Whats In The Glass (commercial)

[eamonnfoley]

I had many good beers in Belgium a few weeks back. This is the first of a few highlights.

3 Fontenien Gueuze - my favourite, so complex. Blows Cantillon out of the water in my opinion. Not so one dimensional.
XX Bitter - just a perfect fusion of english and belgian brewing traditions.
Quintine Stout - Just perfect.

You'll notice I didnt focus on finding rare beers or anything like that. Just good ones. I am relatively inexperienced with belgian beer travel, with most of my time being dedicated to Germany in the past (which I still love more).

 

[eamonnfoley]

Kapital Blonde - Had this at the brewery in Watou. In general I prefered the blonde offerings to the dubbels, tripels and quads. Yeast character really shines. I think I am sensitive to the taste of alcohol.

Westvleteren Blonde - very similar to above

Westvleteren 12 - Not my cup of tea despite being so popular. Good beer still.



We ended up cycling 60km that day after planning to meet the brewer of De Struisse while they were brewing and going to the wrong location and missing out all together!

 

[eamonnfoley]

Did end up trying a De Struisse beer

Biggest baddest stout I have ever had. I normally don't like 10+% abv, but in this case I would make an exception any day of the week.

And yes - they are malted grains, and that cheese was amazing!

 

[Kranky]

Had this at Cookie in Melbourne. Great beers are all about balance and Mayday has it in bucketloads.

A brewing masterpiece, an utterly magnificent beer.

 

[lukiep8]

I had many good beers in Belgium a few weeks back. This is the first of a few highlights.

3 Fontenien Gueuze - my favourite, so complex. Blows Cantillon out of the water in my opinion. Not so one dimensional.
XX Bitter - just a perfect fusion of english and belgian brewing traditions.
Quintine Stout - Just perfect.

You'll notice I didnt focus on finding rare beers or anything like that. Just good ones. I am relatively inexperienced with belgian beer travel, with most of my time being dedicated to Germany in the past (which I still love more).

3 Fonteinen is coming , and if I get my way, so is much more lambic!

I really enjoy Armen's blending abilities. I had the four season specialty releases, and they are the best gueuzes I have ever had, hands down. Nothing comes close.

My favourite regular gueuze is Tilquin though. He is a better blender then Armen, and he is the only other guy to have Cantillon lambic to blend with (they still say it's not blended with Lindemans... but it is!)

 

[Spork]

Last night.
This to begin with.

Tasty IPA, but I reckon mine are maybe better balances, and certainly much brighter, and better head...

Next was

which was a very nice choc. oatmeal stout - again very similar to my own, but with less head retention. Mine use choc malt (grain), this uses cocoa nibs. I think the grain gives just as much chocolate flavour, but maybe less chocolate aroma. Anyway, nice to know I'm on the right track with some of my house regulars.

 

[bum]

Stokes Kiwi Pale Ale - I like it more than most reviewers here seem to have. Only overtly US grainbill I've tasted from this hemisphere - didn't quite nail it (they overshot the mark on the chewiness, for my money). Nice bitterness. Smells tops. I'd be happy enough if I had a fermenter full of it.

 

[Bizier]

3 Fonteinen is coming , and if I get my way, so is much more lambic!

Something just moved in my pants.
I've only tried it in US... But oh my god.

 

[stef]

Spork, where'd you get that glass? Or whats it called? I'm keen to track it down, looks real pretty!

 

[bum]

Having a Coopers Celebration Ale at the minute.

I guess I can understand why people are disppointed here but in all honesty I reckon this is probably the sort of beer they should have made (not to say it is perfect, mind you). "Celebration" does put one in mind of something big and exciting, which this beer certainly isn't, so I guess this is where much of the disappointment stems from. The way I see it is we need to look at what it is they are celebrating with this release. I dunno, I've never been an enourmous fan of their product range (though the darker ones are nice enough) but it seems to me that this is a slightly forward thinking version of what they've always done and that is probably exactly what they should have aimed for.

Having said that...beer smells metallic and has a warm alc finish that is pretty unacceptable in such a small beer, for my money.

 

[tricache]

Having a Coopers Celebration Ale at the minute.

I guess I can understand why people are disppointed here but in all honesty I reckon this is probably the sort of beer they should have made (not to say it is perfect, mind you). "Celebration" does put one in mind of something big and exciting, which this beer certainly isn't, so I guess this is where much of the disappointment stems from. The way I see it is we need to look at what it is they are celebrating with this release. I dunno, I've never been an enourmous fan of their product range (though the darker ones are nice enough) but it seems to me that this is a slightly forward thinking version of what they've always done and that is probably exactly what they should have aimed for.

Having said that...beer smells metallic and has a warm alc finish that is pretty unacceptable in such a small beer, for my money.

I saw this for sale and was tempted but the price tag was a bit too much when I wasn't too sure how it would taste.

 

[manticle]

Trying to enjoy a cantillon kriek at the moment.

I am a fan of various sour/funked beers (usually funk gets my vote over sour but I love beers like rodenbach GC, orval, Petrus oud bruin etc. Also love various Breton ciders so funk is my thing but some sour can be nice).

I've had this beer (and other cantillon beers before) so I'm not a stranger to the world.

First, the aroma is as pleasant as someone's well used gym socks. I like brett but there's a ton of non brett stuff.

The flavour has a nice balance between funk, sour and fruit but the complexity you often read about in regards to this kind of beer really isn't there. The layering is a bit same, same.

Refreshing but being the middle of winter I guess that aspect is less needed than if it were 42 degrees. Maybe I'll try one again in summer but I reckon the raspberry tartness of this beer would be much better matched with a bitter dark chocolate and raspberry tart than as a beverage on its own.

It works on some levels but seems to need more context than usual (and context for me is one of the main criteria in beer enjoyment).

