there’s much still to gain to create a real rich (and dare I say hoppy) red ale. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.7 14-01-2016
d’Oude Maalderij d’Oude Maalderij Optimo Brown body, bit cloudy. Very full, quite cloying, brown caramel, Apple pie. Bit cloying, heavy on the stomach, but inherently a flavourful beer. Just not terribly complex. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 14-01-2016
Het Brouwersatelier (was: De Relatiebrouwer) Black Cauldron Spit Sweet cake, fermenting fruit, sticky berry jam. Taste is very sweet too, not very stout like, but heavy and sticky and nice. Loads of residual sugars, quite a sourness balancing that, bitterness... not so much. Interesting, very different brew. Not necessarily my thing but yeah it’s a fun beer. Especially the body is a bit thin and cloying. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 14-01-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Biernatie Rex Artus Golden to amber, nice head. Bubbly yet heavy on the stomach. Very sweet focused, which makes it quite dull. Especially the ending. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.0 14-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Quadrupel Dark amber body, creamy head. Looks lighter than expected, but nice. Spices, alcohol, sweet malts, cookie dough, some vanilla. Really quite sweet, a bit cloying. I enjoy it but is it good? Not sure. Very sticky. High abv. Overall not my favourite beer. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.3 13-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Tripel Good looking, very creamy (off white) head over a hazy orange body. Amber malts, biscuit, sweet peach, sticky. Bit too fruity sweet for my taste, a bit too sweaty (like the blond and dubbel...) and not spicy enough. Drinks well, low carbonation for the style. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.2 13-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Dubbel Brown cloudy body, very creamy head. Nice. Good aroma, true to the style but with a little more character than usual, not as clear. Not amateurish, but with its sweaty yeast I like it’s fuller body. Not terribly complex and a bit too sweet in the end, but a very decent stuff. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 13-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Blond A straightforward beer, really. Golden Belgian ale with particularly sweet sweaty yeast. Bit too sweet, not because I don’t like sweet beers, but because there is way too little power or complexity to carry it. And the yeast is already plenty fruity. Neh. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 2.7 13-01-2016
Brouwerij Het Alternatief Alternatief Bittere Waarheid (Bitter Truth) Great beer, uniquely Belgian yet very progressive. Clean enough (but very murky) with good fermentation aromas, very strong hop aroma and solid but certainly no hard bitterness. Very nice, think XX Bitter, perhaps somewhat less dry. I really really dig it, even though the abv borders of the crazy high. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 4.1 12-01-2016
De Graal Bisseghemse Loetepoepe Misty dirty golden body, okay head. Fairly interesting aroma, golden malts, pale biscuit, herbal tea, peachy fruit, lightest of funk. Odd aroma, bit funky, off, but in a nice way. Not saison like, but just... strange. At least it justifies rating this Belgian golden ale! (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.4 12-01-2016
Brouwerij Anders! Anglium Parfait Golden ale, medium head, light grey. Medium bubble, bit herbal. Light bitterness, short ending. It’s okay, not much to it. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.4 12-01-2016
Brasserie Grain d’Orge Grain d’Orge Joup Typical but decent dubbel. Bit too filtered, but nice dry toast and brown bread aromas, some clove and hay. Nice medium sweet body, bit watery perhaps and moderate abv could even be lifted a bit. (33cl bottle at Caroline’s in Liège) 3.4 11-01-2016
Brasserie Saint-Monon Saint-Monon Brune Dark brown, misty body, large head. Very nice aroma, quite rich, anise, deep dark malts, whole wheat bread. Thick mouthfeel, especially for a Belgian brown. But I like it a lot! Well done recipe, very ’artisanal’ feel. (33cl bottle at Caroline’s in Liège) 3.8 11-01-2016
d’Oude Maalderij d’Oude Maalderij Deo Deep brown, very large head. Cereal, chocolate bread, crispy hops, very bubbly. Odd beer, quite nice though, bit of a Belgian English mix up. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 10-01-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Carrousel Bier Blond body, nice head. Bubbly, wine like, pot-pourri, leaves. Very light, and for a Belgian ale quite crisp. Taste isn’t fairly simple, light sweet, short aftertaste, quite nice. Nothing wrong here, just a bit simple and a touch too sweet. (75cl bottle from butcher De Kapblok Leuven) 3.5 09-01-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Blond Golden body, clean and with sticky frothy big head. Floral, clean golden malts, honey. Simple taste, honey sweetness, tiny hop ending. It’s okay, very simple, well made and clean but the fruitiness doesn’t inspire. (75cl bottle from butcher De Kapblok Leuven) 3.4 09-01-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Brut Bier A champagne beer and indeed very much like a method tradionelle white sparkling wine, bit with bubbles, no head, crisp appeal, light appley sweetness. Even more than the famous Deus beers, although this is simpler and less dry, so less good in my book. (75cl bottle from butcher De Kapblok Leuven) 3.6 09-01-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Ferme Framboos Flimsy head, quickly disappeared altogether. Light acidity, like simple alcohol vinegar greatly diluted with raspberry lemonade already greatly diluted. Odd aroma that’d sour, yes, and sweet, very much, but the opposite of complex. Minimal taste development. While drinking more, the sweetness really prevailed, but I also liked it better. Different brew, and tasting quite nice, aroma is strange though.(75cl bottle from butcher De Kapblok Leuven) 3.1 09-01-2016
Brasserie Inter-Pol Witte Pol Grey yellow body, minimal head. But a very nice aroma actually. Well balanced between wheat, barley and hops. Bit sourish ending, a nice touch. Enjoyable brew, very light but fulfilling enough due to the citrus Base. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.6 08-01-2016
d’Oude Maalderij d’Oude Maalderij Maximo Sugar bomb. Deep black looks ate fine, but boozy, burned caramel, toasted. Very much like the American classics I have to say. Liked it better while drinking it, strangely, it grew on me. But still, too much residual sugar, too milk chocolate like for my taste. I could do with more roast and a bit of a bitter bite. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.7 08-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Netebuk Coffee Crazy head over a dark brown body. Toffee, toast, simple coffee grounds, cereal. Not bad, bit simple. Smooth body, nice roasted malts. Decent brew different from a typical Belgian dubbel or a light British stout. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 07-01-2016
Brouwerij De Vlier De Vlier Amber 69 Amber body, to beige, small head. Simple Belgian ale, nice smooth malt aroma, biscuit, but not terribly interesting. Light bitter, light sweet, in fact light overall. Simple drinkable body, but not very interesting. It’s okay. (75cl bottle from butcher De Kapblok Leuven) 3.4 07-01-2016
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Winter As Barista Church Chocolate Quad. Chocolate, lots,, toast, cherry booze, quite nice actually! Very sweet, odd chocolate. Very Christmas like. Towards the end it gets more like stale coffee though, and watery. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.4 06-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor 8410 Wenduine Dark Brown body, small head. Press coffee, watery tar, butterscotch. I’m not convinced. Tastes better, bit generic, too little bitterness. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.2 06-01-2016
Microbrouwerij Urthel Microbrouwerij Urthel/de Hoppeschuur Café Noir Copper brown body, large foamy head. Sweet sticky red fruit, dry prune, coffee liquor. Thin body, medium sweet, bit medicinal, uninteresting. Sorry... Flat body. Disappointing beer. Drinks easily, but not because it’s so nice and smooth and rich tasting... (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.1 05-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Netebuk Wakatu Light murky body, nice head. Fresh hops, fruity like melon and grapes. Nice Base malts, quite amber. Bitter enough, clean enough, good hop malt balance, East Coast style. Very nice brew. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 4.0 05-01-2016
Kleinbrouwerij De Glazen Toren Delhaize Famous Belgian Brewers Speciale Belge Ale UPDATED: JAN 6, 2016 I am pretty sure this is an alias of the Glazen Toren-brewed Speciale Belge at 6.5% here on RB. Mostly clear brown amber body with medium head. Typical odd aroma, dry yet fruity sweetness. Watery sweetness, malty, practically hopless. Sweet berries with some red wine notes. Really not my style, but it’s nice that people get a reminder of it’s existence. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.0 04-01-2016
Het Brouwersatelier (was: De Relatiebrouwer) Koddestamper Cuvee Fumee Brown body, creamy head. Fig, Christmas pudding, charcoal, stale coffee. It’s better than those individual observations promise though, well rounded out. Just a bit dusty. Taste is as expected, little smoke coming though, more a smooth Belgian (light) dark are. Okay sweetness balance. Low carbonation, bit too low for my taste. It’s enjoyable, nothing exciting, secretly hoped for more with this smoked malt addition. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.4 04-01-2016
Brouwerij Slaapmutske Slaapmutske Tripel (Triple Nightcap) Proto triple, but unfortunately in the poor sense. Brewed with too much sugar and too filtered. Not dry enough, although spiced well from the yeast used. Alcoholic but admittedly warming. Christmas almost, a little indulgent with its shameless alcohol and light bubble. So yes, a nightcap, although still not necessarily a good beer. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 03-01-2016
Brouwerij Anders! La Cress Vegetables, floral hop, minimal base malts. Not too watery though, just light, bit sugary. Taste is better than the aroma. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.3 03-01-2016
BOMBrouwerij Triporteur Wild & Funky Red brown, bubbly head. Simple sourness, light fruity, fresh fig. Not so complex, heavy on the stomach. Disappointed overall, but I do like the malty base, appley. Overall I enjoyed drinking this flawed brew. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.3 03-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Netebuk Original Simple Belgium ale, golden malts, light caramel, very light herbal tea hop. Bubbly, quite clean for the style. Okay brew, certainly not overly sweet. Generic but well brewed. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.3 03-01-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Ride This Pony (BA blend) It just be this beer, although nine is labelled as MMXV anniversary special barrel aged edition blend 2/3 The Prophet brandy BA and 1/3 The Prophet limousine cognac oak chips. Brown body, fairly clear. Complex aroma, sticky fruit, wood, cereal, booze. Hard to distinguish the original beer, with all this barrel aging. I guess it’s okay, I liked drinking it, but it becomes so expensive that I wonder why not brew a tasty complex beer without the barrel treatment. (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.6 03-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor Netebuk Smoke Clear brown, minimal head. Light smoke only, bit enough base malts to support. To fruity yeast. Something very wrong with this recipe. Doesn’t make sense. Only saviour is that I like this style, so rating isn’t horrible. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.1 03-01-2016
Brouwerij Maenhout Maenhout Ferre Surprisingly light coloured, small head. Very sweet malts, some peach juice, dusty. Very hot, from all that alcohol. Sweet base, underhopped. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.1 03-01-2016
Gulden Spoor Gulden Spoor IPA Brown body, creamy beige head. Pine, forest, dusty, dank. Columbus? Bitter enough but not as clear or hoppy as hoped. And generally a bit dulled. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.4 03-01-2016
Brouwerij Slaapmutske Slaapmutske Blond (Zomerbier) Golden body, mostly clear. Straightforward Belgian golden ale with medium sweet aroma of appley malts, very little hop character. Very bubbly body, light acidic end which is a bit odd. It’s an okay Belgian ale, but very little character. 1 in a thousand others available in Belgium. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.1 02-01-2016
Brouwerij Slaapmutske Slaapmutske Witbier Clear body ugly head. White bread, soapy, sugar syrup. Chemical taste, very thin, cheap. Hard time finishing the small body. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 1.7 02-01-2016
InBev Belgium Leffe Royale Mount Hood Hop grown in snowy mountains? Hmm Leffe... Red brown body, frothy head. Odd spiced aroma, forest, berry, chemicals. Taste isn’t the worst from Leffe. Not cloying sweet. Actually don’t mind this and it’s a long time since I’ve said that of a Leffe. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.2 02-01-2016
Brouwerij Maenhout Maenhout Hoppa Hontas Sorachi Ace Will rate here as it’s the same label and smells to me like Sorachi Ace rather than the much more grapefruit Amarillo. This is more lemony tea, zesty. Clean and a bit simple, but better than expected from the shameful label. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 02-01-2016
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Zapata IPA (BA Tequila) Rich brown ipa with nice head. Typical aromas, bread, pine, dark sticky fruit. Dank hops, lots of it, rich taste, both deep in imperial ipa hops and heavy malts. Not sure what, if anything, the barrel aging did here, but I very much like the overall result. Not refined but... Yum! (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 4.3 29-12-2015
d’Oude Maalderij d’Oude Maalderij Qantelaar (2013 - ...) Dark brown. Toasted malts, raisins, oatmeal cookies. Bit thin perhaps, but the any isn’t too high and there are quite a lot of different aromas going on. Bit too sugary perhaps, but it does stay light and drinkable I suppose. (Wrapped bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 25-12-2015
d’Oude Maalderij d’Oude Maalderij Redenaar Sweet malts, cake, peach. Not as sweet tasting. Decent brew, only missing some character, something to set it apart. (Wrapped bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.5 25-12-2015
Brasserie de Cazeau tHOPe Amber body, bit clear, nice head. Impressive amount of hops, not sure if 20 is any better than, say, 5, but I like it much more than I expected. Nice bitterness too, juicy and with enough cara malts to balance. Nice! (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.7 24-12-2015
De Leite De Leite Cuvée Mam’zelle Quite funky, amber malts, rich. Such a huge impact from the barrel aging. I like it a lot but it does hide the beer. Eventually no problem, as I like it’s complexities. And it’s sourness it more complex than expected from such as beer. Really liked drinking this. (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 4.0 24-12-2015
Brouwerij Slaapmutske Slaapmutske Flemish Old-Style Sour Ale (FLOSS) Brown body, small head. Typical aroma for the style, funky, barn, brown malts, some biscuit, no noticeable hop. This particular example is a bit raw though. I’ve all not so bad. I like being able to do no this, character is not lacking. (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 0.5 24-12-2015
Brouwerij De Ranke De Ranke Hop Harvest 2015 Quite oker grey misty body, huge head. Minty, fresh grass. Very original and quite frankly delicious. Not sure this would hold up long though. Drink fresh! (75cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 4.3 22-12-2015
Deca Services Dikke Jan Tripel Cloudy body, large pillowy had quite a characterful aroma, much more than expected from the simplistic label. Rustic malts, punchy yeast, biscuit. Medium bitter, but without a kick. Certainly not too sweet. Octal a bit amateurish, bit rough, but also simply enjoyable. Nice drinkable Belgian ale! (33cl bottle from Dranken Pauwels) 3.8 20-12-2015
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Den Triest Bruut’n Triest Champagne, macadamia, light floral, white bread. Crisp body, bubbly, light bitter, refined malt base. Expected a bit more from the yeast, as it’s supposed to be the beer’s highlight. Still a good brew, quality stuff. (75cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.7 18-12-2015
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Den Triest Speciale Nice classically styled Belgian blond, with active golden body and attractive foam. Really fined albeit not spectacular golden malts, some biscuit, little noble hop. Nice easy drinking ale, decent bitterness. Main issue is that the yeast isn’t particularly interesting. This could have hugely lifted this quality brew to an international standard. It will surely stay in somewhat obscurity now. (75cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 3.5 18-12-2015
John Martin Diabolici Ugly ass label, ugly ass beer. Very fluffy bubbly head. Clearly too filtered, which shows in the boozy, caramel, thin, nail Polish aroma. Thin boozy taste. Really minds me very much of the fake abbey beers you find in French supermarkets. Bad, bad stuff. (75cl bottle from Belgium Beer Shop Leuven) 2.2 18-12-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Teppistenbier BA Sherry - Bourbon Brown body, bubbly head. Typical Belgian ale, sweet, sherry, grape juice, some raisin. Bit bubbly, bit of toasted base malts some caramel. Bit boozy. Drinks quite light. It’s all a bit underwhelming to be honest (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.5 17-12-2015
Van Den Bossche Van Den Bossche Buffalo Grand Cru (Barrel Aged Pauillac) Champagne like, light toasty, burnt sugar, candied fruit and Christmas pudding. Very bubbly mouth feel and therefore not quite as full as hoped, but not less fulfilling. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.7 17-12-2015
Brouwerij Anders! eXcalibur Black IPA Black bodied, frothy stable head, looks nice. Brown malts, brown sugar. Not so bitter, bit so hoppy. It’s a nice roasted dubbel, but where’s the hop? Looks great, drinks well, but not a black IPA. I like the body though, not overly sweet, sharper edge in the end. Nice brew. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.8 15-12-2015
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Leuven Innovation Beer Festival Beer Golden hazy body, bubbly head. Quite sour, bready malts, light smoke. Quite punchy taste, not as refined as the style typically is but at least there’s lots if flavour! Unrestrained and I like it quite a lot. (33cl bottle from Belgium Beer Store Leuven) 3.7 14-12-2015
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Den Triest IPA Pineapple, humous, sweetness from the hops. Although it?s quite bitter, it feels separated from the actual flavour of the beer itself, the malts and yeast. Like hop extract was added after the fact (which I?m sure wasn?t the case). Not so fresh. It?s okay, but falls in between styles and doesn?t take the best of both worlds. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.5 13-12-2015
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Triest Green Hopping (2) 2015 Misty golden body and medium grey head. Fresh green good, but floral, bit minty, but with golden malts that are a touch to set for me. Conversely, the bitterness is a bit too high for its own good. Nothing crazy, but it’s not a well balanced recipe. Oddly I didn’t mind drinking this at all, but I can’t rate it very high, as there are strong flaws in every aspect, something the fresh hops can’t hide. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.3 13-12-2015
Brasserie La Ferme Au Chene Marckloff St Nicolas Roasted malts, bbq like malts. Fairly dry, but sourish ending. Bit so bad, very British old ale like, much more than Belgian. Very dry body, which doesn’t really work with roast, but somehow I still enjoyed drinking this. Perhaps because it paired well with the rustic food served. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.2 12-12-2015
Brasserie La Ferme Au Chene La Ferme Au Chene Marckloff Very murky, nice head. Bubbly but Belgian style at all, especially considering its origin. Amber malts, biscuit, bit of an English style yeast feel. Different than I expected for sure. But a nice change of pace. (On tap at the brewpub) 3.3 12-12-2015
Broeder Jacob Broeder Jacob Bruin Brown body, stable odd head. Mocha, dry nutty, forest. Hmm not sure about this one. Quite flavourless considering the style, dark malts and reasonable alcohol level. Expected a sugar bomb, but I got a roasted water instead. Not very appealing. (33cl bottle at Huis der Burger Leuven) 2.9 12-12-2015
Bière Totale Bière Totale Black Out Very dark body, beige head, frothy. Brown sugar, burnt caramel, bbq. Thin palate for the abv, although you could say drinkable I suppose. Not terribly complex, but a decent quad overall. Imperial stout though? No. (33cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.4 12-12-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Black Christmas Black bodied, small head. Classical English stout, toasted malts, Christmas pudding. Bit light on the palate but it’s only 4.5% of course. Very enjoyable overall and such a high quality brew again by Weird Beard. (50cl bottle at M-Café museumcafe Leuven) 3.6 12-12-2015
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Den Triest Saison Misty golden body and stable bubbly head. Very farmy, spritzy, light golden malts, touch of cake. Drinks quite light, bit sugary, less bitter than I expected. Buy it’s the surprising sourness that puts me off from this beer. Unfortunate really. A bit disappointment. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 2.9 12-12-2015
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme Coffee Ruby - Dark Version Brown body, very foamy. Candy sweetness, crème brûlée, carbonation in the nose, some leather too. Fairly sweet, coffee grubs, not smooth but still nice. Very different brew, and that’s quite a feat. And I enjoy it too. Especially good with autumn/winter food, pumpkin, potato, pork, perhaps nutty deserts too. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.7 10-12-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony The Oracle Nice thick Belgian ale. Sticky, sweet, brown malts, white chocolate, apple pie. Quite some smoke too, in aroma and taste. Odd beer but I do like it. Mixed Belgian style with a crafty twist. I have mind all that sweetness. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.5 10-12-2015
Beavertown Brewery Beavertown Backfield Damson Sour Bit pink, small head. Funky sourness, but also malty enough. I like this sour - malts combination a lot, with the fuller body than often found in sour beers. Nice fruity addition, certainly not too much and not too sweet either. Very much recommended to try, from a great brewer. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.9 10-12-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Black Sheep Imperial Stout Dark brown body and medium head. Nice chocolate, deep sticky fruit, but a bit single sided perhaps, not as fulfilling as this abv level can and should give. Even more so in the taste, which doesn’t give the deepness and palate richness it should. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.5 10-12-2015
De Dochter van de Korenaar De Dochter van de Korenaar / Hof Ten Dormaal Amitié Foamy head, copper body. Yoghurt, strawberry, floral, oatmeal cookies. Yummy and totally different. I like it! (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.8 10-12-2015
Tiny Rebel Tiny Rebel Bass Drop Really nice looking body, except perhaps the small head. Dark roasted malts, but a bit flat, dusty. Full enough aroma, somewhat moderate hopping. Texture is nice, not very exorbitant, but balanced malt bitterness and sweetness. Enjoyable brew, and affordable too. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.8 10-12-2015
Stillwater Artisanal Stillwater Cellar Door Pretty headless,but nice body. Interesting choice of herbs. It quite works, giving a refined Belgian ale a further twist. Golden malts, enough sweetness, but perhaps not quite enough carbonation for me, for the style, to give so crispness to it. It’s interesting to try but I won’t go brew my own version. Beer doesn’t need it. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.4 10-12-2015
Stillwater Artisanal Stillwater Contemporary Works Surround Thick black body and beautiful brown head. Looks like espresso and also smells a bit like it. Roasted too, milk chocolate for sweetness. Buy hopped too, huge favour. We don’t need no stinking barrel aging, this is the bomb. Almost too rich, as I was very slow to finish the bottle. Oh who am I kidding... It’s great stuff. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.5 10-12-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Gravøl (Death is not the end!) Brown body. small head. Roasted, ’red’ malts, herbal tea. Bit sweet, bit sticky. Well made, but not terribly exciting. Bit heavy for the amount of flavour you get. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.2 08-12-2015
Stillwater Artisanal Stillwater Contemporary Works Mono Clean ish golden body, bubbly head. Fresh palate, melon, lime, some sharper notes too, touch alcohol. Warming full flavoured body, fairly cleanly fermented though. Drinkable strong bitterness. Nice brew ! (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.5 08-12-2015
De Plukker De Plukker All Inclusive IPA 2014 Murky body. Very freshly hopped, and richly too. Not so bitter, on the sweet side even, but I like it’s drinkability. (75cl bottle from Belgium Beer Store Leuven) 3.4 07-12-2015
Leidsch Bier - Keytown Craft Beers Leidsch Pumpkin Raisin Bock Deep brown, medium head. Nice sweet aroma. Raisin, lots, sweet malts, sticky toffee. Very nice! Lovely sweet body, rounded with only a slight roast hint. I like it a lot! (On tap at Mr Janssen Leiden) 4.1 04-12-2015
Brand Bierbrouwerij (Heineken) Brand IPA Clean, grey head. Punchy aroma, admittedly. Unfortunately punchy in a bad way, with quite chemical notes. Wtf, dis they just take a (probably good) ipa recipe and replaced the hop for hop extract or something? Fail ! Moderate bitter, bit sharp. Yeah... People even supermarket crowd, know better now. (33cl bottle from AH Stevenshof) 3.0 04-12-2015
Microbrouwerij Den Triest Den Triest Dark IPA Interesting beer with cookie spices from the malts as well a us hops. I like it! Good bitterness too and again a Belgian brown ale style malt base. Brown ipa is a better deScription than black IPA, not very roasted at all and lacking a little body. But I like it a lot. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.8 02-12-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller K:rlek 6 / Efterår/Vinter 2014 Murky body, small very creamy head. Fruity hops, amber malts, some spruce. Dry, short aftertaste. There are richer tasting beers at this abv, but I do enjoy the hoppy appealing aroma. And the dryness too, just that it’s possible to have at 1-2% less alcohol. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.5 30-11-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Teppistenbier Brown sugar, lots of it, with sticky and so what sour fruit. Like a red apple fruit pie. Not so bad, interesting approach. Not overly sweet tasting, but fulfilling. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.5 30-11-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Strongest Than Ever Brown body, okay head. Sharp aroma, hummus, alcohol, jam, spider Web. Dusty beer in aroma, taste is slightly better but still sharp and unrefined. Does it really need 15%? Absolutely not. Is it still a good beer, regardless? Meh. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.3 30-11-2015
Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles La Rulles La Grande 10 Blond body, nice head. Lots of marzipan, light sweet cake, herbal (English?) hops, very refined and appealing. Fine but prominent bubble, sipping very nice indeed. Not too sweet, but very fulfilling for a cold day. Interesting brew, very enjoyable. (75cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.9 29-11-2015
Brasserie St-Feuillien / Friart St-Feuillien / Green Flash Belgian Coast IPA Misty orange body, very creamy head. Exactly as I hoped. Spicy yeast, pine hops, great malt base with cake like sweetness. Lovely creamy texture, refined bitterness. Yum! So my kind of beer! Positively delicious. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.4 28-11-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Zumbi Headless, black body. Burned malts, cane sugar, coconut, sticky fruit and red wine vinegar. Original beer especially good as late night closer, with its characterful yet somewhat odd taste combination. I like it much more than I though I would. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.7 28-11-2015
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Babylone Glowing amber body, creamy head. Nice aroma balancing cake like malts with modern, moderate but flavourful hops. Very enjoyable, especially great mouthfeel. Creamy, un-Belgian. Very yummy to my taste buds. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.9 26-11-2015
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Origame Erika Saison du Brabant Blond amber body, very frothy head. Beautifully balanced aroma, modern hops and great light peppery yeast. Reminds me much of the Oersoep brewery. Very yummy lady! (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.0 26-11-2015
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Origame 6 Saison Du Brabant (Baisy-Thy) Murky body, bubbly but not very lasting head. Very fine farmy aroma with characterful yet smooth and rounded off yeast, nice herbal hops (English?) and lovely tea like notes. Nice moderate bitter. Lovely brew! (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.9 26-11-2015
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Origame 4 Session Double IPA Copper body, fairly clean. Lovely ’red’ malts, quite rich for the abv, with pine and sweet tart hops. Bit caramel like too. Punchy bitterness, but quite juicy too, especially towards the end. Lasting taste, I like it a lot! Quality brew for sure and very much a type of beer I enjoy. Another winner from this new (to me at least) brewer. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 4.0 26-11-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Zwart Bloed Black bodied, large head. Deep black malts, fairly fruity yeast for the style. Some licorice. Taste is medium bitter, certainly enough so. Good beer, but at this abv it has the potential to be even more expressive. I’m a sucker for the style though! (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.9 25-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Single Hop Centennial Powerful brew. Punchy centennial hops, full of citrus and spruce. Tasty sharpish alcohol with lovely strong bitterness. Tat bit short ending perhaps, due to moderate biscuit malts, but I don’t complain. This is great stuff. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.1 24-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Holy Hoppin Hell Batch 6 Very powerful beer, pine, resin, pot-pourri, raisin. Alcohol heat, very bitter but also loads of balancing hops. I mean, balanced isn’t the word, more extreme amounts of everything. I love it! A real sipper with joy in every drop. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.4 23-11-2015
De Struise Brouwers Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva Dark brown body and small head. Aromatic beer, complex, very rich but and indeed not restraint yet balanced perfectly. It does lose some of the character of the normal version, with foresty freshness, but it is replaced with better aging. This development time give a great aroma mostly, but also helps smoothen out the edges. I would have liked it a bit sweeter, but that’s personal. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.9 21-11-2015
De Struise Brouwers Struise / Bridge Road Imperialist Belgian ale yeast, oddly, or perhaps it’s the straightforward malts. Unimpressed by the taste too, okay balance bit not very interesting. Bit bubbly. Expected much more! (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.4 21-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard / Hanging Bat Rye Smile I love this style, and it’s exactly what I wanted too. Aroma is powerful with bready malts and dark spices, fig like sweetness. Taste disappointed a bit tbh with a quite dry body, not enough thickness nor sweetness. I like my barley wines over the top sweet with citrus hops and woody development, this only delivers on the last two parts. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.9 21-11-2015
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Origame Kanguru Golden cloudy body, frothy head. Passion fruit hops, some orange compote. Very note palate, drinkable and not bubbly. Fairly clean, especially for a Belgian ipa. (On tap at M-Café Museumcafe Leuven) 3.9 21-11-2015
Brouwerij De Ranke De Ranke Hop Harvest 2014 Green hops, herbal, quite fresh for its age. Strong bitterness, straightforward malts, further accentuating that butter sharp ending. Bit too much. (75cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.5 21-11-2015
Brasserie du Brabant Du Brabant Origame Hallelujah Session IPA Golden to amber, frothy head. Murky. But the looks deceive : beautiful hop aroma, full or citrus an pine hops and, surprisingly, quite some yeast and malt character too! Makes me say Hallelujah indeed. How does it taste? Well... bitter. Dry and some amber malt notes, with citrus (but not sharp), but damn is this bitter! Yes, too much, very much. My wife loves it, but this is too much for me. (75cl bottle from Belgian Beer Shop Leuven) 3.5 21-11-2015
Abbazia delle Tre Fontane Abbazia Tre Fontane Tripel Spiced, anise, clove, brown malts. Murky body. Warming alcohol, winter spice, sharper fennel seed like ending. Licorice, bay leave. Touch too spiced for me but very well made, nice body, not too bubbly. Fun to dry, but share with some friends, a whole bottle is a bit much. (33cl bottle at M-Café Museumcafe Leuven) 3.5 21-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Mariana Trench Golden body, very murky if you pour everything from the bottle. Mango and lychee hops, nice fermentation going on here. Light doughy style malts, yummy, nice and dry enough. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.0 20-11-2015
Brouwerij Palm Arthur’s Legacy 04. Saison d’Henriette Bubbly head, not quite right, but good golden body. Classic hops, quite yellow fruity with prune, apple. Drinkable but ultimately not as interesting as I hoped. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.4 20-11-2015
Brouwerij Anders! Bufo Golden body, nice head. Nice hopped golden ale, classic and very attractive. Simple taste but pleasant and not sweet at all. Nice big carbonation. Yeah, simple but very pleasant beer! (33cl bottle from De Fermetisten) 3.5 20-11-2015
Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev) Goose Island Fulton St. Blend Coffee Ale Golden body, small head. Old stale coffee, golden malts that don’t match, hopless. I don’t understand this beer at all. It’s not rich, not matching, not interesting. Like a mess up of ingredients. Makes no sense. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 2.9 20-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Double Perle Wow! Luscious head over pitch black body, super nice. Rich aroma full of dark chocolate, toffee, espresso, chocolate milk. It’s all here and I love it. Hops too, to balance. Hugely full palate, sticky but not cloying and powerful from start to finish. Who the hell needs barrel aging and stuff if you have such beautiful rich malts to drink? C’mon! Delicious. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.4 20-11-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Atheist Quite pale, cloudy. Spicy hops, star anise, fennel, golden malts. Very interesting and different than I expected, but absolutely beery and nice. Sharp bitterness, crisp body, especially considering the alcohol and fruity yeast. I really like this, much much more than a deScription of it would make me think. Great alcohol heat too, really fitting. Investing stuff, very tasty. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.1 19-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Fire Flat, lifeless taste start, simple brown malt. Unnecessary heat, annoying throat. Don’t want to drink this. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 2.3 17-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Out of Office I’ve had coffee IPAs before but was never impressed. However, this is very yummy. Coffee adds a nice complexity over the spruce hops. It’s the richness of a double ipa without the punch in the face you sometimes get. Great result! Lovely bitter without a harsh ending. Pitch perfect bitterness, creamy enough. Yes, spot on palate. Great beer! Too bad I lots a quarter because if the gusher. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.2 17-11-2015
De Proefbrouwerij Gageleer Hmm a gagel brew. I typically don’t like gruit beers much, and this is no exception. Quite vegetable, thin, herbal. Beer has a strange aftertaste. Yeah, this doesn’t make me want to brew a gagel beer. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.2 17-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Smoke Brown body, very creamy head, looks excellent. Light smoke, fairly cleanly fermented, lots of brown malts, humous and forest flavours. Nice very low carbonation, which is super drinkable like it should. Enough bitterness, low on smoke (if you’re used to it). Yummy! (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.0 15-11-2015
Brouwerij Slaapmutske Jan van Oudenaarde Golden body, stable head. Sweet malts, Belgian yeast esters, quite dank. Simpler taste, nice refined malts, simple aftertaste. Enjoyable beer. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.5 13-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard K*ntish Town Beard Lovely hops, great resin and spruce. Full rich mouth feel with the wheat and not quite clear English (?) yeast. Great mouthfeel, fitting low bubbly. Wasn’t expecting too much from this but I loved it! Perhaps because the wheat isn’t too flat or spiced, rather giving the beer a full body. (50cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.8 13-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Hit The Lights Murky body, golden. Amber malts, biscuit, pine hops, fresh enough but refined, not too in your face. Nice bitterness but quite harsh, astringent even. Perhaps leave some residue in the bottle, but it was even on the first half. Anyway good hop selection and nice aroma. Nice palate too except for the ending which is really too dry, harsh. (Bottle from QV.ID) 3.4 13-11-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Saison 14 Murky golden body. Lovely development, super yeast. Punchy citrus balanced by great malts. Nice drinkable beer too, with moderate alcohol. Very good start of a beery day, if you ask me! (50cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.0 13-11-2015
Les 3 Fourquets La Vieille Salme Great looks, lasting full head, pearl white. Classic but refined. Alcohol warming, even in the throat, but very much fitting. Triple malts do well. Quality brew! (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.5 13-11-2015
Vliegende Paard Brouwers Préaris Grand Cru 2014 (Peated Whiskey BA - Ardbeg) Surprising beer. Quadruple style malts with a strong and very appealing aroma of wood smoke and peat. I normally don’t like peated beers, but it’s such a good combo with the Belgian yeast! Great taste too, very full and rich aftertaste. Delicious! (Fancy bottle from ABS Drinks) 4.3 13-11-2015
Brouwerij Slaapmutske Slaapmutske Anniversary Ale Pressklubben 10 Very yellow fruit style aromas, apple and peach. Alcohol present but at 10% it’s within limits. Nice palate, fitting the style and my taste. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.6 12-11-2015
Caulier Caulier Bon Secours Myrtille Amber red looks, lasting head. Smells like red fruit tea, bit herbal, good myrtille aroma. Taste isn’t sweet as expected. Fine, refined even palate. Original idea, well executed, not too sugary and very drinkable. Would be fun to pair with desert. (Bottle from QV.ID) 3.7 11-11-2015
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Zure van Tildonk 2013 No.1 Golden body, medium head. Interesting aroma, sour candy, green apple. Perhaps not as delicate or complex as the well known ones, but I dig the fruitiness an liveliness. (375ml bottle from QV.ID) 3.8 11-11-2015
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Hof ten Dormaal Vallen & Opstaan Really nice. Starts off with a brown body, not too heavy, lasting lacing. Nice smoke overlaying rich brown malts, dark brown, dark sugar, honey even. Lovely. Dank hops, dark malts, yet fresh enough. In fact I drank this way to quickly. So tasty! Such a nice beer! (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 4.1 10-11-2015
ASBL Notios Notias What an odd concept, but born from an odd concept to begin with. Not sure of I’d guessed but the saffron is very prominent indeed. It’s okay and the base beer is well chosen, but ultimately it’s not my kind if thing. Taste is a bit too simple too, which highlights the saffron but doesn’t help the appeal. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 2.9 10-11-2015
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Inferno Sour, burned, very off. Medicinal, Maggi aroma, stock cube. Wow... Not appealing. Taste is better but still very much off, sour. I hope this was not intended at all. It’s very rude much a brew gone bad. Should have never been bottled. Did finish the bottle though. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 2.2 10-11-2015
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Taste Lab - The Politician Very murky, way too much residue. Citrus, wood, pale malts. Very bitter, both hops and yeast. Very astringent aftertaste, not quite right. Too bad, I like the fill mouth feel and citrus malt balance. (375ml bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.3 08-11-2015
Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste (Bockor) Vander Ghinste Blauw Clean golden body, frothy head. Very simplistic, underdeveloped, sweet. Very bubbly, grainy taste. I honestly didn’t want to drunk the whole bottle. It’s not bad, just... of putting. Blegh. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 1.9 07-11-2015
De Leite De Leite Cuvée Soeur’ise Glowing red, pink head. Sour cherry, bit candy strawberry, tobacco, tea. Interesting stuff. Not very malty, but still rich enough. Taste is quite string sour, nice rounded palate, with sharp stingy sourness in the end, getting to the throat. Tat harsh but much more developed than I expected. Good beer, classy stuff with a punch. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.8 07-11-2015
De Dochter van de Korenaar De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse Peated Oak Aged (Whiskey-Cask) Ardbeg version. Strong Peat aroma, as well as bbq style smoke, medical tape, burnt malts. Special and I like it better than I usually do such beers. String smoked malt flavour, betadine, medium bitter. Heavy stuff, little alcohol. Does get a bit thin but it’s so well made that I still enjoyed this, while I usually don’t like too much Peat or whiskey! (65cl bottle from QV.ID, shared with Paul, who didn’t like it much) 3.8 07-11-2015
O’Clock Brewing O’Clock Brewing Mountain Prologue India Pale Ale Light misty, cream head. Dank hops, as well as pine and resin. Different in style than their pale ale, but not necessarily hoppier. Good palate, more moderately hopped than expected. Tasty though, so enjoyable brew. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.6 07-11-2015
O’Clock Brewing O’Clock Brewing Mountain Prologue American Pale Ale Brown body to amber. Fresher aroma than expected, because the malts are quite pronounced yet the hops still are in abundance taking the front row. Nice juicy body, medium bitter, expected over the top bitterness but again the malts keep things well in place. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.9 07-11-2015
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Winter Mess Brown body, very stable head. Delicate yet wintery aromas with dark bready malts, light spice (clove), bit woody. Solidly hopped too /for the style) as expected from this brewer. Great stuff. Very balanced taste too, rich sipping at moderate abv. Certainly not too sweet. (33cl bottle from QV.ID) 3.9 07-11-2015
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek A classic, and I was surprised that I never rated this. It’s certainly a more Lambic sided kriek than a Cantillon or certainly a Boon, but very refined and well aged so that’s a good thing for many I suppose. Personally I’d like some more malts or fruit. High quality stuff though. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.6 06-11-2015
De Leite De Leite Enfant Terriple Prototypical Tripel but... That can mean boring but it doesn’t here. Sure, it’s quite clean and alcoholic, but somehow I enjoy drinking this. Like a Triple Karmeliet is so wrong but somehow I can still enjoy the too sweet, too clean, too alcoholic beer. Perhaps it’s the drinkability due to bubbly carbonation, or the more than expected refined aroma. Who is to say. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.5 06-11-2015
Brouwerij Affligem / De Smedt (Heineken) Florival Brune / Bruin Light brown body. Simple amber malts. Uninteresting taste, bit like toasted cheap bread dipped in B brand coke. Why the hell would a supermarket pick this to put on the shelves (while at the same time they sell great stuff)? Ugh. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Terbank) 2.6 06-11-2015
Brouwerij Affligem / De Smedt (Heineken) Florival Blonde Jeez, how can a beer this mass produced and filtered still foam out if the bottle... Anyway, ugly frothy head, clean body. Very apple cider like. Simple taste though, too clean, no character. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 2.7 06-11-2015
Verhaeghe Verhaeghe Vichtenaar Brown body, headless. Very sour, acidic style. Wine notes, some red fruit, but way over the top for my taste. Okay palate not too thin. But I don’t enjoy it much. Happy to go to a more balanced beer next. Maybe some fruit would help. Or aging. (Bottle from ABS Drinks) 2.6 06-11-2015
