Malt Does More

Drogone Lambic (2021)

Foamier than previous bottles, but still so good. Mildly dank nose with notes of red wine and overripe lemony funk. Palate follows, suggestions of waxy cherry skin, red grape. Slight harshness to the finish.

Nath (2018)

Wonderful heady pour, creamy mouthfeel. Rhubarb and mildly dank funk on the nose. Palate is modestly tart, still some nice rhubarb presence along with a substrate of sour overripe lemon. Finish is a bit dry. Nicest bottle of the batch I bought of 2018.

Grand Cru Bruocsella Lambic Bio (2018-2019)

Nose of green apple, stone fruit, soft grassy funk. Palate follows, mellow, insanely drinkable, suggestions of grape in the finish. Haven’t had this one for a while, and a few years after bottling it’s lovely.

Gueuze 100% Lambic Bio (2021)

Surprisingly sharp funky nose, tart apricot, and the palate follows: tart stone fruit and lemon with hints of florals, sour lemon with a bracing dry short finish that lengthens with warmth. This improved hugely after standing a few minutes.

Beer Geek Breakfast (Mikkeller x Minoh)

Nice nose with dark mats, vanilla, coffee, something warmly vegetal. Palate is a bit spikier, with a roasty coffee profile that is surprisingly vivid for a slightly aged bottle. Some bitterness in the finish but overall pretty nice coffee stout!

Geuze Mariage Parfait (2015)

Last had this blend 2/2020. Pours with nice clarity and a lasting fluffy white head. Nose is lovey, with oak, lemony funk, mild dankness. Palate has a pleasant rounded sourness and a very long finish. Underripe apricot, soft sour lemon, green apple. This

Kriek 100% Lambic Bio (2017)

10 January 2017 bottle, one of the bottles I got on my first trip to Brussels for beer. Gases out a bit on opening, and pours with incredible head, retention, and continued effervescence. Body is a duller red than when fresh, and the nose has big cherry

Gueuze 100% Lambic Bio (2018)

6 December 2018 bottle. Last had this year very fresh. Didn’t do a great job of keeping the bottle stable, and so the pour is pretty clouded with suspended sediment. 1cm head that lasts a while. Nose is wonderfully softly funky, hints of overripe

Brabantiae (2018)

11/2018 bottle. Opened with a soft pop and poured with really beautiful lasting head. Nose of wood, mildly vinous funk, sharp yogurt. Palate is softly sour after an initial tartness. Hints of the barrel gently sweetening a sour base of stone fruit and

Fou' Foune (2019)

My last 2019, and the apricot is still punching but not as lush as it once was. Lots of fuzzy fruit skin on the nose, with a soft funk. Still really nice, but I’ve realized I prefer this much fresher.

Malaphor

Long time since I was here, but Hey, S$10 Belgian beers this week! This is a nice and mellow BIPA, with suggestions of rye and dark bread on the nose and a sweeter, less resinous finish than you often get. I like it.

Utopias Barrel-Aged 120 Minute IPA (2023)

17% on label. Pours a bit flat and syrupy but does not feel it. Nose of floral hops, caramel malts, and booziness. Palate sort of follows, resinous, malty but not overly sweet, and smooth for the ABV but still boozy. Tasty as.

Drogone Lambic (2021)

Lambic and accompanying wine. The wine is grape skins, some spice, dry finish. The beer pours a lovely soft reddish, nose of soft red wine and funk, palate is a beautiful mix of mouthwatering base of mildly tannic red wine qualities, with all of the soft

Sophia Lambic (2020)

Lambic with its accompanying wine. The wine is heavy skin, slightly mineral on the nose. After that dryness, the lambic’s nose is sweet in comparison, and the palate follows in a mouthwatering but balanced rush of citric and grape tartness and hints of

50°N-4°E (2022)

Long time since I’ve had a 50N, thanks Jeremy! Nose has suggestions of sulfur, mild minerality, green grass. Palate has some super overripe lemon, green grass, hints of the cognac barrel. Very nice.