Still craps on morte subite or some other horribly artificial tasting fruit lambics I've tried but not a beer to give to the swilling mates fergi has mentioned in his recent thread.

Also very fizzy which I don't like so much (actually blew the cork out of the bottle after I'd de-capped and gone to look for a corkscrew) but the raspberry flavour is spot on and the dry/tart/sour balance on a hot day after digging 6 foot holes for no reason would probably work well.

 

[lukiep8]

Trying to enjoy a cantillon kriek at the moment.

I am a fan of various sour/funked beers (usually funk gets my vote over sour but I love beers like rodenbach GC, orval, Petrus oud bruin etc. Also love various Breton ciders so funk is my thing but some sour can be nice).

I've had this beer (and other cantillon beers before) so I'm not a stranger to the world.

First, the aroma is as pleasant as someone's well used gym socks. I like brett but there's a ton of non brett stuff.

The flavour has a nice balance between funk, sour and fruit but the complexity you often read about in regards to this kind of beer really isn't there. The layering is a bit same, same.

Refreshing but being the middle of winter I guess that aspect is less needed than if it were 42 degrees. Maybe I'll try one again in summer but I reckon the raspberry tartness of this beer would be much better matched with a bitter dark chocolate and raspberry tart than as a beverage on its own.

It works on some levels but seems to need more context than usual (and context for me is one of the main criteria in beer enjoyment).

Still craps on morte subite or some other horribly artificial tasting fruit lambics I've tried but not a beer to give to the swilling mates fergi has mentioned in his recent thread.

Also very fizzy which I don't like so much (actually blew the cork out of the bottle after I'd de-capped and gone to look for a corkscrew) but the raspberry flavour is spot on and the dry/tart/sour balance on a hot day after digging 6 foot holes for no reason would probably work well.

Was this a 375ml that you bought recently? If so, they had to use inferior cherries due to the Cherry shortage in Europe. It is why he didn't release any 750mls this year, as he couldn't get enough good enough cherries to do a lot, and used all the regular good sour cherries for the Lou Pepe.

 

[manticle]

375 mL bought from Purvis a month or so ago and left over from a BJCP study group.

I think the date was 2011 so probably recent.

The cherry flavour isn't the issue so much though - that actually works very well. As I keep drinking, I get hints of other flavours - touch of balsamic at the moment. I guess it's mainly the aroma and being a brett lover, funky stuff that's mainly brett gives me an aroma I care for. The other microflora in lambics, i can struggle with - probably also some of the stinky cheese/vom stuff from the old hops.

I will revisit, hopefully actually in Belgium. I don't hate it but I don't love it either.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

375 mL bought from Purvis a month or so ago and left over from a BJCP study group.

I think the date was 2011 so probably recent.

The cherry flavour isn't the issue so much though - that actually works very well. As I keep drinking, I get hints of other flavours - touch of balsamic at the moment. I guess it's mainly the aroma and being a brett lover, funky stuff that's mainly brett gives me an aroma I care for. The other microflora in lambics, i can struggle with - probably also some of the stinky cheese/vom stuff from the old hops.

I will revisit, hopefully actually in Belgium. I don't hate it but I don't love it either.

Yes time place can make a big difference....when you get to Belgium go and do their brewery tour you will love it, i loved all their beers i got to try after, kriek, framboise, geuze and a straight up lambic. if i had a spare suitcase i would have filled it!

 

[chunckious]

From Archive last night: -

Steam Exchange - Steam Ale.
Mikkeller - Not Just Another Wit. Beer of the night hands down.
Temple - ESB
Brooklyn - American Brown
HopDog - Pale Ale
Loberthal - Xmas Ale. Sorry never again.

 

[adryargument]

And yes - they are malted grains, and that cheese was amazing![/font][/size]

Looks like you visited Moeder lambic ? I fell in love with that bar.

I completely agree with you, the Fonteinen and hannsens are to die for.
Blows all others out the window

XX bitter was great, but if you see De Rankes cuve bottles (gueze/lambic versions which are mixed with 70% sour beer) you won't be dissapointed. Give the guy a ring to - more than happy to show you around and have a beer or seven.

 

[eamonnfoley]

Looks like you visited Moeder lambic ? I fell in love with that bar.

I completely agree with you, the Fonteinen and hannsens are to die for.
Blows all others out the window

XX bitter was great, but if you see De Rankes cuve bottles (gueze/lambic versions which are mixed with 70% sour beer) you won't be dissapointed. Give the guy a ring to - more than happy to show you around and have a beer or seven.

Yeah it was the Moeder Lambic out at St Gilles. Lovely little spot. Didn't bother with the bigger central venue.

Unfortunately I'm back at work in Perth. I was absolutely spewing I missed the chance to meet the De Struise brewers at their production brewery (as their school/visitor centre was closed). They invited us to visit over the phone, but we got lost cycling and we ended up fronting up at the family farm/home rather than the brewery (I took the wrong address from the net)! My wife was pretty understanding despite the fact we cycled 60+ kms that day. hehe

 

[Lecterfan]

Karl Strauss 'Red Trolley Ale'. I hope it is better a bit chilled because at cellar temps I am finding it almost cloying. Fill it with styrians, bump it to 35-40 IBU and then we're talking, but as is...well...it's a well made beer for sure, but just not for me.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

Karl Strauss 'Red Trolley Ale'. I hope it is better a bit chilled because at cellar temps I am finding it almost cloying. Fill it with styrians, bump it to 35-40 IBU and then we're talking, but as is...well...it's a well made beer for sure, but just not for me.

I drank one the other week at cellar temps and found it uninspiring. Found it cloying toward the end, definitely needs a touch more bitterness, still a nice beer in its own right and no major faults, its similar to a lot of irish red type beers i had while over that way.