BOMBrouwerij Triporteur Kinky Berry Red brown beer. Really not ad bad as feared from the ratings. Red fruit, malty, candy, lactic, not bad at all. Nice malty taste, cereal, full enough. Neither very sweet nor very sour, but both are there. Simpler ending perhaps but I really enjoyed this fruit beer. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.5 06-11-2015
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Zure Well the name promises sourness and it delivers. In the nose it’s a bit simple, sour, yes, but without too much aging or complexity. That’s fine but doesn’t excite me. Taste is better, much better, with long ending and maltier feel. I like how this is clearly a beer beer for something bigger (their excellent kriek, I suppose) but can be enjoyed on itself too. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.3 06-11-2015
Brouwerij de Bie De Bie Hellekapelle Really quite misty, okay looks at best. Bready, orange, cereal, flowery, medicinal, golden malts. Active carbonation, mildly bubbly. Taste is not as sweet alcoholic as expected, but still a bit unimaginative. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.3 05-11-2015
Brouwerij ’t Verzet Verzet Golden Tricky Very ugly. Wheat citrus, very bitter from both hop and the huge yeast residue. But strangely it works quote well. Amber malts balance and not too much (but a nice amount of) alcohol. Belgian ipa that’s more Belgian than ipa and quite amateurish look and feel, but a very nice beer nonetheless. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.6 05-11-2015
Flanders Fields Brewery Flanders Fields Ale 14-18 Blond Simple looks which reveal everything you need to know about this beer: straightforward Belgian malts and low fruity yeast, quite sweet, low but bubbly carbonation. Yes, this is as generic as I can think of. Too filtered, too unimaginative. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks l 2.8 04-11-2015
De Leite De Leite Ma Mère Speciale Really good looking light misty. Appetising Belgian yeast aroma with quality rich malts and quite hoppy, grass, some spruce, some floral. Very nice drinkable body, super tasty bitterness. Very good brew, big surprise! Classic styles can be tasty and exciting too. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 4.2 04-11-2015
Brouwerij Strubbe Pee Klak Somehow I had expectations for this. Beers with such a label are typically old time classics with character (or a blatant rip-off). And while the yeast had some style to it, overall it’s a straightforward Belgian blond as any other. I enjoyed drinking it, but craved for more in the end. (25cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.2 03-11-2015
Brouwerij ’t Verzet Verzet Oud Bruin Copper body, fizzy head. Not pretty, but it’s the style. Red wine, leather, cherry, very interesting. Taste is quite sour indeed. Bit too much to be honest, because there isn’t any fruit to balance. It’s interesting but a bit of deep sweetness from dark fruit or malts would have been nice. (375ml bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.3 03-11-2015
Brouwerij de Bie De Bie Stoute Bie Brown body, huge foamy head. Carbonation springs into your face. Burned and brown sugar, tea, absolutely sweet. I don’t mind it so much, except the taste gets a bit annoying. Half a bottle would have sufficed. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.2 03-11-2015
Scheldebrouwerij Scheldebrouwerij Krab Light misty body, decent head. Light yeasty, not too sweet, light amber type toast, some cereal, okay hopped for the style. Drinkable yet light taste, bit underwhelming perhaps but nothing wrong. At least it’s neither too sweet nor too alcoholic. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.5 03-11-2015
Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal Hof Ten Dormaal Kriek Beautiful glowing dark pink, almost purple. Good brew balance between dark cherry and beery aromas, great malt base. Enjoyable Light sourness, full taste, very drinkable yet complete. Impressed, liked it loads more than expected. To be honest, I like it more than most classic geuzes, with its more beery underpinning and some lactic base. Highly recommended, especially if your getting into sours. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 4.3 03-11-2015
De Leite De Leite Bon Homme Amber body, creamy head. Fermenting fruity, strawberry marmelade, cereal, light funk. Not so bad, add some hop and it would be quite nice indeed. Taste is more straightforward, cookie dough sweetness, but a bit underwhelming. Needs some roast or some nicer characterful yeast. Or, dare I say again, hops. Richer than the industrial widespread Ambrée beers though. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.4 02-11-2015
Brouwerij de Bie De Bie Helleketelbier Amber body, small head. Sweet caramel, candy. Medium carbonation, quite sweet, but tolerable as the carbonation and starting bitterness balance a bit. Very sweet beer overall but sometimes that’s not so bad. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.3 02-11-2015
Henricus Paljas IPA Brown body, creamy head. Amber malts, toasty, cereal, pine hops. Don’t really get the Nelson Sauvin. Taste is good, toasty malts, fairly bitter yet balanced. Bit between an East Coast ipa and an American amber. Just clean enough. I like the spiked carbonation too. Enjoyable brew! (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.6 01-11-2015
Brouwerij Van Steenberge La Bière du Boucanier Blonde Amber quite clear body. Spiced, brown sugar. Very much in the rum infused beer style like Desperados or the in France popular Adelscott. But at least this tastes like beer. And I actually enjoy it in some twisted way. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.6 01-11-2015
De Brabandere De Brabandere 1894 Fruity, apple cider, sour peach, dry twigs. A spritzy yet pleasant carbonation. Sweeter than expected. Drinkable although a bit sticky in texture I’m afraid. Quality beer, not totally my style. (75cl fancy bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.5 01-11-2015
Brouwerij Slaapmutske Slaapmutske Dry-Hopped Lager Clear golden, frothy head. Bit fruity, grassy. It’s okay but neither very crisp not smooth, rather ale like actually. Even more in the taste, light carbonation doesn’t fit. Failed experiment in my opinion. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 2.0 01-11-2015
Brouwerij Van Steenberge Vlaamsche Leeuw Donker Brown body, frothy instable head. Cookie, toast. Medium sweet, toasty malts, bit yeasty toughness. Richer than I faired, actually, although the taste is still a bit bland and light alcoholic. Palate is correct, ending short. Good start, nice malts, but eventually underwhelming. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.5 01-11-2015
Brouwerij de Bie De Bie Riebedebie Standard in any way. Ugly label, Belgian fruity yeasty aroma, simple malts, sweet taste, big carbonation, not very appetising. Boring stuff, meh. (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 2.6 01-11-2015
Brouwerij Van Steenberge Piraat Triple Hop Light brown, large head. Sweet aroma, weet tea, alcohol, herbal perhaps... But hoppy ? No. Belgian yeast taste, alcohol. Ugh the original Piraat is a guilty pleasure but this is just guilty.... (33cl bottle from ABS Drinks) 3.0 01-11-2015
The Ministry Of Belgian Beer 13 Artisanale Pils (hergist) Cool experiment with the two pilsners that are (not) refermented. I didn’t taste them next to each other, but on back to back days. This one is equally powerful in bitterness but better balanced due to the larger yeasty aroma and taste. I like this! (Bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.4 30-10-2015
Brouwerij Anders! Neuzebier Tripel Fairly simple amber golden body and an aroma as one expects with such a beer. Golden malts, alcohol, light spice, fairly clean despite fruity fermentation. Large carbonation but very much in line with the style. Little to note about this beer. It’s okay at best, never stands out on any front. Except the butt ugly label and stupid name perhaps... (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.9 29-10-2015
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier Blonde Golden body, medium carbonation. Bit herbal, sharp. Taste is a little sour, of cheap vinegar, out of place. Bit off putting. Also watery. Is this the gluten free variant’s even blander brother? Really disapointing. (33cl bottle from Delhaie Heverlee) 2.6 28-10-2015
Brouwerij Groenendael Groenendael Egotripel Dark Brown body, small head, looks nice. Simple brown malts, toast, dry, hopless, some spice, too clean. Odd carbonation, but okay palate overall. It’s nothing special, but the darker malts make it better than totally forgettable. Just slightly though. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.3 28-10-2015
Brouwerij Van Steenberge Bierbeekse Simple malts, biscuit, some cara perhaps, only light cereal in aroma, very faint hop. Bit fruity sweetness on taste, some alcohol, not much. Really boring, even too clean thus below average. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.7 28-10-2015
Brouwerij Anders! Neuzebier Tripel Bruin Brown body, small head. Earthy, red wine like. Simpler taste, bit off putting to be honest. Too floral which doesn’t match at all with the darker malts and odd yeast. Bit ethanol like? Not strong, still drinkable, but not nice. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.9 27-10-2015
The Ministry Of Belgian Beer 13 Artisanale Pils (niet hergist) Holy shit, didn’t expect this. Starts moderately with a quite brown body for the style. Lots of hop in the aroma, I’d say for the type of hops used (Noble) huge amounts... And not only aroma hops because damn is this beer bitter! 32 ibu ? Feels like 320... Bit too much for me. But not bad at all and much better than the average industrial pilsner, that’s for sure! For the lover of extreme bitterness. (25cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.0 27-10-2015
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier Gluten Free Blonde Very mellow aroma, simple to golden malts, light sweet, faint hop. Bit low on carbonation for the style. Quite bland, watery, yet still astringent. Bleh, shows how a poor brewing attempt shows the problem of gluten free grains in the first place. Bleh. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 2.4 27-10-2015
Brouwerij De Troch Chapeau Cuvée Golden glowing, frothy pearl white head. Funky, green apple. Really sour, strong sharp taste, oof... It’s The sour version of the over the top hopped imperial ipa. I enjoyed this beer as a sipper but can’t imagine myself drinking this often or indeed another time. (Capped and corked bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.4 27-10-2015
Brouwerij Huyghe Volga 8.8° Golden body, frothy head. Alcohol, cheap malts, watery body for the abv, loads of carbonation, some herbal undertone. Alcohol for the alcohol, this one, nothing to the beer itself. Ale version of bum lager. With a fancy label. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.4 27-10-2015
Brouwerij Den Druppel Druppel Hop Light amber. Nice floral and herbal hops, moderate and with a distinct Belgian undertone from the yeast, but still. Well made although the taste is underwhelming, with too little bitterness. Boring yellow fruit ending. Started out well, but disappointing in the end. (Bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.3 26-10-2015
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne / Six Degrees North Chain Reaction Golden yellow body, very misty. Funky, wine vinegar, fermenting grapes, not sweet at all except for those grape like white sugary notes. Drinks quite well, sharper start, short development I think, but it does make it interesting. Typical Alvinne drink and I never mind them. Good different brew with its sourness from the vast majority of Belgians. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 26-10-2015
InBev Belgium Horse-Ale Amber brown body, quite clean. Simple taste, amber but very mild aroma and taste, light sweet, light bitter. Very watery, straightforward beer. Very passable. Very cheap too. (Bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven 2.7 26-10-2015
De Proefbrouwerij Kaaiman Cinnamon, apple pie. Odd but nice enough drink. Quite big carbonation doesn’t quite match. But it doesn’t have the industrial or amateurish feel, so it’s in the right place. Enjoyed tasting this, especially interesting aroma with those apple pie notes. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 26-10-2015
Brouwerij Anders! Black Pete Brown ale, small head. Very fragrant aroma, herbal and citrus hops, hay, pot-pourri, leather, earthy malts. Interesting for sure! Taste isn’t quite as hoped, but rough, yeasty. Should be cleaner for the style (and my taste buds). Enjoyable and cool that it’s simply in the supermarket. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.5 26-10-2015
Bueckenholt Bueckenholt SaisoN 548 Amber body, bit hazy. Tripel like malts, well balanced, with a light spice and a light cereal note. Quite springy in your face carbonation. It’s okay. Taste is better, nice and drinkable, full enough, light alcohol warmth and a spritzy carbonation I really like. Makes this inherently quite amber malty beer nice and light, drinkable. Yes I dig it actually! Just the aroma needs a bit if work. (25cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.8 26-10-2015
Jurassic Brewery Jurassic Brewery Hawaï Ambrée Amber body, creamy head. Fruity hops, amber malts, biscuit, prune, candy. Fresh hops over a layer of nice rich malts. Firmly well, medium bitter, American amber style but less clean and a bit harsh herbal in the end. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.5 25-10-2015
Jurassic Brewery Jurassic Brewery Libertine Blanche Mandarin, wheat, hay, citrus. Yummy! Tats is a bit watery though. Hop juice perhaps, but way too light bodied. The body looks way too hazy too. It’s okay but needs refinement and more cara malts. (33cl bottle from La Cave) 3.3 25-10-2015
Jurassic Brewery Jurassic Brewery Création Éphémère - Grapefruit Pale Amber body, huge head. Very nice grapefruit aroma, with some biscuit malty base. Full taste for the style and abv. Really quite bitter and I like it like that. Very modern, clean fermentation, hard but tasty ending. Not super dry but good development. Nice! (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.8 25-10-2015
Jurassic Brewery Jurassic Brewery Création Éphémère - Huell Melon Summer Beer Golden body, medium head. Melon, light citrus, lychee. Those fruits define the hop and define the beer ad well. Very light body, crispy, but good malty cereal base layer. On the other hand, the single hop doesn’t supply quite the complexities that I’d like, even in a simple summery beer like this. I mean, excellent brew, but there’s even more possibilities to make it stunning with some Noble or American hop to add a layer of delicate niceness. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.9 25-10-2015
Bierbrouwerij de Eem Eem Pacific IPA Amber only slightly misty body, glowing but dull head. Very moderate aroma for the style, where did the hops go? Light astringent taste, some cara malts. A real failure. I remember the brewery from when I started rating, but I’m not much impressed by what I’ve recently tasted. (33cl bottle gift from Elaine, thanks!) ---Rated via Beer Buddy for Android 2.7 22-10-2015
Brouwerij La Fontaine La Fontaine Belle & Elegante Blond Floral, spicy, pepper, cereal. Original and quite nice. Sharp starting taste,quite bitter, especially for the style. Tripel style yeast and fermentation, so a sharp clean ending despite fruity esters. Astringent finish, unfortunately. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 22-10-2015
Brasserie Bendorf Bendorf Cycle Ephémère #12 Very foamy, with a yellowy body. Very crisp, grassy, floral, some lemon. Not the sorachi ace I know, less intense. Drinks well, summery. Perhaps a bit too carbonated even for my taste. Light bitter. Nice of not especially special. Very modern. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.5 21-10-2015
Brouwerij Het Anker Het Anker Gouden Carolus Tripel Very clean given body, flimsy head. Too bubbly, too crisp for the style, needs more spice and body for me. The alcohol is fitting but overall there’s a lack of character. I suppose that makes it easier to drink, but that’s not what I look for in a Tripel. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.0 20-10-2015
Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste (Bockor) Vander Ghinste Oud Bruin Brown with a ruby glow. Fermenting fruit, fig compote, wine gums candy. Nice stuff, good makes to back up the funk. Stronger sourness in the taste, still fruity malts, sharp wine vinegar ending. I dig the brown malt and sour combo. Bit more aging and it would be excellent (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.7 20-10-2015
Brouwerij van Campenhout P’lel van ’t Sas Not quite a typical Belgian ale. Quite rustic, pine, toast, cereal, humous, some deep citric notes. Really nice! Large bitterness, roast, yeast, spruce. Very different, quite unique even and very tasty. Beery, rich. Just a bit too much residue, so be careful. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.7 20-10-2015
Brouwhuys De Vaart Luvanium Blond Golden body. Fairly simple golden malts, alcohol warmth. Typical high carbonation, but that’s okay. Bit of biscuit bready malts lift it form being totally passable. But I’m grasping for straws here. It’s a straightforward brew of which thousands exist in Belgian. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.3 20-10-2015
Brouwerij Groenendael Groenendael Egotripel Hey cool a beer from my town! Unfortunately it’s a boring as expected. Reasonable quality, golden and light caramel malts, light bitter. Medium carbonation, nothing out of the ordinary for the style. Meh, it’s okay. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.8 20-10-2015
Henricus Paljas Bruin Dark brown body and small beige head. Browny bread, cheap coffee, toffee, cream, brown sugar. Okay, well brewer’s and a nice recipe. Nice brew, good interpretation of a modern style. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.6 19-10-2015
Brouwerij Vissenberg Viswijf Hazy amber, stable head. Modern looks and aroma too, with fresh hops, fruity and pine, plus a good malt base with different flavours. Nelson sauvin? Much better than expected, nice, pleasant smooth carbonation and short medium bitter ending. Enjoyable and despite the elevated abv not alcoholic in feel. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.9 18-10-2015
Jurassic Brewery Jurassic Brewery Création Éphémère - Mandarina Bavaria Pale ale Huge gusher, less than half the bottle left. C’mon guys! Leaves a super cloudy body, flimsy head, totally amateurish. Doe have a more mandarin aroma than other beers I’ve tried with this hop, which itself I have never found very impressive and especially in a single hop form. The malts here are actually well chosen and hide some if the hop simplicity. Bready malts give a good Base taste too, bit again the hop is a simple medium bitterness without much character. Might be a taste thing, but this beer is enjoyable despite the hop and despite the amateurish fermentation. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.3 18-10-2015
De Kale Ridders De Kale Ridders Tumulus Aura (Experiment 5) Ugh what a failed experiment this is. Sour without any complexity. Sweet without a malty richness. Alcohol without deep flavour. What made them think this is the way to go? (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.7 17-10-2015
Brouwerij Palm Estaminet Premium Pils Yellow grey body, medium head. Right in style I suppose. Very crisp, very dry. Light classic hops. Medium bitter. (On tap at Burger Folie Leuven) 3.0 17-10-2015
Stift Engelszell Trappistenbier-Brauerei Engelszell Benno Trappistenbier Reddish brown, frothy head. Super yeasty, esters, brown bread, fermenting fruit, apricot, fig compote. Taste is simpler but arguably still has a certain character. Exactly as expected, but that’s okay. Alcohol not too prominent for the style either. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.5 17-10-2015
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Slurfke Bruin Red body, clean, light beige head. Cereal, caramel, bit burnt. Okay, simplistic. Very sweet, not full at all. Industrial, way too filtered. Ugh. Signifies how Belgian beer can be so wrong, when they have all this culture and knowledge available. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 2.5 17-10-2015
Jurassic Brewery Jurassic Brewery Indica IPA (West Coast Style) Golden amber, large head. Very nice hop aroma, fresh pine, but also floral and mineral. Clearly a recent brew, older and it will lose a lot of character. Somewhat straightforward ending, but still a nice drink. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.7 16-10-2015
Brouwerij NatteLore NatteLore Hors Saison Traditional beer, or at least in the Belgian well known beer tradition. Typical Belgian yeast, both fruity but also quite spicy, peppery. Misty looks taste exactly like expected, spicy, alcohol, juniper berry, layered, high carbonation. Yes, this might not appeal to everyone and is far from the craft hop generation of beers, but I very much enjoyed it, even with (or because of, I have to admit) the alcohol aftertaste. Loads better than expected. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 4.2 16-10-2015
Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev) Goose Island 312 Urban Pale Ale Very citrus, very clean, simple drinkable body, but satisfying. Light bitter, mineral. I dig it! (33cl bottle from Albert Heijn Leuven) 3.7 16-10-2015
Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev) Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale In a way exactly as expected. Wheat, American, light haze, light sweet, short ending with some bready character. But it’s well made I have to say, enjoyed drinking this. (Bottle from Albert Heijn Leuven) 3.5 16-10-2015
Brouwerij F. Boon Jack-Op (2010-...) Totally no head, ugly brown. Clean, cleaning agent, industrial caramel. Bleh what was the idea here? False fake blast from the past? I’m glad drinking this is in the past. (Bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.0 16-10-2015
Les 3 Fourquets Les 3 Fourquets Lupulus Hibernatus Yum. Starts off great with dark wintery body. Rich aroma, balancing dark bread, figs, chocolate, cherry, roasted nuts, banana bread, so much to explore. Taste is great too, nice autumn feel, not too sweet for me. Yup brown Belgian beers can still excite me. (75cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.9 16-10-2015
Brasserie Fantôme Fantôme Dark White Brown, murky, stable head. Dank, yeasty, light funk, fig, cheesy. Quite some fermenting style funk here, typical for the brewer and it works well with the sweet bready malts. English style hops. Good sweet bitterness balance, taste slightly less complex towards the end. Enjoyed this a lot. Bit heavy on the stomach though. (75cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.7 15-10-2015
Henricus Paljas Saison Golden body, bit too filtered only, large head. Very citric, very fresh, lemony even. Some floral notes, pale white bread, very nice. Bitter, crisp, only a light fruitiness from the yeast. Bit short maybe, but such a nice drink. Reminds me very much if XX Bitter, even though it’s probably a very different beer when compared next to each other. Very pleasant surprise! (Bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 4.1 14-10-2015
Domus Pub and Brewery Domus Leuvendige Witte Light cloudy, stable head. Simplistic aroma, cereal, bland. Taste is light alcohol, faint white sugar. Meh. (Taster at the brewpub) 2.8 12-10-2015
Domus Pub and Brewery Nostra Domus Amber red, creamy head. Nutty, cherry, not bad at all. Taste is smooth, simpler, light sweet, very drinkable. German style and there’s nothing wrong with that for sure. (Taster at the brewpub) 3.5 12-10-2015
Domus Pub and Brewery Con Domus Light hazy, yellow grey. Grainy citrus, odd, grassy, Saaz. Smooth taste, Czech feel. Better than expected! Light tingling carbonation. Bit harsh actually in the end. Bit bad at all! (Taster at the brewpub) 3.1 12-10-2015
Brouwerij Anders! Vossen met de Meynen The Beast 666 Orange cloudy and stable head. Pleasant aroma, pine, spruce esters, residual sugar, hay. Quite some peach sweetness too, from the malts I think. Not amazingly hoppy, but on itself very pleasant. A surprise! Good bitterness, although a bit simple perhaps, single hop? Short hard aftertaste, but that acceptable for the style. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.8 11-10-2015
Brouwerij Anders! Vossen met de Meynen Soixante-Neuf (69) My bottle had Soixante-Neuf fully written out, 5-6%. Cloudy orange body. Sweet Belgian yeast, full of fermenting peachy fruit esters, but a bit underdeveloped. Citrus (hop ?), bready, residual sugar. Fairly bitter, nice, and also not clean at all, which is fine for the style. Bit boozy though, even at this abv. It’s not a bad attempt. With their branding and naming everything is wrong, but their beer is (therefore?) above expectation. (33cl bottle from ABC Drinks Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.5 11-10-2015
Brouwerij La Fontaine La Fontaine Belle & Forte Amber Brown body, beige head. Amber, biscuit, marzipan, cinnamon, anise. Alcohol heat galore, really dominates the taste. Also some brown sugar, burned malts. Spicy ending, harsh. Not sure what they were after here... There seems to be no plan or direction in this brew. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.3 11-10-2015
Brouwerij Girardin Girardin Framboise Stunning nosy, bright and inviting, nice head. Great aroma, concentrated raspberry, although moderate in beery notes. Taste not quite up to that standard, with less sourness and less complexity than I hoped. Ending is quite short too. It’s okay, but either not aged enough or needs more malt complexity to really lift up the flavours. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 3.4 11-10-2015
Brouwerij Roman Wieze Premium Belgian Tripel Golden body, clean. Simplistic golden malts, toast, underhopped. Simple Belgian blond yeast, nothing special. Big bubbles. Very passible. (33cl bottle from Prik&Tik Leuven) 2.5 11-10-2015
Brouwerij de Kroon De Kroon Delvaux Generic Belgian blond. Light vegetable, light hay. Very bland taste, feels way too filtered. Even Leffe has more character than this stuff. Damn. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 2.3 11-10-2015
Champigneulles (TCB Beverages) Delhaize 365 Pils Bier Straightforward pilsner, but a bit more German in style than Western European. Very faint hop, bubbly body, should be smoother. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 2.0 10-10-2015
De Brabandere Bavik Kwaremont Simple Belgian ale. Golden blond, very stable head, clear. Simple golden malts, light alcohol, cereal. Boring stuff, drinkable but boring. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 2.8 10-10-2015
Brasserie {C} Curtius - la bière liégeoise Very simple, much more than the fancy bottle promises. Light fruity, light vegetable. Some hay? It’s underwhelming to say the least. Good quality, but so passable. (375ml bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.2 10-10-2015
Brouwerij Kortrijk-Dutsel Kortrijk-dUtsel More interesting than expected. Fruity yeast, Brett like even, light funk. Light simple grain bill. And moderately hopped (yet sufficient for the style, with Noble hops). Pleasant surprise, pleasant drink! Odd American texts on the bottle, probably export only. Why? Well, no reason not to drink this! (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.8 10-10-2015
Brasserie de l’Être de l’Être Love Craft Beer Don’t Panic! Brown body, creamy head. Another interesting, untypical be from this brewery. Nutty, fresh hops. Very rich taste for the abv, in fact full bodied, great job. Fun beer! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 04-10-2015
Dubuisson Surfine Saison Extremely foamy beer. That fierce carbonation does lift this beer up, as the Base is a quite sweet malt and for the style underhopped. But the end result is interesting enough and it’s mouthfeel is rich and pleasant. (33cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.5 04-10-2015
Brouwerij Lindemans Lindemans / Mikkeller Spontanbasil Sour, herbal, grassy, pot-pourri. Soft sour taste, nasal, alcohol, citrus. Reasonable taste, but not so complex. Basil? Maybe, and at least not too much, but I can’t be bothered much. Happy to finish the bottle though. (75cl bottle from Delhaize Heverlee) 3.5 03-10-2015
Brasserie de l’Être de l’Être Salamandra Golden copper, very hazy. Very yeasty, bready, some banana. Taste is nice, Belgian full, bubbly yeasty, rich nutty bread. Bitter enough. Great Belgian ale. I enjoyed it, although it does feel amateurish. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.6 01-10-2015
Brasserie de l’Être de l’Être Oliphant Jérakine Interesting beer! Light golden, but very hazy. Very cider like aroma, quite some yeast. Cheesy yeast, leaves, some citrus. Fun beer to try, not typical IPA at all. But that’s okay! I would say it is a Belgian IPA or Saison even. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.6 01-10-2015
Le Triangle Le Triangle / Outland IPA 100% Brett Another unbelievable beer from Le Triangle. I’m deeply regretting I can’t go here more often. Delicate furry fruity aroma, barn, white grapes, lychee. Perfect spritzy carbonation, rich taste yet super drinkable. Well well bittered. Amazing stuff! If you love Orval, you will adore this to its last drop. Time to order another. (On tap at the brewrestaurant) 4.5 29-09-2015
Deck & Donohue Deck & Donohue Summer of Hops Hop Pillow Wow, hop bomb! Not in the American overloaded sense, but in the essence, extract, focussed sense. Green, floral. English? Also zesty citrus fruit and a full breakfast cereal like malt base. What an excellent drinking beer. Lovely! (50cl bottle from La Cave a Bulles) 4.2 29-09-2015
Brasserie de Bastogne La Trouffette Belle d’Été Pleasant aroma, not the spice bomb I hoped. Very summery appeal in looks and taste departments. Okay it gets a bit boring, but the smells are great for a late summer sun spot. Bit short in the end. Good to try. (Bottle at Berthom Tours) 3.6 29-09-2015
Brasserie de Cazeau Cazeau Tournay Triple Malty, alcohol, spices, banana bread. Sharp spicy taste. Different than the hopped classics I know and adore, but interesting enough and well made too. (Bottle at Berthom Tours) 3.5 29-09-2015
FrogBeer Frog Beer Zonk! A 4.2% smoked beer? Craft is also arriving at the Frog pubs! Copper body, slight haze. Apple, caramel, humous, vegetable. Neh. English yeast I think. Soft taste, bitter enough yet very bland for a smoked beer. Especially short aftertaste. Spritzy. Expected more after the very quaffable Wham! (Half pint at The Frog & Rosbif) 2.7 29-09-2015
FrogBeer Frog Beer Wham! Nice looking golden yellow body, nice fizz. Stable head giving rise to a reasonably crisp, citric aroma. Moderate yet undeniably modern hopped . Light grain that I like. First sip reveals quite some butter, but to be honest that taste disappears. Okay complexity for the style and very refreshing. Yeah, better than expected, even after that odd diacetyl mishap. (Half pint at The Frog & Rosbif) 3.7 29-09-2015
Brasserie Dupont Saison Dupont Cuvée Dry Hopping (2015) Rate of the 2015 fresh release. Very hoppy this time. Still citrus and orange and fresh, with characteristic spicy yeast. Well carbonated and very drinkable despite the active carbonation. Delicious! (On tap at Berthom Tours) 4.5 18-09-2015
Cimes Cimes Hors Piste Simple ale, grains are sweet and straightforward. A bit of herbal tea. Sharp soft bitterness in the start but sweeter later on. Not very refreshing actually. (33cl bottle from Auchan Saint Cyr) 2.7 12-09-2015
Boulevard Brewing Company (Duvel-Moortgat) Boulevard Single-Wide I.P.A. Hazy, amber, stable head. Grapefruit classic American modern hops. Drinking well, bitter yet moderate compared to many American IPAs. Quite balance in fact. Luckily not boring despite the clean fermentation, due to some fruity hops in just the right amount. Tasty! (33cl bottle at Berthom Tours) 3.9 11-09-2015
Cimes Cimes Aiguille Blanche Very pale, hazy. Typical wheat, light banana, white bread, sugar. Drinkable, heavy carbonation though. Not for everyone. But as wit goes, I like it! (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours Saint Cyr) 3.4 11-09-2015
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus La Papesse Headless, murky, amateurish looking. Figs, brown sugar, maple syrup, oranges, some cookie spices. Fruity and typical Belgian. Taste is sweet and quite sticky yet fulfilling with a nice justifying alcohol warmth. Enjoyed this better than I should. If there was such a thing. No. It’s a good luscious Belgian brown ale. (33cl bottle at Berthom Tours) 3.8 11-09-2015
BrewDog BrewDog This. Is. Lager. Surprisingly classic lager aroma, no crazy American hops. Good though, quite Czech in appeal. Quite heavily carbonated and therefore not quite as smooth as I hoped. But solid beer good flavour and bitter enough. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours Saint Cyr) 3.4 11-09-2015
Hartwall (Royal Unibrew) Lapin Kulta IV A Clean looks, stable head, but too grey. Traditional lager in Polish/Eastern European style. Good drinkable body, smooth. Could be more bitter, but not bad at all. Can’t believe I finally get my Finnish tick from a French supermarket... (33cl bottle from Auchan Saint Cyr) 3.1 11-09-2015
Canterbury Brewers Canterbury Single Hopped Pale Ale Green Hop Goldings UPDATED: AUG 21, 2015 As bottled version, named Green Hopped Pale Ale. Golden body, stable head. Really nice. Soft hoped, wet?, grassy in a good way, green leaves, light herbal, pale and some biscuit malts. Quite cleanly fermented, very nice, with a fine active carbonation. Very summery, great food pairing beer, as it?s well balanced yet very flavourful. Moderate flavours, but very well executed. Above expectation! In fact, huge surprise. Never heard of this brewery before. (50cl bottle at M-Café museumcafe Leuven, after finding a house) 4.2 14-08-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Decadence Black bodied and frothy but lasting head. Loads of roast, double cream, cereal, spruce. Super full for the abv! Hops roasted bitter taste an somehow still very drinkable, perhaps due to refreshing modern hops? Not sure but I love it! (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 4.3 12-08-2015
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier 28 Summer Cloudy golden beer. Very citrusy, hard spices, pear, yeah summery. Light taste, perhaps a bit watery, but drinkable and refreshing and, shocker! not too sweet. In fact this exceeded my expectations. Moderate alcohol, well balanced, prickly but suiting carbonation. Nice ! (On tap at The Capital Leuven during Leuven house visiting) 3.8 12-08-2015
De Kale Ridders De Kale Ridders Tumulus Nera Brown body, very large head. Typical dubbel aromas of burned sugar, roast, very sticky fruit. Sweet but not too much, still leaves some room for malt character and the alcohol is dimmed enough. Only the ending is a bit too cloying. Nice strong Belgian dark ale,but still too sweet in the end (literally and figuratively). (33cl bottle at De Blauwe Kat during Leuven house visiting) 3.4 11-08-2015
Greenbrew SPRL Monsieur Rock Very clean and very fluffly bubblt head. Ugh. Mineral, pale, hay. Intersting.... but the taste is poor. Lager like and clean but also vegetable. Easy to drink, but watery. Hard to make this beer out. Grassy hops, bitter. I like it better than I should. (Bottle found in a Leuven supermarket) 3.6 10-08-2015
Pirlot Kempisch Vuur Haverstout Almost black, large head, looks good. Roasted, rye, brown sugar, clove and cinnamon. Fine Belgian stout. Good bitterness from the roast and classic hops. But sweet too. Much better than expected. Reasonable alcohol too. (Bottle at De Fiere Margriet during Leuven house visiting) 3.6 10-08-2015
Dieu du Ciel Dieu du Ciel L’Herbe à Détourne What an interesting concept. But how can it work, citrus hops with fruity Belgian esters? Well, apparently it can! Some real alcohol heat too, but with the quality ingredients it works well. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 10-08-2015
Grain d’Orge (Brasseurs De Gayant) Septante 5 Ambrée Copper body, filtered appearance. Light spice, bit roasted, black tea. Clear, too clean, but not hopeless due to the roasted smarts. Too sweet, astringent. Ugh, very dead beer. Could have, should have known. (75cl bottle from Auchan Tours Nord) 2.5 09-08-2015
Brasserie de Bertinchamps Bertinchamps Brune Brown body, small head of. Roasted malts, alcohol, nutty, bbq. Unbalanced, like an amateur with a large brewing installation and filter. Not miserable, but not good either. Too much sugar added. Or malt extract. (50cl bottle from Auchan Tours Nord) 3.3 08-08-2015
Brasserie de Bertinchamps Bertinchamps Triple Sweet malts, quite filtered, alcohol, peach liqueur, some light spice. No hop, but that’s alright. Sweet taste, malty, alcohol. Old fashioned but not bad. You’re grandpa probably likes it. (50cl bottle from Auchan Tours Nord) 3.5 08-08-2015
Weird Beard Weird Beard Faceless Spreadsheet Ninja Brilliant name, but good beer too. Very typical citra hop aromas, bit on the one sided edge but you could also say determined or strong willed. Nice crisp carbonation. Really fine mouthfeel. Lovely. And cans are the perfect carrier! (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 4.0 08-08-2015
Brouwerij Kees Kees American Barley Wine Copper body, large head. Figs, cereal, grapes, some dark grapefruit, spruce. Not as sweet as I hoped. Strong taste, especially in the end, where the roasted and caramel malts with strong bitterness gets a real alcohol heat kick. Not quite as aromatic as I remember this brewer’s Emelisse barley wine. But different in recipe and I much applaud the effort. Interesting yet eventually not quite satisfying. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 07-08-2015
Brouwerij Kees Kees London Mild Ale Brown body, small head. Dubbel like, tea, roasted, old fashioned in a way. Odd, way different than expected. Bit more bitter than a classic brown ale, but I don’t find the fullness of quality ingredients that this brewer usually shows. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 06-08-2015
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges Avenyn Ale Golden light misty. Herbal and grass hops. Delicate balance between hops and malts, with clean enough fermentation to be called American. Balanced taste too, medium bitter, nothing special. Everything well in style. That makes a good drink, especially the body with spot on carbonation, but not the most interesting. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 05-08-2015
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges All The Way Session IPA Very small head. Fruity hops, peach, mango. Very dry, but watery actually, too filtered. Like the appeal of this beer but low abv can still mean great body. Not here. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière l 3.3 05-08-2015
Dugges Bryggeri Dugges High Five! Bit more dimmed than expected. The okay alcohol levels can’t bring out too much hop aroma. The base in the form of hay and pale malts is good, but again, the hops don’t reach maturity as they should. You’re better off with the session ipa if you want hops or the American Pale Ale of if you want a good drinkable body. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 05-08-2015
De Dochter van de Korenaar De Dochter van de Korenaar Sans Pardon Black body and large head. Both fruity and dark roasted notes. English yeast I think, although quite some esters are present. Balanced bitterness. Very nice body with mellow carbonation. (33cl bottle from Saveur Biere) 4.0 03-08-2015
Grain d’Orge (Brasseurs De Gayant) Grain d’Orge La Raoul Simple malts, golden biscuity tones. Light taste, bit sweet, bit hay. It’s okay. Can’t tell too much about it actually as it’s a generic and quite filtered French blond like any other. Drinks well enough to justify buying for a tick. Fairly cheap too. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 03-08-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Mexas Ranger Really solid looks, large tasty foam. Not quite the bizarre beer I was afraid of. A good thing. It?s a nice stout. Chocolate and roasted aromas, bit on the rough edge, but just because it has no brown sugar or filtered characters, which is a good thing. Enjoyable beer. Perhaps not super complex in the taste and very bitter, but I don?t mind. And for the abv it has a great body! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 02-08-2015
Brasserie Goudale (Saint-Omer) Grain d’Orge Sans Gluten Bio (Gluten Free / Glutenfri) Golden body. Simple malts, bit thin, bit sugary but not unpleasant. Bit too sweet and a bit undercarbonated. A drier fermentation would further head the undeniable missing barley backbone. It’s okay. (75cl flip top bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 01-08-2015
Tiny Rebel Tiny Rebel Cwtch Glowing dark copper, creamy head. Tea, herbal, cereal. Butter ending. Medium bitter. Another beer that feels like a classic style ale make into something modern rather than starting from a blank page and creating an integrated recipe. The result is quite confusion, but not unpleasant. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 31-07-2015
Tiny Rebel Tiny Rebel FUBAR Golden body, yet generic looks. Filtered, yet modern ingredients. Hoppy yet sharp. Enough body yet not very layered taste. It’s nice but oddly unbalanced between old style blond and modern hops addition. Doesn’t make much sense. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 31-07-2015
Brasserie Artésienne St. Glinglin Édition Limitée India Pale Ale Golden an very hazy. Pale malts, bit vegetable, grass, dry... Super bitter. Reminds me of XX Bitter from De Ranke, except this one is a bit too much as the body doesn’t quite carry the development and carbonation. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 30-07-2015
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier 28 Tripel Actually quite interesting, a triple without added brewing sugar. Not necessarily heavier or maltier. Light spice too. Warming body, carbonation just heavy enough. Good brew if you don’t mind an alcoholic Tripel. I don’t! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 30-07-2015
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier 28 Pale Ale Nice looks, simple but successfully appealing. Noble hops along with some citrus, pale malts and a very light funk. Not bad! Okay bitterness, could be more for my taste. Simple ending, but dry so I enjoy drinking it. Bit mineral. Nice brew, nothing wrong with this one. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 29-07-2015
Caulier Developpement (La Maison Caulier) Caulier 28 Brett Darker and sweeter than expected. Copper, stable head. Amber bready malts, fermenting fruit, barnyard, light toast and brown sugar. It’s okay. For some reason it doesn’t appeal so much to me though. Perhaps it’s primarily the taste, which has a nice funk but misses, strangely, sweetness that the aroma has too much of. Bit too dry I think for the darker malts that are used. On the other hand, this beer really grew on me, it became more interesting over time. Solid brew besides having some odd recipe decisions. Intersting. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 29-07-2015
Anderson Valley Brewing Company Anderson Valley Highway 128 The Kimmie, The Yink, and the Holy Gose Light misty golden body. Sourish, fishy, hay... Hmm not sure about this. I generally like gose, but this is like a poor pale ale with added bacteria. Mild alcohol, lactic ending. Really misses the typical gose body with bready like character. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 2.5 28-07-2015
Brouwerij De Koninck (Duvel-Moortgat) De Koninck Wild Jo Light apple and basement aromas, bready perhaps. Really quite mild. No funk (yet?). Light sharp, dry enough. Drinks well, fairly drink, spritzy, nice noble hopping. I enjoyed this one. Good start of a tasting. (33cl bottle from Saveur Biere) 3.5 28-07-2015
Brasserie Dupont Dupont Redor Pils Clear golden body, unstable head. malty aroma, in the sense that it has more character than the average Belgia pils. Hay stack. Fairly bitter, medium carbonation only. Light spice. More interesting than I expected and certainly different from a German/Bohemian pils. I like it very much for the modes beer it is. (35cl bottlr from Saveur Biere) 3.2 28-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller USAlive! Not sour at all. Yeasty funk at best. Hay, red ale like, English breakfast tea. Quite bitter, amber malts, heavy carbonation. More of an Amber Ale with a slight doughy yeasty twist. Like it though, could be an autumn beer or for rainy summer day like today. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 27-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Deception Session IPA Bit of a letdown to be honest. Well brewed but underwhelming aroma and mellow taste profile. Neither very refined, only being a little grassy, not very interesting, with its dank hops. Much better session IPAs are available from this brewer alone. And c’mon, 5% abv is a session ipa? (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 27-07-2015
Brasserie La Gabarde La Gabarde Brune A fine Belgian style dark ale. Very much reminiscent of a Rochefort. Not on the same level and less fruity yeast esters, but still in the same vein and very nice actually. Full malts, nice woody ending. Satisfying alcohol. Satisfying beer! (33cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 3.8 27-07-2015
Brasserie La Gabarde La Gabarde Ambrée Dark amber body, nice head. Rustic aroma, less filtered than I feared. Toast, caramel, biscuit. It’s nice to drink, bit very professional but that’s far form a problem. (33cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux) 3.4 27-07-2015
Brasserie La Gabarde La Gabarde Blonde Classic blond beer, filtered. Light hay and cereal, sweet, light fruity (less so than just Belgians) but luckily not sugary. Simple taste, bit too sweet, alcohol okay, slightly too low carbonation. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux) 3.0 26-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Session IPA Simcoe Glowing misty golden. Dry, hay, citrus, grapes. Quite clean, satisfying dry flavour, low carbonation. Refreshing, quite bitter. Great stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 25-07-2015
Greene King Greene King Strong Suffolk (Olde Suffolk) Dark brown, instable head. Traditional aroma, but well developed. Cereal, pecan, hay and a hint of yoghurt. Herbal taste, tea, some citrus in the back. Bit watery do the type of flavours, bit perhaps that’s just me. Mor interesting that I expected and yet still not quite my type of brew. Up the residual sugars and fruitiness. That’d make it a totally different beer though... (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 24-07-2015