Sang Bleu (2023)

Big pink head that fades to surface lacing in a few minutes. Massive waxy berry and herbs on the nose (fennel, thanks, Choo), and the palate is explosively fruity with currant / cranberry vibes (I’ve never had honeysuckle) and hints of fennel and spice.

Blåbær Lambik (Blueberry Lambic) (2018)

Wow, age did this one nicely. Loud pop from the cork, pours with great liveliness and a clarity owed to the fact that the bottle’s insides are literally painted with blueberry sediment. Nose of slightest band aid, blueberry skins, and an unfamiliar earthy

Fou' Foune (2019)

Not as fruit-forward as last time I had this year, but the apricot on nose and palate has become more skin and dried fruit than before. Quite tart to start, and then a nice lush sour finish. Still good, slightly harsh finish.

HORAL's Oude Geuze Mega Blend (2021)

Bone-dry grassy funkiness. Some lemon, with a sort of pithy/rindy rather than juicy taste.

Lou Pepe Framboise (2015)

Cellar temps. Opened with a satisfying pop and foam gathered in the neck. Pours clearish until the last 75ml, then Hello Murk. Nose is still very raspberry, with suggestions of pith / stem, and a very soft funk. Palate follows, juicier raspberry and still

Oude Geuze Boon (2016-2017)

3/2018 bottle. Opens with loud pop and pours with building white head that fizzles down to steady surface mottling quickly. Nose of mildly cheesy funk, with hints of lemon. Palate is darker than that, with palpable malts and a grassy sourness. Smooth,

World Wide Stout (2016)

Another legendary beer I have wanted to try for ages. 1 November 2016 bottle. Tight tan head slowly raises up and then last for ages. Nose of complex dark roasty malts with hints of molasses, dark chocolate, dark caramel, and faint vanilla. The palate is

Vigneronne (2021)

7 October 2021 bottle. Very wet cork. Pours with a modest head and small signs of carb in glass. Mouthfeel is quite carbonated. Nosenof white grape just, vinous white grape, soft mild funk. Palate follows, with a sweet grape presence in the finish that is

Backwoods Bastard (2022)

3/29/22 bottle. Violating my usual no-macro because I haven’t had this beer in ages and used to really love it. Pours with a soft off-white head atop a dark body. Nose is barrel vanillins, bourbon, sweet bready malts and hints of dark fruit (dates)

Beer Geek Fudgesicle BA Rye Whiskey

Pours pretty flat, just a faint collar. Fudgy chocolate dominates the nose, and on the palate the barrel is really faint, too. You h taste it barely in the finish. There’s a mildly chalky aspect to the mouthfeel, like powdered cocoa was somehow involved.

Fou' Foune (2017)

Fully lacks the explosive fruitiness on the nose that a fresh bottle would have, but what is there is really nice: fuzzy apricot skin. Palate is surprisingly tart off the bat, with nice apricot entering as the tartness softens. Very nice, but yet more

Gueuze 100% Lambic Bio (2014)

Pours with soft white head that faded to lacing quickly. Soft funk with stone fruits on the nose. Palate follows, with a modest, fruity sourness and a surprisingly quick slightly woody finish when cold, longer as it warms.

Fou' Foune (2018)

Working through a backlogged kill list. Liquid but no mold under the cap. Cork bottom quite wet but emerged intact. Lovely soft white head that lingered a while before fading to steady surface foam. Nose is still hugely apricot, with moderate funk that

Spontantriplecherry

So much bowl of fresh cherries. Super drinkable. Not very complex but very nicely done.

Rosé De Gambrinus (2022)

3/2022 bottle. Right, w/ 2018. Prefer this one by far, even to the 375ml 2022 I had recently. Full mouthfeel, big berry with moderate tartness mitigated by a jamminess. Tarter ending and hugely mouthwatering linger. Still my favorite framboise by far.

