BROUWEIJ BOSTEELS «Deus 2017» (11,5%) 5/6

With a sophisticated outfit looking more like a bottle of the finest Champagne, exitement-levels rocketskies until otherwise proven wrong. This extravagant fine brew started it’s journey in Belgium, and there’s no such thing as a rapid way to get these bottles out on the market. After a thoroughly long process- or more rightly put: a chain of processes, in both the homecountry as well as neighbour France, we have this fantastic brew to consume. 

At first it seems to have a lot in common with many fellow brews of Belgium, but soon it shows signs of more complexity than so. The nose giving subtle hints of spices and mateurity, the transparency reflects a very clean, undistorted profile. My tastebuds then reports of cinnamon features, a highly secrecy-spun web of anise. There’s caramellish undernotes and a subtle sour hint here, covered by a velvet of sweetness and a longlasting delicious almost nutty aftertaste.

The heat from the well-hidden ABV does not reflct negatively at all in the taste, just warming at wintertimes. Very clean tasteprofile.

Absolutely stunning.

 

Photo: M. K. Burheim

SIREN «008 Odyssey» (8,7%) 5/6

A collab between the front soldiers Siren, who has teamed up with Stillwater and Prairie Artisanal, is what we have here. An exiting, intriguing artwork on the label is good and all that, but the real exitement starts when reading about the contents here. A bunch of different ingredients in this blend, where grapes, blackberries, cherries collides front-to-front with lactose and coffee, creates this fine favourite beer type of mine, Flanders ale. 

Needless to say, it looks striking. Nose is becoming more and more right down towards room temperature. Insanely dark fruit infusion, stingy acidity, lightly spiced and deep subtle sweetness… Right, I’m dying to drink this. 

At first, the berries welcomed midway/far back in my mouth, great balanced tart taste. The berries’ taste span from sweet cherry taste and deep dark raisins, to tart, to oak mateurity, before rounding off with sweet, delicate outro. Amazing stuff! Will definately have again.

 

Photo: M.K. Burheim

HUYGHE “Delirium Argentum” (7%) 2/6

I am familiar with the Delirium series from before, and from what I can remember, this is good stuff. What’s on today’s menu is their 25th anniversary “Argentum”, a hopped amber beer. When poured, it’s got a nice look to it; yellow brownish (maaaaybe a hint of red!) visuals and a good head. As far as aromas go, this smells refreshingly fruity with clear hints to citrus. A very clean impression is what I get… I can’t hold it any longer, let’s get to the taste.

Lot’s of bubbles! Carbonation level is great here, very fresh. Medium/full body. Extremely dry! A fruity, floral first impression which soon turns into absolute hop-dominance in form of a stingy bitter outro… A bit too much for my taste really. The aftertaste is just to bitter for my liking. Not eligible for a second purchase, so to speak- will go for another one from the Delirium series in that case.

(Photo: M. K. Burheim)

 

FIERCE/AMUNDSEN “Orange scream” (7%) 4/6

Photo: M. K. Brochs

 

This beer is strikingly dark yellow in color and pours a small nice head on top. Almost on the verge to brownish, just on the borderline between dark yellow to light brown, I’d say. 

Judging by the “book” or more correctly in this case, by the box, it seems highly interesting and something that I’ve never tried before… Apparently what we got here is an orange ice cream ale, and being a collab between Amundsen and Fierce, we might just be in for a treat here. This seems to be something that I am more familiar with within the stout- category. 

So, what’s going on in terms of nose? Well, there’s the lights beautiful sweet fruitiness combined with the distinct Caramel& vanilla here… Almost toffee-like. And then, the taste: great freshness at first, in terms of carbonation. 

Then, that sweet sweet caramel comes into the picture, creamy and now even clearer before evolving into fruityness most definably banana, rounded off with a hint of citrusy bitterness that lingers into the aftertaste. 

What a fabulous surprise! And what a great beer. Astonishing stuff, this one.