Himburgs BrauKunstKeller BrauKunstKeller Mandarina IPA (5.9%) Amber body, misty. I know the Germans love that they have this new hop, but I am never much convinced. Neither here. Admittedly it’s modern in appeal, but not so fresh and, even more importantly, it’s quite rough in bitterness. Fun drink, nice to analyse, but ultimately a flawed brew. The brewer did cook though and this will be a favourite among many. Perhaps not me. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 24-07-2015
Einstök Ölgerð Einstök Icelandic Toasted Porter Black bodied, medium head. Roasted bread, quite dry, cereal, only basic hop underpinning. Medium bitter, roasted taste, fairly smooth, medium carbonation. Perhaps a bit too medium everything... Not quite as developed or exciting as I hoped. Still, an Icelandic porter is pretty cool. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 24-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller American Dream Gluten Free Murky dark golden. Very dry, hops overlaying and hiding an unstable but just sufficient malt base. Very dry taste, quite nice, perhaps a bit of cereal. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 23-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Crooked Moon Tattoo dIPA Very good looking, stable head. Delicious inviting aroma with lots of good yet a great malt body as well. Very dry fermentation, giving even more dry hopped aroma to pay with. American style, modern, citrus, flowery. Super taste, can’t imagine wanting much more. Strong bitterness yet balanced with malts to make a dangerously drinkable beer. So flavourful! Really delicious. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 22-07-2015
Brasserie de Bertinchamps Bertinchamps Blonde Golden body, fluffy head. Typical French sweet golden malt aroma, lightly yeasty despite filtering. Too sweet for my taste, but certainly not unpleasant. It’s not a great beer and certainly not my favourite style. (50cl bottle Auchan Tours Nord) 2.1 22-07-2015
Cervecería Regiomontana/Comidas y Bebidas Fermentadas, SA de CV Ocho Reales Porter Brown body, small head. Nutty, simple roasted malts, cereal, herbal hops. English classic style, but more brown ale than porter. It’s okay. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 21-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Nuclear Hop Assault Cloudy body, creamy stable head. Low carbonation. Very, very hop. Over the top? Yes, but sometimes that?s what you want. Very heavy bitterness bit enough pale sweetness to keep it drinkable. In fact, much smoother than I feared. Certainly no 1000 IBU Ultramate. I really liked drinking this. Far removed from balanced, but rich, fun and plainly tasty. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 20-07-2015
Abdij van Averbode Abdij Averbode Yellow body, odd looking ugly flimsy head. Yellow fruit, sugar, filtered, but not unpleasant. Simple body, very one dimensional, but I admit it tasted well with my salad. This main problem is, thus, not even the somewhat dull taste, but rather that they are simply better Belgians available where you can buy this too. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours Nord) 3.1 19-07-2015
Cervecería Regiomontana/Comidas y Bebidas Fermentadas, SA de CV Ocho Reales Ale Suddenly available simply from Saveur Bière, nice! Brown body, creamy head. Nutty, English appeal, traditional yet that’s no bad thing here! Well nice drinkable body. Only the taste is a bit rough. Not as in unfiltered but it’s not very refined. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 19-07-2015
Cervejaria Colorado (AB InBev) Colorado Appia Good looks, glowing. Rough aroma, farmy you could say, or underdeveloped. Spicy, banana, cake, hay. Alcohol ending, surprisingly. Interesting brew, quite different. Sharp alcoholic notes, but not unpleasant. Cocktail like. Fun beer to try. (Large bottle taken from Brazil by Flavia, awesome!) 3.3 17-07-2015
Brouwerij Lindemans Lindemans Kriek Cuvée René Deep red and minimal head. Not quite as deep cherry aroma and taste as some other, but it is still a nice fruity lambic.Fairly simple to drink, if you are used to sour beers, perhaps a little too simple. Not so sugary so it does not bore you to drink a whole bottle. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux) 3.4 17-07-2015
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse American Pale Ale Nice looks, glowing and creamy head. Great hop aroma. Refined and modern at the same time. Reminds me if the modern UK pale ales, which is a big compliment. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 17-07-2015
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse Black Berry More mellow than expected but very interesting. Balsamic, blueberries scones. Real mix of sour fruity, strawberry sweetness and a very light herbal bitterness. Liked this more than I was thinking I would. Original brew. Might actually buy this again. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 17-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Single Hop Warrior IPA Brown to copper body. Dank, bit dusty hops, less expressive than I though it would be. Alcohol makes up for this together with the biscuit malts. Still, I know there is more to offer by this hop, even in single hop variant. Admittedly the taste is well done but disappointment remains. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 16-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Session IPA Citra Very fresh, citra. Very refreshing. Not too thin too. Excellent high boost carbonation, which could have made this thin, but instead made it fresher still, and with this citra hops. Damn nice! Really good summer heat beer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière l 4.2 16-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller California Rare Golden body, mostly clear. Very hop forward, floral. Clean enough but not boring yeast, smooth even even with the bubbles. Lovely hop mix. So drinkable. More please! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 16-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Appreciation Pils Golden, almost clear. Bohemian lager in feel and aroma, but more bitter, which also gives the character to this brew. Drinks okay but the lack of hoppy aroma or a refined body makes this more average than the brewer and price promise and should have. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 16-07-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Vesterbro Pilsner Clean copper golden, flimsy head unfortunately. English and dank American hops. Bit sharp, although you could call it crisp. Belgian golden malts and sharp carbonation do not make this super smooth, but as more cooler night starter it does fine. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 15-07-2015
Les Brasseurs de Lorraine Brasseurs de Lorraine Bière de Saint Nicolas Sinterklaas beer! ;-) Classically styled Tripel like Belgian ale, fruity yeast, cereal, hay, biscuit. Very lightly hopped. Bit rough despite the filtered appearance. Not very modern but not unpleasant. I enjoyed it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 15-07-2015
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Low Life Golden murky appearance, decent head. Mango hops, spritzy clear fermentation. Nice bitterness, easily drinkable. Perhaps not quite clean enough. Nice recipe, simple hop mix I think, but that’s fine for the style. I very much enjoyed this, a really solid modern Pils. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 14-07-2015
Adnams Adnams Jack Brand Dry Hopped Lager Golden hazy body and tiny head. Some off flavours, diacetyl, nasty yeast. Mellow hops, golden cereal malts. Very underwhelming... Something not right with the fermentation? The bitterness is also quite low. Don’t like it at all. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.5 14-07-2015
Adnams Adnams Wild Hop Amber Beer Amber appearance, medium head. Biscuit malts, amber malts, mellow grassy hop. Some herbal notes. Mellow bitterness, bit simple in taste to be honest. Rough ending. Wild? Well at least it is different, despite the taste being simpler than I expected for the brewer and beer type. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 14-07-2015
Dieu du Ciel Dieu du Ciel Équinoxe du Printemps Copper body, small head. Woody aromas, amber, biscuit, hay, herbal tea. Bit earthy perhaps. Moderate sweet, traditional appeal. Bit Dunkel like in appeal. Not my type of beer normally but it’s very well made thus actually I dig it. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 14-07-2015
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse White Label Imperial Russian Stout (Port Charlotte) Pitch black, tiny head. Sweet malts, dak roast, chocolate, heavy, rum. Sweet malts, rich, alcohol ending. Enjoyed this for sure, although I think, to my own surprise, it’s not my favourite in the series. The port gives lots of aroma but not the full sweetness and umami I expected. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 12-07-2015
Dubuisson Bush de Nuits (Scaldis Prestige de Nuits) Not sure what Cuvée Spéciale 2014 means, but okay. Light misty copper body, large head. Perfect looks for the style, faultless. Much more sourness than expected. Sticky fruit, figs, woody, berries, red wine. Quite complex. Really a beer that lasts you all night long and never bores. One if the best classic Belgians I’ve tasted in a long time! (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, many thanks!) 4.4 11-07-2015
Brouwerij Kees Kees East India Porter Dark brown, huge head. Milk chocolate, rye, coffee, yet lighter than a stout, less roasted. Fine body, quite low in carbonation for my taste. I like this brew and it is bit too average in flavours too, quite original. Earns very well it’s place in beer flooded modern craft land. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 09-07-2015
Brouwerij Kees Kees Double Rye IPA Very fruity hops. Grapefruit, galore, mango, fresh. Good malty body tough, biscuit and cake and a light spicy help. Not too bitter, but lovely Flavourful. I really dig this! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 09-07-2015
Brouwerij Kees Kees Pale Ale Citra Hazy body, okay head. Very citric, fresh, bit tea like, Earl Grey. Just bitter enough. That makes it drinkable, together with the low carbonation. Yeast is a bit dull, but I suppose it matches the style well. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière 3.6 09-07-2015
Brewfist Brewfist / To Øl Space Frontier Golden body, hazy and small head. Very citric, fresh lemony, pale malts, flowery hops. Low carbonation, bit undercarbonated even. Good summery brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 09-07-2015
Adnams Adnams 1659 Smoked Ruby Beer Bacony , bready. Dark red to brown, small off white head. Spice, cereal, but mostly smoky meaty. Quite dry, especially the end. Fine beer, especially good texture. Can drink this in larger than expected quantities. 3.8 09-07-2015
Brouwerij van Viven Viven Master IPA Glowing orange, large head, really nice. Large amount of hops in the aroma, floral mostly, also grapefruit and jam. Not sweet, just fresh. Original yeast, not American clean but well developed Saison like. Taste carries more sweetness, buy that matches very well the bitter hops, especially the ending. Very rich, justifying well the abv. Surprisingly good one! Perhaps I did not expect a Belgian brewer (with equally typical label) to produce this. Great brew, quality stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 09-07-2015
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne Gaspar Uncommon aroma mixing Belgian yeast with lemon, tea. Earl Grey. Tasty, but a bit amateurish feel. Don’t mind, just is. Quite a unique brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 09-07-2015
Bellefois Bellefois Bière de Mars Golden body, murky. Sweet malts, cereal, tea, hay. Bubbly yet still a bit cloying. Not too much, but a bit less crisp, also due to the classic yeast and residual sugars. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks) 3.2 09-07-2015
Brasserie du Val de Sèvre Val de Sèvre Black Belette Dark brown body, medium head. Palm sugar, light coffee, rye bread, some roasted malts. Bitter enough, English yeast. Drinks well not too sweet in the end. Bit like an Irish stout mixed with some Belgian fruity esters. Not bad at all, I simply enjoyed drinking this. Well balanced. And completes the brewery, for now. ? (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 3.8 08-07-2015
Bellefois Bellefois La 1356 Rousse d’Hiver (Prince Noir) Red copper body, large head. Sweet caramel malts, yeasty, farmy, dough. Very much too sweet. Especially noticeable in the ending. I’m not saying it needs more bitterness, but that it’s underdeveloped and general too poor of a recipe. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks) 2.6 07-07-2015
La Fabrique des Bières d’Anjou Bières d’Anjou La Piautre Tombée dans l’Aubance Odd beer. I like the brave experiment but.... Starts out gushing an looses all head directly. Spritzy and very yeasty. Woody, marmelade. Alcohol shines through, strangely at this abv. Light sour, quite nice. Cool experiment from this brewer and despite the miserable looks I do like the end result. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 3.3 05-07-2015
Bellefois Bellefois La 1356 Bière Blonde Blond body, simple appeal. Sweaty yeast, chestnut. Low carbonation, too low, as it could have lifted up the taste a bit. Just too underhopped and vegetable. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 2.8 04-07-2015
Bellefois Bellefois La 732 Golden body, flimsy head. Nutty aroma of both malts and yeast. Again from this brewer! Odd. Bit sweaty, cheesy, dusty hops. Vegetable taste. This is really not my kind of beer. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 2.4 04-07-2015
Brasserie Dunham Dunham Rye ESB (Extra Special Bitter de Seigle) Interesting aroma that mixes caramel malts, some biscuit, some red apple and cinnamon with English earthy yeast. The Anglosaxon verion of the Belgian dubbel. Much more bitter though. In fact this is very bitter in deed. And I dig it; it gives the already earthy beer an even drier feel. (Bottle fro Saveur Bière) 4.0 02-07-2015
Bellefois Bellefois La 507 Very hazy, medium head. Banana cake, cheap white bread light herbal. Watery body but thirst quenching. Little too much carbonation. Or rather, too annoying; it’s not necessarily bubbly. It’s okay, not much to it. It’s not my favourite style either. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 3.3 02-07-2015
Brasserie du Val de Sèvre Val de Sèvre L’amère Belette Copper body and beige head. Chestnut, vegetable, brown bread, leather. Original but neither expected nor very great. Just a bit too vegetable actually. The body doesn’t fit very well, bit annoying carbonation. Some bitterness, but too yeasty -- like in a residual yeast kid of way. Mheh. (75cl bottle from trade with Vincent thanks!) 3.2 01-07-2015
Birra del Borgo (AB InBev) Birra del Borgo My Antonia Spot on looks, sooo appetising. Floral, orange, fresh grass, bloody brilliant. Wow, this is another Italian stunner. Refined yet prominent bitterness. I just want to drink this by the bucket. (Fancy bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 01-07-2015
Oersoep Oersoep Hopfather Hazy golden body. Lots of orange, zesty, well developed. Just enough bitterness, I could have had even more though. Peppery spicy notes complete this beer. Very summery without being difficult. Complex without being difficult like a great De La Senne beer. Really nice. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 30-06-2015
Oersoep Oersoep Blanco White Saison Very pale for the style. Spicy aroma (anise, fennel, pepper). Surprisingly dull when cold, but warming up there are more complexities to this. Finish is still a bit mellow to my taste. Some wit character. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 30-06-2015
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne Sigma Brown body, large frothy bubbly head. Instable but still okay looking. Fruity sour notes, toasty malts, cereal. Foamy an sour at the same time, actually really nice. Compared to the Phi this is only in aroma somewhat toasty and roasty, the taste is merely a bit more rustic. Tasted blind you would give it dark brown looks. I dig this, less complex perhaps than an average Lambic but I dig the more diverse tasted and foamy bubbles. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 30-06-2015
Le Baladin Baladin NazionAle A simple beer as intended. Light Belgian fruity yeast but also a German feel to it. Pale malts, good drinkable body. Soft carbonation, could be heavier for me. And could be more bitter but that would defeat the purpose of this beer I suppose... (Stylish bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 30-06-2015
Brasserie du Val de Sèvre Val de Sèvre Belette blanche Loads of coriander. Too much to be even remotely balanced. Too little malts used. Light bitter. Luckily the palate is quite decent. Nice bubbly, not sweet at all. It really saves this beer! (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 3.1 30-06-2015
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne Phi Very misty golden copper, large head. Okay aroma, funky, fruity, bit yoghurt, sticky jam. Taste is nice though, as those aromas each give a little taste twist. Not too sour. Lots of alcohol and not sure if that’s really necessary, but I don’t mind it much either. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 29-06-2015
Brasserie du Val de Sèvre Val de Sèvre La Belette Simple malts, herbal, bit floral. Simple fermentation. Drinks wel though. Bubbly body, bit too sweet. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 3.3 28-06-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Beer Geek Vanilla Shake UPDATED: JUN 29, 2015 Thick black body, large sticky head. Sticky is the general word that applies here, with dark sugar, dough, chocolate, vanilla, cookie, brownie, sweet cream. Great amount of flavours, although sweetness sticks out. Dessert beer. No, it?s desserts by itself. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 28-06-2015
Brasserie du Val de Sèvre Val de Sèvre Belette de Printemps Simple Belgian ale. Light yellow fruit, refined hop mix. Very summery. Drink well cold and it’s a good sun time beer, starting an outdoor starting session or a barbecue. Foamy mouth filling bubble, nice bitterness. Much better than expected. A modern hops version would kick ass, like citra hopped or, even better, with Brett. (75cl bottle from trade with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 3.7 27-06-2015
Les Brasseurs de Lorraine Brasseurs de Lorraine Lux Divina Creamy head, dark brown body. Not as sweet as expected. Brown malts, herbal, tea balanced. Ending misses a tang or bitter note, but not bad at all. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 27-06-2015
Pizza Port (Bressi Ranch) Pizza Port Ponto Sessionable India Pale Ale Hmm very nice. Typical example of the style (avant la lettre ?). Fresh hops yet moderate abv. Doesn’t have to compromise in body either. Grapefruit as well as spruce. Moderate bitterness, could have been higher for my taste. Juicy banger. Good stuff. Drink cold. (50cl can from Saveur Bière) 4.1 27-06-2015
Brasserie St-Feuillien / Friart Grisette Blonde Gluten Free Bio/Organic Simple, even simplistic beer. The normal St Feuillien Belgians are great, but this misses a large amount of complexity and character. Perhaps those barley malts are there for a reason, eh ? Light bready, orange, classic, underdeveloped even I’d say. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.5 27-06-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller ...Zest Please! Opened this in the right sun expecting an ipa... And got this. Regardless this is a great brew. Even in the sun the orange really lifts this beer to a different level. Quite complex and a bit sticky, very full for the abv. Only the ending is a bit too brown sugar like. Delicious! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 27-06-2015
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Brussels Calling (...-2014) Yum, a Belgian pale ale in great form. Classic hops, quality development with a fine yeast as not to reveal the tasty hop and pale malt balance. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 27-06-2015
Tiny Rebel Tiny Rebel Hadouken A fresh brew and that’s very import to what they u did here. As it does certainly not carry the cleanliness and is more malty than your average American example, this ipa had to, and does, stand on straight through its fresh hops, giving an aroma that justifies the higher abv. It still isn’t as drinkable as a top class American, but it’s certainly enjoyable as a slower sipper. There’s enough character to do with. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 27-06-2015
Coopers Brewery Coopers Vintage Ale Ruby body, stable foamy head. Woody, lighter than expected but certainly not light for the style. Well enough hopped. Decent mouthfeel too, at least I very much enjoyed this. A fine ale. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 27-06-2015
Brewfist Brewfist Bionic Surprisingly foamy. Fruity hops, marmelade, spruce, cara malts. Juicy bitterness. Despite the foamy mouthfeel, a smooth body. Lasting bitter ending. Very tasty. Bit sweet though overal. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 26-06-2015
BrewDog BrewDog Vagabond Pale Ale Cloudy body, medium head. Sweet hops, tea, orange, spruce. Soft bitterness, but juicy. Low carbonation. Feels a but cut short in fermentation, but fair enough I do enjoy this beer and gluten free... Even all those gluten scared people can safely enjoy this, as it’s a great beer. For the true gluten allergenic, this is awesome. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 26-06-2015
InBev Belgium Leffe Royale Cascade IPA This must be one of the worst beers that carries an IPA label that I have ever tasted. Horribly sugary aroma, chemical, with a slight cleaning agent overtone. Taste is perhaps even worse... Watery yet cloying. A real, literal drainpour. I am sure even the ’brewers’ of this beer wouldn’t touch it with a 3 foot pole. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 1.4 25-06-2015
Pizza Port (Bressi Ranch) Pizza Port Chronic Amber Ale (2011-) Copper body and very small head. Very sweet aroma, bit earthy, bit barnyard. This, shockingly actually, reminds me of about any French old-fashioned ambrée... Not too sweet in taste though, luckily, but still way more mellow than I imagined. After a can I can say that my expectations were off -- it is a nicely brwed mellow sweet ale, that would be good with sweeter pizzas indeed. But as a beer nerd it doesn’t do much to me. (50cl can from Saveur Bière) 3.0 25-06-2015
Dauphiné Dauphiné La Mandrin au Chanvre Simple malts some vegetable aromas. Pale, bubbly, quite clean. Unpleasant mouthfeel, but with its light herbal tones I can dig this beer overall. Starts off an evening just fine, if it’s a tick. Once is enough though. (33cl bottle from biomarché in Tours) 3.0 24-06-2015
Tiny Rebel Tiny Rebel The Full Nelson Foamy body, light malty. Refined aroma, despite being very hoppy. Floral, light fruit, nice fermentation aromas. Soft bitter, foamy mouth feel and that strangely works very well I have to say! In fact it’s my favourite part of this beer. Good brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 24-06-2015
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Wadesda #6 Fine Belgian ale. I just read it’s like #5, but with pallets. See fir flavour descriptions there. So how does it compare? Less hoppy in the nose, actually! Surprised to be honest, but it does have less aroma. The bitterness is about the same, but even in taste it misses a bit of character. Cool experiment ! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière 3.7 24-06-2015
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Wadesda #5 Very well made Belgian ale. Great development, light peachy yeast. Great Noble hops, fresh grass, leaves. Herbal a bit too. Pale malts. Compared to the #6 this is actually fresher and richer. Great brew by itself too! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 24-06-2015
Brasserie St-Feuillien / Friart Grisette Blanche Light bready, pale looks. Simple aroma, less citrus than expected and neither does it have any banana or other fermentation aromas. It makes this accessible, but that’s about as much as I can say. Not bad, but underhopped, uninteresting. Smooth drinkable though so despite the too sugary ending it’s texture isn’t bad. (Small bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 23-06-2015
Pizza Port (Bressi Ranch) Pizza Port Swami’s India Pale Ale Heavy beer. Copiously hopped, rough citrus aromas, some resin, alcohol. Sharp clean bitterness, very cleanly fermented too. Rough ending, not necessarily the most drinkable, but I like it still. In fact it’s an impressive beer with huge, huge taste. Just don’t expect anything restraint, balanced or complex. Assault on the senses. With lots of alcohol heat to beat the you down. (50cl can from Saveur Bière) 4.2 22-06-2015
Brasserie Dunham Dunham LaPatt Porter Robuste Very dark, very creamy. Roasted, black fruits, tea, some freshness. Great texture, barn, full, fatty. (Bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with VDuquerroux) 4.2 21-06-2015
Dieu du Ciel Dieu du Ciel Isseki Nicho en fût de Pinot Noir Very dark, heavy aromas. Coffee, wooden, sharp, dark sticky fruits. (Traded with Pascal from Canada, shared with VDuquerroux) 4.0 21-06-2015
Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Silver Anniversary Lager UPDATED: JUN 25, 2015 Brown body, very nice looking. Biscuit malts, very interesting yeast, bit nutty, some interesting hops. English? Really good development. Mouth feels is smooth yet with enough bubbles. Much more bitterness that I expected, and I really enjoy that. Unique brew, combination of styles and it really works. (Shared by and with VDuquerroux, thanks!) 4.2 21-06-2015
Les Brasseurs de Lorraine Brasseurs de Lorraine La Noiraude Very ugly label. Seriously! Okay aroma, boring wheat ale but with some odd saltiness. Hopless, grainy. Unexpected in a bad way. Underdeveloped. Simplistic ending. Pass. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 21-06-2015
Dauphiné Dauphiné La Mandrin BIO Ambrée Amber body, small head. Heavy carbonation, light toast malts. Biscuit, slight crisp. Hopless. Too heavily carbonated, but most just boring. Minimal development, yeast must be rushed and sugar was added in bunches. Neh. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.5 21-06-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Bearded Theory Very clear, pale body, large head. Lager like aromas, in fact a very Germen feel to this one, strangely. It does carry enough bitterness for the style, but for a hop lover this is way too mellow. Good craft Bitter I suppose, but that doesn’t make me very warm still. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 21-06-2015
Ugly Duck Brewing Co. Ugly Duck Amarillo & Citra IPA Slightly prefer this over the Simcoe version. Although I wonder what a Chinook and Amarillo would do. This one is also well made, clean fermentation, American style bitterness, lasting. Nice brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 20-06-2015
Ugly Duck Brewing Co. Ugly Duck Simcoe & Chinook IPA Very well made ipa. I slightly prefer the Amarillo version, but this is also very good and fresh. Clean enough fermentation, nice lasting bitterness in the back. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 20-06-2015
Svaneke Bryghus Svaneke / Ghost AuPA Cloudy body. Interesting, spicy hops, spruce, hay. Drinkable, yet not boring . Far from watery, well done recipe! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 20-06-2015
Porterhouse Porterhouse Plain Porter My bottle had 5% abv. Black body and appealing in general. Balanced dark malts, roasty, nutty. Earthy finish, better than expected. Not so dry, but that’s actually nice for the mouthfeel. Well made brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 20-06-2015
Chandres Chandres L’Eurélienne Blonde Grainy body, German style. Looks good, cloudy and with firm head, but eventually underwhelming. Quality is up there, but carbonation is a bit too spritzy and quite underhopped. Better than expected on drinkability, ending is boring though. (33cl bottle from biostore in Tours) 3.4 20-06-2015
Brewfist Brewfist / Freigeist Heimdall Bit grainy, bubbly, grassy, hay. Perhaps rustic, but also underhopped. A good saison is heavily carbonated yet smooth, and this one is only the former I still enjoyed it, but it misses the finesse of a proper saison. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 20-06-2015
Cidrerie Loïc Raison (CSR - CCLF) Loïc Raison Cidre Breton Brut I was craving for a cider, and this is available everywhere. Bit more rustic than the usual French mass produced cider, but not by much. Just hazy enough. Slightly too sweet too. Simple aftertaste, but if you don’t like super dry, this could be good for you. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 19-06-2015
De Dochter van de Korenaar De Dochter van de Korenaar Passe-Partout Very good looking, gloing beer. Really makes we thirsty. Luckily this beer delivers there too, with a nice, slightly heavier than expected, bitterness from modern hops. Light caramel malts do great too hear. Aroma is perhaps not the freshest, hoppiest aroma ever for the style. It makes it more an APA than a Session IPA, but that’s fine for me. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 18-06-2015
Ugly Duck Brewing Co. Ugly Duck / Ghost West Coast IPA Tropical fruits, caramel malts. Those define this beer. And that’s okay for me! Alcohol very much in the back, but a nice full bodied feel. Just bitter enough likeable brew, if only because of the tropical hops. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 17-06-2015
Ugly Duck Brewing Co. Ugly Duck Miami Vice Bit underwhelming. Okay, it’s got modern hops. But it’s more dimmed than I hoped. Does drink very easily though, and that’s the point of this brew. Perhaps when it’s really fresh, it could really shine as bright as the Miami sun. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 17-06-2015
Porterhouse Porterhouse Louder Heavy beer. Aroma is English and a bit dimmed. Dark dusty malts. But I love the heavy taste, warming alcohol, tea, roasted, dank. Nice stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 16-06-2015
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Jaco & Sigrid Cloudy golden glowing body and extremely bubbly foamy head. Fresh hops, very drinkable, hay,English feel yeast, nice stuff. Very bubbly, filling mouth feel, which might fence off some but I actually really enjoy that. Much taste for little abv. Yes, very pleasant brew! Ripe for a double ipa interpretation too. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 15-06-2015
Naparbier Naparbier / Evil Twin Brewing Light Raven Mango and tropical fruit like I’ve hardly smelled before. Fine bubble, okay mouth feel. Not quite bitter enough for me, but well made. I find the bottle intriguing, without any brewer address, Barcode, general info... Special import? Regardless, nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 14-06-2015
Mort Subite (Alken-Maes - Heineken) Mort Subite Witte Lambic A faro, but done differently. Pale looks, really nice. Peachy, tangy, bready. Fairly sweet but far from too much and not sugary. Shirt aftertaste. Interesting approach, not bad at all. But also not really a beer for me. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 14-06-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Bayern Nice looking, light cloudy. Lager like development, clean and mineral body. Herbal and modern hops. Drinks easily, not too difficult. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 14-06-2015
Svaneke Bryghus Svaneke Choko Stout Very different, interesting aroma. Cookie dough, vanilla, licorice. Unique! Taste is slightly more common but still a different beer. Do I like it? Yes, actually, more than expected. It’s well balanced and has a lot of little touches and titbits to make this interesting from first sip to the end. Especially good to share though with beer friends, as it certainly fuels discussion! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 13-06-2015
Svaneke Bryghus Svaneke In Your Pale Face IPA Copper red body, creamy head. Pine, tea, dank, onion. Not typical ipa at all. Bit more like an Amber with English heritage. Certainly not on my face. Do like the malts though and overall a nice brew. Just a bit heavy on the stomach. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 13-06-2015
Svaneke Bryghus Svaneke Liquorice Stout Indeed lots of licorice aromas here. More or the classic kind, but woody and cassonade like, not so much bay leave. Some sweetness but not very caramelised, giving a dry feel. Surely enough bitterness, but again classic in its approach. Butterscotch ending (but not in an off flavour way), quite short. It’s okay. Ugly label, BTW. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 13-06-2015
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Brewers Reserve Konrads Stout Pitch black, very thick, amazing looks. Rhum, raisin, coffee, woody. Not overpowering, quite balanced. Very strong taste though, perhaps even because of that more dimmed aroma. Very warming, hot even. Lovely, I like it like that. Great rich mouthfeel. The alcohol is so nice here. Not hidden at all, but warming (certainly not burning), round, fulfilling. Amazing, super tasteful. Love it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 13-06-2015
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Hoppy Joe Copper body, creamy head. Different than expected. Less rough but perhaps a bit thinner. Regardless, I get biscuit malts with some tea and a solid amount of English hops. Perhaps some sweet rye bread character. Taste is quite fruity considering the aroma, and again real bitter. Like almost all of the brewer’s beers that I have tried. Tangy ending. Not quite up there with the brewer’s best. But that’s okay - it is still a very well made ale. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 13-06-2015
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Lucky Jack Golden shiny body, creamy head. Crisp, spicy, citrus, hay, dried flowers. Rich aroma but not very deep perhaps. Hey, it’s a sub 5% abv beer! Solid bitterness, bit short on the end. Yes it doesn’t have enough to match the richness of a full on ipa and you have to like the spicy edge, but it you don’t care much for this one, the brewer offers so much other great hoppy brews! Personally I like it as a startup beer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 13-06-2015
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Brewers Reserve Galaxy IPA Single Hopped Cloudy but very nice looks. Hugely interesting, powerful and delicious aroma. Very bitter indeed, but I live it, especially as it’s given just the right malts. Boy totally clean either, which helps. Awesome brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 13-06-2015
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig / Magic Rock Farmhouse IPA Glowing amber body, good head. Enjoyable body, but slightly too spritzy. (Should be great on tap!) Great combo of light peppery, not very clean yeast, with a long development such that the (dry) hopping shines through. Better balanced that I could even do. Of anything it doesn’t blow any socks of, but very well made. Need to get my paws on some more Lervig brews... (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 12-06-2015
Lervig Aktiebryggeri Lervig Brewers Reserve White IPA Wit & IPA Fusion Very pale an great looks large head. Interesting aroma mixing white bread malts and low key yeast with modern American hops as well as more Noble light hop aromas like fresh grass. Not as citrusy as expected, except for some from the hops, but that’s a good thing as the orange peel is often what bothers me most in a Belgian style wit. Superb mouthfeel, couldn’t with for more, so refreshing yet interesting. Yum beer, very well developed! Best I’ve had in the style (admittedly not a large amount). (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 12-06-2015
Brasserie Cambier Cambier Mongy IPA Yeasty aroma, with a nice hop aroma. Different than an American style IPA, but still really nice actually. Foamy mouthfeel, herbal and flowery hops. More Punk IPA crossed with a Belgian yeast. Nice brew! (33cl bottle from Saveur Biere) 3.7 10-06-2015
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Saison Classically styled brew, carrying an aroma of hay, fresh bread yeast and flowery. Active big bubbles, champagne like mouth feel. Good stuff. Not modern American Saison, but a well developed Belgian ale. Not too sweet, refreshing, crisp. And that’s certainly no bad thing! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 09-06-2015
Brasserie Cambier Cambier Mongy Blonde Houblonnée Cloudy blond body and large head. Solid amount of hops, but classic, grassy, hay. Dough malts, bit spicy. Not quite the hopped blond I expected, in fact it’s not too dissimilar to the normal blond. It drinks very well and can match most Belgians but not much excitement here. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 09-06-2015
Brasserie Cambier Cambier Mongy Triple Very similar to the blond of the brewer, except for a higher alcohol. And that’s sort of thing problem with this beer, because it doesn’t justify that alcohol in terms of extra complexity in taste or aroma. Still simple peachy yeast and mellow herbal hops. This should be cleaner to enjoy the warmth, like a Belgian triple, or bring layers of flavours like a modern craft brew can. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 09-06-2015
Brasserie Cambier Cambier Mongy Blonde Classically styled French blond with peachy but not so sweet yeast, simple malts, bit rustic but not exiting at all. At least the body is not thin. Quite passable. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 09-06-2015
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Black Ale India Stout I loved the stout on which this is based, but this black IPA variant is even better. Huge roasted malts, now with huge amounts of modern hops. Pine, citrus, herbal, it’s all there. It’s a real difference, transforming this great stout to a great black IPA. Bitter middle, long flavour profile. Lovely lovely brew. I’m a fan of this type of beer, and this particular one too. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 4.3 08-06-2015
Brasserie Bendorf Bendorf Cycle Ephémère #10 A showcase for the GS26 experimental hop. And wow, do I hope they start growing this in larger quantities. Nice foamy looks and drinking so well. Bit of a sticky fruit taste yet I still very much enjoyed this in the sun. Beautiful brew. (50cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 4.1 08-06-2015
Brasserie Bendorf Bendorf Cycle Ephémère #09 Black body and very small head. Flimsy. The body is watery too to be honest. That what you get when all the fruit sugars ferment out and still the abv is low. Light acidity from the raspberry, together with roasted malts. Decent aroma, but the taste doesn’t excite me much. It’s not my type of brew perhaps. (75cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles 3.2 08-06-2015
Corrézienne Corrézienne HopHopHop ! - Equinox Superb hop! Tropical but also resin. Works wonders in this beer and can totally stand on itself. Matches also the quite caramel malty body. I loved drinking this. They hop makes all the difference. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 4.0 08-06-2015
Corrézienne Corrézienne HopHopHop ! - Pacific Gem Very murky, amber body, large head. Very tropical fruit, sweet malts, caramel base malts. Works well although not quite as the Equinox version. It’s a certainly not too clean... (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.6 08-06-2015
Corrézienne Corrézienne Dark J’adore Episode IV A New Hoppy Black Ale This is tough to rate. Not because it’s not good, though... I loved it! Brown rough malts, rye bread, cereal, earth, but also very hoppy, resin, grapefruit. It’s very bitter and very rich. On the other hand it feels quite like an amateur brew. Not very refined at all and looks are so murky. Do I care? Neh! Superb beer, exactly what I like. (33cl bottle from A la bière comme à la bière) 4.2 08-06-2015
Sainte Crucienne Sainte Crucienne / Brasseurs du grand Paris - La Classe Américaine Surprisingly tasty brew. Not very clean, but I enjoy the modern hops, very fresh yet just far enough developed. Medium bitter. I drank this in no time and that’s the best compliment I can give. (33cl bottle from A la bière comme à la bière) 3.8 08-06-2015
Brasserie La Saint-Pierre La Saint-Pierre Brune Simple brown malts, mellow brown bread, fruity yeast. Watery taste, but it’s okay I suppose. But like a Dunkel that’s poorly made and with fruitier yeast. I don’t care much for it. (50cl bottle from Auchan Saint Cyr sur Loire) 2.7 08-06-2015
Omnipollo Omnipollo Perikles Interesting brew. Pale base beer yet with an uncommon character. Nice body to it, undoubtedly from the specialty malts. Would have liked more hops, but that’s just me perhaps. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 07-06-2015
Sainte Crucienne Sainte Crucienne / Outland - Dude Black body, okay head. Starts of very nice. Treacle, honey, wholewheat bread. But I dint get much more complexities after drinking the bottle. Brown sugar taste, bit too watery. That’s a bit rude, but I can’t define more real iconic flavours in here. I like the idea, but perhaps take a different style some time. Can I propose something lager? Or sour? Or smoked? (33cl bottle from A la bière comme à la bière 2) 3.2 05-06-2015
Thiriez Thiriez / Outland Super 8 Hoppy Saison Yeasty, soft spice, Brioche, pale and a hint of light caramel malts. Different than expected, much less hoppy and sweeter. Not even so characteristic Thiriez (of which it’s yeast is used). To be honest, I expected a lot for this colab, but they need to try again. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.4 05-06-2015
Deck & Donohue Deck & Donohue Makkuro Dark looks, nice. Aroma is different, more sourness and fruitiness than I expected, bit on the other hand very interesting, with good toast and a very English yeast style somehow. Reminds me of the modern English craft porters. Not too light on the body too, despite moderate abv. I’d love to see something stronger (even though I know it’s a bit touch in their brewing setup), because that could be quite special. (33cl bottle from A la bière comme à la bière) 3.6 04-06-2015
Pleine Lune Pleine Lune Lunette Murky golden yellow body, light fizz. Oranges and sweaty yeast. Belgian appeal, but with more modern citrus hops. Quite rustic feel to it, not so clean. Nice brew though, simple but enjoyable. (50cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.6 04-06-2015
Les Brasseurs du Grand Paris (My Beer Company) Les Brasseurs du Grand Paris Porter Gourmande Café Stunning aroma I have to admit. The great dark looks really reveal a freshly roasted coffee aroma with praline kind of caramel nuts. Beautiful. Taste is much milder though, perhaps to be expected with this abv. But after that aroma I hoped for the same richness. Still great though! (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.9 03-06-2015
Les Brasseurs du Grand Paris (My Beer Company) Les Brasseurs du Grand Paris A L’Ouest Modern hops, lots of clementine, light pale malts plus a full wheat aroma. And it works! Not quite white ipa, but yet, I enjoy this clearly high fermentation brew. Simpler taste, not quite bitter enough for my taste, but enjoyable. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.6 03-06-2015
Deck & Donohue Deck & Donohue Dry Hopping Is Not A Crime Brewed for Les trois 8 and most of it was only available during the Paris Beer Week 2. I had the Columbus versions to compare US versus FR yields of the same variety: very interesting! As the hops were in the keg, the differences could be tasted very clearly. US was richer and more complex, dark but appealing. French version for more vegetable and sharper, but a bit fresher. It’s a dank hops in any case. A sip of the Barbe Rouge also confirmed me of that hop’s unique character, although I find that a hard hop to like for the bubble gum quality that comes off. The base beer was simple (so not a big mark in total) and good. Interesting beers. I did crave for something dark afterwards, though. Bonus points for the idea and experiment. (Tasted 3 versions on tap at Les Trois 8 during Paris Beer Week 2) 3.6 02-06-2015
La Voie Maltée La Voie Maltée India Praline Ale Caramel, nutty, nougat. A bit too sweet for my taste. Does carry a good mouth feel and the idea is cool, but perhaps these sweet malts simply don’t combine great with the style. (On tap at La Fine Mouse during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.2 02-06-2015
Goutte d’Or Goutte d’Or No-Go Zone Interesting beer. Not double ipa as I tastes this weekend from a bunch of brewers, so pale malts and lemony hops. This one is full of hops too, but darker, tea like, herbal, pine and with a solid amount of caramel malts. Starts of full but a bit subdued, but the taste is full on. Some spice and very warming body. It’s in between barley wine and a East coast imperial ipa. Really good, much more than I expected after this brewer’s first beers. (33cl bottle from A la bière comme à la bière) 4.1 31-05-2015
Dieu du Ciel Dieu du Ciel Le P’tit Blanc Classic style, classic appeal, classic taste. Mild malty, bready, light. Soft taste. It’s okay. From a beer like this I expected more perhaps. (On tap at La Triangle during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.4 31-05-2015
Le Triangle Le Triangle Nelson Sour Very hazy. Very original and very odd. Berliner Weisse like mostly, but not quite as lactic. More bready. Oddly familiar yet unidentifiable taste. Sour, yes, but also fruity and fresh and malty. (On tap at La Triangle during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.7 31-05-2015
Le Triangle Le Triangle ESB Caramel, honey, nutty, almond, pale malts. Nice aroma and for the style interesting enough. Simpler taste. High on carbonation for the style. Far from my favourite type of beer, but it’s well made and had a nice sweetness. (On tap at La Triangle during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.4 31-05-2015
Le Triangle Le Triangle Mandarina Blanche Aromatic modern appeal, hops are orange, lemon peel, compote. Great dry fermentation, super drinkable, excellent body. Light bitterness actually but mouthfeel to die for, both crisp and full, strangely, hard to describe. Excellent beer. Above my high expectations. (On tap at La Triangle during la Paris Beer Week 2) 4.1 31-05-2015