Rosé de Gambrinus (2018)

6/2018 bottle, left. Noticeably little carbonation compared with the 2022. Duller hue. Nose is still very fruity, but a mushy overripe-in-the-fridge kind. The real change is on the palate. The funk is dialed up for sure, and the mouthfeel is a bit deader

Saint Lamvinus

Zwanze at Perry’s. No vintage year on menu. Nose of fruit-forward red wine, grape skin, grape pit. Palate is lovely dry grapey goodness with a mild funk presence. As it warms, suggestions of red capsicum.

Sang Bleu (Camerise)

Zwanze at Perry’s. Loved this one in April. Dense bruised red color, minimal lacing. Lovely jammy nose and palate, with a tannic dryness and mildly vinous character in the mouth toward the finish. Delicious. 4.45

Rosé de Gambrinus

Zwanze at Perry’s. Year not listed on menu, but it tastes super fresh. Minimal carbonation but decently lively mouthfeel. Jammy and mildly vinous berry. Fantastic.

Zwanze 2022 - Poivre de Gorilles

Looks innocuous enough but packs a whale of a peppery nose: ground black pepper, distant gueuze. Palate brings mouthwatering gueuze tartness in, and it all works surprisingly well together. Did not expect to like this as much as I do. At Perry’s

Rosé de Gambrinus (2020)

14/12/20 bottle, a different 2020 blend than I last checked in. Opened with total silence, and I feared a dead bottle. Poured with lovely pink head and plenty of residual carb in glass. Bracing fruit tartness on the first sip, but it mellows quickly.

Nath (2021)

2018/21. Right. Vastly prefer this. Nose is a little vegetal, even a bit farty. Still a nice amount of rhubarb working well with the younger gueuze base. Broader sourness, less dryness, even a bit mouthwatering. Nice. 4.35

Nath (2018)

2018/21. Left. Poured with a massive head that died down by the time the 2021 was poured. Nose of modest funk with mere hints of vegetality. Nice soft mouthfeel, a smidgen of rhubarb with some dryish mature enough gueuze. Underripe apricot.

Chipotle Porter Aged In Eagle Rare Bourbon Whiskey Barrels

Whut. 2011 bottle, thanks Tsutomu F.! Can’t believe how well this held up for 11 years and such a low ABV. Chipotle appears as a bit of vegetality, above dusty chocolatey porter. The barrel expression is hard to locate, unfortunately. Glad to try this!

George Bourbon BA

This is nice in a brutish way: lots of barrel and bitter roasty malts on the nose, and the palate follows. Properly bitter malts until the finish, which gets a bit chocolatey and slightly softer. Nice.

Drink'in The Sun (0.3%)

3/2022 can. Pours cloudy golden with a nice tight white head. Very bright lemon on the nose, and the palate too is very lemony, but towards mild sourness. The finish has an unpleasant mix of mild bitterness, bready sweetness, and sour citrus.

Kriek 100% Lambic Bio (2020)

Pours a beautiful ruby, with a slim pink head. Nose is funky and lots of cherry skin and cherry flesh. Palate follows. This seems to be a great age for this beer, still vibrant fruit but nicely developing funk.

Limbo - Riesling

BBD 4/21/2022, so about 4 months past, but the pour is beautiful, with a nice durable white head. Nose of both vinous and fresh Riesling juice, and the palate follows, with hints of honey. Maybe the tastiest NA beer I’ve ever had.