Lindheim «Farmer’s Reserve: Sour Cherry 2014» 5/6

Lindheim Sour CherryI’ve stored this one for a couple of years, so it is with great exitement that I now approach it. Beautiful red-brown looks, pours a creamy head on top and a distinct smell of ripe cherries- we’re in for a treat here! The nose also hints towards a real sour brew. What are we waiting for? Let’s dive in!

At first, I’m struck by this very wide fruity spectre of tastes, before my face twists & melts off. The first impression is this flawless variety of mature berries, heavily domineres by cheery-taste. Then, a crazy acidity entwines with the fruityness, corroding it’s way through the palate and down the throat.

Almost a sting when it reaches the top, before slowly letting you off the hook. Eventually, it showcases a smooth outro, with a sweet, strawberry-like aftertaste which lies there and lingers. Very very nice indeed.

SIERRA NEVADA «Oktoberfest 2017» (6,1%) 4/6

I’m always a bit exited when it comes to trying a new beer from Sierra Nevada. The brewery has since I first tried their «Pale Ale» and later «Torpedo» as well as «Celebration» + a few others, surprised me with a supreme quality in the whole selection, even though it’s a brewery of their size. At hand this time we have their «Oktoberfest», which would be their interpretation of this famous seasonal brew. Together with them on the team is the German craft brewery Brauhaus Miltenberger, in order to bring the level of expertice to an even higher level. Light and crisp with golden colours, this fine brew is pretty malt-driven with several layers, together with a quite complex fruityness from the hops and with a very fine bitter adjustment at the end. No dissapointment, pretty far from. A right beer for the fest!Oktoberfest2017

BROOKLYN BREWERY «The Discreet Charm of the Framboise» (7,3%) 5/6

Framboise BrooklynThis beer has a a deep yellow colour to it and I t produces a light, small hat, after showing off it’s pretty highly carbonated nature when pouring. Nose is very intense and sweet- at the same time as it is a bit stingy. One can even smell the acidity, and there’s hints of strawberry. Taste is fresh, sharply sour rhubarb-like craziness! The acidity is strong in this one. As a matter of fact, it reigns pretty hard in an otherwise light-bodied beer here. The dominance of fruity acidity in the middle evolves. After a goood while, into subtle taste of summerly taste of raspberry and strawberry, which becomes evident at the end. Splendid stuff.

 

(Photo: M. Brochs)

Great Divide brewing «Chocolate oak aged Yeti» (9,5%) 4/6

Choc YetiVisual presentation is dark brown/black. A creamy brown head reveals a rather extensive degree of carbonization. Nose is distinctive roasted dark coffee blend with dark chocolate of pure cocoa. Tastewise, a great spicy start evolves into bitter chocolate, which somehow gives the sweet section a later position than in many stouts… Almost like a reversed fresh hint towards the end, rather than at first. The body is somehow a little heavy, lacking a tad of balance. Nonetheless, the rawmaterial is exeptionally great and helps this version of Yeti over the line of average.

Amager/Against The Grain «The Great Big Kentucky Sausage Fest» (7,7%) 4/6

Sausage festThis Imperial brown ale is mirky oakbrown by colour. Nice head which is quickly disappearing. Fruity/nut-like taste with Nutella/Toffee’ish notes, perhaps a tad too cold at time of consumption, as it is first & foremost bitterness that I get, although one can sense some sweetness here too- mainly from coffee, light chocolate and hazelnut. Very dry and longlasting. Goes through a variety of fases, from almost acidic bitter to sweet.

Brewfist brewing co “Jale” (5,6%) 3/6

Insane carbonization, slow pouring is recommended. The colour is deep brown and the aroma something in between a English ale and a weissbier, with a noticeable maltreference. At first, it is very fresh in the mouth, then the malts get to work. We can then find spicy features, and overall a suitable layer of bitterness throughout, that lasts until the very end. Albeit the thin-bodied texture, the beverage lasts for a long time- mostly consisting of the bitter top.