Demory Paris Demory Paris Intrépide IPA Richly hopped, fairly clean in fermentation but certainly not American, more English. Mixed hops work pretty well. Medium bitter, spritzy carbonation. On the one hand it’s not amazing bit I can’t find any fault. And the ending is very bitter an dry, which I like, so yes, a good mark is simply rightful. (On tap at the bar during Paris Beer Week 2) 3.6 31-05-2015
Demory Paris Demory Paris Cosmoblonde Advertised as unfiltered lager, so not sure about the style here on RB. Looking really nice! Classic buy well hopped, Approachable. Bit more rough than hoped, not such a smooth body, but it could function very well as a step-up beer for the beer curious. Looking good and nice pils, artisanal feel. (On tap at the bar during Paris Beer Week 2) 3.2 31-05-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Bamberg Light smoke actually and with the paler than expected malts it’s certainly not the beer I was thinking of opening. It’s more drinkable perhaps but more watery and less rich than any German counterpart I can think of. A little bit too liberal with the inspiration or simple not quite up to the classical standards of its style, but besides being nicely balanced I can’t find the interest that this beer should give. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 31-05-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge West Coast IPA Golden body, stable grey lace. Hugely hoppy and surprisingly smooth still, in a good way, totally not sharp. Light malts used to further highlight the hops. Abv within bounds and perfectly warming. Superb palate. Yum! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 31-05-2015
Mont Salève Mont Salève Dark Smoked Saison Very meaty, dark, foamy. Treacle, bouillon. Odd aroma but I enjoy it. Taste is harder to get through. Not because of the smoke but there is a quality to it between dry and meat that makes it somewhat bitey at first. I dig it though. Characteristic carbonation. Cool experiment but could use more smoke or more sweetness. It really grows on me though after a glass. (On tap at La Fine Mouse during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.6 30-05-2015
Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille Jandrain-Jandrenouille Dark Saison Brewed for La Fine Mousse. Dry, roast, toast, herbal hops. Good appearance and nice aroma, but the style doesn’t quite fit the watery palate. I love the development in this beer, but some more sugars would be nice. (On tap at La Fine Mouse during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.6 30-05-2015
Unser Bier Unser Bier / Trois Dames BIPA Wow, surprising beer! I would have never guessed this is only 4% abv. Rich in dank hops (columbus?), brown malts. Not the roasted black IPA I love too, but a brown ipa and it’s really combing together I have to admit. (On tap at La Fine Mouse during la Paris Beer Week 2) 4.1 30-05-2015
Parisis Parisis La Onze (2015) Light body, but the aroma is nice, with fresh hops and English style fermentation. A bit heavy on the stomach, strangely. Nice but nothing special. And the body is a bit too much. (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 3.4 30-05-2015
Laugar Brewery Laugar Aupa Tovarisch Lagavulin Edition Booze, quite sweet, roasted, bourbon actually more than whiskey, perhaps the sweet malts that fool me. Great palate, sticky and full, warming alcohol. Excellent beer, even for me and I’m not a huge fan of barrel aging. (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 4.1 30-05-2015
La Vallée de Chevreuse La Vallée de Chevreuse Deer Hunter Golden misty body and stable creamy head. Very nice looking. Not quite as hoppy as hoped. On the other hand, I dig the hop combination, very summery and rich. Drinks well, carbonation is a bit annoying, Prickly. Certainly a nice palate. Yes, I dig it.(On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 3.8 30-05-2015
L’Agrivoise L’Agrivoise L’Amère Noire Deep brown, creamy head. Browny malts, some coffee, pine and resin hops, bit of tea. Served cold, but still a little less bodied than hoped. Very bitter, like coffee beans dripped in hop juice. Some sweetness could be nice. (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 3.6 30-05-2015
Crazy Hops Crazy Hops HopSession Very American, but a bit more fruity. Well drinkable. Very hopped, but not dry enough to get everything out of it. (On tap, served by the brewer during la Paris Beer Week 2 at A la bière comme à la bière) 3.6 30-05-2015
La Montreuilloise La Montreuilloise IPA Mandarina Bavaria Very murky, creamy head. I don’t mind myself, bit is not really appealing. Dimmed aroma, clémentine, amber malts, bit simple. This hop cannot stand on itself. It’s bitter enough but coast that this brewer usually makes (and likes) more malty beers. (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 3.3 30-05-2015
la Vallée du Giffre la Vallée du Giffre La Petite Fumée Black bodied, small head. Very smoked, further accentuated by the low abv. A touch more round than his iconic original smoked beer, but still very heavy on the smoked whisky malts. Very light body, a bit more alcohol heat could have been nice. In fact I just prefer the original, which was perfect in its imperfect smokeyness. Yum still. (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 3.4 30-05-2015
la Vallée du Giffre la Vallée du Giffre Bout de Monde Saison Brett Orange misty body, very creamy head, beautiful. Light spice, light funk, biscuity malts, pot-pourri, flowery hops. Lovely balanced beer. Not too dry, light citric. Aroma is king but I enjoy the taste too. (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 3.8 30-05-2015
Parisis Parisis Bière de Printemps Unexpected beer. Not your typical French springy beer. This one is full of lemony hops, which I like, and combines it with rye malts, which doesn’t totally work for me to be honest. It’s a taste thing, but the spice from the rye isn’t what I hope to find in this type of brew. Decent, but not my thing. (Sample served by the brewer during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.2 30-05-2015
Parisis Parisis IPA sous Sénart Very citric, cleaning agent but in a nice way. Fresh and moderate malts only to give a little base. Very bitter, especially in the end. Not super dry, but enough so. For the lovers of bitter bitter bitter. I dint mind. (Sample served by the brewer during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.6 30-05-2015
Rocket Brewing Company Rocket Zero Gravity Spicy aroma, lemony, melon, sour hint. No what I expected or hoped... Crisp fermentation, but a watery palate for the abv. Very short ending. Could have been more, even not considering that it’s nothing like an ipa and Brett isn’t much noticeable except for the body. (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 2.9 30-05-2015
Parisis Parisis Bière Blonde Drinkable an Approachable,, but not boring. In fact it’s a great step up beer, as it gives a nice modern hop goodness without a fuss. Simple and good. (Sample served by the brewer during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.5 30-05-2015
Deck & Donohue Deck & Donohue Beaupré Golden light misty body, white lacing. Spot on. Fresh hop citrus fruit, pale malts, clean fermentation yet with a back character. Very well developed. Served very cold but even then quite enough taste to this low abv beer. Nice one guys! (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 3.7 30-05-2015
Goutte d’Or Goutte d’Or Tourist Session #1 Why Here? Licorice, resin, woody, but all in a mild package. Not dull, or even Approachable, but simply smooth. A bit more dimmed in taste but that’s to be expected. I like it! (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 3.6 30-05-2015
Ouroboros Ouroboros Tribute To Deep brown body and tan head. Very dry, roasted, hint of smoke. Great body for such a low abv beer, I really dig the bone dry ending with a toasted undertone. Keeps you sipping. Really nice stuff! (On tap at La Grande Finale de Paris Beer Week 2) 4.0 30-05-2015
La Franche La Franche / Le Supercoin Super Franche Dry, spicy, hay, anise interesting Saison. Very French yet modern too. Not dry in palate (like an American Saison would be) but fruity, bitter, spiced and Belgian yeast. Nice brew, especially if you like spiced beers. (On tap at La Fine Mousse during la Paris Beer Week 2) 3.4 29-05-2015
Brasserie La Saint-Pierre La Saint-Pierre Bière de Printemps de l’Oncle Hansi Simple malts, light orange, light bread. Soft sugary taste, boring. Uncle Hans is a boring man, I bet. (50cl bottle from Auchan Saint Cyr) 2.8 29-05-2015
Omnipollo Omnipollo Nebuchadnezzar IIPA Very full aroma. This one takes the ipa squared approach rather than the make everything barley wine heavy approach, and I like it. It certainly gives this beer lots of reasons to exist, as it’s quite special how the loads of zesty hops can be combined with a very full mouth feel. Amazing brew, again from Omnipollo! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière l 4.5 29-05-2015
Omnipollo Omnipollo Onda Mosaic Pale I lost touch a bit with Mosaic hops, but this brought me right back. Wow! So fresh and interesting. Lemony and citrus and fresh herbs yet layered with interesting stuff. Very drinkable and super summery. Great stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 29-05-2015
La Choulette La Choulette Wilfred Owen Amber malts, golden, glowing. Simple but warming body. Flimsy head, but still enjoyable somehow. Because of the alcohol I think. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 26-05-2015
Founders Brewing Company Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale Deep brown looks. Dank, resin, cereal, hay,dried fruit. Nice brew, very full body and lost if interesting layered aromas. Very high quality stuff! (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 26-05-2015
Brønhër Brew Brønhër Hop Clan in the Highmalts - Wee Heavy Copper body. Cross of a barley wine and an old ale. Herbal, tea, sticky malts. Very nice mouth feel. I much enjoyed this even though it’s not my favourite style. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 26-05-2015
La Choulette La Choulette Battle of Cambrai Sweet malts, industrial feel, sugary. Simplistic mouthfeel, only lifted a bit by the heavy carbonation. It’s okay but hopelessly old fashioned and overshadowed by virtually every craft beer that’s available nowadays. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.6 26-05-2015
Francis Vallée Le Bon Cru du Perche Cidre Bouché Fermier Dusty apples, some pear even, twigs and pot-pourri. Super dry mouthfeel, bone dry even. Yeasty ending, not so sweet. (75cl bottle from a épicerie in Tours) 3.5 26-05-2015
Brewfist Brewfist X-Ray Deep black body. Okay roasted aroma but not totally impressive. In fact it’s a bit dimmed, albeit layered. Watery mouth feel for the abv and style. And it shows in the taste too, not quite the power we are entitled to. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 26-05-2015
Brooklyn Brewery Post Road Pumpkin Ale Red copper body, bubbly head. Spices, brown malts. Smooth body, full enough at this abv. It’s far from my favourite style, but this is nice stuff. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 26-05-2015
Windswept Windswept Typhoon Underwhelming. I like the darker looks, but the aroma is not the deep brown ipa I hoped. More dimmed than it should. The palate is nice though, so still enjoyable for sure, but there’s more that I want. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 26-05-2015
Browar PINTA Pays Flamand / Pinta - Princesse du Printemps / Księżniczka Wiosny Sometimes I wonder how the hell I get some of this stuff. A French Polish colab?! Why not! The beer looks good, although it’s super foamy. Quite sweet, with sour and pale malt support. Sweetness is a bit too high but on the other hand if it’s interesting, more so than expected. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 25-05-2015
Coopers Brewery Coopers Best Extra Stout I did not expect much, but it a very well made stout actually. Looks are spot on with very dark body and creamy tanned head. Lots of roast, although admitedly a bit grainy. Certainly not sweet though. So yeah, a successful although very classicly styled stout. I enjoyed it. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 21-05-2015
Ilkley Brewery Ilkley Rye n’ Dry Copper body, creamy head, okay. Light aroma, herbal, bready, simple, light. Feels classic French and that’s not a compliment to be honest. Clean taste, vegetable, very dry, little hops. Not nice at all to be honest. Disappointing brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.7 19-05-2015
Windswept Windswept Tornado Surprisingly dark body (copper), but overall nice looking. Mixing amber and toasted malts with citrus hops. I think that’s not a match made in heaven but this brewer makes it work. Nice bitterness. Particularly great mouth feel, fairly smooth but certainly not boring and still fresh. Unexpectedly bit interesting brew. And I simply enjoyed drinking it a lot! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 19-05-2015
Tiny Rebel Tiny Rebel Dirty Stop Out Rye, smokey, roasted, herbal. Not very smoked, but nice enough, not everybody likes a smoke bomb like me. Nice drinkable body, solid stuff for the abv. Could use some more bitterness. But that’s just me. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 19-05-2015
Founders Brewing Company Founders Imperial Stout Thick black body, the darkest and most impressive I?ve seen in a long time. Super malty aroma both with fresh roast and more creamy chocolate milk. Pine and resin hops too, but it?s all about the thick body. Wow, what a mouthfeel, so impressive. A lot of ingredients, care and work in this recipe, that?s for sure. And it shows! Fuck barrel aging. This is beer! (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.6 18-05-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø Global Pale Ale (GPA) Pressure brew. Not only does this pack a huge hop flavour and surprisingly solid malts base, it also keeps things refreshing and within modest abv. Moreover, the beer keeps very interesting throughout the large bottle. Super modern and super satisfying. Yum! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 18-05-2015
CREW Republic Brewery CREW Republic Hop junkie (was: Detox) Quite yeast, rich enough hops. Ipa aroma at moderate abv. Perhaps a light body still, but I much en out it. The aftertaste suffers a bit. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 17-05-2015
Brewfist Brewfist Terminal Pale Ale Very light body, dry, hoppy but a bit unbalanced. I think they went too far here. It also, strangely, wasn’t so refreshing, which is the minimal one should expect. Perhaps this would be better on tap I have to say, as the carbonation was a bit annoying and in the way. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 16-05-2015
Founders Brewing Company Founders Dark Penance Imperial Black IPA Sure heavy black body, dense head. Huge hops and toasted malts, exactly how it should be and how I love it. It’s not too bitter either, all considering, which I think we’d a great choice with all these flavours around. You really get goodness from all sides. Impressive brew. Drank it way too fast. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 16-05-2015
Ouche Nanon Ouche Nanon Noire Dark brown body, beige head. Loads of licorice. Some rye, quite sweet. Taste is very sweet and a tat sourish too. Certainly not an English stout, but it has something for it. Different. Not stout like though, as there is very little roasted malt and certainly not very smooth or creamy. I did like it, just hard to amke sense of it. (33cl bottle from a biomarché in Tours) 3.4 14-05-2015
Les 3 Fourquets Les 3 Fourquets Lupulus HopEra Nice Belgian style ale. Bit drier than usual, although also less warming and less character. Nice and hazy looks, but a bit simple. Especially short ending. Bitter overall appeal. Enjoyable. (33cl bottle from Saveur Biere) 3.4 14-05-2015
Ouche Nanon Ouche Nanon Rousse Not sure what to make of this one. It is very vegetable, way beyond what I like in a beer. I applaud the effort of this brewer to make different styles, but this was is rather close to the normal French Rousse execpt the yeast isn’t fruity. And that is also what makes this beer fall apart, because with its heavy carbonation and vegetable aroma, only a Belgian style fruitiness could have saved it. And it didn’t. Meh. (33cl bottle from a biomarché in Tours) 2.6 14-05-2015
Uberach Uberach Le Klintz Brune A very boring brown ale, this one. Simplistic malts, English hops, too heavy carbonation. Watery mouth feel. Disappointing after the very pleasant Klintz Blonde. (50cl bottle from a biomarché in Tours) 2.7 13-05-2015
Ouche Nanon Ouche Nanon Blanche Golden body and lightly misty. It is on the one hand very Belgian wit like, with citrus, herbs, a touch of banana. But on the other hand they used Cascade hops... which are not found back at all! What a shame... The reason is not even (only) in the lack of hop character, but the ’secret plant’ they used to spice this beer is so damn dominant. It is very vegetable like and not nice at all! What a shame! Perhaps I should have put this under the spiced/herb/vegetable style instead. (33cl bottle from a biomarché in Tours) 2.7 13-05-2015
Ouche Nanon Ouche Nanon Ambrée I added this as dubbel as the intention was to create a abbey/trapist style beer and indeed it is a brown beer with loads of asters like expected in a dubbel. Not at all like most traditional French brewers. And it is also a really nice dubbel actually! Very dark fruity yeast, plums, fig compote, woody. Good warming body, really nice alcohol throughout. Perhaps a tat bit vegetable in the nose, but that disappears quickly while drinking. Lovely bitterness, much more than the typical small-town French beer producer. And perfect for the style. Honestly a huge surprise! (33cl bottle from a biomarché in Tours) 3.8 13-05-2015
Ouche Nanon Ouche Nanon Blonde I didn’t expect much from this one until I read the description on the brewer’s site. Dry hopped? Nice! Well... it’s all strictly in moderation then, because although I enjoyed this beer, it is not a modern craft hoppy kind of brew. It’s rather a typical French blonde done pretty well. It does leave room for more differently styled brews, which I belief they are going to make. Certainly worth a tick, especially with the modest price for a French bio beer. (33cl from biomarché in Tours) 3.2 13-05-2015
Uberach Uberach Sir Klintz Ambrée Bio Orange body, quite classic aroma. Still a bit rustic but not as much as the blonde. Refined but too mellow hopping. Malt bill is a bit simple for the style, could use some unfermentable sugars. (33cl bottle from biomarché in Tours) 3.3 12-05-2015
Uberach Uberach La Klintz Blonde Surprisingly cloudy, orange body. Smells quite strong while still a straightforward blonde. I like the delicate hops and heavy pale malt base. Quite thick for the style, lots of protein? Tasty straightforward malt body and moderate bitterness. I liked this much more than the ratings here on RB promised me. Much more farmy and characterful than expected. (33cl bottle from biomache in Tours) 3.6 12-05-2015
Brewfist Brewfist Green Petrol Great, great black looks. Very hoppy, dark malts, foresty, cheesy yeast. Bit rough but rich tasting. Very creamy drinkable palate, despite the active carbonation. This is really my style and it’s a good example on how black IPA isn’t just a hoppy stout or a dark coloured ipa. Yum! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 12-05-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø Asian Pale Ale Tea, grass, lime, and overall a green hoppy appeal. Which is great! Light body but it matches the abv. In fact, quite a good mouth feel for the alcohol. Not super bitter, and quite a string yet not so lasting carbonation. Tasty brew. The large Nogne O bottles are perfect for this kind of brew. Spring time! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 12-05-2015
Naparbier Naparbier Napar Pale Ale Bit underwhelming to be honest. Hops were too dusty and dark for my taste, even though the bottle was quite fresh. It does have a spot on palate, but it doesn’t quite help me finding this passable with all those amazing pale ales in the market. They can do better. Admittedly it’s a very decent introductory beer for new beer lovers. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 12-05-2015
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Sound Ball & Chain Barley wine looks, small frothy head. Smokey, band-aid. Lager fermentation, full mouth feel. Certainly a good between tradition and modern craft. I loved it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 11-05-2015
Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Sorachi Ace Very active carbonation, crisp body with light yet characterful fermentation. Spiced, lemony hops, very mineral. Refreshing even after drinking the whole body. Quite bitter and great looking. Yum! (75cl bottle at La Reserve Tours) 4.3 09-05-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø # 100 (Batch 100) Thick malts, Christmassy, brown ale like but heavier on the alcohol and hops. Rih taste, heat, sharp ending. Expected more freshness. On the other hand, it is a very long lasting beer. You can sip this for a night. Sharing is the key...(50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 08-05-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Drink’in The Snow Brown body and flisy head. Dusty dark malts, watery, herbal tea. Ehm, no. But its the taste that is worst. Like bitter cold tea with dishwashing water. And way bitter. Hopelessly failed experiment. Did somebody even try this before puttin it on the market? (Who am I kidding, of course not.) (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 1.9 08-05-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø Saison Réserve This should be a beer for me. Pours copper brown with stable creamy but grey head. Farmy, dusty, dank, cereal, herbal... Not quite as crisp or fresh as I hoped. Good, but not amazing. Taste is better, very Brett like, but misses lightness again. Lots of cold have been. It’s not what I hoped. (Bottle from Saveur Bière, quite expensive too) 3.5 08-05-2015
Beavertown Brewery Beavertown Holy Cowbell India Stout Holy cowbell this is a good beer. Black bodied and medium head. Not very full bodied, certainly the beer’s weakest point, but great toasted and dark malts. Modern hops. Very yummy even though the body is somewhat lacking for the abv and heavy malt base. Also love the packaging form and looks! (33cl can from Refector Northern Monk) 4.0 08-05-2015
Westbrook Brewing Westbrook Gose Yellow, very cloudy. Sour apple, lemon, white bread. Very tangy, citrus, crisp, salty, umami. Very nice and fresh, not too sour and even has some layered tastes. However, after half a glass I sort of had enough if the sourness. It’s probably my taste, but I’d take no more than a small glass next time. (33cl can from Beer City) 3.5 07-05-2015
Hop Valley Brewing Company Hop Valley Proxima India Pale Ale Super fresh and summery. Crisp citrus hops, very pale malts yet not boring at all, partly due to the fermentation that’s American typical clean but leaves a hint of character too. Well developed! This must be even more amazing on tap in the sun on a holiday. It’s also great to get in the spirit on a grey and rainy spring day. (Bottle from Beer City I think) 4.2 06-05-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø / La Chingoneria / Central Cervecera M.O.L.E. Thick black body and very stable brown head. Toffee, roasted coffee, luscious, delicious, herbal. Absolutely brilliant. Lrab. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 06-05-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø Gottes Hülfe in der Noth Black good looking beer. Malty, toasted, burned even. Light on the hops, which matches the light (for the aroma and abv) body, giving a predominantly malty appeal. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 05-05-2015
Kassatly Chtaura Beirut Beer Surprised that this wasn’t even on RateBeer yet, as it apparently has been around since 2014 now and I ’simply’ got one in a Libanese restaurant. Anyway, for the taste you don’t have to chase this. It is indeed, as intended, soft and crisp tasting. But so does water and this is dangerously close. Does have a bitter tang at the end, but the aroma is hopelessly industrial. ’dynamic and courageous’? ’optimistic and passionate’? Marketing bullshit. As expected. But it’s drinkable and an extra point for the moderate abv. (33cl bottle at La Bekaa Tours) 1.9 04-05-2015
Meteor Meteor Blanche Very yellow body and bubbly head. Simple wheat citrus malts and a clean yeast, bit really like Belgian wit actually. Simple taste, starting okay and fresh but very boring and watery if you drink a bottle. (25cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.6 04-05-2015
Ilkley Brewery Ilkley Siberia Golden and bubbly. Light sour but not funky, simple malts, neither spicy nor characterful to be honest. Especially the taste is straightforward and dull. The lack of hops should have been solved by a fruitiness or tartness, but I can find those here. (Bottle from Wine Rack Leeds) 3.0 02-05-2015
Alameda Brewing Co. Alameda Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA Very fragrant hop aroma with floral and grass and citrusy. Very bitter, active carbonation, further accentuating the crisp feel with the clean fermentation. Nice stuff. Not double ipa in terms of malts, but it is in taste power. And a heat from the alcohol too. A quite pale yet certainly imperial ipa, typical American stuff. (33cl can from Bière Révolution) 4.0 02-05-2015
Caldera Brewing Company Caldera Pale Ale Golden shiny body and very stable head. Good stuff, hoppy, super fresh. Light drinkable palate yet quite bitter, just how I like it. Typical American fermentation. Good stuff! (33cl can from Beer City) 4.0 02-05-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø Vic Abstract IPA I was disappointed by this one. Perhaps the hops are already dimmed but then the Brett should be more prominent. It was a quite fresh body after all. Quite heavy carbonation too. Feels unfinished. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 02-05-2015
Caldera Brewing Company Caldera Ashland Amber Ale Amber bodied and large head. Very drinkable body, very clean fermentation, toasty aromas and biscuit. Decent stuff but a bit too dry perhaps for the malt base. Resin and pine hops, but not quite enough for my taste. Does have a good bitterness level. (33cl can from Beer City) 3.5 02-05-2015
Meteor Meteor Ackerland Blonde Grainy golden malts, hint of toast maybe, some honey. Really boring, also because the hops are practically absent. Taste is as expected. Classic in the poor sense of the word. Just doesn’t keep up with the rich modern taste palate. This beer has won a patina medal apparently in the Mondiale de la Bière, but I can’t take any of that serious with such a beer... 2.3 01-05-2015
Nook Nook Oat Stout Almost black body and minimal head. Simple roasted malts, toasty, herbal. Quite moderate in aroma and taste compared to modern imperial stouts, but this isn’t imperial, only 5% and for that it’s pretty decent. (Bottle from Wine Rack Leeds) 3.6 01-05-2015
Caldera Brewing Company Caldera Pilot Rock Porter Dry cacao, molasses, hint of smoke. Medium body, cleanly fermented and I find that the weakest aspect of this beer. It misses some character because of that. However I love the malts that are used. (33cl bottle from Beer City) 3.8 01-05-2015
Founders Brewing Company Founders All Day IPA Light crisp ipa, typical American hops. Obviously not so full in body. I did enjoy it though but as it’s not really low abv I’d go with the normal ipa, as that has still lots more to offer. (33cl can from Beer City) 3.6 01-05-2015
Nómada Brewing Nómada Imperial Russian Stout Thick black body and large head, beautiful. But the aroma is much more dimmed than expected for such a strong and thick beer. Does have chocolate and roast plus some dark and classic hops, but it’s not quite as jumpy and alive as hoped. Taste is very smooth and does make up a bit, but still a bit subdued for the abv and expectation. A beginner’s imperial stout. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 30-04-2015
Meteor Meteor Bière de Printemps Copper body, very clear, no head. Tea, strangely citrusy, almost hoppy... Or spices ? Regardless, a much nicer aroma than expected. Sweet, tea like taste, watery and thin body, with that odd citrus floral note again. Not sure what this is, but if you wouldn’t know how real hops taste like this is quite nice. If... (25cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.1 29-04-2015
Meteor Meteor Lager Very pale golden, minimal head. Dull, grey malts. Grainy and cheap, super watery. Taste is super watery too. Quite a bit worse than their Pils, surprisingly. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 1.9 29-04-2015
Beavertown Brewery Beavertown Smog Rocket I love craft cans and this is not only a great beer, bit also a great looking can! Black bodied and medium head. Dry smoke, chocolate, cacao nips, rye bread. Herbal and modern hops. Great mouthfeel, really lifting up the full taste of dark malts and alive smoke. Brilliantly made! (33cl can from Refector Northern Monk) 4.2 29-04-2015
Founders Brewing Company Founders Centennial IPA Orange copper bodied with medium head. Dark hops, pine, spruce, resin, biscuit malts. Great bitterness, but a bit of alcohol too. (33cl bottle from Beer City) 3.9 28-04-2015
Nook Nook Nook’y Brown Ale Brown bodied, very faint head. Not very pleasant in aroma. Some spice and grainy. Thin body, light sweet. Much more boring than I hoped. (Pint bottle from Wine Rack Leeds) 3.2 28-04-2015
Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles La Rulles Blonde Blonde appearance, bubbly head. Light spice, Appley malts, simple Noble hops. Taste is less pronounced than hoped, too cleanly fermented for my taste. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 27-04-2015
Buxton Buxton Very Far Skyline Pretty much headless, light body. Citrus soda, lemon juice, melon. Fresh but not very beery. Same for the taste: niet but it prefer my beer to taste more beery. I generally enjoy Berliner Weisse, but this one isn?t sour enough to be complex or interesting. Very flat. Bit disappointing from Buxton. Still a very nice beer in general but this is one of my favourite breweries. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 26-04-2015
Familien-Brauhaus Leikeim Leikeim Original Steinbier Very cloudy orange body and unstable head. Banana, cereal, light spice, not quite as farmy as I hoped. Nice taste, good body. Had quite high hoped for this one actually, but not quite there. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 26-04-2015
Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) Paulaner Hefeweissbier Alkoholfrei Dark orange body and stable head. Full body, bit too artificial, very bready! Smells like a Hefe, yet less spicy banana bread and more white bread. Nice mouth feel actually, especially for the style. Perhaps unexpectedly one if the best non alcohol beers I’ve tasted. Almost as good as the Weihenstephaner one. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 26-04-2015
Fourpure Brewing Co. Fourpure IPA Super fresh, floral hops, green leaves, but also a great fermentation aroma. Juicy bitterness and awesome mouthfeel. Super summery yet full flavoured. Great beer, complex enough yet totally refreshing. Lovely abv fullness. Yum! (33cl bottle Refactor Northern Monk Leeds) 4.3 26-04-2015
Meteor Meteor Wendelinus Tenebris Light brown body, minimal head. Bready, simple malts, herbal, tea, boring. Taste is okay, bit boring and very little bitterness. Low carbonation, too clean. No fermentation aromas. It’s below par. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 25-04-2015
Meteor Meteor Wendelinus Intensia Golden body, boring looks. Seems aroma, not too industrial but very hopless. No-one can be proud of this. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.7 25-04-2015
Meteor Meteor Wendelinus Rossa Didn’t know what to expect, but still disappointed. I should have checked. Soda like aroma, strawberry lemonade. Ugh. Taste is at least a little beery, but that’s the best I can say. No bitterness, just carbonation. Okay the end has some dry feel that make it doable and not a drain pour. At less it was cheap. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.1 25-04-2015
Ilkley Brewery Ilkley Longhorn Very grey, brownish body, frothy head. Traditional malts, French feel actually. Light yeasty, original and different, but won’t appeal to everyone. Bit boozy but very different. I like it. (33cl bottle from Wine Rack Leeds) 3.5 25-04-2015
Meteor Meteor Pils Very clean body, solid head. Grainy and hopless, but it could be worse. German style more than mass European or American. Drinkable refreshing and bitter enough to be not too dull. Way to clean of course, but fair enough. (25cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 24-04-2015
Oakham Oakham Citra Grainy starts but luckily lots of citra hop aromas. Drinks better than the one sided aroma, with juicy bitterness and high drinkability due to the soft yet not boring yeast. Enjoyable but really simple starter. (Bottle from Wine Rack Leeds) 3.3 23-04-2015
Duvel Moortgat Duvel Tripel Hop 2015 (Equinox) Light bodied, large headed, but not very quite as large as a normal Duvel. Even dimmed a bit on the carbonation. Very lemony aroma, from juicy to cleaning agent, but it’s quite nice. It does fit the beer well. Nice soft bitterness and not overly crisp actually. I’d love to see some more darker, pine hops in some future version, after all these citrus fresh ones. Or English. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 23-04-2015
Beavertown Brewery Beavertown Neck Oil (2013- ) Pretty disgusting name... :-) Fresh hops, light and appealing. Super summery ! Light bitter yet crisp and still not boring. It’s hard to describe because that sounds boring yet is super tasty. Really full flavoured and fresh. The can is a superb packaging for a beer like this. Yes, very successful brew. (Can from Refactoring Northern Monk brewpub) 4.2 21-04-2015
Birradamare / Birrificio Ostiense Artigianale Birradamare Birra Roma Ambrata Light amber body and fizzy head. Apple, sweet pale malts, bit boring. Taste is better, more pronounced. (Odd find! Bottle at pizzeria next to Mont Parnasse) 3.3 21-04-2015
Birradamare / Birrificio Ostiense Artigianale Birradamare ’na Biretta Rossa Amber body and small head. Sweet malts, caramel, English hop, lager fermentation. Light sweet bock. Simple but not bad. (Odd find! Bottle at pizzeria next to Mont Parnasse) 3.3 21-04-2015
Theakston Theakston Best Bitter Very mild aroma, quite sweet and not complex. Yeast is dominant yet mild in manner. Traditional and quite dull. Especially the taste is more uninteresting than needed. (On cask at Leeds airport bar) 3.0 21-04-2015
Black Sheep Black Sheep Golden Sheep (Cask) Golden light hazy. Very moderate aroma, herbal hops, sweet pale malts. Taste is more expressive, more so than expected for the brewer and style. Nice bitterness. Good brew actually! (Cask at Leeds airport bar) 3.5 21-04-2015
BrewDog BrewDog IPA is Dead - Pioneer Light golden. Herbal, tea, barn. Some sweeter citrus notes. Interesting hop, certainly different. Would be good in a farmhouse style beer. (On tap at Brewdog Leeds) 3.6 19-04-2015
BrewDog BrewDog IPA is Dead - Chinook Golden colour, oddly. Pine, dimmed, single aroma, not complex. Typical pine hop but one trick pony on itself. Deep bitterness. Nice hop, but not just like that. (On tap at Brewdog Leeds) 3.4 19-04-2015
BrewDog BrewDog IPA is Dead - Ella Citric fruity, fresh, mineral. Reasonably bitter. Modern, interesting, even on its own. (On tap at Brewdog Leeds) 3.7 19-04-2015
Stringers Stringers Mutiny Double Stout Black, thick body. Tar, sweet candy sugar, simple, un cleanly fermented. Sweet, English yeast. Reminds me of a Belgian stout. Luscious but not refined at all. (33cl bottle from North Bar Leeds) 3.4 19-04-2015
Magic Rock Brewing Magic Rock Human Cannonball Very misty golden body, tapped with minimal head. Explosion of hops, citrus, grapefruit, lychee. Very well carbonated, cutting though a thick layer of bitterness. Super yummy and satisfying. (On tap at North Bar Leeds) 4.0 18-04-2015
XT Brewing XT 13 Pacific Red Ale Copper bodied and creamy head. Sweetness of red fruit, amber malts, English yeast. Interesting taste, very tea like, herbal. Quite tasty. Mixing new and old brewing, but I did enjoy it more than expected or my crude description might reveal. (On tap at the North Bar Leeds) 3.7 18-04-2015
Kirkstall Kirkstall North Prototype Golden, clean-ish, small head. Soft yeast, white bread. Herbal hops. Strong bitterness considering the aroma. Cask carbonation (or lack thereof). (On tap at the North Bar Leeds) 3.1 18-04-2015
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk Chennai Export Porter Almost black body, nice creamy head. Milk chocolate, rye bread, hoppy, hay. Really nice stuff. Light palate but tasteful, coffee, medium bitter, roasty. Good stuff. Bit watery for my personal taste perhaps, but I like the recipe. (Glass on tap at the brewery tap room on first Leeds visit) 3.6 18-04-2015
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk / Soul Rebel Peated Soul Murky brown, quite creamy. Certainly typical peated, but far from too much. In fact, it carries the character but drinks more like a brown ale. Light roasty toasty, English yeast character. Nice body, fitting the abv. No iodine, more bready and smokes sausage. (Glass on tap at the brewery tap room on first Leeds visit) 3.7 18-04-2015
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk New World IPA Typical American stable hops, just clean enough fermented. Some caramel malts. But watery for the abv, but I like the appeal. Simple stuff, but okay and a real mix between us and uk. (Glass on tap at the brewery tap room on first Leeds visit) 3.4 18-04-2015
Northern Monk Brew Co. Northern Monk True North Pale Ale Cloudy yellow body, creamy head. Very creamy palate, wheat, lemon cake, herbal tea. Nice bitterness, super drinkable. Hint of butter in the middle but I?d say it helps the body. Not very dry, but still refreshing. Interesting brew. (Glass on tap at the brewery tap room on first Leeds visit) 3.4 18-04-2015
Adnams Adnams / Magic Rock The Herbalist Golden and perhaps boring looks, but certainly no boring aroma or taste. Low abv characterful hopped beer, hay, light citrus, creamy. Medium bitter, very drinkable. My kind of brew! (On tap at Duck & Drake) 3.9 18-04-2015
Tapped Leeds Tapped / Kirkstall NZ Bitter Light brown. Amber malts, herbal hops, modern. Dry and bitter, astringent. Some sugar would have suited this beer, just for its style. Quite harsh. (On tap at Tapped during my first Leeds visit) 3.5 18-04-2015
Kirkstall Kirkstall Friends of Ham Hellkite Modern, lemony, melon, pale malts. Pale ale-y. Fizzy small carbonation. Modern and quite appealing. Fun beer! And tasty. (On tap at Friends of Ham during my first Leeds trip) 3.7 18-04-2015
BrewDog BrewDog Bourbon Baby Black bodied and small head. Bourbon, yes, vanilla, but not too strong. In fact not terribly full bodied but a dark niable stout with bourbon. Not exactly my kind of beer, bit interesting stuff with the lower abv. (On tap at Brewdog Leeds) 3.6 18-04-2015
Two Roses Two Roses Heron Porter Ruby brown body a few creamy head. Very bellow aroma, some bready malts perhaps. Extremely light. Not bad but I like to sell a beer. Taste is traditional too, light bitter, creamy. Really too mellow for me. Apparently there’s some alcohol in this, but I’d rather drink something that shows its backbone. Very creamy. That’s the best I can say. Oh and well crafted I think. It’s hard to say with so little flavour. (On tap at The Grove Inn during first Leeds visit) 2.8 18-04-2015
Carlsberg UK Tetleys Smoothflow / Extra Cold (Keg) Served with nitro, so very creamy in appearance. Yes watery. Light bitter, very light taste. It’s okay but unimaginative. Relatively thirst quenching. Smells like hardly anything. (At an Indian restaurant in Leeds) 3.1 18-04-2015
Celt Experience Celt Experience Coco Orange Paganism Black body. Medium bitter. Roasted, dry. Drinkable toasty body with well developed yet characterful yeast. Really nice actually! Well worth the abv. (On tap at Friends of Ham. I am a friend...) 4.0 17-04-2015
Atom Atom Prototype Sour B Raspberry Deep red body. Dark sweetness of perhaps blueberry and raspberry, along with amber malts. All well in moderation, mind you. Touches of spruce and tea. Not too expressive. Not sour at all. Perhaps a bit astringent. Meh. (Taster at Friends of Ham during my first Leeds visit) 3.4 17-04-2015
Atom Atom Prototype Sour B Cranberry Reddish brown and tapped with small head. Cranberry and chocolate. Some herbal notes and yeast, singing on a lower tone. Full flavoured but not thick or heavy at all. Not sour at all. In fact the aroma quite disappears after drinking it. More chocolate-like bitterness. It’s okay. (Taster at Friends of Ham during my first Leeds visit) 3.4 17-04-2015
Dieu du Ciel Dieu du Ciel Dernière Volonté Brettanomyces Golden body, small head. Quite funky, not just Brett here. Very Orval-like for sure and that’s a huge compliment. Taste is different though, more citrus, lower carbonation, almost salty aftertaste. Very nice but, yes really, a bit too young perhaps. Refreshing, dry enough, but undercarbonated do me personally. Layered and the aroma is bliss. (Bottle from trade with Papou, lots of thanks!) 4.2 15-04-2015
Dieu du Ciel Dieu du Ciel Solstice d’Hiver Réserve Spéciale (Oak Aged - Bourbon) Black body, not typical barley wine. And indeed more roasted, more like an imperial porter. Very nice though. Well aged and lots of bourbon sweetness, but it matches the beer. Excellent brew. Quite classic in appeal (that’s positive here). (Bottle traded with Papou) 4.0 14-04-2015
Microbrasserie Charlevoix / Le Saint Pub Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Saison Golden, fairly clean. Spiced, herbal, citrus. Refined malts, less hoppy and less funky than expected, but an honest saison. Drinkable heavy carbonation. Well developed, nice stuff. (75cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.7 13-04-2015
Mont-Blanc Mont-Blanc La Rousse Simple malts, faint aroma, herbal, tea, amber malts, bit of biscuit. Soft bitter taste, tea like. Not dull, so that’s nice, but still old fashioned and too simplistic. Especially the light palate makes this quite meh. (33cl bottle from Auchan Saint Cyr) 3.1 12-04-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Saint Petersburg Very dark, creamy head. Hard roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate, rye, dry, pecans. String bitterness, very full flavoured. Loads of roast over a body that is lighter than often in such heavy tasting imperial stouts, but certainly not watery. I like how it’s rich and still quite drinkable, also because of the high carbonation. Excellent brew, great quality. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 10-04-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Jaipur X Thin head over nice pale body. Citric, sharp, warming, pale malts, orange peel. Alcohol heat, very full taste. Lrab. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 09-04-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Jehanne Amber coloured, thin looks, small head. Grainy aroma, lager like fermentation, strangely, not as expected at all. Light on this hops. Nice biscuit malts but overall disappointing. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 08-04-2015
CREW Republic Brewery CREW Republic X 2.1 Barley Wine Brown body, medium head. Figs all around. Woody and sweet amber malts, foresty hops, hay. Solid taste, fairly bitter yet lots of alcoholic malts to balance. Not very refined but nice appeal. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 07-04-2015
Le Triangle Le Triangle Simone APA Wow, I’m impressed. The brewer/owner of this small new brewpub wasn’t quite happy yet with this beer... But I honestly hope he doesn’t change much. Okay, perhaps it’s quite a dirty looking beer, but I don’t mind. And in general it has all the positive qualities if a master homebrew. Crazy huge hops, freshness, unrestrained, appealing, citrus, tropical fruit and modern. Loads if character also from the Base malts, some amber and toast. Taste is strong bitter and hugely full bodied for the abv. Impressive. On the other hand, it has the fermentation qualities of a professional brewery, super dry and certainly saison like. Damn impressive brew. If anything that follows is of the same quality and interesting like this, I’ll have to go here all the time... (On tap at the brewpub) 4.1 05-04-2015
Birrificio del Ducato Birrificio del Ducato Violent Femme Fresh, crisp, light malts, flowers. Some farmy aromas but less rich that hoped. After La Triangle’s APA this was surprisingly dimmed, even though it’s not really. Good light bitterness. With more fermentation aromas this could be great. (On tap at Le Triangle Paris) 3.6 05-04-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Big Worster Barrel Aged Barley Wine Bourbon Edition Flat head, glowing body. Caramel, fermenting fruit, amber malts, biscuit, sweet cookies, cereal. Nice but a bit dimmed. Undoubtedly the barrel aging. This makes up in taste of course. Very strong, sharper than all that alcohol and sugars are promising. Bourbon treatment have some depth but took away a creaminess that I expect at this crazy abv. (Tasting glass at Brewberry Bar) 3.8 05-04-2015
Jack’s Abby Brewing Jack’s Abby Mass Rising Yellow hazy and large head, excellent condition. Crisp citric, fresh, some Appley malts. Dry fermented, yet perhaps not quite as layered as hoped. Clear like a lager should be. Tate starts odd, very light as somewhat astringent. Better towards the end with very crisp and carbonated yellow malts. (Tasting glass at Brewberry Bar) 3.7 05-04-2015
Against the Grain Brewery Against the Grain Citra Ass Down Very citric, fresh, grapefruit, light malts. Hugely refreshing. I was thirsty and finished the tiny glass in a minute or so. Yummy full bitterness. Great palate too. Nice! (Tasting glass at Brewberry Bar) 4.0 05-04-2015
L’Alchimiste L’Alchimiste Imperial Stout Super dark body and impressive head. Not quite as thick as I expected perhaps, but still very deep, coffee, tar, cacao, brown sugar, pine trees. Taste is a little lighter, but full nonetheless. End comes faster than hoped. Nice imply, perhaps a bit light in body, classic appeal. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 05-04-2015