The Guide

Best by 13 November 2021. How are there still cans of this long-gone beer floating around Singapore? Still pretty tasty, with tropical and citrus juiciness, and easy to drink. Normally wouldn’t rate an IPA this far past the date, but I like it better than

Gelateria Gelato Summer Gose

4/2022 can. Pours thick and dark purple, with a rising and lasting link head. Nose is delicious, with all of the adjuncts accounted for and even a nice almond paste expression. Palate follows, with specters of medicinal berry corrected by the lactose. As

Piña Gose

11 Jan 2022 can. Pours with a nice white head that lingers. Nose of coconut cream / milk and skewer-warmed pineapple chunks, with some small hop bitterness in the finish. This is an interesting beer: definitely yells “piña colada” but doesn’t taste like a

Rosé De Gambrinus (2022)

Dinner beer. Whole cork was moist when crown cap removed. Loud pop and immediate head gathering in the neck. Huge pink head on pouring, but it fizzled down quickly so I could pour the rest. Active carb in glass. Nose of huge raspberry, and the palate

Fou’ Foune (2021)

2014/2021. Right. Pours with a decent fluffy white head and murky apricot body. Head fades more quickly than that of the 14. Nose is funkier than I recall in fresh Fou but hugely fruity. Apricot jam paired with a slightly saline sourness. Very tasty.

Fou' Foune (2014)

2014/2021. Left. Lots of mold under the cap and on top of the cork. Pours with bigger head and more sediment than the 21. Nose is fascinating: hints of aged-beer cardboard meet loads of residual apricot and a sharper funk. More funk tartness and mellower

Kriek 100% Lambic Bio (2019)

5/2019 bottle. Liquid under cap, probably from escape during bottling, since cork didn’t seem to have leaked. Cork smells like the brewery in Brussels. Disappointed I didn’t get the typical fluffy pink kriek head, but there is pretty active carbonation in

Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) (2019)

Winebanc Toa Payoh. Nose is big coffee, molasses, cola. No head, but decent lacing when agitated. Maple has completely faded. Roasty, coffee, some barrel booziness. Tasty. Bottled 9/17/19

Classic Gueuze (2010)

I had a somewhat sediment-heavy pour so won’t rate, but I wasn’t as convinced by this one. There was a harshness to the funk sourness that I was surprised by in this old a gueuze.

Vinsanto 2020

This is apparently a polarizing beer, but I loved it. It was dry but mouthwatering, and the grape to it had lots of the wine-like but hints as well of citrus, raisin, and prominent funk.

Le Plaisir 2021

Nose has lots of white vinous character with hints of something chemical (band-aid?), but the palate is one of the nicest white wine grape expressions I’ve had in a Cantillon: fresher grape at the front cascading into straight-up wine at the back. Nice.

Sang Bleu (Camerise)

Really love this place. Great food, friendly service, nice outdoor patch. Thought it was done with lambic for a few days, but this is delicious: nose of jammy grape and hints of wine. Palate follows, with mild funk. Fruity, mouthwatering, lovely.

50 Degrees N - 4 Degrees E (2020) (Cognac)

Soft lemony and grassy funk on the nose accented with wood and distant cognac notes. Palate follows. You almost smell the spirits on the roof of your mouth while sipping.

Gueuze +2+3+4 (2011)

Musty cheesy nose that paired well with the cheese plate. Smooth taste of mature gueuze.

Wild Friendship (2022)

Loved this one: everything well integrated, no sharp corners, nice mouthfeel.

Tarlantillon

Beer of the event for many I spoke to. Beautiful soft wine grape expression, perfect food pairing.

Manzanilla Lambic

The wine was pungent, bit chemical on the nose and strong and astringent to my palate. The beer was lovely, though, softly funky with fruity and vinous grape.

Zwanze 2018 - Manneken Pise

Sort of shocking: loads of competing wine barrel characteristics, orange pith, mildly mineral funk. This started off alienating but was very smooth, integrated and drinkable as it warmed.

Drogone Lambic (2021)

Interesting to try a fresher draft pour after having a 2020 mag pour at the tasting earlier today. This was fruitier, less pepper and tannin than the other, ultimately a bit less interesting but much more deliciously drinkable.

Saint Lamvinus (2021)

Right. Lush body, substantial but lightened with just right carbonation. Massive grape, with tannins attenuated by the mouthwatering base. Such a great beer, and paired well with two dishes it overlapped with.

Fou' Foune (2019)

Left. Less soft and lushly apricot than when fresher, but without the smoothness of gueuze maturity. Still such an amazing beer.