Dark Horse Brewing Company Dark Horse Boffo Brown Ale Wow what happened there? I hope my bottle is bad. Rancid malts over the base butty malty body. Some pine and wood, but not aged. Taste is even more affected. Yuck! Considering how many ratings this already has I an safely add mine, in the hope that quality is either already high usually or gets improved. My bottle was bad, could not drink more than 2 sips. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 1.9 05-04-2015
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Storm & Regen Lots of hops, resin, grapefruit, biscuit malts, rounded off yet fairly powerful. Taste is (even) more pronounced, full, superbly double ipa style body. Nice warmth to this. Great stuff. Looks are dirty, and I like it. Sleazy beer for a hop loaded moment. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 05-04-2015
Amazon Beer Amazon Beer Forest Pilsen Simple pilsner, light grains, cereal, perhaps some caramel. Very light and quite dull. Not because the lack of hops but the lack of freshness. Flat looks and feel, as is the taste. Disappointing. (Bottle from Auchan Saint Cyr) 2.8 05-04-2015
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen White Witch Saison Cloudy body and bubbly body, perfect looks. Yummy fresh yet artisanal aroma. Full of yeast, citrus, orange, peppermint. Super fresh and very hoppy too. Full flavoured, artisanal feel to this (yes that sounds hollow but it’s hard to find a better word for it). Light funky even. Very dry and amazing mouth feel. Just bitter enough, although it leaves room for an imperial version. Great beer in a great style. So yes, yummy! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 03-04-2015
Rye River Brewing Company McGargles Gravy Maevy Pilsner Golden body, simple looks. Okay pilsner aroma, not very dry for the style, but light herbal and some leaves. Active carbonation, but of spice. A fine yet fairly simple pilsner. Not the last word in craft beer, but in a French supermarket... I won’t complain. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours) 2.9 02-04-2015
Rye River Brewing Company McGargles Granny Mary’s Red Ale Mahogany, small head. Simple malts, light toasty, hazelnut, hay. But watery. Taste is even more simple, little roast, almost clear fermentation, perhaps some biscuit. It’s biggest problem is expectations, as from a smallish brewery with traditional background I just expect much more. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours) 3.1 02-04-2015
Naparbier Naparbier Farmer’s Choice Golden cloudy body, tiny head. Herbal, spices even, soft sweet malts. Slightly acidic, but a bit thin. Doesn’t quite work in the taste, bit thin and for the abv I expected more layers. Especially in the fermentation aromas. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 02-04-2015
Black Wolf Black Wolf Valente Double Espresso Black body and small head. Odd aroma, treacle, sweet coffee liquor, tar and burned caramel. Taste is less expressive. Strange fermentation. Almost like licorice was added... I love licorice, but I didn’t expect this. Quite watery too. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours) 3.1 02-04-2015
Bourganel Bourganel Kesaco Golden, clean, bubbly. Simplistic malts, not too industrial though. Just plain and way underhopped. As expected I have to say. Light sweet body, boring too clean fermentation. Meh. Not totally devoid of character compared to a mass produced lager though. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours) 3.0 01-04-2015
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Groot & Sterk Huge beer in any sense. Black body with huge head. Huge aroma with smoked bacon like malts, deep roasted and thick. Really great any unique. Huge taste too, with a very roasted smoked start, slick mouth feel and huge appeal to it. The only thing not huge is the chilli, because while it’s certainly present, it’s not overdone. And I couldn’t be more happy about that because chilli typically ruins a beer. This stays in bound and the smoke overcomes the gap between beery malts and chilli heat. Yes, I am very happy to have tried this. Recommended! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 01-04-2015
Krönleins Bryggeri Motörhead Bastards Lager Golden, almost totally clear. Super watery, almost no aroma at all. Just a bit dusty. Super watery taste too. Not bad or metallic, just almost no taste at all. Might be drinkable at a metal concert, but I don’t care for it any way. But hey, a tick is a tick. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.0 01-04-2015
Ridgeway Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf Amber body and medium head. Sweet malts, sticky fruit, grapes, pine tree. Syrupy mouth feel, sweet Base and a bit short in the end for the abv. Sticky and sweet, just how I like my barley wine. Sure, you could add a lovely citrus hop layer, but it’s just fine as it is. Tasty and satisfying end if the night drink. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 31-03-2015
Adnams Adnams Tally-Ho Malty yet prototypical English appeal, certainly not too sweet. I enjoy the spicy hops and different fermentation aromas than most beers. Enough sweetness, tasty stuff. Enjoyable beer at modest abv for the style (nowadays). (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 30-03-2015
Kyodo Shoji Koedo Brewery Coedo Shikkoku Black Lager Almost black body and medium head. Interesting aroma, roasted, roasted whole wheat bread, dry, lager like yeast. Dry enough indeed and this makes a better than expected drink. Luckily enough dark malts too to give body. Enjoyed this more than I expected. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 30-03-2015
Greene King Greene King Yardbird (Bottle / Keg) Butter. Amber. Spicy hops. Bitter watery. Way too Buttery. Very dry, low Prickly carbonation. Did I say it’s full of butter again? (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 1.9 30-03-2015
Brasseurs du Nord Boréale Noire Dark to black body, stable head. Dry, toasted, burned bread, cereal. Too lightly hopped for my taste. Especially with its bubbly yet softly carbonated body. Okay stuff. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 30-03-2015
J. Boag & Son (Lion Co.) Boags Premium Lager Golden, very clear, nice good looking head. Watery, light bitter, slightest if yeast character. Low bitterness. Not bad actually for what it is. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 30-03-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Cocoa Wonderland Super chocolatey, dry roasted coffee, cacao. Well carbonated, drinking good though. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 30-03-2015
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Meneer de Uil (Isle of Arran BA) Very black and small head. Heavy roast, some iodine or smoke perhaps, thinning the Base beer down. Bit interesting stuff. Drinks well, but thinner than I hoped. Quite dry in fact. But mostly the body is too thin for the 11%. Taste is pretty good though still. . (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 29-03-2015
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Meneer de Uil (Bowmore BA) Black and good looking again. Typical iodine, woody and some cough drop. Over the base roast and licorice. Long roasted taste but enough sweetness to have this very drinkable for a stout. Not too thin despite the aging. Not my favourite from Het Uiltje, but that’s more my personal taste. Well made! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.8 29-03-2015
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Meneer de Uil (Mortlach BA) Black bodied and medium head. Roast, chocolate, rum like sweetness that makes it better than the super raw Isle of Arran version. Taste is more licorice than the others. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.8 29-03-2015
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck St. Louis Fond Tradition Kriek Lambic Dark red body, stable head. Blackberries, cherry compote, some sugar. Quite acidic, fruity, bit sharp. Good mouth filling carbonation, but not very complex. Drinks okay. (375ml bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 29-03-2015
Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock Glowing yet clean brown body and small yet stable head. Clean brown malts, biscuit and toast, nutty, herbal spicy hops. Really nice. Packs a huge amount of aroma for such a clean and moderate alcohol beer (for the style). Griany, roasty, unique. Prototypical lager yeast and really nice. Doesn’t need a thick body. Great autumn beer! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 28-03-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Sort Søndag (P6 Beat) Hmm interning. Black and small head. Black IPA like, yet really quite clean. BIPL? Anyway, hops are certainly there. Mosaic? Quite clean and although that makes it drinkable, I would enjoy some more body. Great taste though, really original actually and well done. Perhaps I need to make a black lager myself... (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.7 26-03-2015
John Smiths (Heineken UK) Newcastle Brown Ale Brown body and clean head. Very classic aroma, but not in the good sense I’m afraid. Grainy and simplistic, mass produced appeal. Taste is better, very drinkable and not without bitterness. 3.3 26-03-2015
Birra Amarcord Amarcord AMA Mora Black body and small head. Coffee, toast, nuts, cake. Strong bitterness, but still strangely good pairing with sweet desert. (Stylish 75cl bottle shared by and with Nico in Rennes) 3.7 26-03-2015
Omnipollo Omnipollo Magic #42 - Passion Fruit and Key Lime Wit Very pale body and white head. Super fresh aroma, bit too soda but also very appealing. Too little malts to honest but on a very hot day that might be nice. Spritzy wheat taste. Great aroma, great start, but too soda like and watery in palate. Fun experiment though! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 26-03-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Tzara Very much in style, classic grains and some Noble hop. Simple and very clean. Dry enough, soft bitter. Too carbonated though, could have been creamier. Also looses it’s head way too early. Still nice to start off the evening. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 26-03-2015
Buxton Buxton / Oedipus / Oproer Ring Your Mother 1832 XXXX Mild Glowing brown amber body and medium head. Rich amber malts, cereal, sticky fruit compote, resin hops. Taste is brilliant, heavy barley wine like, exactly what I wanted in this beer. Long bitter aftertaste. Dense and delicious. Nom nom nom. An excellent choice for my number 4000! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 25-03-2015
Buxton Buxton Red Raspberry Rye Flat, cloudy and dirty reddish brown. Malty yet raspberry galore. Not very concentrated though, a bit simple. Underdeveloped even. Fruity, sour, light. Fun beer but limited potential as I would only drink this with certain fruity deserts. Would have liked something more malty, but then again I’m no sourhead. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 24-03-2015
Buxton Buxton / To Øl Sky Mountain (Himmelbjerget Sour) Golden body, misty, headless. Soft refined malts, fruity funk, modern hops. Interesting, perhaps not quite for me. Taste is nicer, simple sourness, drinks easily. Enough sugars, but all in all not my beer. (33cl bottle Saveur Bière) 3.4 24-03-2015
Buxton Buxton Stronge Extra Stout Wow, Pitch black and hugely sense, dark brown head. As you usually only see at the strongest of imperial stouts . Extremely chocolatey, dark roasted coffee, tat of toffee, tat of dark hops. Super impressive stuff, even more so at this abv. One of the best selling stouts I?ve had, ever. String bitterness of roasted rye bread. Solid carbonation yet I kept in sipping and supping. So tasty. An impressive brew from Buxton, again. One of the best stouts I?ve had this year easily, perhaps even even. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.5 23-03-2015
Buxton Buxton Ace Edge Grapefruit, very ’green’, some resin. Super hoppy and fairly clear yet interesting fermentation. Very bitter, perhaps a bit too much, as it’s dry in the end as well. Characterful and not too clean, but sharp hop bitterness is perhaps refreshing yet a bit too much for a pint. Still, great smelling a nicely done ipa. Still sets a very high standard for other brewers! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 23-03-2015
Buxton Buxton The Living End (Islay) Super black and creamy head. Dark roast, enough sweetness, earthy and iodine. Taste is even more iodine than the aroma... Wat too much for me. It’s still a hugely well made beer, but for my taste the islay ruins the brew, as proven by the amazing bourbon variant. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 20-03-2015
Buxton Buxton The Living End (Bourbon Cask) Pitch black and great head, a real stunner. Huge aromas of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and buckets of hop to ’balance’. Taste is even more impressive, lovely developed, good sweetness to support all those heavy roasted and bitter tastes. Ending is long and surprisingly delicate. Full on imperial stout with lovely barrel aging, certainly not overdone. And not thin either. I suspect the large Base sweetness does the job. Great stuff, hugely satisfying. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.5 19-03-2015
Buxton Buxton Battle Horse Pitch black and great looking. Very heavy malts, burned toast, burned caramel, rough pine and spruce hops. It’s all quite sharp though and much more alcoholic than hoped. Bitter and roasted taste, alcohol, too little sugars. A bit disappointing, simple because it’s overdone. But it’s a Buxton beer so quality stuff nonetheless. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 18-03-2015
Buxton Buxton / Oersoep / Rooie Dop Grain and Grape Some great brewers collaborating here, so high expectations. Well, from the start it’s no ordinary beer. Dark looks, fruit and sourness are more typically Belgian but this is far from that. Rather it mixes stout, sour ale and traditional English ale styles. And to great effect! Red fruit and toasty aromas are countered with a punch of balsamic like sourness. Balanced is far from the right word, but it does make sense for the taste bud attack that this brew is after. No slacking from there on, with punchy taste, full sour and red fruit sugars only barely holding it together. Certainly get your money’s worth in terms of body and alcohol level. An impressive ale, where all kinds of tricks, twists and turns make your tasting experience very fulfilling and complete. This would blow away any food set next to it, but as a stand alone evening sipper I really enjoyed finishing the bottle. Not for the faint hearted! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 17-03-2015
Buxton Buxton Wolfscote Black body and no head at all. Watery feel to this too. Some toast, some vinegar, odd combo and also not very refined. Moderate yet sharp sourness over a toasted watery body. I don’t like this at all. It’s not bad and certainly a cool idea, but no, failed experiment. One of my least favourite Buxton beers for sure. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 16-03-2015
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Flaming Ass-Owl Deep brown body and very small head. Dimmed dusty aroma with earthy aromas next to some pine and already a hint of what’s to come. The taste doesn’t reveal anything, with brown rustic toasted aromas and an overdone burn. I generally am not a fan of chilli beers of used for anything but an edge, but the burn in the end is too much. I could finish it, but that’s about it. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 2.7 16-03-2015
Brouwerij ’t IJ ’t IJ / Marz Community Bridgeport Barley Wine Deep reddish brown body and super creamy head. Packed to the drop with dark hops, pine, grapefruit and loads of heavy malts. Certainly not too sweet, but concentrated and delicious. Tastes is the same story with so much flavour and complexity. A bit if aging would even further improve this. Superb beer, above expectation. Totally worth every sip of alcohol. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 16-03-2015
Gypsy Inc Gypsy Inc Tipsy Gypsy Golden body and bubbly head. Mild aroma, clean, orange, some grass hops. Delicate. Spritzy carbonation, drinkable body. Nice pilsner for sure! Could drink this by the pint. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 16-03-2015
Gypsy Inc Gypsy Inc Gyp Wit Blond misty body, big head, bubbly. Citrus, peppermint, wheat, light. Pretty nice. Very light crisp body with soft fruity hop bitterness. Short aftertaste. Nice fruitiness without being heavy or sweet. Very successful brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 15-03-2015
Brasserie Picardennes La Mascotte Noire Roasty malts, dry wood, Swartzbier like aromas. Little hops in the aroma, but certainly butter enough. Plus the roasted malts from the aroma that carry over to the well developed taste. Hits my buds just nicely. Dry ending,cacao. Really nice actually! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 12-03-2015
Celt Experience Celt Experience Celt Bleddyn 1075 (Bottle) Loads of modern hops, citrus, pine, grapefruit and quite grapes, mixed with a very English (not quite clean but dry) yeast. Very dry bitter body, string astringent ending. But drinkable and very much so for 7.6%! Not very balanced but I really like it. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 12-03-2015
Matten Matten - La Schwortz Black body and small head. Roasted but quite rounded off malts, not very heavy. Bit sweet but just to lift the low body, so bit watery. Drinks well, good palate. Nice drink, bit out if style (if you care about that). (Bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.7 12-03-2015
Matten Matten - PsaïkoDéclik Blond and cloudy. Simpler than I hoped, cereal, bit bready, dull hops. Disappointing. Drinks well enough though, fairly soft but easy going. Doesn’t bring much to the beery world,but I don’t mind drinking it. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles I think) 3.4 12-03-2015
Ouroboros Ouroboros Kerubim Amber body, cloudy, small lacing. Amber malts, biscuit, modern hops, rough fermentation. Nice. Quite homebrew feel to it, but I don’t mind. In fact it’s quite similar to my own oat amber... (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.5 11-03-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Chill Pils (Orange Juice) Oranges, grassy, not quite as hoppy as hoped. Quite clean and simplistic head. Crisp lager development, and indeed this makes it very drinkable. Never artificial despite the adjuncts used.) 33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.8 10-03-2015
PR Distribution La Kékette Blonde Aka Kékette Large. Artificial head, okay looks. Lemon scented cleaning agent. Annoying fizz. Cheap flavour, very mild bitter. Short ending, characterless. What a bullshit beer. It’s sold at 2,70 here in the supermarket and that just outrageous for the mass produced style swill you get. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours Nord) 1.8 10-03-2015
PR Distribution La Kékette Red Red to pink with artificial head. Fruity lemonade, white sugar, carbonation. Absolutely no beer aromas like malts or hops. Taste is not so astringent and artificial, but way too sweet and simplistic. Just fruity lemonade and sugar. Could not finish more than some sips. What a disgrace, especially at the supermarket price of 2,70 eur... Not worth a dime. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours Nord) 1.2 10-03-2015
L’Agrivoise L’Agrivoise P’tite Exilée Dark brown to black body, medium head. Very roasted an dry, with rye and spiced cookies mixed in. Aromatic and we’ll hopped. Not your typical stout as from England or the US, but rather a more charismatic and drier Belgian brown. I like it though! (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 4.0 09-03-2015
Celt Experience Celt Experience Celt Silures Modern hops, golden malts. Very nice development with typical English yeast feel (not sure it that’s actually used though) and fine mouth feel for such a moderate abv brew. Head was a bit unstable but not bad looking in the end. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière l 3.6 09-03-2015
Brasserie Picardennes La Mascotte Triple Murky golden brown body, glowing, minimal head. Very sweet malts, peach, lme, resin. Very sweet but I don’t mind. It’s strangely not sugary. Bit rough in mouth feel, home brew style, but again I just enjoy drinking it so a good score is justified, although not everyone would agree. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, I think) 3.7 09-03-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Drink’in the Sun 14 Exactly what I wanted right now. I was craving for hops without alcohol and this returned me precisely that. Mind you, it’s not just bitters, with a good wheaty mouth feel for such a small, low alcohol beer. Yes a fine summer beer! (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.5 09-03-2015
Boulevard Brewing Company (Duvel-Moortgat) Boulevard Smokestack Series: Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale Hugely tasty, dry, citrus, grapefruit, mouldy and fresh. Crisp yet fulfilling bitter, juicy mouth feel, drinkable. Spring ready. (Pint on tap at Berthom Tours) 4.1 07-03-2015
Brasserie Picardennes La Mascotte Double Reddish brown body, small nice head. Well developed aroma of woody, piney, amber malts, some burned toast. All in moderation but we’ll made. Taste is bitter enough too. Only the ending is too simple and short. But a very enjoyable brew. Especially for the style! (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution I think) 3.8 06-03-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge L’Eroica Britannia Pale golden body, bubbly head. Old fashioned hop approach, too clean malt bill. Very run of the mill. Too watery palate for the abv. It’s all of high quality, but of low excitement. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 05-03-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Henry Jagger Soft, modern hops, floral, some grapefruit. Watery palate, which shows in mouth feel and taste. Not very bitter either. Quite meh overall... And then I found out it’s only 2%... While that doesn’t change the taste, it does explain and I appreciate it much more. Nice attempt! (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.4 05-03-2015
Microbrasserie Charlevoix / Le Saint Pub Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Double Dark brown body, large head, looks amazing. Well developed, dark fruit like figs and prune. Pumpkin pie spices, crusty bread. Large amount of flavour, bit woody, barn, fruity, rustic, hay and bitter enough. Only in the end does the alcohol come to play. Quite dry actually too, in taste. Slightly undercarbonated. The best dubbel I have tasted in ages! It almost single handedly would convince me to drink those more often of even brew one... (50cl bottle from Bière Revolution) 4.2 04-03-2015
Stift Engelszell Trappistenbier-Brauerei Engelszell Nivard Jubiläumsbier Straightforward triple like aroma, yellow fruit, Belgian yeast, quite sweet, bit too vegetable. Drinks okay, softer than expected carbonation. Quite boring but well enough made. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 04-03-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Erik The Red Mahogany brown body and light tan head. Very hoppy, pine, floral, spruce, all the good stuff. Less malty than expected. Taste is different, but I enjoy it very much. Quite astringent but also lots of nice hop character and amber malts, biscuit, bit of caramel. Good one and quite unique. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 4.0 04-03-2015
Britt (Brasserie de Bretagne) Brasserie de Bretagne Sant Erwann Sweet yellow fruit, simple fermentation, not much character. Taste is punchy sweet, alcohol warmth, clean palate. Soft carbonation helps ligt this up a bit. Not so interesting but not bad and the soft palate makes this much nicer than expected or most Noël mass produced swill. (Large flip top bottle from Auchan Saint Cyr) 3.6 03-03-2015
Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Argentum Now I am not a fan of the original Tremens at all, but this is hardly a celebration, now is it? Grainy aroma, alcoholic (way more than the 7.8% it is) and generally a dimmed and poor appeal. Drinks akay, well carbonated, but not anything near an IPA or bitter. Even as a Belgian ale this is not bitter at all. Damn, I would even like the Tremens better than this... :( (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 02-03-2015
Omnipollo Omnipollo Zodiak IPA Yellow cloudy body and off white head. Hugely fresh, crisp aroma, reminds me of lychee, and those Asian lemons, whatever they are called. Clean enough (but not awfully dry) fermentation, hint of saltiness. Interesting brew and very quaffable. Summery, refreshing. If available and cheap this would be legendary, it’s a great beer to direct now still. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 4.2 01-03-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Yellow Gold Ironically more amber than golden body, large head, looks nice enough. Very dimmed aroma, eastern European or Noble hops? Lightly floral too. Good palate, nothing special perhaps but just nice. Bit of an astringent ending. It’s okay up don’t see much point in Mikkeller’s line-up why this was necessary. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.5 01-03-2015
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Pale Ale Simcoe A decent pale ale in this strangely short series of single hops. Fresh and clean enough, but simplistic and uncomplicated. It’s okay as a starter of the evening. In fact it’s pretty great for that! Slightly liked this Mosaic better, if I remember correctly. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 01-03-2015
Les 3 Fourquets Les 3 Fourquets Lupulus Organicus Pale yellow body, very cloudy and with stable bubbles. Wheat, citrus, floral hops, dough. Very nice development. Good stuff. Bitter enough, lots of taste per sip. Better than the rating here suggests. I certainly digged this beer and so did the others. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 01-03-2015
Mad Beer Mad Bitter Nice aroma, with amber malts and fresh hops, but not in your face, more rounded off than I thought it would be. Medium bitter, drinks well. Not mad at all! (75cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.8 01-03-2015
Mad Beer Mad Sød What an odd concept, but, even despite the super sweetness, much better than expected. Dark creamy body. Very sweet aroma with dark chocolate milk, caramel, spruce. Loads of toffee too, especially in the taste. (75cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.9 01-03-2015
Ouroboros Ouroboros Hopus Dei Moderate modern hops, orange and pear. Soft malts, golden, bit grainy. Or wheat. Soft mouth feel, very low carbonation. Straightforward taste though, could use a better development. And more carbonation. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 27-02-2015
Brasserie de Blaugies Blaugies Bière Darbyste Amber body, small head. Very yeasty, dough, funky aroma, lactic even. Full yet carbonated palate. Yum, very good, earthy, rustic. Very unique, only Fantôme comes close to this (in the good days). Great rustic, characterful brew. The reason classic Belgian beer has a historically great name. It’s not all sugar alcohol bubbles. (75cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 4.1 27-02-2015
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse White Label Barley Wine (Cognac BA) Not the best looking, but that’s about its only flaw. Wow! Rich sticky fruit, woody, liquor, toffee, compote. Wow . Very complex taste, sweet, luscious, full, sticky. Exactly how a barley wine should be and nine of that bourbon bullshit. Moar pleeze! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.5 27-02-2015
Flying Dog Brewery Flying Dog Easy IPA The name says it all, this is an easy going ipa. Moderate hop aroma, moderate bitterness. That’s bit bad at all though, nicely cleanly developed and very drinkable. Well chosen hops too. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 25-02-2015
Brasserie Dupont Triomfbier Vooruit Golden body, cloudy, dense head. Lightly smoked, golden malts, great yeast (I like to pour it all in), hay. Really nice mouth feel, smooth yet fresh too. Medium bitter, unique smoked feel for a Belgian ale. Must be the only smoked saison I have had. And really nice, kind of brew. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 24-02-2015
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Cognac Barrel Very unique beer. Brown body and small head. Sweet biscuit malts with spices and wood, some booze and dark fruit, burned caramel. Taste is strong, sweet, sharp hops, woody. This certainly won’t appeal to anybody and I also had to refocus at first, but the taste really grew on me. A sipper. Reminds me if the Canadian strong ales that are aged graciously by the Dieu du Ciel and alike. Spicy, chilli heat even. Very unique brew! (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 4.1 23-02-2015
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Nevermore Black bodied and medium tan head. Dry cacao, molasses, cognac, roasted bread, sticky blackberry compote. Not super full in palate, due to the aging probably. Ups and downs, but eventually not my type of imperial stout. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.5 23-02-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller Peter, Pale and Mary Golden cloudy body. Odd malt aroma, wheat and white bread, but dusty. Modern yet mildly hopped. Fairly strong bitterness. Not quite totally clean fermentation. Nice enough, but the aroma isn’t too interesting. (33cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.7 23-02-2015
Goutte d’Or Goutte d’Or Barbès #3 As described at #2 I think this is a great little concept. And a shame I missed #1. Regardless, this is distinctly different from #2 as it’s more lactic and more, much more, like a gose. Not as citric but it carries funk and fermentation aromas with a herbal, pot-pourri undertone. Drinkable, fatty mouth feel, due to the yeast, further helped with a very soft carbonation. Very interesting beer and, although certainly not perfect, I very much enjoyed tasting this. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.8 22-02-2015
Goutte d’Or Goutte d’Or Barbès #2 One of the most interesting experiments I’ve tasted from France so far. And I didn’t expect it from this brewer. Still, getting wild Parisian yeast in a bottle is cool. So unfortunately I missed the raw, original #1, so I’ll have to do with the lactose added brews. Certainly different. This one is quite herbal, sage like. Soft carbonation matches well and the body feels full enough. There’s very, very little hop backup which does bring out the natural malts and lacto qualities, but it looses some complexity. Therefore it feels a bit muddy. Fun beer though! (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.6 22-02-2015
Brasserie de Blaugies Blaugies La Moneuse Shining amber body with, depending in the amount of yeast poured, clear to misty body. Fruity aroma, more so than most beers nowadays called Saison. Also has farmy yeast, French bread, some darker grains. Quite a crisp body, helped by the heavy carbonation. I think this would age and improve greatly, as there’s not much hop but a superb body, rustic and full of potential. In all honestly it’s far from the collaboration they did with Hill Farmstead, but then again, that way my favourite beer of 2014. This is still great. (75cl bottle from Bière Révolution) 3.8 22-02-2015
Tri Martolod (SCOP) Tri Martolod Brune Fairly sour, very fruity, pain d’épice. Thin body for a brune, some alcohol. Do like the warming feel. More of a Christmas ale than a typical Belgian dark ale. Enjoyed this not industrial, but far from a modern micro. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.5 21-02-2015
Tri Martolod (SCOP) Tri Martolod Rousse Amber to brown body and small head. Hazelnut, spices, dough and leaves. Oddly nice. Taste in the same vein, with spices and nutty, some light caramel. Reminds me of Rogue Nut Brown Ale mixed with a classic French amber. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.4 21-02-2015
Tri Martolod (SCOP) Tri Martolod Blonde Golden body and unstable head. Soft sweet malts, apple. Hopless. Boring. Soft Belgian yeast. Simplistic, but okay. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.2 21-02-2015
Tri Martolod (SCOP) Tri Martolod Biére Blanche Misty golden body, frothy white head. Citrus from the wheat, classic hops, strong Belgian wit yeast. Nice classic French Blanche. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.5 21-02-2015
Corrézienne Corrézienne La Rouge AMber red body and very large head. Great looks. Toasted malts, light rye, light alcohol and modern hops (of the chinook kind, I think). Drinks very well, really my type of body, nice and amber and with lots of bitterness in the middle, without a harsh ending. Not for everyone perhaps, but I dig it. Not the most complex and certainly not the most clearly fermented, but I dig it. (33cl bottle from La Cave a Bulles) 3.9 21-02-2015
Corrézienne Corrézienne L’Ambrée Very murky brown body and hugely stable head. Raw malt aroma, woody, oat, wheat, English yeast. Saaz or something Noble. Taste starts rough, amateurish and a bit odd, but it recovers from the middle onwards. Very dirty mouth feel. Disappointing from this brewer, although it is a unique recipe, certainly for a French brewer. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.2 20-02-2015
Corrézienne Corrézienne HopHopHop ! - Amarillo Amber body, cloudy and stable yet a bit frothy head. Really nice orange and grapefruit hop aroma. Typical amarillo and not too simple, partly due to the amber malts for sure. Well and the great hop variety of course. Slightly sharp ending, strangely. Really nice brew. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.8 20-02-2015
To Øl To Øl Sort Mælk Very black body, thick head. Lactose sweetness, dark roasted malts, chocolate. Aging is certainly there but not overdone, hurray! Partly because a milk stout starts of eight a thick oily and (often too) rich sweetness, so it can spare loosing some body. So the end result is surprisingly balanced considering the heavy flavours and treatments this beer has had. Biggest gripe is that it’s very expensive and you also (or me at least) wouldn’t want to drink a whole bottle by myself. (Bottle at Le Gambrinus Tours, shared with Darren) 4.0 20-02-2015
Naparbier Naparbier Aker Cloudy body and small head. Hugely hoppy and fresh aroma, impressive stuff. Nice malt underpinning too, Absolutely great. Crisp fermentation, not quite as Americans but close and it does perhaps give a better mouthfeel too. Indeed the palate is wonderful. Not for the hottest day if the year, but certainly for the rest of it. Super hop aroma, kick ass brew. (Bottle at Gambrinus Tours) 4.2 20-02-2015
Royal Unibrew Faxe Premium Very bubbly, no foam. Looks like apple cider. Grainy, some hops. Not totally horrible. And hilarious 1l can. (Oversized can shared by and with Ori at Fontainebleau) 2.8 19-02-2015
WAF WAF - Habemus Paname Quite dark amber and teint head. Intersting hop aroma actually, with Chinook I think or Tomahawk. Quite piney yet fresh and distinctively modern hop. Really nice amber malt backup too. Really nice actually! Not quite American cleanliness, but that’s not necessary. Rather this has a light body with roasty tones and start-to-finish foresty hop bitterness. Wow, I did not expect this, it drinks great and is different form what is on the market today already. Quite an achievement. Hope this brewers get their own place and start making much more cool brews. (33cl bottle from La Moustache Blanche) 4.1 18-02-2015
Get Radical Get Radical Feathers of Angels Light golden body and small head due to the very low carbonation. We’ll see how the bottles develop, but carbonation is very low -- not that I mind to be honest! Interesting aroma with light fresh fruits. I wouldn’t have guessed, but knowing that guava juice was used it is surprisingly clearly there. And it works great! Good amount of light spring-time hops. Typical (well developed and dry) Mont Salève style fermentation. Will certainly get a bottle or two when those are released too. I really liked this one. (Sample from tap at La Cave à Bulles, thanks guys!) 3.9 18-02-2015
Les Brasseurs du Sornin Sornin La Baie des Loups Big puff when opening Immediately has strong fruity aroma, from both yeast and berries. Very good looking red glowing body. Only the head is a bit uneven. Funky berry aroma, bit of bubblegum, very light malts and mostly hopless. Taste is too sweet for my taste, almost aspartan-like. A shame. Perhaps artificially carbonated, because it doesn’t seem to fit the body at all. Odd experience in the end. Started out very nice but the body really misses any appeal. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 2.9 18-02-2015
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata Black Storms Almost black and light tan head. Dark malts, toasty, cereal mixed in with piney and floral hops. Good mix, well chosen and the fermentation is nice and clean too. Taste is interesting, not quite as chocolatey as I like my ipa’s and a bit too acidic too. Feels a bit alcoholic and herbal potipouri like. Hmmm not quite matching my personal taste in black ipa’s. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 17-02-2015
la Brasserie Gaillarde Gaillarde Kiclac Marketed as Pale Ale. Sweet aroma, yellow fruit, sweaty malts, Belgian yeast. Funky in a poor mans way. Dry hopped? With 1 cone? Sour, clearly infected. Blegh. Not sure what to say... overcarbonated, infected, badly fermented. Horrible mess. The shop owner warned me and I should have listened. (33cl bottle from La Moustache Blanche) 1.5 17-02-2015
Brasserie des Temps Modernes Temps Modernes Blonde Populaire Marketed as Pale Ale with French hops. Grassy and foresty hops in the aroma, with only a very light malt backup. The taste is more expressive yet very easy going. A croud pleaser. It does carry some bitterness and I’d obviously take this any day over the mainstream mass-produced offers that are still (and for some time still) the norm. But the storm of the brewers only offers hope, even when this particular example isn’t yet the bees knees. The fermentation could realyl be cleaner and carbonation is too high. Up the dry hopping and you got yourself a great, friendly brew. The malt and hop choice is fine already. (33cl bottle from La Moustache Blanche) 3.3 17-02-2015
la Brasserie Gaillarde Gaillarde Triple Fairly foamy body. Sweet malts, light toast, red apple, very fruity fermentation and some classic spices (cinnamon, clove). Very sweet body, very fruity, low bitterness, especially the end. It’s a mediocre Belgian style tripel. I suggest trying something else instead. Certainly not modern. (33cl from La Moustache Blanche) 3.0 17-02-2015
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata La Tremenda Very cloudy amber brown body. Dark, amber malts with burned caramel, fermenting fruit, sticky jam, peachy hops, mango. Barley Wine taste, concentrated, English yeast character. Tat bit high in alcohol. Good brew from this for me, totally unknown brewer. Curious for more! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 17-02-2015
Buxton Buxton Jacob’s Ladder Light golden body, quite clear. Very citrusy, hoppy, thin. I would have liked done amber or toasty malts, to help lift the low abv body. Stays a bit too thin for me now. I know it’s not easy but it’s possible. Bitterness is great though and it’s, as expected of the highest quality. Great little beer, could be even better. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 17-02-2015
Buxton Buxton / Arizona Wilderness Dragon Tips Yet another amazing brew from an amazing brewery. Rich chocolate, doesn’t need 10%+ alcohol. Full of modern pine and spruce hops, plus a rich, almost fatty chocolate and smoky body. Absolutely not overdone, just luscious goodness. Soft carbonation. Superb beer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 16-02-2015
Bear Republic Brewing Company Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale Red body, cloudy, really nice. Full aroma, hoppy, pine, caramel and biscuit hops, concentrated fruit, modern. Rich, very rich flavour for the abv, almost barley wine levels. Lovely mouth feel too. Impressive brew, American and modern as I hoped and it really delivered on packing punch per sip. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 15-02-2015
Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Blast! Glowing golden body, bit too clean for my taste. Grainy malts, golden biscuity tones, not very hoppy actually. Modern but dead. Not sure if this arrived as it was intended. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 15-02-2015
Adnams Adnams Jack Brand Crystal Rye IPA Not super hoppy, perhaps not fresh? Hard to tell. Does have a nice red malt body. Hay, light Breda but clean fermentation, not English or something. Drinks well, not alcoholic at all. Nice brew but with really fresh hops this would have been great. Would like to retry. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 14-02-2015
Cerveses La Pirata La Pirata Black Block Very black and large head. Looking great! Lots of toffee, floral. Pot-pourrie, iyou know, those dried flowers from your grandma’s toilet. Rich flavou.In the end this drink quite well. Great effort, pretty darn good first beer if you start a new brewery. (33cl bottle from Saveur Biere) 4.0 12-02-2015
Mikkeller Mikkeller / To Øl Underall Mosaic Hazy golden body, large head. Very hoppy aromas, melon, mineral, floral. The malts and just barely enough to balance. Unfortunately the taste is too thin with this hop, I remember the Polaris to be better. Very soft bitterness. Overall (underall?) it’s okay bit really missed body. The low fermentation doesn’t always work out... (Unless I’m mistaken and it high fermentation, in which case shame on me.) 3.4 12-02-2015
Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Prairie Ale Citric, pine apple, crisp, yellow sugar, hay. Really nice, bit eccentric. Very balanced between bitterness, sweet and sours. Oozes quality. Great drink, especially in a small sipping quantity. (2 125ml glass at Brewberry Bar) 4.0 12-02-2015
To Øl To Øl Yeastus Christus Named Wild Yeast IPA here, for whatever it is. Mineral hops, Mosaic like. Wild years, yes, bit eggy (in a good way, mind you), hay, citric, very nice. Very unique in fact. Light taste, salty, crisp yet ale like. I love this kind of aroma. And the tats is pretty great too! (125ml glass at Brewberry the Brewberry Bar) 4.1 12-02-2015
Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie / Evil Twin Bible Belt Hugely chocolate, like milk chocolate covered... everything. Okay, some raisin as well perhaps. Bit sweet at the start, modern bitters, and more chocolate. Oh my this review is a bit one sided, innit? Okay, so there’s alcohol too, in the end. Damn yummy, but yeah, too much alcohol heat in the end, even though I generally like that. (125ml glass at Brewberry the Brewberry Bar) 3.8 12-02-2015
To Øl To Øl Liquid Confidence Black as the night, brown head as... Let’s say wood. Creamy, sourdough bread, chocolate. Very nice aroma. Taste is certainly too sour though. I see how this might appeal many, but not me. Quite a bit of heat in the end but about the first time ever I don’t hate that. That’s quite an achievement. Like making an amazing pop song. Still merely okay, but quite a feat. (125ml glass at Brewberry the Brewberry Bar) 3.4 12-02-2015
To Øl To Øl Brewberry No. 3 Hugely hoppy, mango, melon, lychee, Vienna malts. Balanced bitter yet alcoholic in the end. Warming body, even served at this low temperature. Due to that alcohol the body feels a tat bit thin, but I still enjoying it much. Mostly the aroma is stunning, though. (125ml glass at Brewberry) 3.8 12-02-2015
Nómada Brewing Nómada Tundra Quite disappointing. Golden body and stable head. Looks nice. Aroma a bit spicy. Totally not what I expected and although the quality is on par, I’m not super excited by this. (33cl bottle from Saveur) 3.2 12-02-2015
Buxton Buxton / To Øl Collaboration Carnage (Samarbejds Ødelæggelse) 2014 Ref malts, red fruit, pine hops Christmas tree in a glass. Not quite as smooth as hoped, with sharper bitterness and carbonation than could be. Do enjoy the full aroma though. Nice brew but from these brewers it could have been better. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 11-02-2015
Buxton Buxton / To Øl Collateral Carnage Brown body and frothy head. Concentrated sweet malts, donating over the clean fermentation. Loads of hops to balance, for the lack of a better word considering the huge flavours. Strong sweetness as well as flowery bitters. Full of richness, lovely! Very much enjoyed this, despite the sugary body. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 10-02-2015
Brasserie Dunham Dunham Imperial Black IPA Who the hell uses twist-off tops for 8.6% an IBIPA? Anyway... Black as the night, lovely build brew. Great hop aroma, both pine and earthy as well as more citrus flavours. Certianly malty though, with roast and some chocolate. The real highlight of this brew is the taste though, a real explosion and just up my alley! Roast, strong bitterness, heating up in the alcoholic ending. Punchy, even for the abv. Great mouth feel, not cloying at all, partly due to the active bubbly carbonation. Very yummy indeed. I am in love with this style, and this is one of the best I’ve had. (Freshly traded with _Papou_, many thanks!) 4.3 10-02-2015
Castelain Castelain Ch’ti de Noël Dorée Golden body and small head. Ale fruity yeast yet clean, simple light spice. Drinkable, not bad. Subjectively not great, but I personally actually enjoyed it much, given for what it is. (Bottle from Auchan Saint Cyr sur Loire) 3.4 09-02-2015
De Noord-Hollandse Bierbrouwerij Noord-Hollands Lentebock Clean fermentation, simple caramel malts. Not very spring like at all, too dark. As a general beer it’s also very flat tasting, bit sugary. Boring. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.1 09-02-2015
Buxton Buxton / Evil Twin Come Again What a nifty idea. Properly hopped aroma, with floral and fresh, green notes. Already a hint of the sourness, but it’s not until the first sips that you get this crazy sour vs hop sensation. It didn’t look too interesting, but from nose to the juicy sour bite, I really enjoyed this. Only the malt taste is a bit flat. Fun idea and good execution. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 09-02-2015
Buxton Buxton / Evil Twin Anglo Mania Heavy concentrated malts, only slightly caramel, mostly thick sugar and cereal. Orange Marmalade, lots of it. British fermentation, perfectly developed. Amazing amount of flavour packed into every sip. Absolutely proof that you don?t need barrel aging or crazy ingredients to make a stunning and complex beer (although they aren?t mutually exclusive of course). Lovely sweetness and alcohol heat in the end. Yummy to the last drop. Two of my favourite breweries, one memorable brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 09-02-2015
Siren Siren Shattered Dream Very dark body, brown thick head, amazing looks. Loads of chocolate, toast, tar, spruce and more chocolate. Taste is great too, but not as complex or rich as the aroma. special beer, very modern and Flavourful. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Darren) 3.8 07-02-2015
Nómada Brewing Nómada Royal Porter Amazing looks, thick black body. Luscious curved malts. Dark caramel, clean fermentation, oily structure. Ending is charcoal like. Interesting porter. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Darren) 3.9 07-02-2015
Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles La Rulles Cuvée Meilleurs Voeux Dark amber body, oily looks. Interesting spice, earthy type aroma. Not as sweet as expected, more of an English feel to it. Bière de Garde style fermentation. Interesting brew, original and quite nice too. Not so alcoholic. (75cl bottle from Saveur Bière, shared with Darren) 3.8 07-02-2015
Caldera Brewing Company Caldera IPA Sharp hops, green, citric, but not light, shine of alcohol. Classic American, especially in development. Straightforward bitterness, drinkable and tasty but not too refined. Thin ending, but nice brew. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 3.7 07-02-2015
Dieu du Ciel Dieu du Ciel / The Alchemist Moralité Amber hazy body. Delicious aroma of strong hops, caramel malts, more hops, tropical fruit, springtime air, more hops. Super juicy. Super delicious. Stunning. Certainly one of the best IPA’s I’ve ever had. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 06-02-2015
De Noord-Hollandse Bierbrouwerij Noord-Hollands Stout Very bubbly dark tan head, very black, rough body. Loads of licorice, smoke even, hard toast aromas. Quite interesting actually! Rough feel to it but I strangely enjoy this. Bitter and toasty, fairly cleanly fermented. Endlessly better than expected! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.0 06-02-2015
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin I Love You With My Stout UPDATED: FEB 5, 2015 Pitch black, creamy tan head. Very sweet, chocolate, nutty, almond, floral hop backup. Very sweet taste, alcohol, thick mouthfeel. Super low carbonation, further accentuating the sweet thick body. It?s a way too sticky for me, but I still enjoy it. Must have a thousand calories per bottle. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 04-02-2015
Brasserie Saint Germain (Page 24) Saint Germain Page 24 Black Edition Barley Wine Amber dark body and slim head only. Damp, earthy, worty, fermenting fruit, sticky, caramel,even butterscotch (in a good way). Full flavoured, amber malts. Another nice beer, quality stuff, in this Black Series. (Flip top bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 04-02-2015
Brasserie Sainte Hélène Sainte Hélène Gypsy Rose Big gusher. Super cloudy, amber. Left only a bit to taste... Which is underdeveloped and although still dry it is clearly not ready. Typical tripel aromas but taste is more bitter, modern. It’s okay but clearly not ready. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.2 04-02-2015
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Flying Monkeys Smashbomb Atomic IPA Amber body and nice looks. Biscuit and amber malts, layered. Hops have been lots already I’m afraid, even though I tried to drink it fresh. No date on the bottle but it is supposed to be fresh. Taste is nice though, American style clean fermentation. Nice enough, not too bitter. But can’t reach the quality of the ’almost pale ale’. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 04-02-2015
Brasserie Sainte Hélène Sainte Hélène Simcoe Lager Clearly low fermentation aromas, metallic and clean. Dry hop, zesty. Typical hop which works really well with the low fermentation, although it’s really mineral, to the point it’s a bit hard to find the fullness. Luckily not too bitter. Cool beer, well done. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 04-02-2015
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion Almost Pale Ale One of the best looking beers I’ve seen in a while, very stable head, creamy, red glowing. This translates to a great smooth body, mouth feel that is so creamy it’s almost not a pale ale any more. Certainly not pale are the used malts, rather biscuit, toasty and caramel. Very nice indeed. Hop aroma is perhaps somewhat dimmed, helped by the darker hop varieties used which are piney rather than floral, but the taste gets back with a lovely bitterness and long dry ending. Prototypical American fermentation, great and not (too) clean as it’s far from boring. I really enjoyed this beer, very well made and great recipe. Not necessarily extreme, but super smooth and tasty. Yum! (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 04-02-2015
Brasserie Saint Germain (Page 24) Saint Germain Page 24 Black Edition Double IPA Spot on looks, super appealing with its frothy creamy head and glowing body. Okay the aroma is decent but not anywhere as hoppy as a real American big imperial ipa. Much more orange compote than flowery hops. However still decent in its own right taste is certainly hoppy though and really nice actually, full of bitterness, grapefruit juices, balancing sweetness, layered and good clean enough fermentation. I really enjoyed this, despite the somewhat dimmed hop aroma. (Flip top bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 02-02-2015
BrewDog BrewDog / Weihenstephan India Pale Weizen Almost pale, small head. Spicy but not particularly Hefe like. I do enjoy the spritzy carbonation, which the yeast and sharp hops greatly accentuate. Nice bitterness, the ending makes this beer. Enjoyable after all, although the aroma still doesn’t convince. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 02-02-2015
Birra del Borgo (AB InBev) Birra del Borgo Stelle & Strisce Really cloudy golden amber body and stable head. Lively aroma, spring time in a glass. Saison yeast, fresh hops, light zesty and citrus aroma, great, great malt base. Wow! Funky, bitter, characterful fermentation, almost Brett like. Orval meets American Pale Ale meets Italian balance. I’m utterly impressed! (Beautiful little bottle, from Saveur Bière) 4.5 02-02-2015
Brasserie Artisanale Millevertus Millevertus Douce Vertus Bière de Noël (2011- ) Brown bodied, small head. Brown malts and shoes, sourdough, wintery. Surprisingly sour tasting, but really nice. Easier drinkable than the taste complexity makes it look like. Had 3 pints, nice stuff. (On tap at Le Strapontin) 3.8 01-02-2015
Charles Wells (Marston’s) Young’s Special London Ale A strong ale of 6%... Only in the UK! ?? Anyway it feels distinctly un-British. Sweaty malts, pale, yellow fruit. Active carbonation, not very complex. Nice but hopelessly old fashioned in the modern craft beer world. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 31-01-2015
Cervecería Mexicana (Grupo Modelo) Red Pig Mexican Ale Amber body and small grey head. Simple clean appeal, lightly spiced, red malts, cereal, some marmelade. Clean taste, very watery, not very good. It’s certainly drinkable but not very craft. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.9 31-01-2015
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Flying Monkeys Stereo Vision Golden to brown body and stable head. Simple malts, light amber, freshly baked bread, clean. Soft bitter, decent ending. It’s okay. Always been an odd style. Couldn’t say it’s typical or not, just a light toasted beer and clean palate. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 31-01-2015
De Noord-Hollandse Bierbrouwerij Noord Hollands Gerstebier Strange description, bit well... A golden body with frothy head. Yeasty aroma, very grainy and a bit undeveloped really, very mineral like too. Luckily this event out later on. The taste, on the other hand, is too simplistic and non layered. Not bad at all and the style doesn’t give much wiggling room, but it can’t impress me much. Just a personal opinion. Oh and ditch the prevention label text, it’s just a Belgian style ale. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 30-01-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø Tiger Tripel Spot on looks for the style. Layered malt bill, both caramel and pale plus some toast. Very balanced. Added some classic hops as works just really well. Spiced but in modération, as it should. Taste is on the bitter side for the style, but that lifts it up to be a bit more interesting. Great example from a style that the Belgian already perfected long ago, and then some. This beer therefore wasn’t exactly needed, but is great nonetheless. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 30-01-2015
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Smoking Pils Blond body, clearer than expected, with off white head. Quite bubbly but despite this a nice mouth feel. Not overly smoked, keeping the pilsner character and lighter drinkability. Well hopped but classically rather than citrusy, which is a great choice. Wed really enjoyable with my lasagna. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 29-01-2015
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø / Terrapin Imperial Rye Porter Black body, luscious rich, inviting and special. Lovely soft dark malt aroma, like quality sourdough loaf, rich milk chocolate, pine trees, damp forest and sweet rye bread. Mouth filling, dark sweetness, enough hop backup. Very fulfilling and of the highest standards. Absolutely gorgeous beer. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.4 29-01-2015
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Bea Deep brown to black body and large nice head, beautiful. Rye, dry, cookies, citrus hops, very rich and really my kind of thing. Luscious body for the abv, full of complex flavours and still drinkable. Yum, I love this stuff. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.2 28-01-2015
Thornbridge Thornbridge Charlie Brown Red brown body with nice head. Very good mouth feel, smooth and refreshing, especially given the style. Nutty and pumpkin aroma, classically English hopped. Biscuit malts, it’s okay. More mellow taste than I hoped. Peanut? If they say so. It is indeed nutty but you can have that from just the malts. Not a fan of this one, but from this brewer that’s a rarity. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 27-01-2015
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Gozer Oak Aged Black bodied and medium head. Roasted malts, chocolate, luscious, deep sweetness and bitter chocolate. Very balanced, yet full flavour. Excellent hop and dark malt mix. Not too aged, still full of life. Dark and creepy life, that is. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.2 26-01-2015
Ridgeway Ridgeway Insanely Bad Elf Reddish brown body and very small head. Very punchy, strong fermentation aromas, fruits, concentrated sugar. Very sweet, luscious, delicious too. Overdone and I an loving it. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 26-01-2015
Ramses Bier Ramses Bier The Lucky 7 - Betty Wang I love the story of this beer. Strong yet not necessarily rich hop aroma, enough balancing malts. Tasty bitterness, bit underdeveloped though, like it to be drier. Happy to support all these brewers! And nice brew too. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.8 26-01-2015
Cervecera Artesana Del Duero La Real Blonde Simple appeal, golden malts, some amber, classic hops. Too rough, amateurish. Light bitter, hay, simple. It’s okay at best. Too little sweetness. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.4 26-01-2015
Bières Cauwe Pils Cauwe Great looks, not too clean. Aroma is poor, vegetable. Taste is quite nice though. Underhopped but friendly and pleasing ending. Enjoyed drinking this. Simple carbonation and appeal but not bad at all, don’t understand the bashing ratings here. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 2.9 25-01-2015
Spierbier Spierbier inSPIERatie Honey golden body and flimsy head. Odd malty aroma, grainy, dusty, fermenting, underdeveloped. Hopless and wrong. Just off putting. Taste is the same. No thanks.... (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 2.1 25-01-2015
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Venice Traditional Saison The biggest gusher I’ve ever had. Literally only 2 sips left in the bottle. Thank God I opened this in the kitchen on a clear counter. Beer revealed as being totally underdeveloped, overripe fruit, rough malts. Why the hell did they bottle this. Absolutely a disgrace this is produced and untested. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 1.5 24-01-2015
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Gozer Pitch black body and stable head. Great looks. Super rich aroma, full of toffee and coffee, chocolate covered dried raisins! Bit of booze and some blueberry. Warming, glowing palate, balanced lift toasted malts, bitter ending. Great, great beer. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.0 23-01-2015
Brouwerij de Leckere De Leckere Naughty Stout Black bodied, creamy tan head, small. Soft dark aroma, Belgian notes, brown bread, crackers. Not very rich but not bad at all for a non-imperial stout. Prickly carbonation is a bit annoying but there is, on the other hand, a decent body for 6% abv. Nice stout. Reasonably bitter too. I feel people rate this beer a bit too much for who the brewers are... (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 23-01-2015
Witte Klavervier Klavervier HopJumper Golden misty body, good head. Undermalted like a mid sized Belgian brewery, underhopped too although the choice of hops is nice. Bit simplistic sugary, almost honey. Not bitter enough at first, but the ending is interesting with a too thin yet original tasting rawness. Rye bread but without the darkness. Herbal like aftertaste. Soft carbonation is active in the mouth and further makes this a tough beer to love, yet one that’s not your average so plus points do that. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden, I think) 3.4 23-01-2015
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Karel Cloudy light amber body, very foamy. Nice citrus hops, refined yet clearly present and rich. Medium bitter, certainly well balanced yet crisp and appealing. Strong carbonation helps further give a great mouth feel. Hugely well made beer and appealing to me too. And at a great price! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.0 23-01-2015
Brouwerij Kinhem Kinhem Konik Very clear body and fluffy head. Grassy, orange, refined malts, nice mix. Easy drinkable body, not very bitter at all. Bit too Prickly carbonation. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 23-01-2015
Brouwerij Maximus Maximus Violante 6 Golden light body. Wheat, Belgian yeast, classic hops, bit peppery, hay. It’s okay. Fairly active carbonation and clean end. Decent Belgian ale. Bit passable. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.3 21-01-2015
Ramses Bier Ramses Bier Naar de Haaien (Pelgrim Collab) Clean golden body, foamy frothy head. Classic appeal, clean yet Belgian feel to it. Grainy rather than smoked. Taste is more pronounced and powerful, helped by the very heavy carbonation. Ugly and on aroma bit old fashioned but powerful taste, like Duvel with a small twist (and less complexity, I must add). (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 21-01-2015
Berghoeve Brouwerij Berghoeve Tevreden Oordeel Very bitter, delicious. Warming alcohol end, sharp hops, very nice. Rich palate, lasting ending. Not refined. Modern hops, citrus, pale but abundant malts. Looks great, smells great, tastes amazing. Impressive brew! (33cl from trade with Edo, thanks!) 4.0 20-01-2015
Berghoeve Brouwerij Berghoeve Mageler Pilz Cloudy golden body. Fruity classic and modern hops. Good complex taste do the style and (more moderate) aroma. Excellent palate. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.4 20-01-2015
Berghoeve Brouwerij Berghoeve Tsjuster Barrel Aged Jura Whisky Heavy Peated There is no reason one should barrel age (especially on peated whiskey barrels) a black IPA... Having said that it looks amazing. Appetising and lasting. Jodium, wood, pine, toast, burned coffee, even some citrus. I like this so much more than I though. Taste is super powerful, with alcohol, sharp dark malts, lots of bitterness. It’s not at all refined or balanced and I care in the least. I belief this is the first barrel aged black IPA I’ve had (although it’s more of a hopped imperial stout), but totally a fan. Amazing brew and totally unexpected! (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, many thanks!) 4.4 20-01-2015
Berghoeve Brouwerij Berghoeve Brewlab Series 1401 Black & Tan Black bodied. Odd mix of very flowery hops with toasted malts. Minty taste, not great. This would be better off with more chocolate malts and deeper hops, as it feels disconnected now. Big carbonation doesn?t help. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.4 20-01-2015
Siren Siren Whiskey Sour This is an odd one. Golden body and small head. Sourish, salty, fermenting fruit, honey. Hop water, sour, herbal, mead like. Strange one but very original. Barrel aging wouldn’t have been necessary, but I still find this intriguing. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 20-01-2015
Nevel Artisan Ales Katjelam Grätzer Yellow body, hazy, grey head. Citric, lactic, white bread, not thin at all! Slight fermenting aroma. Not for everybody. Light refreshing and iconic. And tasty! Unique and likeable. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 4.1 20-01-2015
Ootmarsummer Bierbrouwerij Heupink & Co Othmar Tripel Golden misty body and grey head. Could have been a bit clearer. Dry spices, toasty note that’s a bit out of place but the carbonation is classic and crisp. Not so fruity for the style, but I actually prefer this. Better than expected. Well produced and not too boring at all, mostly due to the fermentation style. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.5 20-01-2015
Elsener Bierbrouwerij Pochpoater Pochpoater Bitter Kloas Indian Pale Ale Well developed ipa with good clean yeast and despite some biscuit malts a mostly hop forward aroma. The hops though aren’t quite what I hope for in an ipa as they were a bit too herbal, English rather than large amounts of pine or grapefruit. A personal preference. Well carbonated and tasty drinkable body, quality brew for such a beer of this size and type. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.7 20-01-2015
Elsener Bierbrouwerij Pochpoater Pochpoater Ondog Russian Imperial Stout Quite thick body, deep enough. On the coffee side of imperial stouts, with a herbal hop hint to balance. Drinks well, not alcoholic at all. Not the longest flavour I’ve seen in an impy and a tat bit simple but rather that than too much sweetness or fruity esters. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.9 20-01-2015
Elsener Bierbrouwerij Pochpoater Pochpoater Potnötte Quadrupel Brown dark body, minimal head strangely. Very malty, more chocolate than the Belgian classics. Could use more yeast character. Decent stuff though! (33cl bottle from trade with Edo) 3.5 16-01-2015
Elsener Bierbrouwerij Pochpoater Pochpoater Hearskop Tarwewijn Murky light brown muddy body, very stable small frothy head. Strong malty aroma with burned caramel, fermenting fruit, rough, earthy, some toast and butterscotch (but in a good way I suppose). Strong taste, alcohol, heavy carbonation, big Belgian yeast notes. But somehow German too. Old fashioned in style but not less appealing for that. Coriander and liquor finish. Does have a bunch of stuff going for it. Mostly that comes from the alcohol though, so there?s still room from improvement. There always is.... (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.7 14-01-2015
Elsener Bierbrouwerij Pochpoater Pochpoater Beundeg Blond Sterk Blond Blond bodied, small head. Sweet malts, light spice, not very special. Taste is warming, soft alcohol, soft carbonation. Smooth bitterness, mellow. It’s okay at a Tripel, even a little low on alcohol, but overall not very exciting for me. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.3 14-01-2015
Elsener Bierbrouwerij Pochpoater Pochpoater Driekesman Saison Light misty body and stable grey head. Aroma had Belgian yeast, white bread, sweet malts, little hops. Not very special. Taste is much better, more peppery, more bitterness. Still a bit constrained for my taste but not too bad at all. Still like to have a dried and happier taste without having to leave the yeast and mouth feel. Those are just fine, but it’s too classic now. Lots of promise, though. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.5 14-01-2015
BrewDog BrewDog / Victory Brewing U-Boat Black bodied, very. Nice smoke, toffee, umami, brown malts and herbal. Full flavoured, very American clean, brown malts, medium bitter. Active carbonation, drinks okay; palate isn?t it?s strongest point. Not much smoke back in the taste, which makes it excellent for smoke apprentices. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.0 14-01-2015
Elsener Bierbrouwerij Pochpoater Pochpoater Dreeklezoor Tripel Very fizzy and volatile head, ugly. Hay, soft grainy sweet malts, honey, little bit of caramel, pot-pourri, bit of dough. Not too expressive. Taste is simple, light sweet. Alcohol heat dominates the ending. Not great, but perhaps not quite my taste. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.1 13-01-2015
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears Animal Space Enormous amounts of foam, golden body, bit too yeasty in looks. Very yeast dominant aroma, typical Belgian, foamy, grainy, hay. Less hop than expected. Taste is balanced yet very foamy in mouth feel. Very French appeal actually! Nice brew, classic yet appealing to me. Saison like without quite the depth. Like. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.8 13-01-2015
Berghoeve Brouwerij Berghoeve Khoppig Heavy foamy, golden dark body. Very fresh hops, both pine and mango. Taste is not too thin for the abv, and well bitter. Unfortunately I had loads of yeast so that poured partly in my glass, making it a but harsh in the end and rough. Carbonation is spot on, quite heavy to give more mouth feel. Great brew, impressive session ipa. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 4.0 12-01-2015
Kaapse Brouwers Kaapse Jaapie Dark body, stable head. Appealing. Heavy aroma, full of pine hops, strong malts, forceful. Typical clean yeast and heavy appeal. I love it! (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.4 12-01-2015
De Natte Gijt De Natte Gijt Stoute Gijt (Barrel Aged Linkwood) Black bodied and nice head. Very nice malts, biscuit, loads of licorice, not too barrel aged. Well balanced yet still feels special. Drinkable within limits. Great brew. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.0 12-01-2015
De Natte Gijt De Natte Gijt Hop met de Gijt (Amarillo) Not as good as the tomahawk special edition. This is less fresh and a bit more one sided. Especially the aroma was a bit dull, with the modest malts playing the more appealing important role. It’s okay but expected much more. Their Tomahawk version is epic. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 12-01-2015
Brouwerij Hommeles Hommeles Dorstvlegel Simple Belgian yeast, clean malts, soft herbal tones. Medium bitter, simpler ending. Good spritzy carbonation. Enjoyable brew. Well made, pro quality. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 12-01-2015
Rebels Bierbrouwerij Rebels Satyr Not sure what’s Bok about this, but okay. Brown malts, brown sugar, barrel aged aromas strangely, or wood chip. Absolutely hopless. Soft bitter, low harsh roast. Mouth feel is a bit poor though, annoying carbonation and a bit too ethanol like. Individual elements are mostly a fall but I still enjoyed drinking this, strangely. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.1 10-01-2015
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears Megaera Hugely foamy head. Classic and modern hops, spruce, caramel malts (but soft). Spritzy. Yeast is a bit fruity perhaps. Very foamy mouth feel, but I don’t mind. Nice Belgian ale. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 09-01-2015
Heineken (France) Edelweiss (France) Banana, some sweet citrus, white bread, not as bad as expected. Okay looks and a mouth feel to which I can’t find much fault either. Taste is simplistic and a bit too sweet but very easily drinkable. Soft carbonation. Yeah to be honest there’s not much wrong with this! (Bottle at little bar at Gare Montparnasse) 3.4 09-01-2015
Brasserie Lefebvre Lefebvre Hopus Primeur 2014 Huge head. Medium hoppy, certainly fresh enough and a nice accessible mix. Mild bitter, still has a bunch of Belgian sweetness. The ending is the most bitter, yet still work within limits. Well made though and very well drinkable, especially at this abv. Warming even. Quite nice Belgian ipa! (Bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 08-01-2015
Oersoep Oersoep / Oedipus OEOE Typical Saison aromas, lightest of funk, characterful yeast. Blond body and simple head. Great mouthfeel, tasty and drinkable, not too bitter, bit too low in carbonation. Herbal, refined yet attractive. Great stuff! (75cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 4.1 07-01-2015
Ootmarsummer Bierbrouwerij Heupink & Co Othmar Weizen Copper body and large head. Cheesy yeast, raw wheat, some amber malts, bit of clove. Not too sweet at all, actually a bit tangy even. Much better than expected! (50cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.7 07-01-2015
Cervecera Artesana Del Duero La Real Red Ale Brown body, stable head. Sweet aroma, even red fruit like. Well carbonated, very attractive mouth feel. Medium bitter, simple taste profile. Appealing drink, nice one! Not so much in style perhaps, for those who care about that. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 07-01-2015
Cervecera Artesana Del Duero La Real Bitter Surprisingly amber and rich. It does have that English yeast character though, but adds a modern hop schedule and full mouth feel. Not so much in style, but I like it (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 07-01-2015
Cervecera Artesana Del Duero La Real Estilo Kölsch Refined malts, soft biscuit, bit of hay. Actually nice and for the style not boring. Surprising beer, quality stuff from an unexpected place. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.5 07-01-2015
Nevel Artisan Ales Katjelam Chestnut Brown Ale Brown body, small head. Nutty, simple, brown bread, hopless. Tasty base, bitter enough, would have liked some classic hop finish because the brown nutty malts themselves are a bit simple like this. Drinks well though, heavily and appropriately carbonated. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.5 07-01-2015
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears The Fuzz Light brown body,very fizzy head. Belgian yeast, biscuit, golden malts. Simple taste although bitter enough. Nice Belgian ale. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.6 04-01-2015
Nevel Artisan Ales Katjelam Pepper Rebellion Interesting aroma, fruity, peppery, grapefruit but not so light or fresh.it’s really odd. Taste is more of this, quit odd an hard to describe. Dry yet with some uncommon medicinal tang. Bit disappointed. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo, thanks!) 3.5 04-01-2015
Speciaalbierbrouwerij Duits & Lauret Duits & Lauret Kiem Classic hops, peppery, zesty herbal light amber malts. Taste is more straightforward, with light amber malts and surprisingly fruity. You clearly get that this is a high fermentation beer. Well enough made and I dig it. (33cl bottle from SpeciaalBierPakket Leiden) 3.7 04-01-2015
Brouwerij Huyghe Florisgaarden Chocolat Gardenbeer I have to say this looks great. Marzipan, sweet milk, fermenting fruit, hyper sweet. Oh boy... Really, really strange taste. Nothing chocolate about it but rather some milky fruity sweetness. Yuck and it?s gross! For a second I though this would actually come out as interesting, but it?s nothing more than extremely cloying, artificial and gimmicky Belgian swill. (33cl bottle gifted by Sjoerd, many thanks for this fun tick!) 1.2 04-01-2015
Buxton Buxton Rain Shadow 11.8% ABV Extremely thick dark head, syrup like thick body, black as can be. Huge chocolate aroma, heavy dark malts, concentrated, creamy, buttermilk, nuts. Oh my! Sure, some alcohol in the end but overall concentrated goodness. Very much a slow sipper. Wow, Extremely well done beer, one of the fullest and heaviest I?ve ever had. My first rate of 2015 and it’s immediately memorable. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.5 04-01-2015
Huttenkloas Brouwerij Twents Bierbrouwersgilde Twents Blond Golden body, frothy head. Could use some haze. Fresher hopped than I expected, wish soft apple and pale malts too. Nice, actually! Full mouth feel, bubbly and rich. Well bittered. Quite dry ending. A blond to be proud of. (Bottle from trade with Edo, many thanks!) 3.8 30-12-2014
Gasthaus-Brauerei Braustelle Braustelle Auf ein Kölsch, Trinker! Very fruity aroma, raspberry, but also some grapefruit. Nice, but the taste is even better. Very juicy mouthfeel, fruity, almost yoghurt like. Amber malts. Really nice stuff. Bit plucky yet very drinkable. Very enjoyable. (Bottle from Edo, many thanks!) 3.9 30-12-2014
Bierbrouwerij de Eem Een Stoute Limburger Fun tick. Black and large head. Very stout like dark malts, roasted, nit of coffee. Certianly dark and with classic and pine hops,but only very little for support. Taste is not as bitter or roasted, actually accessible. Drinks well, soft carbonation. (33cl bottle from rade with Edo) 3.5 30-12-2014
Brouwerij de Pauw Pauw Zwaar Bier Heavily spiced with anise and cloves. Some toasty malts but not necessarily a dark aroma. Without seeing the dark red to brown body you could be mistakes easily for a blond gruit. Taste is a bit bland, which is surprising given all the sweetness and spices. It has character from the spice, but bland in the way that I do not eget excited at all. Neither has a full body nor a fruity one. Luckily I like heavier beers that are a bit unfocused and sweet, because this is certainly not well made and has an almost sticky ending. Bad beer, but okay for me. And hey, at least this brew from Pauw at least stayed in the bottle on opening! (33cl bottle from trade with Edo) 3.0 30-12-2014
Brouwerij de Pauw Pauw Herfsttrots Bokbier Another huge gusher from Pauw. Leaves an ugly brown beer that smells of cheap dark malts, fruit cookies, brown sugar, tea. Not horrible but nothing special either. Taste is.. okay. Very sweet and simple but full enough at least and I enjoy the (perhaps too high) alcohol warmth. Ending is astringent, oddly enough with so many sugars. It’s okay at best, but badly brewed. (33cl bottle from trade with Edo) 2.1 30-12-2014
Mahrs Bräu Mahrs Bräu Kellerbier Ungespundet Hefetrüb Classically hopped, simple but very nice body. Drinks very well. Great body and mouth feel. Great pilsner, good malts and hop ending. (On tap at Hoppy Days with Oudejaarsticken) 3.7 30-12-2014
Retorto Birrificio Artigianale Retorto Daughter of Autumn Golden to brown body, stable head. Sweet malts, brown and nutty. Dried fruit, bit sweet. Stupid style but this drink well actually! Especially the body is still thin though for the flavour profile. (On tap at Hoppy Days with Oudejaarsticken) 3.5 30-12-2014
Birrificio Pontino Birrificio Pontino Rose Mary’s Stout Almost black, frothy head. Dark malts, fresh hops, fairly clean. Nice mouth feel, very interesting actually. Good brew. (On tap at Hoppy Days with Oudejaarsticken) 3.9 30-12-2014
Birrificio Pontino Birrificio Pontino Go Black Black IPA, stable head. Biscuit, dry, full. Dark, fresh, green hops. Soft carbonation. Really nice but for me personally a bit light and not quite malty enough. That’s personal though. (On tap at Hoppy Days) 3.5 30-12-2014
Birrificio Pontino Birrificio Pontino Sons Of Shiva Golden body, simple malts. Fresh hops, green grass, medium full malts. Very juicy, delicious body. Good brew. (On tap at Hoppy Days with Oudejaarsticken) 3.8 30-12-2014
Brouwerij de Pauw Pauw Pauws Trots Gusher. Head bubbled away instantly, leaving an ugly light brown. Very sweet malts, brown sugar, sticky fruit of the el cheapo kind, like jam from the 1 euro store or Christmas cookies from the Lidl. Yeasty taste, way underdeveloped. Very simple sugars and a very metallic aftertaste, astringent bitter ending. Yuck. Really poor. Not really a beer to be proud of... (33cl bottle traded with Edo) 1.8 30-12-2014
Gulden Spoor Brouwkot Kalle Golden body. Typical triple aromas, sweet clean malts, alcohol. Simple, boring. Typical tripel. (Oudejaarsticken. Bottle at the brewpub.) 3.0 30-12-2014
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears SL’OCCII Decrust Dark brown, heady. Bready, rye, fruity, malty. Bok like, but with Belgian yeast. I enjoy this type of beer. (Oudejaarsticken. Bottle at the brewpub.) 3.6 30-12-2014
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears / Gulden Spoor Hopbuk Golden body. Sweet malts, Belgian, bitter, lively, mineral. Bit odd, but tasty. (Oudejaarsticken. Bottle at the brewpub.) 3.7 30-12-2014
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears Lipreader MMXIV Red brown body, creamy head. Funky, fruity, bready sweet. Tastes nice, looks poor. Very sweaty again. (Oudejaarsticken. Bottle at the brewpub.) 3.3 30-12-2014
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears La Condition Humaine Amber, yeasty, hoppy, herbal ending. Mediun bitter, nothing new per se. Nicely developed, refreshing. Well done. This brewer is getting somewhere. (Oudejaarsticken. Bottle at the brewpub.) 3.5 30-12-2014
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears Thunderhoney Not very attractive. Pine, woody, hay, cheese. Interesting mix, okay mouth feel. Typical Butcher’s Tears, far from dry... (Oudejaarsticken. Bottle at the brewpub.) 3.4 30-12-2014
Butcher’s Tears Butcher’s Tears The Revenant Brown body, large head. Light sour, bready, fruity yeast, Rye. Sweaty, amateurish, okay taste though. (Oudejaarsticken. Bottle at the brewpub.) 3.5 30-12-2014
Riedenburger Brauhaus Riedenburger Festbier Simple malts, biscuit, soft sweetness, clean yeast. Light amber malts. Nice but not so festive. (Oudejaarsticken. bottle at Brecht Amsterdam) 3.1 30-12-2014
Malzmühle Brauerei Schwartz Mühlen Kölsch Surprised I didn’t rate this before. Very pale, light. Soft malts, lightest of yeast. Boring but drinkable. Certainly not the worst, but also not the best Kolsch from Koln. (Oudejaarsticken. bottle at Brecht Amsterdam) 2.7 30-12-2014
Himburgs BrauKunstKeller BrauKunstKeller Pale Ale (5.1%) Very hazy, small head, very lasting. Huge citrus, bit of wheat, bready, light. Good fermentation, slightly full but I don’t mind. (Oudejaarsticken. bottle at Brecht Amsterdam) 3.7 30-12-2014
Brauerei-Gasthof Kundmüller Weiherer Weizenbock Golden, hay, small head. Spicy, concentrated, herbal, pot-pourri, amber malts. Soft taste okay. Nice. (Oudejaarsticken. bottle at Brecht Amsterdam) 3.4 30-12-2014
Hanscraft & Co. Hanscraft & Co. Backbone Splitter Heavily hopped, green, pine, full aroma. Bitter, nice développement. Surprisingly good! Very rich. (Oudejaarsticken. bottle at Brecht Amsterdam) 4.0 30-12-2014
Brauhaus Binkert / Main Seidla Main Seidla Amber Spezial Hazy, golden. Caramel malts, but not sweet, dry, light brown bread. Very well made hoppy, well developed. Really nice light taste, hoppy. Very nice aftertaste. Great beer. Impressive. (Oudejaarsticken. bottle at Brecht Amsterdam) 3.8 30-12-2014
Brauerei Rittmayer Hallerndorf Rittmayer Aischbüffel Brown body, large head. Bready, rye, clean yeast. Toasty. Full flavoured, clean, satisfying. Very nice! Sweet though! (Oudejaarsticken. bottle at Brecht Amsterdam) 3.4 30-12-2014
Privatbrauerei Franz Steegmüller Flötzinger Bräu Original Trachtler Hoibe Simple pilsner aromas, light and crisp. Light taste, very well drinkable. Golden body. Actually nice, but yes, boring. (Oudejaarsticken. bottle at Brecht Amsterdam) 3.0 30-12-2014
Le Bilboquet Le Bilboquet La Corriveau Impériale (fût de bourbon) Black bodied, aged, woody alcohol. Rich mouth feel, well aged but not a huge fan of bourbon aging. Well done brew. Not too thick. (Oudejaarsticken. Shared by Julien, many thanks!) 3.7 30-12-2014
Kuhnhenn Brewing Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock Loads of raspberry, very sweet. Taste is much, much better, sticky sweet, raspberry, even some chocolate, rye. Ending is best. (Oudejaarsticken. Shared by Julien, many thanks!) 3.7 30-12-2014
Gulpener Bierbrouwerij Gulpener Biologisch Ur-Hop Golden body and huge softly hazy looks. Very hoppy, fresh, surprising. Good pale malt backup. Taste is accessible but unmistakably ipa. Honest surprise ! (33cl bottle from AH in Leiden) 3.9 29-12-2014
Brouwerij de Prael De Prael Johnny Gold Label Roasted, toasty, bit milky. Dry taste, bit odd. Long bitter finish. Dark body, creamy mouth feel. Soft carbonation. (On tap at De Prael) 3.6 29-12-2014
Brouwerij Troost Troost Lager Very stable head, golden misty body. Very moderate golden malts, bit biscuit. Fairly dry bit a bit sweaty from the malts. Bit odd tasting, bit soapy. Not quite right for me (but no off flavours per se). (Sampled at the brewpub) 3.2 29-12-2014
Brouwerij Troost Troost Imperial I.P.A. Very strong hoppy. Very green. Strong malty. Rich taste, yeasty but cleanly tasting yeast. Attractive in looks and taste. Perhaps quite dark for a double ipa but I don’t mind. (Sampled at the brewpub) 4.0 29-12-2014
Brouwerij Troost Troost I.P.A. UPDATED: DEC 30, 2014 Thick sweet malts, citrus hops, green, yeasty. Belgian yeast taste, sourdough, fairly harsh. I enjoyed this a lot, perhaps a bit too malty. (Sampled at the brewpub) 3.8 29-12-2014
Brouwerij Troost Troost Dubbelbok Slightly sweeter than the other. Less toasty. Softer in alcohol than I hoped, could be more expressive. Carbonation is a bit odd. Liked the standard Bok slightly better. (Sampled at the brewpub) 3.5 29-12-2014
Brouwerij Troost Troost Bok Creamy head, brown body. Moderate sweet, sweaty malts. Clean enough. Soft ish body, fairly sweet, could use some alcohol for me. (Sampled at the brewpub) 3.7 29-12-2014
Brouwerij Troost Troost Saison Amber body. Yeasty, Bière de garde like malts, like sulphur, aging is odd. Very fruity, underdeveloped. Doesn’t taste Saison like, but also as Belgian ale it’s not too special. Not dry enough. (Sampled at the brewpub) 3.2 29-12-2014
Brouwerij Troost Troost Weizen True to the style, sweet malts, not so spicy bit very drinkable. Head was a bit thin. Sweet but drinkable body. (Sampled at the brewpub) 3.4 29-12-2014
Arn Brouwerij Arn Brouwerij Winterse Arn Black body, creamy head, looks good! Toasty malts, burned sugar, some coffee perhaps. Pecan nuts. Served a bit cold, but still quite luscious and sweet. Wintery, yes, but not overly satisfying for some reason. It’s nice. (On tap at ’t Proeflokaal Delft) 3.5 27-12-2014
Broeder Jacob Broeder Jacob Gijle Bock Sweet sticky fruit, brown sugar, red berries and gluhwein. Simple but satisfying. Taste is more watery than hoped and not as thick as a good bock is for me personally. It’s okay. (On tap at Lotus Publicus) 3.4 27-12-2014
Grolsche Bierbrouwerij Ned. (Asahi) Grolsch Kruidige Pale Ale Looks bad, flimsy head and brown body. Aroma isn’t horrible, spicy, brown malts, simple. Nothing hoppy at all though. And the taste ruins everything. Pretty bad in fact. Bleh. Hopefully this doesn’t put off too many beer curious people. (33cl bottle from AH in Leiden) 2.6 24-12-2014
Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrik Wild Golden body and bubbly head. Iconic Brett aroma, very Orval like, farmhouse, pale malts, nice and crisp. Fresh taste, pretty nice. (33cl bottle shared by and with Paul) 3.8 22-12-2014
Crazy Hops Crazy Hops Che’Rveza <2017 What an odd idea, a fruit beer loaded with American hops. But you know zit, it sort of works! The hops are well suited, sweet and pine themselves. Not too sweet tasting, although simpler ending then expected. Nice ! Very original. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.7 21-12-2014
Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Local 2 Brown body, clean. Brown malts, bready, spice, dark sweetness. American yeast but not dull at all. Not extreme but we’ll made. Perhaps a bit too much co2 in the nose. Looks and drinks great though. Well developed! (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 19-12-2014
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Lindy Hop Blond body and small head. Surprisingly little hops to be honest. A forward thinking brewery but not too forward in hop aroma. You do get American hops in the taste though, so it’s not all bad. But yeah, room for improvement guys. Really nice body though. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.3 19-12-2014
Tonnerre De Brest Tonnerre De Brest Bière Ambrée aux Algues Ugly murky body and fizzy instable head. Worty, sweet, brown sugar, cake. Don’t get algae, but perhaps for the better. Lower than expected taste. Bit Christmassy. Not very well made but I strangely enjoy the sweetness. (33cl bottle from a biomarche in Neuilly) 3.5 19-12-2014
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Black Ale Just had their 3% black ale which was hopeful yet lacked some sugar. Should be no problem here right, at 8% abv? The roast is certainly dimmed down, as are the malts. Still roasted malts, but more earthy and muddy malts too. Taste had a full flavour, light alcohol warmth - I do mind - and a soft smoke that leads me to suspect whiskey malts are used here. Excellent body, warming and full without being too fruity. No, the dark malts do well here and sufficiently hopped too! Great brew! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 4.1 17-12-2014
Brasserie La Débauche La Débauche Chapître 13 Black bodied and lasting head. Very dry roasted aroma, bit of wood, toasted, tobacco even. Very interesting although the lack of sweetness doesn’t predict a full body. And that’s exactly what happens. Sure, at this abv it’s super hard to get a full mouth feel, but there have been examples who did exactly that. A shame because I really like the idea and the loads of roast. Plus the hops give a real challenging bitterness. I would tweak the recipe a bit trying to get more rest sugars in their. It’s a bit too much Brewdog Nanny State now rather than Mont Salève Black Bitter. Regardless, I loved drinking this and would happily buy all of this brewer’s beers! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.5 16-12-2014
Get Radical Get Radical Mars Needs Women Golden body and surprisingly large head. Unmistakably ages on would, orange compote, peachy yeast, very well developed, oak, loads of honey. Punching waaaay beyond it’s 5%abv! Taste is medium bitter, refined, American cleanliness, bit medicinal. Wow, another really unique beer from the Cave à Bulles/Get Radical guys. Many props to Thiriez as well if course! Stunning and happy I got a full 75cl bottle from this. I wanted to be critical but although it lost its hop forward character mostly, the barrel aging actually returned a different, beautiful beer (which I rarely find in barrel aged beers at all, blond it dark). It’s the Brett mostly I suspect, which I am a total sucker for. Yes! Yes! Yes! (75cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 4.1 15-12-2014
Brasserie Bendorf Bendorf Sous La Neige Brown body and small head. Doppelweizen like malts, bready, hay. Nice full mouth feel, not as spiced or sweet as I hoped but I suppose not every Christmas beer needs to be over the top. (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.6 15-12-2014
Garrigues Garrigues La Nuit Delicatula Thick black body and dense head. Heavy roast and nutty aroma, some dark forest and ripe fruit. Very deep and cereal. Especially for the modest and. Impressed! Taste is less full, but for 5.8% it’s still rich. Bitter, roasted, delicious. Very high class beer, so well made. Impressed by the amount of flavour packed in this! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 4.0 14-12-2014
Artzner Artzner Perle La Mondiale 2014 Brown dubbel appeal with brown sugar, very light herbal hops, fruity yeast. It does have a light citric touch too, though. Taste is simple, soft sweet, bit underdeveloped and with soft carbonation. Tasty enough but nothing special. (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.4 14-12-2014
Les Brasseurs du Grand Paris (My Beer Company) Les Brasseurs du Grand Paris Smoke on the Water (>2014) Quality pilsner malts, soft smoke of the meaty kind, which gives a fuller appeal to the aroma as it would have without the smoke, yet certainly not a prototypical smoked brew. Taste is in similar vain, offering mostly a pilsner malt taste but with a smokey undertone. It’s therefore more of an advanced drinker’s beer. It’s an interesting brew but although I love smoke, I found that (also in my home brew) Pale malts and smoke don’t go so well together. Taste is great though! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.7 14-12-2014
Artzner Artzner Perle Des Îles Red to amber body and medium beige head. Red fruit, wine like tones, yeast is predominant but a bit rough. Taste is way more punchy and actually way more interesting and tasty too. Full flavour, dark sweetness, rough bread. It’s hard to describe but I dig it! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.7 14-12-2014
Artzner Artzner Blanche Perle Et Les Sept Grains Odd idea. Why work you do this? Gimmick. Golden body, small head, simple. Corn dominates the aroma, sadly. Although you get wheat character later on too. Not much of hops and although I understand why, it doesn’t help the appeal of this beer. Simple taste too, not much complexity from all those malts. An exercise in futility. (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.3 14-12-2014
la Vallée du Giffre la Vallée du Giffre MPC Blonde Surprisingly amber (as this is the blond) body and stable small head. Aromatic hops, very prototypical Mosaic and distinctly hop forward due to the dry malt backbone. Even more so than the amber, the taste is very dry and somehow still full enough. It’s lager like, but with more interesting development aromas. What a delicious beer. Another stunner from one of my top 3 French brewers. I’m sure Antoine will be pleased and again too modest about this achievement. Time for some proper distribution! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 4.0 11-12-2014
Brasserie du Pays Flamand Anosteke IPA Golden, light misty body, large head. Classic hops, yet enough for the style. More English in appeal, also due to the biscuity body. Not very clean, but enough so. Belgian ipa like overall, and for lovers of that style it?s great! For me it?s not quite dry enough or should be more carbonated and fruity. (75cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.4 11-12-2014