Chenin Blanc

Beautiful again… Cheers, C D. and friends!

Lambic d’Aunis (2021)

Finally a red! Lovely red wine nose of dark grape, black pepper, hints of red bell pepper. Medium-dry finish. Lovely.

Drogone Lambic (2020)

Lovely nose and palate of dense wine grape, pepper, tannins.

Beck- Hartweg 2021

Nose is fruitier and milder than the wine’s. Palate a perfect balance of bright white grape and softly fruity funk. Nose gets cheesy with warmth.

Muscat Petits Grains

This one and the next were rough. The wine’s nose was herbal/medicinal and almost chemical. The beer muted that under bolder funk, with a tannic dry finish. I would not want the wine again at all, but the beer was really nice.

Cantillon Chardonnay (2018)

Wine and beer pairing session in the 500yo Brussels City Hall, hosted by Moeder Lambic. Beer right, nose fruity with touches of grassy funk. Spritzy light mouthfeel. Modest sweet white grape. Harsh finish that smoothed out with warmth.

Rosé de Gambrinus (2012)

Nose and palate are way funkier than I’m used to from a fresher RdG, with the fruit faded. I can’t say I prefer this to fresher, but it’s nice to try so I know not to age mine too much. 😂

Lambic Grenache Blanc (2021)

My favorite white wine lambic so far from them. Nose between white grape juice, white wine, and lambic. Palate follows, with well carbonated mouthfeel, nice mix of fruitiness and earthiness.

Racine

Musty white grape, minerality, slightly harsh finish. Has the carbonation of some ciders: nothing for the mouthfeel but a quick stab of gas in the finish.

Lambic Jaune (2020)

Perfectly flat pour. Nose of grapey, fruity white wine, with grassy funk. Palate follows. The flatness makes this even more wine-like, but the grapes take a backseat to the base.

Brabantiæ (2019)

Massive white head that lasts. Nose has a lovely old-woody faintly smoky-cheese quality, with suggestions of wine below the more prominent mature funk. Very nice. Sharp finish.

Gueuze 100% Lambic Bio (2013)

Surprisingly flat, with a funkier nose than I’ve had yet today: florals, grass, citrus. Palate follows, but the relatively lifeless body detracts overall.

Lou Pepe Kriek (2011)

Intense cherry skin, floral funk on the nose. Palate is a mildly funked-up bright cherry. Finish is abrupt and a bit dry, flavor lasts a long time and gets mouthwatering.

HORAL's Oude Geuze Mega Blend 2013

Continuing my quest to have all of these…soft funk nose, a touch earthy/mushroomy, palate is more soft grassy and citric funk. Smooth, delish, but returning to this after an afternoon of drinking other gueuzes found this one harsher and less balanced.

Grand Cru Bruocsella Lambic Bio (2010)

2013 cork. Thin collar of white lacing, otherwise still. Nose and palate are grassy with slightest citrus and barnyard. This opened up well and was way nicer than any of the fresh bottles I’ve had.

SeaQuench Ale

Nice pour, lasting fluffy white head. Soft salty limey sourness on the palate. Tasty and good for what it is, a canned session sour.

Oude Geuze Apogee

2019 bottle, complete with name tag? Loud pop, pours with nice white head that settles down to surface foam. Nose of grassy funk, sour lemon, and faint wood. Palate is nice: starts with an almost sharp lemony tartness but finishes softer and smoother,

Tyrnilambic Baie D'Argousier (2021)

5/2021 bottling. Super interesting nose: funk, vegetality (mild boiled asparagus), grass. Palate is tart right off the bat, but it mellows into a faintly vegetal funk with hints of white grape skin and sour lemon. Like this better than last time, very

The Guide

BBD 13 Nov 2021, so I won’t rate it. Freebie from last night’s event at Smith Street Taps. Surprisingly good for being past date. Decent body for 7%, nice tropical and citrus, especially sweet pineapple and mandarin orange, with just enough bitterness.