Mélusine Canardou La Nonnette Brown body and strangely light head. Cinnamon, rye bread, brown sugar, dough. But all very mild. A bit too much. Odd taste, almost aspartan like dry. Sweet ending without much malts to be tasty. Ugh, not very appealing. (33cl bottle from a biomarche in Neuilly) 3.1 10-12-2014
Artzner Artzner Perle Bière de Noël Red body and light tan head. Aroma is very holiday spirit, with red fruit, pine, pot-pourri, tea, caramel, raisins. Really nice, perhaps not too strong. Taste is more spiced, relatively clean, well developed, ending red fruit sweetness. Quite a short ending. Not the dirty full sweetness of Belgians but a Bière de garde appeal with spices and red malts. And it works great! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 4.0 10-12-2014
Mélusine Korlène Amber body. Nice classic aroma with amber and biscuit malts, some light toast. Soft spices balance the body’s sweeter malts nicely. Great mouth feel actually. Tasted great with my cassonade as well! (33cl bottle from a biomarche in Neuilly) 3.6 10-12-2014
Mélusine Canardou La Dame Blanche Citric from the wheat, like French wheat beers often are, with a herbal but also a strong vegetable appeal. Taste is better, less vegetable, but itself a bit too straightforward. Not clean tough, the body is fine, with its soft carbonation, but it tastes watery and with very little malt character. Especially sugary ending. It’s quite poor overall and too sweet for my taste. The aroma with off, but the sweet ending overall ruins it the most. (33cl bottle from a biomarche in Neuilly) 2.7 09-12-2014
Deck & Donohue Deck & Donohue Jolly Roger Brown body and beige head. Browny malts, spice, brown sugar, very pumpkin ale like, but with a French yeast which really works. Taste is more spicy, but not overdone and interestingly hopped. Very drinkable actually and while surprisingly clean it’s certainly not without character. (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.7 08-12-2014
Brasserie des Sources (formerly: de St. Amand) Estaminet Triple Golden clean body and off white head. Herbal, clean, soft spicy, not sweet, cleaner yeast than expected, not very fruity. English pale ale like. Very spicy taste, very anise like considering its not a Gruit or spiced beer. Bit too sharp in the end. It’s okay overall. (33cl bottle from Christmas gift pack at Auchan) 3.4 08-12-2014
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Gayant La Goudale de Noël UPDATED: JAN 21, 2015 Red brown body, very autumn like, but too small head. Clean aroma with soft spice, caramel, bit nutty, brown sugar, not very craft, too clean for that. Same for the taste. Unfortunately also a very industrial metallic, especially prominent in the end. It?s okay but there better Noël beers even at the French supermarket. (75cl bottle from Auchan Tours) 2.2 08-12-2014
Brasserie des Sources (formerly: de St. Amand) Brasserie des Sources Vieux Lille Triple Golden shiny body and small grey head. Simple malts, alcohol, thin, bit peachy perhaps. Simplistic body and not warming yet alcoholic. Nice body, fits well with a Tripel, but eventually won’t blow your mind. Or even tease it. (33cl bottle from Christmas gift pack at Auchan) 3.3 08-12-2014
Brasserie des Sources (formerly: de St. Amand) Saint Amand Bière du Carnaval de Dunkerque Golden body, clean. Simple appeal yet well developed. Soft spicy malts, warming alcohol. Not bad. Just a bit boring and it doesn’t add much to the existing tripels that are so widely available. (33cl bottle from Christmas gift pack at Auchan) 3.5 08-12-2014
Abbaye du Cateau Abbaye du Cateau Vivat Triple Golden body, very clean. Sweet malts, cereal, hay, but straightforward stuff. Too filtered for sure. Don’t get the alcohol. But also doesn’t justify it because the body is okay but not very rich in taste. Sweet apple like aftertaste. It’s okay. (33cl bottle from Christmas gift pack at Auchan) 3.2 08-12-2014
Brasserie des Sources (formerly: de St. Amand) Brasserie des Sources Braderie de Lille Blonde Absolutely disgusting. There’s clearly something totally wrong with my bottle as it’s smelling and tasting very strongly like rotten eggs. Impossible to drink and unbelievable this was distributed this widely. (33cl bottle from Christmas gift pack at Auchan Tours) 1.1 05-12-2014
Tri Martolod (SCOP) Tri Martolod Fumee This is a very interesting beer. That’d immediately a reason to buy it. For starters, it’s a German ish style beer from Normandy. Secondly, the aroma is very gose like, smoked, salty, brown malts, cereal. Really interesting and at a very modest abv. Third, the taste is flat out sour, punchy and unique. It’s absolutely nothing like you expect a French beer to be, not even a French smoked one. Do I enjoy it? Absolutely. Sure, in taste it’s eventually not the most complex. But that doesn’t do away from my general feeling : try it! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.9 05-12-2014
An Alarc’h (SCOP) An Alarc’h Kerzu Imperial Stout Black bodied. Hugely chocolate, as I didn’t expect and rarely find in French stouts. English appeal with herbal hops, biscuit, clean yet characterful yeast. Refined too! Full of flavour, light sour perhaps but always interesting. Foamy mouth filling body. Honest surprise, great stuff! (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 4.0 05-12-2014
Brouwerij Emelisse Emelisse White Label White Wine Bordeaux BA American strong ale aromas, loads of aging, blond but strong malts, light spruce hop backbone. Rich and somehow not overwhelming. Positively surprised by the wine aging. It works again! Much better than whiskey does in my opinion. Taste is also nice and very refined. Quality stuff, very well brewed and great recipe idea! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 04-12-2014
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Oh Buurman Wat Doet U Nu?! Black bodied and almost no head. Brown malts, alcohol, figs, woody, acetone. Not very refined, but I don’t mind. Heavy taste, not super thick but oppressing. In all honesty I expected more. Perhaps the malts are too dark to make this work as a barley wine, but it also doesn’t carry quite the sweetness or roast. Overall doesn’t quite justify the abv. Fun beer to try though! (33cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden) 3.6 04-12-2014
Brasserie des Sources (formerly: de St. Amand) L’Abbatiale Triple Blonde Golden body, clean and large head. Too clear but good looks still. Grainy, residual sugars, alcohol, herbal. Pretty poor. Unnecessary alcohol. It’s okay on terms of taste, very boring but drinks well and not the heat any more. Bad aroma, okay after all. (33cl bottle from Christmas gift pack at Auchan Tours) 3.1 04-12-2014
Abbaye du Cateau Abbaye du Cateau Vivat Blonde Blond very clean body and simple head. Soft malts, grainy, herbal yeast, sugary but not necessarily sweet. Simplistic mouthfeel, foamy, light astringent. Not interesting at all but quality is okay. (33cl bottle from Christmas gift pack at Auchan Tours) 3.0 04-12-2014
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne Omega Fizzy and quietly no head. Likely not on purpose. Simple sourness, apple cider and spruce. Light bitter, straightforward sourness yet more of fruit than vinegar. Not an awful lot of complexity though. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.5 03-12-2014
Buxton Buxton / Omnipollo Pomperipossa (Sour Cherry Stout) Great looking almost black body and tan head. Delicious, stunning aroma. Dark malts, full, red fruit, not sweet, forest aromas, great development. Hint of acidity for sure, but also great balancing dark malts and full body for the 6% abv. Brought out really different flavours too in the Cheddar I was eating. Hugely interesting beer and great smells. (Not with my stinky Neufchatel though, that is way too overpowering for the dry, bitter stout.) (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 03-12-2014
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Gayant G de Goudale Grand Cru Citra & Amarillo Golden body, clean and okay head. Soft malts, herbal, light citrus. Citric and amarillo, really? I love that they do this, but it’s way too faint to learn or appreciate these hops. (75cl bottle from Auchan Tours, shared with Alba) 3.4 30-11-2014
Buxton Buxton Nth Cloud Golden misty body and large head. Really sweet hop aroma, very interesting mix of tropical and citrus hops, with a touch of biscuit malts to balance and a warmth to further indulge. Drinks quite well, very good mouth feel as most Buxton beers. Yum, great stuff. Original and top execution. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 30-11-2014
Khmer Brewery Cambodia What a stupid bottle text. Anyway. Very simple aroma, light grainy, not underdeveloped though, surprisingly. Taste however is as generic as expected, with very light bitterness and cheap mouth feel. It’s poor as expected. (33cl bottle from Paris Store Asian supermarket in Tours) 2.4 30-11-2014
Pfungstädter Brauerei Hildebrand Pfungstädter Justus Weizen Hefe Dunkel Extremely foamy, brown body. Overripe banana, toast, simple appeal. Not very dark at all and that’s a shame. Soft bitter taste, not rich. Is okay, better because of the roasted malts but still poor. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours) 2.7 30-11-2014
Harviestoun Harviestoun Schiehallion (Bottle/Keg) Golden body and fairly stable yet creamy head. Corny, Czech hops, refined. Not entirely convinced. Taste is better. Much better even, with great bitterness and full flavoured malts. Very quaffable! Great brew although the aroma is too straightforward for me as a beer nerd. I can see this winning over the beer curious pilsner drinker though! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 29-11-2014
Green Flash Brewing Company Green Flash Trippel Golden amber body and stable head. Sweet pale malts, compote, yellow fermenting fruit, funky, light spice, Belgian yeast is very apparent. Drinks well, appropriate high carbonation. One of the few really good Belgian style beers I’ve had. Excellent quality and still interesting without being a (too) modern interpretation. Excellent job! (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 28-11-2014
BrewDog BrewDog #MashTag 2014 Brown body and creamy head. Rich aroma, heavy malts, pine hops, aging aromas. Original but it’s not quite working for me, perhaps because the mouth feel is not quite right. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 28-11-2014
Adnams Adnams Jack Brand Mosaic Pale Ale Sweet hops, unique and interesting. Tropical fruit and mango, very typical Mosaic and never boring! Light body but great for the abv. Soft bitterness, only here can the beer use more bitter backup from other hops. Delicious aroma, great beer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière 3.8 27-11-2014
Harviestoun Harviestoun The Ridge Light misty body and good head. Soft English pale ale style, herbal and flowery hops. Drinks very well, nice mouth feel, not too carbonated. Good brew, high quality stuff. Won’t blow your socks of though. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 27-11-2014
Pfungstädter Brauerei Hildebrand Pfungstädter Justus Weizen Hefe Hell Light misty golden body and stable head. Simple bready notes, yeasty, hopless, perhaps a bit flowery. Quite carbonated and too sweet in the end. Very unimpressive beer. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours) 3.0 27-11-2014
Harviestoun Harviestoun Broken Dial Clean amber body and thin head. Vienna malts, biscuit, clean yeast, little hops, bit boring. Bit watery, okay bitterness, soft roast ending. It’s okay, clean and still some character. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 27-11-2014
Anderson Valley Brewing Company Anderson Valley Fall Hornin’ Pumpkin Ale Attractive dark red body and stable head. Light spice, nutty malts, bit of toffee and caramel. Taste is more straightforward and soft sweet. Nice low carbonation. It’s okay but I expected more, especially for a holiday beer. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 27-11-2014
Köthener Brauerei Köthener J.S.Bach Golden clear looking body and bubbly ugly head. Hugely grainy, cheap appeal, white sugar, very little hops but those hops that are present safe this from total failure. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours) 2.2 27-11-2014
Coors Brewing Company (MillerCoors) Coors Light Actually nice looks all considering... But the compliment ends there. Aromaless, boring, corn, white sugar. Taste is extremely light, watery, bubbly mouthfeel. Not the worst but no good either. (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.0 27-11-2014
Anchor Brewing Company Anchor IPA I love Anchor bottles. Red body and sturdy head. Unique aroma of sweet hops and biscuit malts. Almost English IPA like yet quite clean and fresher, with more hops. Herbal and autumn notes. Yes, an autumn ipa! (Bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 27-11-2014
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne Mad Tom Blond body and stable head. Fruity, citric sourness, quite dry, interesting. Certainly different, although on the edge of amateurish. Soft sourness, tripel like malts, not alcohol. Nice brew. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 23-11-2014
Mendocino Brewing Company (United Breweries Group) Mendocino Seasonal Black IPA Black body, stable head, looks nice. Fruity, malty, bitterness but not very fresh, rather sweaty. Far from a Belgian ale, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not super clean. Chocolate palate, medium bitter. Simple ending. It’s nice. (33cl bottle brought from California by Flavia, many thanks!) 3.7 23-11-2014
Dark Horse Brewing Company Dark Horse Thirsty Trout Porter Very deep colour, creamy head. Chocolate, toffee, figs, nutty. Very creamy and beautiful palate. Nice bitter ending. Very well made and enjoyable and distinctly a porter. Great example! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 23-11-2014
Martens Bière Belge d’Abbaye / de tradition Brown body, grey ugly head, bad looks. Very sweet, simplistic, very little malts. Brown sugar taste, watery, not fermented at all it almost seems. Very, very poor quality product. Alcohol in the end. Ugh, Bleh. (50cl plastic bottle from Auchan Tours) 1.7 22-11-2014
Minhas Craft Brewery Minhas Imperial Jack Double IPA Cloudy body and small head. Bready malts, almost lactic yeast, light spice , caramel and mildly hoppy. Really, a double ipa ? Mild bitter taste, malty sweetness, amber. Boring, underdeveloped. It’s the local Belgian bullshit trippel of American IPAs. Drinkable but no reason it should exist. (Bottle brought by Flavia, thanks!) 3.4 21-11-2014
Greene King The King’s English IPA Spiced, biscuit, red malts, light body, herbal hops, dry finish, some light sweetness. Nice English ale but even for classic English standards it’s no ipa. Doesn’t matter, it has enough to offer. (Bottle brought back from California by Flavia... :-) Thanks!) 3.5 19-11-2014
Augustiner-Bräu Augustiner Weissbier Very cloudy amber to golden body with solid head. Typical where aromas, clean, light spice, not banana. Soft carbonation and when not too cold it had a solid taste profile. Decent wheat but not as particular or special as some can be, even from the classic German producers. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours) 3.5 19-11-2014
Pfungstädter Brauerei Hildebrand Pfungstädter Edel-Pils Yellow shiny body. Strangely appealing, perhaps it’s the dry metallic and hay developed body. Hard to tell because it’s certainly just a German style pilsner. Only in the ending does the metallic undertone start to annoy. But yeah, I’m not sure why I like it so much. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours) 3.2 18-11-2014
Memminger Brauerei Memminger Flight Odd blue bottle. Beer looks excellent though, very firm pillowy head and cloudy body. Simple malts, bit dusty, bit vegetable. Full mouth feel at first but the heavy carbonation dims things a bit. Flavour profile is a bit dull though, bit bitter but not much more than that. (33cl bottle from V&B Tours) 3.3 17-11-2014
HaDictator HaDictator Laphroaig Whisky Beer A whiskey barrel aged Irish red from Israel.... How about that. Aroma is super medicinal, iodine and band-aid. Very much not my kind if style to be honest. It’s just so chemical. Thin body, chemical taste too. Really bad, I couldn’t finish half a glass. Horribly failed experiment. (33cl bottle traded with some Israeli dudes at Borefts, thanks guys for the rare tick!) 1.4 17-11-2014
Pfungstädter Brauerei Hildebrand Pfungstädter Export Classic Simple appeal, golden, but a really good head. Light sweet malts, very little hops. Simple white bread type malts, medium bitter. Straightforward and okay in appeal. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours 2.9 17-11-2014
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project Pretty Things Our Finest Regards Thick light brown body and very thick head, amazing looks. Figs, fermenting fruit, pine, pot-pourri, rich. Delicious. Luscious body, rich sweetness and juicy bitter ending. (Bottle from a bottle store on Texas) 4.6 16-11-2014
Memminger Brauerei Memminger Gold Nice malty aroma, not too grainy, bit simple though and on the sweet side. Drinks easily, not very exciting. Reasonable well developed but not world class. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours) 3.1 16-11-2014
Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Kellerbier - Anno 1417 Light cloudy body and stable head. Malty yet quite fresh, great fermentation aroma, well aged. Very refined and present bitterness, great development, full bodied yet drinkable. Fresh from its developed body rather than a dry hopping or other modern approach. So dry in the end but never watery. It?s the reason German beer had such a good name and can still match any lager in the world. Sure, it doesn?t blow your mind like a 10% or hopped up beer can do, but it does in the enjoyment scale. Yum! One of the best lagers I?ve had. Period. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours) 3.9 16-11-2014
Revolution Brewing Company Revolution Unsessionable Imperial IPA Heaps of hops, grapefruit, spruce, heavy, rich underlying malts too but it’s all about the hops. Very satisfying. Huge heavy body, sweetness overshadowed heavily with bitterness. Alcohol and good. (Bottle from Darren, shared with Sarah, Darren and Bertanne) 4.0 15-11-2014
Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu (InBev) Spaten Münchner Hell / München / Premium Very pale. Moderate aroma, light sweet malts, bit of white bread like. Uninteresting. Taste is better, very smooth and easy drinkable. Not bitter enough for me though. (50cl bottle from V&B Tours) 2.9 15-11-2014
Dinkelacker-Schwaben Bräu Schwaben Bräu Das Echte Märzen Golden body and small head. Sweet golden malts, very little hops, not fruity, breakfast cereal. Straightforward malty taste. It’s okay. (Bottle from Sarah, shared with Sarah, Darren and Bertanne) 3.0 14-11-2014
Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus Rothaus Pils Tannenzäpfle UPDATED: NOV 15, 2014 Very pale body and thin head. Classic hops, high quality malts. Light herbal, very fresh. Great classic Germany pilsner. (Bottle from Sarah, shared with Sarah, Darren and Bertanne) 3.4 14-11-2014
Brasserie Bos La Crecelle Ambrée Aux Épices Was afraid this was going to be super spiced but luckily not. Belgian yeast, soft golden malts, cereal, light spice. Not very interesting though, so why does this beer exist? Light sweet, nothing special. Ah well... (33cl bottle from Aux Saveurs du Berry) 3.4 11-11-2014
Bronckhorster Brewing Company Bronckhorster Rise & Shine Murky amber bodied, bit thin of a head. Very rich aroma for the abv, with sweet malts, bready, wood aged, basement aromas, sweaty socks, hay. Tastes like this as well, very good and pungent at first. However, while drinking I totally lost interest, with the woody taste coming though and an astringent feel. Never cloying though, so I still think it’s good. The bottle had a 6 euro price tag on it and if that’s true it’s way too expensive, really really not worth it. But I traded it with Benzai. (33cl bottle from trade with Benzai) 3.5 11-11-2014
AleSmith Brewing Company AleSmith Double IPA Fresh hops floral, grapefruit, very well developed. Delicious soft yet present bitterness, so well made. Totally American, in the best of ways. Juicy mouth feel, super drinkable. I expected much and still got impressed. (Bottle gifted by Menno and John, many thanks!) 4.2 11-11-2014
Brasserie Bos La Crecelle Bière au Chanvre Hemp beers. I don’t understand them. Gusher! At least this one looks okay, with stable head and golden misty body. Herbal aroma, vegetable, sweet malts, straightforward but mostly underdeveloped as hell. That shows even more in the taste that is yeasty, sweet and amateurish. What a failure. (33cl bottle from Aux Saveurs du Berry, Bourges) 2.8 09-11-2014
Brasserie Bos Le Tacot La Michette Cheesy yeast, citrus aroma, herbal hops, classic yet quite fresh. Lighter drinkable than expected with the abv, despite tripel like malts. Not bad at all. I am not 100% sure this is a unique beer from the brewer’s standard blond but it might very well be! (33cl bottle from the eponymous burger food truck in Bourges) 3.4 09-11-2014
Brasserie Bos Blanche de Printemps Blond malts, zesty, not necessarily hoppy though. White bread, spritzy. Heavy carbonation but quite drinkable. More bitter than expected from a classic style French wheat, while it is less citric too, which I like. Surprisingly nice! (33cl bottle from a burger food truck in Bourges...) 3.5 09-11-2014
L’Atelier de la Bière L’Atelier de la Bière La Yote Very misty golden body and large bubbly and stable head. Wheat, brioche, lightest of spice, yellow fruit yeast aromas, bit of basement too. Better than expected, although classic in appeal. Taste is fairly bitter, full mouth feel, certainly for the modest abv. Light acidic but certainly not infected. Ending is more simple. Perhaps not quite as developed as could be, but a nice sipper. Would apir well with light (lunch) food like sandwitches or salads. (33cl bottle from a gift shop in Bourges) 3.3 09-11-2014
Carlow Carlow O’Hara’s Leann Folláin Roasted, nutty, dark bread, coffee. Quite nice, not modern but interesting enough for a moderate abv stout. Nice biscuit malts and mouth feel from that. Good brew, classic appeal. (Bottle from an Irish products shop in Angers) 3.6 09-11-2014
Van Moll Van Moll Ons Blackie Black body and light tan head. Roasted, hoppy, modern. Rich enough body, quite toasty for a black IPA. That will appeal most I think but for me I’d like some more chocolate love, even in it gets out if style. Hides the alcohol well though. I certainly enjoyed drinking this. (Bottle traded with Benzai, thanks!) 3.8 09-11-2014
Sancerroise La Sancerroise à la Lentille Verte du Berry Small instable foam over very murky body. Vegetable, yeasty, murky, sweet, pear. Alcohol heat, not too sweet, but oddly canned vegetable taste... I didn’t expect much, but with its poorly developed palate and bubblegum sweetness I can’t find any highlights at all really. Some superficially stupid ideas are really just that... (33cl bottle from a hamburger food truck in Bourges...) 2.6 08-11-2014
Karlsbräu (Karlsberg) Saverne El Grande Artificial citrus aroma, boozy, very pale. Light sour, spritzy, watery. It’s worse than Corona but better than Sol. So yeah.. Not sure what that says... (33cl bottle in El Gringo Latino in Bourges) 2.0 08-11-2014
Gopher’s Beer Gopher’s Beer Klobaska Brown murky body and small frothy lasting head. Lots of smoke, leather, fermentation aromas, bit nutty, not much of a hop presence. Somewhat odd mouthfeel, low in carbonation yet spritzy. Lager like taste, basement aromas. Unique leathery appeal. Perhaps some sulphur or something that makes it quite hard to like. I do very much like the ending of this beer, which is long but ready for another sip. Interesting beer though and I totally belief it would pair well with mustard and pork sausages! A beer that grows on me. (33cl bottle, traded with some dudes at Borefts, thanks!) 3.6 05-11-2014
Oedipus Oedipus Thai Thai Very misty light golden body and stable head. Loads of orange aromas, grassy hops, belgian yeast, leathery too though. Quite unique, like I’ve only had from modern Belgian brewers. Bit too herbal spicy in the taste perhaps, although luckily it has enough sugars an hops to balance and especialyl the ending is very nice again. Would pair very well with Mediterranean foods, but I just enjoyed it on a Sunday afternoon. :) (33cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden) 3.9 02-11-2014
The Kernel The Kernel London Sour Raspberry Bright red body and mostly headless. Super nice fruit, crisp, appealing, raspberry, strawberry. Delicious but, I have to admit, not super complex as real fermentation aromas are missing a bit. Taste is more varied, with both the sour fruit and with crisp herbal bitterness towards the end. Palate is a bit simple and a too watery. The abv really shows here. Lively drinkable though. (33cl bottle gifted by Menno and John, many thanks!) 3.6 02-11-2014
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Mind Your Step Black bodied, heavy yet almost headless. Rich dark malts, aging, toasted. Brown sugar and, yes, quite some alcohol. Aging stands out, even in the taste. Heavy, but not quite as thick as expected. Warming, wintery, tasty, full of flavour. Not the best looking or richest imperial stout, certainly at this crazy abv, but still delicious and special. A treat! (33cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden) 3.9 01-11-2014
Carlow Carlow O’Hara’s Irish Stout Dark brown and creamy head. Dry roasted malts, toffee. Cacao powder. Light body, roasted but watery. However not unlike the abv allows. 3.5 01-11-2014
Carlow Carlow O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale Golden body and unstable smooth lacing. Raw hops, green, plant like yet interesting and appealing. Taste is more classic straightforward, again different than an American style ipa, for sure. (33cl bottle from a Irish import products shop in Angers) 3.5 01-11-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Bitch Black Saison Black bodied and medium head. Roasted malts, toasty side, dark sugar, modern hops. It’s like a modern Belgian dark ale. Creamy yeast. Unique beer, although a bit too highly carbonated. (75cl bottle gifted by Menno and John, many thanks! And shared with Flavia and Alba) 4.0 01-11-2014
Omnipollo Omnipollo Magic #3,14 - Wildflower Honey Saison Light golden body and large head. Lots of Brett, interesting fermentation aromas, refined. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 01-11-2014
Brauerei Göller Göller Kellerbier Naturtrüb Golden light murky body and medium head. More hoppy than expected, cereal, herbs, pale malts. Refined, classic yet somehow interesting enough. Great lager! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 01-11-2014
vandeStreek bier vandeStreek bier Elixir Misty golden amber body and frothy head. Odd fermentation aroma, poor malt bill, unrefined. Little sweetness, not much hop. Light bitter, simple. Nice mouthfeel though. It’s okay, better than much mass produced Belgium stuff not really classy. (33cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden) 3.4 01-11-2014
Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse Huge head, amber body, really good looking. Banana bread, pumpkin spices, warming light brown sugar. Surprisingly nice and appealing! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 29-10-2014
Oldskool Brewery Oldskool Bramling X Hopfen Weisse Amber bodied, large head. Yeasty, not bad, cereal, leaves. Not so sweet luckily, like the others of the brewer’s Hefes. But not quite hoppy either. Taste is okay, well ending, easier to drink and not too sweet, again. The best of the Hefes of this brewer. (50cl bottle from trade with Benzai, thanks!) 3.4 29-10-2014
Oldskool Brewery Oldskool Versnijder Cloudy body and large head. German yeast, sweet, simplistic. Banana, cereal, bubblegum. Foamy carbonation, okay but underhopped. Bit boring, not developed enough. Disappointing. Really doesn’t give out the goodness of a German example. (50cl bottle from trade with Benzai, thanks!) 3.2 29-10-2014
Oldskool Brewery Oldskool Galaxy Hopfen Weisse Murky body and stable nice head. Odd mixture of Hefe yeast with peachy, sweet fruity aromas. Doesn’t really work for me as the already sweet yeast gets more sweetness and its of the artificial feeling kind, not the full malty kind. Mouth feeling aroma but astringent mouth feel overall. I do get the modern hops but it does not work at all for me and ruins the style. Watery for the abv too. I am really sorry, brewer, but this is absolutely not what I want in a beer and certainly not in a weizen. Oh and expensive as hell! (50cl bottle traded with Benzai, thanks!) 2.9 29-10-2014
Ambev (AB InBev) Brahma Seleção Especial Very clear body and bubbly ugly head. Very shallow aroma, with very pale malts, white sugar, cheap. Simple taste, too sweet. Extremely boring mass produced taste... Or lack thereof. (473ml (?) bottle, gifted by Flavia’s sister, brought from Brazil, many thanks!) 2.3 25-10-2014
Cervejaria Backer Backer Brazuka 2014 Clear golden body and small creamy head. Soft malty aroma, little hops. Certainly has that German/Chech pilsner feel to it, with its clear cut taste and aroma, but unfortunately of the mass produced kind. A shame considering this is what you’d call a craft brewer. (60cl bottle gifted by Flavia’s sister, brought from Brazil, many thanks!) 2.7 24-10-2014
Greene King Greene King Double Hop Monster (Bottle / Keg) Golden lightly misty body and medium head. Classic hop profile, lots of biscuit malts. Classic although higher alcohol (without the alcohol in the aroma or taste). Fuller and dry taste. Light carbonation saves this from being boring. (33cl bottle from an Irish products shop in Angers...) 3.5 23-10-2014
Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) Thurn und Taxis Weissbier Dark golden and medium head. Clear banana, fruity, bready, bit fresher than expected. Soft taste, bit too sweet. Not terribly interesting. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 22-10-2014
Brasserie La Binchoise La Binchoise Organic’ Bio Triple Huge head and misty body. Very tasty, farmy, unique and with typical Bière de Garde quality (distinct from the fruitier Belgian yeast). Saison like hop parfum, yet not as complex. Beautiful aroma but the taste is more straightforward. Nice medium bitterness and heavy carbonation that I don’t mind at all. My kind of beer, if I crave for a classic yeast-based ale. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 22-10-2014
Moylans Brewery & Restaurant Moylans Nor Cal IPA Beautiful glowing body and solid head. Rich aroma, carefully balancing amber and sweet malts with modern hops. Intoxicating aroma, very pleasant. String bitterness, juicy, delicious! I drank this (luckily large) bottle in no time. And still wanted more. True American style ipa for all the right reasons. (Bomber from Saveur Bière) 4.2 22-10-2014
Local Option Bierwerker Local Option Voku Hila Extremely creamy pilowy head and light amber cloudy body. Super creamy mouth feel, smooth and medium bitter. Bready and light cara malt aromas, more yeasty than expected (which I like) and nice hop moderate mix. Very full, almost too much for some raters here? Some honey and herb tastes, bitter ending. Great brew, a tat bit too sweet perhaps, but I really enjoyed this one! (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 22-10-2014
Lancelot Lancelot Duchesse Anne Triple Hops Golden body and hazy, huge bubbly yet quite stable head. Odd interesting aroma with farmy yeast, egg white (!), classic and contemporary hops. Taste isn’t very hoppy or bitter, but a bit of a Belgian ipa mixed with dusty malts. Doesn’t work great, but it’s okay. (33cl bottle from a Irish import products shops in Angers... Really!) 3.4 21-10-2014
Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) Thurn und Taxis Weissbier Dunkel Brown body and medium head. Lots of green banana, brown bread. Simple taste, actually quite dimmed. Needs more sweetness, feels dusty now. Carbo is okay, but nothing great. (50cl bottle Saveur Bière) 3.5 21-10-2014
Omnipollo Omnipollo / Buxton Stolen Fruit Grapefruit and Key Lime Sour Wheat Belgian yeast, blond malts, farmy yeast, softly but surely hopped. Very refined. More pronounced taste, very nice zesty, sour, malty, juicy palate, drinking and great soft carbonation. Appley fruity body. Delicious. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 19-10-2014
CREW Republic Brewery CREW Republic 7:45 Escalation Very cloudy golden body, medium head. Very juicy hops, mango, orange, floral, Brioche. Very soft carbonation, which I very much enjoyed. Heavy bitter, but juicy. Greatly hopped and dry hopped. Great palate. Yum! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 19-10-2014
Samuel Smith Samuel Smiths Taddy Porter Dry cacao, brown bread, cracker. Eloquent malts, not sweet at all. Dry ending, woody. Not quite as rich as I wanted, especially in mouth feel. Simpler ending. Low abv thins this down too much for me. Well made though. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 19-10-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Hipster Ale Golden body, medium head. Hoppy, modern but not too fresh and flower. More pine. Nice body, quite active carbonation making it refreshing to drink. Just only bitter enough though. It’s nice and modern without any fuss. (33cl can from Saveur Bière) 3.7 19-10-2014
Buxton Buxton New World Saison Misty golden body and very large pillowy head. New world hops for sure, amarillo like, citrus, freshly mowed grass, amazing yeast aromas! Easily a 9 for the smell. But the taste doesn’t disappoint either, with well developed body, well hopped, and generally awesome. Absolutely delicious! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 19-10-2014
Belhaven (Greene King) Belhaven Speyside Oak Aged Blonde Ale How can I get this with only 6 RB ratings on RB? I don’t mind of course. Good tick, but the brew isn’t as investing. Darker golden body and unstable head. Biscuit, woody, liquor, artificial actually. Boring taste, especially in the end. Forgettable. Barrel aging a blond this way is only a waste of time and money. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.8 19-10-2014
Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) Paulaner Original Münchner Hell (Premium Lager) Very light golden, heavy bubbly. Decisively German, with large carbonation, crisp fermentation, clean yet well present hops. More straightforward taste finish, big bubbly mouthfeel. It’s okay. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.8 18-10-2014
Thwaites Thwaites Crafty Dan Triple C (Bottle, 5.3%) Very light body but not without character. Crisp, pale malts, citrus but never sharp, more like not so sweet limoncello. Nice modern bitterness, citra like hops. Tastes equally fresh and vibrant, floral even. Yum! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.9 18-10-2014
Brasserie de l’Abbaye des Rocs Abbaye des Rocs Triple Impériale Brown body and beige head. Sweet malts, cake, sticky figs, some weak coffee. Taste isn’t as concentrated, probably quite some sugar used here because the alcohol is there without much body. Bit too Prickly carbonation, even within the style. It’s a tat bit disappointing. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 18-10-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Yang Almost clear amber body and large head. Roasted malts, surprisingly, amber, brown sugar, heavy hops, in quality and aroma. Dark berries and pine. Blindfolded I would have believed it’s a brown ipa. Very bitter body, heavy and thereby hiding the alcohol. And being delicious! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 18-10-2014
Belhaven (Greene King) Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (Europe) (Bottle) Amber body and stable head. Grapefruit hops, biscuit malts, tomato compote strangely. Well developed, nicely brewed. Quite classic in malts, but that’s no problem. Bit too light perhaps. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 18-10-2014
Thornbridge Thornbridge / Sierra Nevada Twin Peaks Light golden body and small head. Post modern hops, zesty, grapes, mineral, green apple. Pale malt, unique. Very well developed and great drinkable body. Yum. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 18-10-2014
Samuel Smith Samuel Smiths Nut Brown Ale Brown bodied, tan head. Biscuit malts, nutty, lager like fermentation, caramel cookies. Light body, soft malt sweetness, not that expressive. Nice but I expected more, a bit too clean. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 18-10-2014
Paulaner Brauerei (Schörghuber) Thurn und Taxis Roggen Pff the specialty grain category on RB should die. Anyway, about rue beer, it’s brown bodied with a surprisingly unstable head. Bit ugly. Toasty aroma, light rye bread, not so sweet at all, hopless mostly and with German yeast (dark banana and clove). Quite heavy body when drank cold, watery but somehow heavy on the stomach. Very light aftertaste, too bit carbonation. Bit disappointing tbh. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 15-10-2014
Kiuchi Brewery (Hitachino) Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout Dark body and thin head. Odd lacing. Interesting mouthfeel, oily yet not thick. Toast and roast aromas, umami, some black coffee. It’s odd but interesting. (33cl bottle shared with Alex, from Saveur Bière) 3.6 13-10-2014
Brasserie de Blaugies Blaugies / Hill Farmstead La Vermontoise UPDATED: DEC 17, 2014 Golden body and stable head. Very farmy, rich light malts, cereal, classically hopped. Great mouthfeel, bitter enough, very satisfying. Great French style brew, fulfilling body. Try it! (75cl bottle shared with Alex and Dodo) 4.6 13-10-2014
Omnipollo Omnipollo Magic #7 - Pineapple and Fresh Spearmint Wit Very light golden body with small grey head. Lemony, farmy yeast, cereal, cardamon. Taste is much more unique even, with sour gose like flavours, citric, yellow fruit jam, apple vinegar, juicy. Long aftertaste, plucky, full. Amazing at the abv. What starts with a nice aroma the ends with a great flavour. Wow, interesting and unique! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.2 12-10-2014
Omnipollo Omnipollo / Siren / Mike Bates Gracchus Saison Yellow cloudy body and very large bubbly pillowy head. Very refined aroma with pale malts, cereal, lemon, white wine, juniper berries, Brett like and aging aromas, delicious. Heavy carbonation that fits the beer (style). Medium bitter, softer taste than the aroma, bit medicinal perhaps. To be honest the bubbles end up being a hit annoying, but I like this beer. Very unique Saison. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 12-10-2014
CREW Republic Brewery CREW Republic Drunken Sailor Amber body and small head. Darker malts, fermentation aromas, cheesy, dark hops like resin and pine. Oats even. Drinkable body, more than I was afraid of. Not quite as bitter as should be, perhaps, but well balanced you could argue otherwise. Light touch of alcohol in the end. Nice brew, rich and perhaps on the brink of being overdone. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.8 12-10-2014
Trappistenbrouwerij De Kievit Zundert Trappist Big foamy head over a brown amber body. Lots of candy sugar, burned caramel, spice, really nice actually! However, the taste is too light, despite brown sugars, probably because of the substantial amount of sugar used in the brewing process. Actually got alcohol too to further confirm that, for me. A shame because I really do like the aroma, but it doesn’t have the sweetness or fullness to satisfy as a winter warmer. Now it’s a rainy autumn beer that doesn’t lift you up at all. Depressing. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.4 12-10-2014
Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Weihenstephaner Festbier Golden body and huge head, quite clear. Say malts, but of good quality. Very faint hops only, but not unpleasant. Easy to drink for sure, with softer carbonation than most German pilsners. Excellent mouth feel, also from the foam, but a bit too sweet for my taste. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.1 12-10-2014
Brauerei Heller Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Lagerbier Golden bubbly body and bubbly yet quite stable head. Classic yet very nice lager aroma, classically hopped, and a very faint butter but that supports the body and is far from an off flavour here. But I say don’t smell, drink, because the palate is wonderful, and the bitterness juicy. Again a very small butter taste, but it gives a rich mouthfeel. It seems to come from the smoke. Excellent body, but overall a bit too odd perhaps to really raise the numbers. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 12-10-2014
Buxton Buxton White Wine Saison Cloudy body, medium off white head. Rich aroma, very original. Brett, barrel aging aromas, farmy, horse blanket, white grapes. Very tasty, lots of aging aromas that go well with the Base beer. Do much better than bourbon aging would be, a different class! The yeasts are iconic now and accentuated. Must try! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.1 12-10-2014
Adnams Adnams Spindrift Golden body and small head. Equal aroma, with golden biscuit malts, cracker like, soft modern but modest carbonation. Okay de enable, certainly bitter enough, but a bit underwhelming overall. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.5 12-10-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Lil’ B Huge brown head over black body. Beautiful. Rich, powerful aroma with brown bread, toffee, roasted pumpkin, dark nuts... Fantastic. Taste is rich too, although there I find the biggest issue with this very tasty beer, and that’s the carbonation. It’s too prickly, dimming the fullness of the body, dimming the taste and only revealing it’s bitterness in the end. A shame, it’s a great starting beer, and still great to drink, but that small issue lowers the overall score unequally bad. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 12-10-2014
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Wadesda #4 Golden body, big head. Well carbonation, nice drinkable body. But the aroma isn’t as nice as I hoped. Belgian yeast, straighforward pale hops and nowhere as hoppy as I though it would be. It certainly does have classic hops, but together with the typical Belgian yeast it doesn’t do much for me. (33cl bottle from Cave à Bulles) 3.4 10-10-2014
Brasserie Saint-Loupoise Signature We Are Brewers Tropic Ale Another We Are Brewers release so I expect a great beer. And... I got it! Very full flavoured for the (not so modest, agreeably) abv. Surprisingly fruity and much more tropical (hence the name) than I would expect from a Citra single hop pale ale. I would have guessed Mosaic or some NZ hop. But it does well because this single hop isn’t boring. Drinking well, perhaps a tat bit thin but full of flavour. Lasting taste. Another nice brew in this series. Did I already say it looks stunning? (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.7 10-10-2014
La Loère La Loère Bière Blanche Light misty golden yellow body and small bubbly head. Very lemony, zesty, white bread and interesting clean yet farmy yeast. Bitter enough, crisp hops, clean. But watery ending perhaps but a very pleasant beer overall. Prickly mouth feel won’t appeal to anyone, but I dig it. (33cl bottle at Frenchy’s Burger Tours) 3.4 10-10-2014
CREW Republic Brewery CREW Republic Roundhouse Kick Dark malts, roasted, some chocolate, biscuit too. Rye even, yet fairly dry. Enough hop backup and a clean yeast actually, almost lager like. It does have some rounding fuller sweetness though and that’s for the better. However, it is the taste that struck me as the real surprise, very full bodied, totally jsutifying the abv. BItter and sticky seet but not cloying at all. Roasty middle and creamy full ending. Delicous! (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.0 09-10-2014
BrewDog BrewDog / Stone / Magic Rock Magic Stone Dog Three brwers I love, so that has to be special? Well, perhaps my expectation were a bit too high. Certainly packs nice pale malts and a modern moderate hop, but the yeast is not quite full enough for me, a bit too clean and dry for a saison yet too farmy for a pale ale. What I do love is the body of this body, form the bitter start to the well developed ending, al the way carried by a small yet active carbonation. It just drinks great! So where I wan;t overly impressed by the aroma, perhaps due to the moderate alcohol too, I ended up really liking the beer overall. Yes, I could drink this often! (If not for the price...) (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.6 09-10-2014
Uberach Uberach Juliette What an odd aroma... Artificial aroma of yellow fruit, canned apricot juice. Okay carbonation and an okay malty sweetness, but the aroma is just off putting. I could finish the bottle for sure, but I’d rather not smell it again. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.5 09-10-2014
Anderson Valley Brewing Company Anderson Valley Poleeko Pale Ale Golden body and stable head. LOvely hops, refined and hay like malts. Smooth carbonation, very drinkable body. Crisp and tasy, hoppy enough. Nice! (33cl bottle from Saveeur Bière) 3.7 09-10-2014
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Saint Landelin Rubis Okay, I was expecting a ruby red ale but got a fruit juice beer... after that big disappointment I have to say ti wasn’t SO bad. Sure, the nose is too artificial strawberry, but there is a nice yeast and it is not underdeveloped. In fact, the taste is sort of okay, despite an aspartan ending. Too bad, the palate is well but the fruits used must be of the juice extract variety at best because this smells very poorly. (75cl bottle :( from Saveur Bière) 2.4 08-10-2014
Uberach Uberach Sidonie This is an odd one... Almost not a beer. In fact the smell is like a mead with loads of honey and small herbal notes and caramel to go with it, form a body. And while its heavy sweet, it does give the beer some body. Of course the biggest oddity further helps the body feel rich... no carbonation at all. Downside is the ugly appearance. In this end I did not drink this warm (and not sure if it would have been better that way) and I liked the experience of drinking it; but I won;t get another. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 07-10-2014
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Saint Landelin Ambrée Red amber body and medium head. Biere de garde yeast, very iconic even. Toasty malts, sweet red berries, herbal hops, caramel. Medium sweet, light toasty taste. Drinking well despite very active carbonation. My biggest gripe is that it’s too clean and boring for its own good. Smell is nice but lacks mostly thereafter.(75cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.3 07-10-2014
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Saint Landelin Brune Brown body and tan head. Belgian yeast, toast. Simple Amber malts in taste, not bitter but not sweet either, bit cereal like mostly, Umami. Odd sourness ending. Really disappointed compared to their other beers. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 3.0 06-10-2014
Uberach Uberach Jean Balthazar Brown body and minimal foamy head. Burned malts, toast, odd yeast. Simple brown malty body, roasted, very short ending. I like the super roasted malts, quite simple interesting, like almost burned toast, but the body is watery and ending too short. Ugly too. (50cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.2 06-10-2014
Kombolcha Brewery (BGI Ethiopia) St George Amber Beer (Ethiopia) Not so bad looking amber body with a bubbly head. Lightest of toasty aromas, something that remotely reminds me of caramel and resin... but very light. Bit too highly carbonated. Taste is better and is not too watery or too sweet, some cracker like malt taste. It’s not horrible. (Bottle at an Ethiopian restaurant in Brussels) 2.6 06-10-2014
Kombolcha Brewery (BGI Ethiopia) St. George Beer Very simple golden body and fluffy head. Grainy aroma, hopless, light yeasty perhaps but very light. Watery body, simple bitterness, too highly carbonated. Like yellow water. (Bottle at an Ethiopian restaurant in Brussels) 2.0 06-10-2014
Mad Beer Mad Sur Golden body, cloudy, stable head. Toothpaste, minty, cleaning agent, lemon, light malts. Very odd. Taste is sour, lychee or peppermint like almost, hard to describe but... Ugh, no thanks! (On tap at Délirium Hoppy Loft) 2.5 06-10-2014
Baird Brewing Co. Baird Suruga Bay Imperial IPA Misty golden amber body and medium off white head. Hoppy, minty, green, grass. Well developed, but not terribly good. It’s perhaps the hops that don’t do it for me, too medicinal. Green tea like. Good body though. (On tap at Délirium Hoppy Loft) 3.4 06-10-2014
Mad Beer Mad Umami Murky blond body and very stable head. Refined malts, soft saison yeast, salty even. Medium bitter, quite dry and rough. It’s nice but nothing outstanding. Hoped for some Brett. (On tap at Délirium Hoppy Loft) 3.6 06-10-2014
Brouwerij Oud Beersel Oud Beersel Bersalis Tripel Clean golden body and stable head. White sugar water, alcohol, poor. Chemical ending, alcohol galore, tasteless. Very bad stuff, mass produced pretence. (On tap at Délirium Cafe Brussel) 2.1 06-10-2014
Brasserie de Bastogne Bastogne Pale Ale Named as Ardenne Pale Ale, but must be this one. Golden body, misty and stable head, looking good! Soft citrus aroma, Belgian yeast, not too sweet, actually better than I expected. Medium bitter, clean malts, quite nice. Simple but we’ll made actually. (On tap at Délirium Cafe Brussel) 3.4 06-10-2014
Brasserie de Bastogne Ardenne Stout Deep brown body, stable dark tan head. Chocolate, mocha, brown sugar, some classic hops. Simple but well drinkable. Perhaps a bit too much residual sugar. Oh and I don’t get the Mosaic hop... (On tap at Délirium Cafe Brussel) 3.6 06-10-2014
Birrificio Montegioco Montegioco MacMummia (McMummy) Blond body and very pillowy stable head. Very heavy peated, odd with such a pale beer, yet also sweet. Interesting twist bit I’m not convinced these smoked and sour aroma go for well, especially in a blond beer. (On tap at Moeder Lambic) 3.4 06-10-2014
Brasserie du Lion à Plume Lion à Plume Postiche Dark bodied, beige head. Coffee, toasty, bitter, brown sugar start but harder bitter ending. Bit too cloying the for me, too much brown sugar, but luckily the ending is much better. It’s okay but looking at all those high ratings... (On tap at Moeder Lambic) 3.6 06-10-2014
Le Paradis Le Paradis Marjollica Frount’zzz the Never Amber body and medium head. Hoppy aroma getting push away a bit by the dominant dark amber malts. Drinks not too bitter but a bit medicinal. Another brown ipa from France... Funny to see this style being to popular amongst the new French brewers. This one is quite nice. (On tap at Moeder Lambic) 3.6 06-10-2014
Brouwerij Alvinne Alvinne / Naparbier Gentleman Sour Ale Brown body, very pretty head. Thick aroma with dark fruit, fermenting, leather, soft sour. Taste is sharper than expected, but still with lots of fruit and complex malts. Really nice! Unexpected perhaps, more refined than I’m used to with this brewer, even though it’s a bit too high on the alcohol. Not refreshing, but that’s okay. (On tap at Nüetnigenough) 3.9 06-10-2014
’t Gaverhopke Gaverhopke Burned Brown Brown body, almost headless, not pretty. Sweet malts, barley wine like dry fruit, roasted bit not thick, not smoked. Simpler taste, soft bitterness only, mostly sweet malts and a bit too sticky. Too sugary for me, even though it packs a lot of flavour. (33cl bottle at Nüetnigenough) 3.4 06-10-2014
White Pony Microbirrificio White Pony Autonomy Lost UPDATED: DEC 18, 2015 Re-rated. Still a heavy on the malts and alcohol imperial ipa, but perhaps fresher or a better batch, because I also get lots of nice hops. Enjoyable! Updated the rating from 3.3 to 3.7. Amber bodied and stable pillowy head. Rich darker malts, amber, heavy hops. Bitter but also loads of sugars to balance. A bit high on the alcohol though, so I wouldn?t drink multiple on a sitting of this. Good brew, but not excellent. Too sugary. (Sample at Nüetnigenough) 3.7 06-10-2014
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne / Le Trou du Diable Schieve Tabarnak Fruity aroma, pine apple, tropical, biscuit malts though and interesting yeast. Well developed, light sweet, full mouth feel. Not very bitter. Smooth and drinkable, not quite the freshness I wanted in the aroma. Another high quality brew from these guys! (Sample at Nüetnigenough) 3.8 06-10-2014
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Saison du Meyboom Good looking golden body and stable head. Dry, peppery, zesty, crisp. Very well developed palate, dry, medium bitter, lemony start to well rounded ending. Good stuff! Brilliant effort at this abv. (33cl bottle at Nüetnigenough) 3.9 06-10-2014
Brussels Beer Project Brussels Beer Project Dark Sister Brown body and large head. Modern aromas, modern hops yet with an interesting yeast, quite biscuity and some red fruit too. Reminds more of De la Senne in style and quality and that’s a compliment! Lovely soft bitterness, well done. Spot on carbonation for the style -- yes I am very happy with this beer! (33cl bottle shared by Alok in Louvain-la-Nueuve) 3.7 06-10-2014
Gallia Paris Gallia American Stout Brown bodied. Lively carbonation, a bit too foamy in fact. Surprised how honest this beer is, much more hoppy and malty than expected from this brewer. American hops, toasty malts, really nice. Well hopped, dark malts... I almost can’t belief that this brewer did it, but they made a very solid stout, full of roasted malts. Wow. I mean, this is not the last word in stouts, but it is well made and flavorful. Good job! (33cl bottle from Bière et Malt) 3.8 03-10-2014
Van Eecke Livinus Blonde Blond body, okay head. Sweet malts, fruity belgina yeast, peachy and some grass hops. Malty sugar body, heavy alcohol warmth, only barely saved itself from total disaster by the pleasant lively/heavy carbonation. Really way too much alcohol, but it is at least not artificial and neither is it flavourless. Ugly ass label and ugly ass beer, but sometimes ugly isn’t all bad at all, I suppose. A butherface... great body and you don;t mind the character sometime. (33cl bottle from Bière et Malt) 3.5 03-10-2014
Les Brasseurs De Gayant (Saint-Omer) Saint Landelin Blonde Blond body and stable head. Biere de garde yeast, refined malts, high quality stuff. Soft bitter, soft sweet but full palate. A well made, honest brew in a classic style but very good palate and just not too filtered. Excelletn for what it is. (75cl from Saveur Biere) 3.5 02-10-2014
United Breweries Nepal Godawari Premium Lager Nepal tick! Golden body, as expected with an ugly pale head. Straightforward pale malts, light sweet but of malts and,surprisingly, no sugar or cardboard aromas. Not much of any hop presence, but overall not bad. Taste is in the same vein, without much character but at least it tastes like a naturally brewed product. In fact, it is one of the best country tick lagers I’ve had I think! (33cl bottle from Saveur Biere) 2.7 02-10-2014
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Sierra Nevada Summerfest Golden clear body with okay head. Smell is too sweet and too little hopped, although the ingredients seem of good quality, the pale malts don’t do much and there is a white sugar style at the start of the smell. Very light bitterness, perhaps refined but not appealing. Aftertaste is well bittered though, and actually really nice. This saved the beer from being a bit too sweet and passable. It;s okay overall. 2.5 02-10-2014
Backus y Johnston (SABMiller) Premium Cristal (Peru) Country tick time! From Peru to Spain to France... my bottle doesn’t carry the Premium name but is still 5% and called Cristal (with the same EAN barcode). Cerveza de Los Andes. Pours a pale golden body with okay head, I have seen worse. Almost aroma-less, bit cardboard, very fine dry grass (hop?) but mostly soft-sweet white bread malts. Hugely boring, of course, but I’ve had worse country ticks. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 2.0 02-10-2014
La Cagole - Midi&Demi La Cagole de Marseille La Bière de Légende Blonde After the shameful pilsner under the almost exact same name (La Cagole, without De Marseille postfix) I wasn’t expecting much... and got exactly that. Simple caramel, candy like, no hop aroma at all. Artificial... even the pillowy headed golden amber body looks artificial. And it sort of is, looking through the shocking ingredients list. "Antique recipe!" the bottle is labelled, but I can hardly belief there is any authenticity to adding dextrose, caramel aroma, fructose, E150c and ascorbic acid to your beer. What a bunch of lying marketing losers must be behind this brand. Disgusting. Just as their beer. (33cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 1.2 02-10-2014
La Cagole - Midi&Demi La Cagole de Marseille Extremely pale golden body, absolutely filtered to death it seems, which even creates an instable bubbly soda head to it doesn’t even look good there. Minimal malts, sleazy sweetness, hopelessly hopless, atrociously artificial and cloying corn... I have no good word for this beer. From the E-numbers, glucose and corn as ingredients to the pretentious marketing aimed at unknowing locals and tourists. Even the big "serve ice cold!" recommendation isn’t going to help anyone enjoy this beer. Did not finish half a glass -- not for the taste (it’s non-existent) but I don’t want to take any calorie as bad as this. (50cl can from La Saveur Bière) 1.1 02-10-2014
Brasserie Bendorf Bendorf Miel Harmonie Another reason to disband the Spcie/Herb/Vegtable category... but that’s not the brewer’s fault. In fact, there is no faulting the brewer here at all. He made a very nice brown ale, with biscuit and toasted malts, sweeter honey notes and a balanced aroma overall. Toasty malts define the taste and ends with a soft bitterness. Very drinkable, despite the heavy carbonation. Well made beer, can match the new Belgian brewers, although in the end I can’t be too bothered by it simple because of the style. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.5 01-10-2014
Brasserie Bendorf Bendorf Queen of Langstross Why make a pale ale and an ipa under the same name? Well... No idea, but it certainly is a different beer. But interestingly it seems the beers are copies, just with more moderation in this. The same pine and spruce hops with pale and biscuit malts, yet ever so slightly lighter. Sure, that means it doesn’t pack the ipa version punch, but still carries a surprisingly full body for the abv. Medium to heavy bitterness, great carbonation. Very hard to fault this beer, and with the hop mix that is so appealing to me I have to say, another very well made and appetising beer from Bendorf! (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.8 01-10-2014
Magic Rock Brewing Magic Rock High Wire Citra Golden body, creamy white head. Sweet hops, grapefruit, resin, not super fresh though. Odd low but lively carbonation. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.5 01-10-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Fruit IPA Mango Very orange mango coloured, no doubt about this one! We couldn’t get it to serve with a head unfortunately. Heavy mango juice taste with a light malt body and some herbal notes. But yes, heavy on the mango (although not so sweet). Taste was less expressive in comparison, mango with a medium butter base. Not much hop here but that is perhaps for the better. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.4 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Fruit IPA Habanero Dark golden, daunting head. Aroma is still inconspicuous and only has a vegetable hint to show what’s to come. Oh my... Why do I drink this if the mango version for already a throat burner? This is stupid. Couldn’t finish half a glass. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 2.2 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Fruit IPA Lime Bit murky, grey head. Lime, not sweet, bit vegetable but not in a bad way. Good carbonation, hay, moderate bitter. Just a bit underwhelming, too much lime and too little modern hops. I’ve had better citrus brewed IPAs. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.3 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Fruit IPA Mango Habanero Mango, hops, fruity, tasty aroma. But then... Your throat hurts from the stupid peppers. Why? I happen to know the history of the beer and it’s unfortunately the pepper got in here. Great start, poor ending. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 2.9 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Fruit IPA Strawberry Fruity, strawberry only supporting, herbal hops. The taste works brilliant however! Full taste body, lactic even. Unique and original an it really works! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.5 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Friday Radler Lime Very murky, thin head. Lime juice, wine gum, sweet, lemonade. Refreshing, yoghurt, yet strangely full. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.3 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Saturday Radler Watermint Headless and pale, dirty. Minty, green, tea. Thin body, Prickly carbonation. Interesting aroma but the taste is too weird for me. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.5 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen 21 Grams Anniversary Ale 10 Years de Molen Fresh sweet sweaty hops, mixing everything up to provide a hop experience, far from single hop for sure. Bit confused perhaps. Rich bitterness yet with loads of balancing cara and biscuit malts. Sharper ending. Almost American barley wine like. Alcohol edge. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.9 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Fresh Hop (2014, Hop van Henk) Very fruity, wet grass, hay, herbal hops. Oily structure. Odd taste, not sure if that works. Cucumber all the way. However, later taps came in cleaner, with pronounced hops and a very quaffable character. Still not convinced on the wet hop necessity, but it’s a good brew! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Jut & Jul Funky yet hoppy, lactic, fresh, grapefruit, true to the style but certainly original. Great mouth feel but underwhelming straightforward medium bitterness. Not sure what the twist is in this beer, but besides the small funk I’m not digging it too much. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Stars & Stripes Clean sour, funky, light spice. Loaded with Brett. Not too thick, somewhat spicy. Too light body for me perhaps, with an odd carbonation, but it can’t dim my love. Will have to try on bottle when I get the chance. Should be even better I expect. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.9 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Omnipollo Karl Framboise Crazy good aroma, smooth refined, fruity, funky. Pink and appealing looks, but also the creamy body keeps you interesting. Much dried than expected, great mouthfeel. Not in style of De Molen’s best beers, but this is a true showing that any style can be mastered by Menno. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.1 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Zombier Hell & Zombier Thick black body, creamy head, amazing looks. Huge coffee, espresso, powerful, thick. Roasted malts, tar, delicious. Thick mouth feel, rich creamy and with a lovely coffee bitterness. Amazing brew. Absolutely brilliant. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.5 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Barley Bomb Amber body and stable head. Rich sticky sweet aroma, dry hopped and rich. Sweet fruit, light caramel. Delicious sticky sweetness. Amazing brew, balancing heavy sweetness act. Love it! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.5 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Twist & Stout Cognac BA Boozy, fermenting fruit, roasted, Pecan, wood, dark sugar. Too far aged for my taste although I dig the cognac better than the usual bourbon. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.8 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Radler Rasputin Bourbon BA – Amarena Sweet sticky fruit, dark malts, Belgian almost with its red berries and sweaty body. Full flavoured, quite boozy. Soft carbonation does well but the alcohol is way too sharp for me. It’s okay. And absolutely nothing Radler. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.4 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Hemel & Aarde (Octomore BA) Lots of booze, dark roasted, dark sweetness, molasses but not thick. Actually a bit too boozy in taste, thinking the great base beer down. It’s okay it you live the spirit, but not so if you love the beer. Not for me. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.5 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen Vlees & Bloed Rich chocolate, roasted malts, thick, some coffee, bit woody. Delicious soft balanced yet rich taste, sweet and ending bitter. Well hopped but amazingly balanced. Wow! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.4 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Emelisse Prachtig & Machtig Amber body and small head. Sweet malts but not cloying, resin, red grapes, earthy and American hops. Cereal, sweet and quite thick (although the Barley Bom is even more so). Luscious and tasty! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen / Tired Hands Lost & Found Almost black bodied, creamy beige head. Toffee, ricola Candy type herbs, dark caramel, dark bread. Woody taste, aged, hint of sourness over the base bitter malts. Odd ending, bit medicinal. Pretty good. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
Brasserie Bendorf Bendorf Queen of Langstross IPA Amber body and stable head. Quite a malty ipa but with fitting pine and resin hops. Very bitter actually, and nice for that! Real surprise for me. (75cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles, shared with Darren) 4.0 30-09-2014
la Chapelle Chapelle La Route De Thor Light amber body and stable head. Light yellow fruit, soft Belgian yeast, very moderate herbal hops. English pale ale like. It’s nice but all a bit too dimmed, while for an English style ipa it’s not refined enough. (75cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles, shared with Darren) 3.4 30-09-2014
De Dochter van de Korenaar De Dochter van de Korenaar Crime Passionnel Cloudy body, very pillowy head. Passion fruit (now I get the name!), also peachy Belgian yeast, banana bread and light cara malts. Interesting brew, different and tasty. (67cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles, shared with Darren) 3.9 30-09-2014
Heineken Nederland Amstel Radler Grapefruit Fizzy, big bubbly headless soda appearance. Smells exactly like Fanta grapefruit. Drinks extremely easy, but nothing like beer. I suppose it’s quite thirst quenching and not too artificial. (33cl can at Martijn’s, thanks man ;-) 2.1 30-09-2014
Brekeriet Brekeriet Sour Rhubarb Murky yellow grey body. Soft sour, pale malts, hard to define yellow fruity vegetable sweetness. Too sweet for me, but Rhubarb sour? I say yes. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.5 30-09-2014
Brekeriet Brekeriet Wild Pale Ale Dirty golden, white head. Strong citrus aroma, well balanced pale malts, lovely aging. Interesting approach and result. Tea like and herbal without aroma hops. Not very sour. Great mouth feel. Quite a cool brew. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Rocket Brewing Company Rocket Total Eclipse Very black and creamy brown head. Roasted, slight tar, very nutty. Taste disappoints a bit as it’s not as rich as I hoped and the roast is dimmed down. Bit too dry, too, perhaps. Or its just the nuttiness that I don’t like in general. Great looks, slightly dimmed experience overall. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
Rocket Brewing Company Rocket Monks On Mars Golden body and stable head. Sweet malts, oranges, bit of zest, Belgian yeast, peachy, sugary. Very sweet taste too, bit too much for me. Ending is better and carbonation spot on, so it’s drinkable in the end, but not a beer I’d start my brewery with. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.3 30-09-2014
Rocket Brewing Company Rocket Zero Gravity Borefts Ed. Brett, oranges, fresh hops, Mosaic? Very dry development, interesting fruit taste. Light funk, crisp. Bit harsh astringent aftertaste though. Good, but I’ve seen better at the festival. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.8 30-09-2014
Uinta Brewing Company Uinta Crooked Line Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin Malty, spices, cinnamon, apple pie, rich. Sticky sweetness, peaches compote. Light roast, clearly barrel aged. Lovely but lots of alcohol. And cloying too. Interesting aroma, okay taste but fun to try beer! (Sampler from bottle shared at Borefts 2014) 3.5 30-09-2014
The Kernel The Kernel India Pale Ale Simcoe Chinook Amarillo Another variation of The Kernel’s endless line of IPAs... Boring? Hack no! Super fresh, excellent hops with their citrus and white wine and grapefruit and floral qualities all together in a delicous and refreshing mix. And not being single hop means the taste is more interesting, despite the pale malts. Tasty, fresh... I could drink this all the time. So no, certainly not boring! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.9 30-09-2014
The Kernel The Kernel Radler - Lime Yellow bodied, small head only. Interesting choice for their festival Radler, as the aged character gets lots behind the lime, but it works quite well actually. Very drinkable mouthfeel and although it (luckily) doesn’t have the soda carbonation, it could actually pass of as an (excellent) Radler. Cool brew ! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
The Kernel The Kernel London Sour Cherry Bright red, glowing, beautiful. Soft sour, very fruit, red berries, cherry, strawberry, funky and very faint milk. Plucky sourness, refreshing, drinkable and dry. Super taste, really brilliant! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.3 30-09-2014
Birrificio del Ducato Birrificio del Ducato Victoria IPA An accessible aroma with some English appeal, herbal as well as modern hops. Perhaps a bit simple compared to the big beers Del Ducato (and others) brought to Borefts. The body is low and light bitter, again being more accessible. Not unexpected at this abv, but I did hope for a fresher aroma. Good quality brew, but was a bit pushed away by the other beers on tap. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.4 30-09-2014
Birrificio del Ducato Birrificio del Ducato La Luna Rossa Wow, a real special beer. At first it might look like a fruit upped version of a red ale, with its bright appearance. But the nose suggests much more, with its red berry and raspberry aroma complemented by lots of aging and biscuit malt base. Gives a real vanilla richness to it. Wouldn’t have given it 8% abv too. A bit of an over the edge beer and undoubtedly too expensive when bought by the bottle, but it is a very interesting beer. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.9 30-09-2014
Birrificio del Ducato Birrificio del Ducato / De Molen Vliegende Verdi very thick black body and large head. Looking amazing. Rich chocolate and dark roasted malts, enough sugar, certainly enough piny and herbal hops. Toasty edge and cookie like spice. Rich mouth feel, more so than the ’normal’ Verdi, as this has a fuller chocolate palate. Even better than the original, great beer, really justifying the alcohol. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.2 30-09-2014
Birrificio del Ducato Birrificio del Ducato Frambozschella Bright red without head. Red fruit, strawberry, framboise, black tea, little white sugar. Drinks well but not as powerful as hoped, quite dry even. Bit too light in carbonation too for me. Nice idea but it’s not quite excellent. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.5 30-09-2014
Birrificio del Ducato Birrificio del Ducato Chrysopolis Radler Acidic, minty, cleaning agent, pale malts. Very pale yellow grey body. Plucky sour, soft sweetness, lemony, bit odd. Well made but not for me. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.3 30-09-2014
Gueuzerie Tilquin Tilquin Oude (Gueuze)² à l’Ancienne Almsot headless, golden body. Double aging process or not, I am not overly impressed by this. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great lambic and probably an impressive beer for the connaiseur, but I can’t see beyong the juicy fruitiness and aged aromas. It is certainly not too sour, in fact it was more dimmed than I wanted. It’s okay. Watery mouth feel for the abv. (From bottle at Borefts 2014) 3.0 30-09-2014
Gueuzerie Tilquin Tilquin / Rulles Stout Rullquin Brown body and small head. Odd aroma, not what I expected. Little roasted aromas, rather a murky Lambic with little freshness. Drinks well but the carbonation gets in the way too as it’s fitting for neither a stout or Lambic. Sourness it too moderate I think for it to work as a twisted Lambic. Neh. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.2 30-09-2014
Mont Salève Mont Salève Berliner Weisse - Myrtilles His amazing Berliner Weisse mixed with quite a lot of fruit. Tapped come out beautiful although a bit to small head. Lactic, dark fruit, certainly not as sweet or sticky as expected from the appearance. Perhaps I’d have like some extra sugar in fact to give a more fruity taste. Having said that, it is a great drinkable beer and the body is very full for a such low abv beer. Great stuff, don’t mind if Mikael would make a bottled version of this! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.9 30-09-2014
Mont Salève Mont Salève Barrel Aged Gentian Gruit Golden body, practically headless, not looking great. Herbal, sour, thin, hay. Interesting spiciness, not like fruit but natural. Soft carbonation and fairly bitter, but again more herbal natural and not sharp. It’s interesting but don’t make for the most attractive beer I’m afraid. (In fact I liked his original test batch version, which was more beery.) (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.1 30-09-2014
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Black, Brett and Red Fruity, red, sweetness, cherry compote almost. More bitter in the taste, dark malts, well developed. Not quite the mouth feel of a full in brown ale, but more complexities, so it does make a more interesting drink than expected. Really fun beer to try! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.8 30-09-2014
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Big Fat 5 Double IPA UPDATED: NOV 1, 2014 Misty body and stable head, looking tasty. Big hop, fresh, grapefruit, fantastic rich aroma. Full body, totally justifying the abv. Wow amount of hops character in this one, even more than I was expecting. Brilliant beer, my favourite ipa of the festival. On fact, one of the best Dutch IPAs I can remember! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.5 30-09-2014
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje G and T Dryhopped Radler Yellow body and huge pearl white head. Lemony, cucumber, lychee, light fresh appeal and pale malts. Very refreshing taste, citric and light bitter. Zesty ending. Very cool brew. Probably the best Radler of Borefts I’ve had so far! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.8 30-09-2014
Cantillon Cantillon Jonge Lambik Some bubbles. Apple, sour, vinegar. Surprisingly soft tasting. Very thin body and watery almost but quite more complexity than expected from such a young beer. The sourness is more mellow than I feared and there’s some dusty earthy yeast hints already there. Nice Lambic (but I still don’t get most of the craze around it). (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.4 30-09-2014
Cantillon Cantillon Oude Lambik There was some confusion over where to rate this, but I think it’s right here. It’s Bruocsella with a different aging, as I was told. Anyway. Served headless, orange body. Aged, woody, dusty, refined, soft malts, barn. Sot sourness, too mellow for my taste buds. Good but doesn’t live up to the hype I think. Not for me at least. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.3 30-09-2014
Ramsgate Gadds Green Radler The base beer didn’t work much for me, and this also has the dry grass aroma and thin taste. However the fruit addition gives a new freshness and fruity aromas. Perhaps too limey for some, but this was not only so much better than the base beer, it was enjoyable as a lime fruit beer in general. Not bad at all! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.4 30-09-2014
Ramsgate Gadds Green Hop Ale Served headless, golden body. Very green aroma, fresh but grassy and classic. Dry taste, minimal (cask) carbonation. Bit astringent aftertaste. Okay. Not my thing. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 2.9 30-09-2014
Laugar Brewery Laugar Mojito Radler Golden body, large stable head. Ginger root, Belgian yeast, zesty, fruity not very beer like obviously. Not the best if the festival’s Radler interpretations, despite it being a Radler body and aroma. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.2 30-09-2014
Laugar Brewery Laugar Kiskale Brown body and small head. Roasted malts, hazelnut, Belgian yeast. Taste is more modern with deep bitterness and not too much residual sugar. Quite dry medicinal ending. Good beer, interesting taste but I’m not a real fan of the aroma. Alcohol in the end doesn’t help either. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.5 30-09-2014
Magic Rock Brewing Magic Rock Circus of Sour White Wine Lovely developed, fresh, slight yoghurt, oranges, super refreshing. So drinkable, excellent summer beer. At this abv? Stunner! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.1 30-09-2014
Magic Rock Brewing Magic Rock Cannonball Golden body and stable white head. Very hoppy, fresh, modern hop mix, pale malts. Well fermented but a light dry biscuit note still. Really drinkable and refreshing, but minty ending, oddly. Good modern English (as in brewing style) IPA. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Magic Rock Brewing Magic Rock Simpleton Greenish golden, stable head. Super hoppy, fresh, modern, citrus. Thin body but drinkable, well carbonated. Served a bit cold but that’s perhaps not so bad. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Birrificio Toccalmatto Toccalmatto Hops Tripper Amber murky body and foamy beige head. Super hop and malt mix with pine and resin, fermenting fruit and cereal. Full mouth feel at first, bit thinner in the dry ending, where the hops lose over the biscuit malts. Bit too much alcohol perhaps. Very nice aroma, good brew overall. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Burning Sky Burning Sky Plateau Misty body and large bubbly head. Tasty hops, fresh, lime, oranges, zesty. Soft bitter, modern but certainly an English feel to it. Good stuff. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.5 30-09-2014
Burning Sky Burning Sky Arise Golden body, very stable head. Fresh, light, floral and citrus hops, interesting yeast profile, dry yet fruity. Low crisp carbonation, bit sourness. Good brew from a great brewer. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Burning Sky Burning Sky Saison Anniversaire Golden body, small head. Interesting development of soft spicy yeast, some herbal notes, citrus fruit hops. Soft bitterness, juicy mouth feel, thin but far from watery. Very sessionable. Nice brew ! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
Burning Sky Burning Sky Monolith Pale malts, very English (yeast) profile. Soft carbonation is likeable but the fresh hops aren’t quite as pronounced as I hoped. Straightforward aroma overall, but the taste is more what the beer is about. Nice little bitterness throughout. Yeah, appreciate this brew despite the dimmed start. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Burning Sky Burning Sky Saison L’Été Citric hops, dry, light, refreshing.. Light gruit, melon. Delicious, crisp, drinkable. More please! Super sessionable. An honest surprise. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.0 30-09-2014
Mont Salève Mont Salève Fine de Merlot Rye Porter Brown bodied, murky, stable head. Very different than expected, pleasant red fruit, berries, forest, earthy. Bit thin, but great carbonation. Aging did dim the base beer down a bit, but not making it thinner and added a new complexity that mostly in the woody taste. Fine beer, actually better the original, which is more straightforward. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Mont Salève Mont Salève Berliner Weisse Very light yellow and grey. Lactic, refreshing, yoghurt, orange. Very well fermented. Sharper sourness in the taste. Will buy bottles for sure! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.1 30-09-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Nomader Weisse Yellow body, no head, murky. Lively light aroma, bit milky, very appealing. Soft taste, easy drinkable. Bit murky perhaps but nice drink. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Närke Kulturbryggeri Närke Kaggen Laphroaig Casiss Stormaktsporter Dark brown body and creamy brown head. Unbalanced, powerful, delicious aroma with blueberry, rye bread, sticky, deep chocolate and nuts. Taste is sweet, sticky, fruity, berries. Interesting and powerful desert beer. Not one to drink more than a small glass. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.8 30-09-2014
Närke Kulturbryggeri Närke Kaggen Stormaktsporter Börb’nåhallon Deep dark body and stable head. Heavy fruited, complex, thick. Roasted, raspberry. Red berries and not too sweet. Still not quite balanced but it perhaps shouldn’t be a hit there’s so much to explore and love. Wow, unexpected (not if the brewer but of the combination) stunner! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.3 30-09-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Imperial Doughnut Break Deep dark body, super creamy head. Exactly as you expect with luscious fatty malts, caramelised sugars, sticky, oily mouthfeel. Onctueuse. Thick and sugary, American and tasty. Yes, please. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.0 30-09-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Femme Fatale Blanc Blond body, small head. Refined aromas, aged, Saison spice, white grapes. Drinking well, soft bitter only and a herbal edge ending. Perhaps a bit too difficult for its humble blond origins, but the aging did create a must try I think. It’s brewing in the post ipa hype world. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin / Intangible Ales Sour Bikini Very grey yellow and misty body. Moderate aroma for the style. Funky, crisp, citric, fresh, light. Delicious though! Taste is more pronounced, zesty fruit, light yoghurt but very drinkable body. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 4.1 30-09-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Ron And The Beast Ryan Certainly a saison yeast, lightest of Brett. Very summery, some herbs. Great taste, crisp and dry yet full enough also due to the active carbonation. Well hopped, tanines in the end. Nice! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Femme Fatale Kabosu Green, crisp, light sour. Soft carbonation, crisp, well fermented. Slightly more sour than the other fruits. Lovely drinkable again, great stuff! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.9 30-09-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Femme Fatale Sudachi Fresh fruit, green, tea, light herbal, little vegetable bite perhaps. Light citrus funk too. The most dimmed of the trio. Still a very fine beer. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.6 30-09-2014
Evil Twin Brewing Evil Twin Femme Fatale Yuzu Pale Fresh, citrus, lychee, light citrus. Not thin at all. Yellow body and small off white head. Soft carbonation and dry fermented. Nice brew, very drinkable! (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Brewfist Brewfist / Prairie Artisan Ales Spaghetti Western Black bodied, very stable lace. Roasted peanuts, sweeter molasses type sugar, bit toffee. American sweet imperial stout like, bit too much brown sugar for me. However, drinks surprisingly easy. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.7 30-09-2014
Brewfist Brewfist Beautiful & Strange Radler Edition Super pale, lemon juice looks, but that’s good for this type of beer. Soft sour, hay, citric, light lactic, vegetable. Punchy taste, sour, but I like it. (On tap at Borefts 2014) 3.8 30-09-2014
vandeStreek bier vandeStreek bier Hop Art #4 Light yellow golden body and off white head. Interesting clean hop mix. Reminds me of Polaris. Light malts, indeed clean pilsner like fermentation and a very drinkable appeal overall. Soft bitterness, enough malt balance though and a lovely ending. Easy to rink, nice clean looks, nothing wrong here. (33cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden) 3.7 25-09-2014
Jopen Jopen Life’s A Beach Golden glowing body and small head. Fresh summery hops, light sweaty malts, light spruce. Nice mix, smooth and accessible. Drinks well too, soft bitterness, juicy and dry ending. Could be slightly lower on alcohol even for a true session ipa but great to drink. Nice! (33cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden) 3.5 25-09-2014
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Uilskuiken NZ Session IPA Misty golden body and Instable frothy head. Delicious sweet fresh floral hops, flower garden and peachy compote. Amazing full aroma and lovely hops! Coriander is supposedly in here, but it smells more like cilantro than seeds! Great body, despite the low abv, with a more than decent mouth feel. Well developed but not too dry. Amazingly well crafted, an expect job done here on both recipe and brewing! (33cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden) 3.9 25-09-2014
Uiltje Brewing Co. Uiltje Dikke Lul 3 Bier Misty golden body and large stable head. Looking nice. Even better is the super hoppy aroma full of floral, herbal, citric hops, super fresh hop juice. Quite bitter of course but far from too far for my taste buds. Lovely dry fermented, almost too much as no residual sugar is there to balance the body. I don’t mind though. It’s great and drinkable. More please! (33cl bottle from De Bierwinkel Leiden) 3.7 25-09-2014
Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe Lost Coast Downtown Brown Dark brown body and creamy head. Light nutty, cookie, moderate roast, smooth yet not very expressive. Perhaps good because the hops are mellow ad well and this way together it is really drinkable. Quite a thin body though and even a hint of acidity that’s not so nice. Luckily much better from the middle onwards. Surprise to food this here, but it’s not as good as I hoped for. Could be fuller and hoppier. (On tap at Berthom Tours, with Darren’s birthday party) 3.4 24-09-2014
Lepers L’Angelus Bière de Froment Classic French/Belgian yeast, but not of the fruity but of the cheesy kind. Pale but quality malts and a soft balancing hop. All about the yeast in aroma, but also in the taste where it dominates and creates spices oer the prickly carbonation and light malts. Towards the ending the hops get a much more dominant role and get out some crispness with a touch of heat. Classic but interesting and tasteful. I like it much better than the style and origin let me to belief! (75cl bottle from La cave à Bulles) 3.7 23-09-2014
Mont Salève Mont Salève Smoked IPA Large amount if smoked malts, not of the bacon-y kind but of the woody. Jodium, floral and grassy hops and a soft vienna malt base. Exactly how I hoped it would be although the smoke presses away the hops so it makes me wonder what they add to the aroma. They do add to the taste though, giving a balance you would otherwise not get. And the body is lovely, soft carbonation and a real smoke mouthfeel. Nice one, unexpectedly. :) (33cl botlle from La Cave a Bulles) 3.8 21-09-2014
Bière de l’Ourcq Bière de l’Ourcq La Rousse Pete Rich hoppy aroma, very Japanese, tea like, floral, lemon. I really find this more interesting than expected, with the modern hops but nowhere is this an American remake or pretending to follow. It seems to be about taste, balance, new ideas, like I got to know Page 24. Nice mouthfeel, soft carbonation and a strong bitterness than lasts throughout the end, giving an almost spicy feel. Never thick or sugary at all, yet full enough and very interesting. Tannines and a (for once) pleasant astringency almost. really nice brew, different and uncumbersome yet just tasty. Nice! (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 4.0 21-09-2014
Pleine Lune Pleine Lune Mandarina Dark Ale Brown bodied and huge tan head. Raw chocolate malts, whole wheat bread, ceral and a modern hop mix to support (and only that). Great flavour, bitter enough, true malts, herbal and English hops, dry leaves... really nice! Doesn’t need high alcohol and fancy barrel aging. Drinkable, rich in taste, nice and dry, greatly developed. Honest and delicious. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 4.1 21-09-2014
Les Brasseurs du Sornin Cervoise de Bibracte Gilua Brown body, dark, and a small head. Cookie and brown bread aromas, light yeast. Light sweet, certainly not too much, bit underhopped for my taste. Drinks okay, nothing special. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.3 21-09-2014
Les Brasseurs du Sornin Cervoise de Bibracte Cnoua Copper body and stable tan head. Nutty aroma, chesnut and vegetable. Really not my kind of aroma. Not as smells themselves and certainly not in beer. Taste is better at first but ends in a similar fashion. Really, really not my thing. In fact, I could not finish the bottle. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 1.9 21-09-2014
Les Brasseurs du Sornin Cervoise de Bibracte Gilara I never heard of Satureja but its in the family of tarragon and that is clear in the aroma. And it works surprisingly well, giving an (obviously) herbal aroma but not sharp like anise, rather aromatic. Better than a gruit usually is. The malts give enough sweetness and the Belgian yeast is light sweet and fruity. In the taste it is perhaps a bit too dominant though. Perhaps a dry-hop-like treatment (dry saturejaing ;) would be better. Simple but well made ending, nice an soft sweet. This could easily be horrible but it works quit well, especially in the aroma. Would pair well with more elegant French or Italian cuisine. I am thinking saltimbocca... mmmm. (33cl bottle from La Cave à Bulles) 3.5 21-09-2014
Brauerei Heller Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen Can’t belief I never rated this! Copper body, bubbly off white head. Beautiful smoked malts, refined and intriguing. Super drinkable, actually some nice sweetness to balance those drier smoked malts. A true classic, not as rich and interesting as some of the brewer’s others, but greay body. (50cl bottle at La Sous-Bock) 3.7 21-09-2014
De Sutter De Sutter Folle FurieuZ Light golden body and very stable pillowy head. Lightly sourish, peachy yeast, amber cara malts. Interesting sourish yeast. (33cl bottle at Au Trappiste) 3.3 21-09-2014
Kiuchi Brewery (Hitachino) Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia (Bottom Fermented) Herbal hops, biscuity, English, very original actually. Medium (and therefore more than expected) bitter, herbal spicy but not Belgian, more from the malt combo is my expectation. Drinks very well, even with this different taste profile. Bit tea like even, with tanines. Nice to try. (On tap at La Fine Mouse) 3.7 21-09-2014
Brasserie de la Senne De la Senne Band of Brothers Fresh yet moderate Belgian ale with nice classic hops, bit English even however with the characteristic well developed Belgian yeast profile. Nice mouthfeel, great dry ending. Not super exciting but a great modern brewed version of a classic Belgian ale (with a small hop twist). Working out very nicely indeed. Great brewer! (On tap at La Fine Mousse) 3.9 21-09-2014
Mikkeller Mikkeller / To Øl Underall Polaris Amber body and bubbly but stable head. Mineral, spruce, straight, nice. Very different than the normal (Simcoe, amarillo) version, which I prefer, but the Polaris hop gives a unique aroma. Perhaps would be better served in a Pale Ale, as the malts overload the hops a but, especially in the taste. Softer than expected ending. Nice brew, interesting hop. (33cl bottle at Brewberry) 3.8 21-09-2014
Nøgne Ø (Hansa Borg) Nøgne Ø Vic Secret IPA UPDATED: MAY 29, 2015 Very hazy, huge head. Juicy hops, tropical fruit, never floral but a dark amber malt base and full body justifying the abv. Juicy and onctueuse. Great drinkable beer, just what I wanted. :-D (50cl bottle at Brewberry, shared with Darren) Re-rate. Lovely beer still. I got also some cookie spices (cinnamon) this time around. Super brew, very special indeed. (50cl bottle from Saveur Bière) 4.3 21-09-2014
Brouwerij de Molen De Molen The Brewberry Beer Amber body, stable head. Odd hop aroma, perhaps wet hopped? Tropical but not super fresh. The malt base is nice, but the hop doesn’t work, instead is sweaty and grainy. Ending only mild bitter and not dry enough. Not up to the brewery standards. (33cl bottle at Brewberry) 3.3 21-09-2014
Castelain Castelain L’Experte Almost clear dark golden body and small grey head. Yeasty esters, sweaty malts, not terribly complex, but rather warming. Very low hop profile. Really nice typical Bière de Garde mouthfeel, Malty and slightly alcoholic warming, but overall it’s a bit straightforward an underwhelming. (33cl bottle from Auchan Tours Nord) 3.2 21-09-2014
Artzner Artzner Perle (Blonde) Golden mostly clear body and big pillowy head. Quite sweeter than expected, biscuity malts, Vienna, soft hops only. Bit disappointing. Good body for the abv, medium bitter but simplistic. Just dry enough in the ending, certainly the strongest point. (33cl bottle from La