Fou' Foune (2020)

Pours with a modest white head that doesn’t last. Nose is very fruit-forward, with a soft funk. Palate follows, and it really blows my mind how soft and integrated Cantillon’s fruiteds are compared to other lambic producers. This is so easy to drink.

Hop Opera

Forgot to take a pic, but was jonesing for hops. This cold was really crisp and cutting in its profile: mild dankness but mostly lots of flashy fruity notes. As it warmed it got more rindy.

Beer Geek Fudgesicle

Nicer than expected: definite fudgy milk chocolatey vibe, decent mouthfeel, smooth for the ABV. No more branded Mikkeller Singapore glasses because mother effers keep lifting them. :-( Be glad you got some, Arturo!

Santa's Little Helper

Pours fantastic, with a creamy head. Nose is mild spicing, roasty malts. Palate is boozy first, and then a lovely malty Belgian strong dark after, with hints of fig, white raisin, and yes booze, and licorice in the linger. A bit hot but really tasty.

Brabantiae (2018)

Wonderful nose: funk, hints of pipe tobacco, citrus, wood. Palate follows, more tart than expected, and surprisingly different than the bottle I had just two months ago. Classic Cantillon floral funk, and surprisingly sediment-free.

Raspberry Quadrupel Barrel Aged Brandy

Intense nose of smoky fruit compote, and the palate is really berry-tart but with underlying notes of sweet malts and wood. Intense. Tasty. “Smoked prune juice” (Daryl).

Fou' Foune (2019)

Small short-lived but regenerable head, residual carb and lacing in glass. Huge apricot nose, palate brings that plus a big sourness that wasn’t there when fresh. Dryer finish but mouthwatering linger. Very different already after just ~14 months.

Space Race

Loving these 300ml sizes. Sometimes I just don’t want a UK pint of the same beer. 😂 Better than expected, tropical, smooth, thicker body than most Mikkeller hops have had in my memory.

Resting Brew Face

Love the Mikkeller SG branded glasses! And this is the best Mikkeller beer I’ve had in ages: big tropical hops, pineapple and mango with some citrus, and a smooth body.

Lizard of Koz

Deron’s last bottle of this, and it has been interesting to chart the changes in this beer over the years. Nose is big blueberry and chocolate, with hints of the medicinal. Palate follows, and there’s some nice rich aged-stout chocolate, hints of anise,

Spontantripleblueberry (2020)

Nose is very similar to the double: Jammy bloob, almost like blueberry pancake syrup. Palate is much nicer than the double: fruit and sour funk merge, and the fruit endured the whole way. Finish not as dry, and more flavorful.

Spontandoubleblueberry (2020)

Nose of huge Jammy blueberry. Taste is surprisingly way more sour, with a less fruity air to it. Dry finish. Dry linger.

Oude Geuze Goût Américain

I’ve wanted to try this cheekily named beer for a while. Very benign nose, palate is a punch of straw/hay funk, only mildly tart but mouthwatering.

Oude Geuze White Vermouth Foeders

Floral funk with hints of lychee on the nose. Taste follows, not overly tart, some sweatier funk. Really nice.

Brabantiae (2018)

Pear, sweaty grassy funk on the nose. Taste is quite different: nice Cantillon-funky tartness, hints of pear on the backend. Smooth, almost creamy body. Mouthwatering finish.

Rosé de Gambrinus (2016)

April 2016 bottle. Large head that fizzed out quickly. Nose is stunning: faded berry compote, funk, fuzzy raspberry skin. Taste bends more toward funky, but the fruit is still strong and jammy. Mouthwatering without being really tart, just delicious.

Cuvée Saint-Gilloise (Champions) (2015)

9 March 2015 bottle. Pours with a healthy white head atop a dark straw body. Nose is fascinating: woody, deep funk, slightest hints of Band Aid. On the palate, it is rich and balanced, mildly tart, woody, hints of syrupy overripe citrus. Long end/linger.