ST.MONON TRIPLE AU MIEL       

Triple Ale with Honey from St.Monon, with an ABV of 8.0%. Last tasted in 2005, when it
was simply known as St Monon au Miel, and with an ABV of 7.0%.

Pours a golden blonde with a bubbly head. Good lacing.

Aroma of honey, demerara sugar, hops, malts, and spices.

It's medium bodied, and nicely carbonated. Good depth of flavour and quite complex. It's
fruity, hoppy, with caramel, honey, spices, malts, herbals and florals, all delivered
fresh crisp and refreshing, with a bittersweet interplay.  This is very good, and a huge
improvement since I last tasted when I was pretty unimpressed. Another brewery that's
upped its quality level substantially.

Cheers!

Viv

ST.MONON BRUNE       

Dark/Brune Ale from St.Monon with an ABV of 7.5%. Last tasted in 2009.

Pours a dark ruby burgundy with a frothy bubbly head. Good lacing.

Herbal floral hoppy malty aroma.

It's medium bodied, and nicely carbonated. Good depth of flavour and complexity, with lots
of malts, caramel, toffee, plain chocolate, fruits, figs, dates, mocha, raisins, sultanas.
Smooth and creamy yet crisp and sharp. This is very good, and a huge improvement since I
last tasted when I was pretty unimpressed. Another brewery that's upped its quality level
substantially.

Cheers!


Viv

DE RANKE SAN FRANCISCO PORTER   

New Porter from de Ranke, with an ABV of 5.5%. New brew for me too.

Pours a deep dark jet black, with a huge tan rocky head. Great lacing. 

Aroma of malts and hops.

Thick, slick and oily so full bodied, and nicely carbonated, with a very filling mouthfeel.
Dry and bitter throughout, with malts, hops, coffee, mocha, plain chocolate, toffee and
caramel. Smooth and easy drinking, but not enough complexity for me, as per the style,
but nice to try anyway.

Cheers!

Viv

TRIPORTEUR NIPPLE TRIPLE     

New Triple from BOM, with an ABV of 8.5%. New brew for me. Brewed with 4 grains
( oatmalt, barleymalt, wheatmalt and ryemalt )

Pours a golden blonde, with a frothy head. Good lacing.

Aromas of fruit, hops, herbals, and florals.

Fresh crisp and sharp it's medium to full bodied, nicely carbonated with a slightly syrupy
mouthfeel, and with great depth of flavour. Complex, with lots of hops, malts, fruit
especially peach and apricot, herbals, florals, caramel, honey, with even a hint of strange
coughsweets/candy. Quite sweetish throughout but there's a subtle bitterness at the finish.
Nice brew, but only a very average Triple for the style. ( I was expecting better )     

Cheers!

Viv

DUVEL IMPERIAL BLOND         

New Strong Blonde Ale from Duvel-Moortgat, with an ABV of 10.0%. Based on the well-known
and loved Duvel.

Pours a golden blonde, with a huge rocky frothy head. Great lacing.

Aromas of florals, herbals, hops, malts, fruit, and spices.
It's full bodied as you'd expect, with beautiful refinement of carbonation and mouthfeel,
and great depth of flavour and complexity. Smooth and velvety, very easy drinking, sweet
yet dry and bitter, crisp and sharp, with lots of hops, honey, caramel, florals, herbals,
and spices. Fantastic brew!!! Is it better than Duvel though? having only tasted 2 bottles
so far I couldn't possibly judge it higher, but it's certainly a TOP100 brew! Amazing
stuff! Simply outstanding! 

Cheers!

Viv

GRUUT DARK AMBER     

Amber ale from Gentse Stadsbrouwerij, a new version of the original Amber, so a new brew
for me too. ABV of 6.0%. A massive improvement on the original brew!

Pours a deep ruby burgundy, with a bubbly frothy head. Some lacing.

Malty, hoppy, airy, herbal floral aroma.
It's surprisingly full bodied, with a fizzy yet light mouthfeel, with enough depth of
flavour and complexity with hops, malts, florals, caramel, herbals, cola, milk chocolate,
cocoa powder, Ovaltine, chocolate orange, plum, greengage and jam. Howver, it just has
the profile and mouthfeel of a summer beer, in other words a Saison. Indeed it is nice
and refreshing.

Cheers,

Viv

FAGNES BLOOD ORANGE       

New Fruitbeer from Fagnes, with an ABV of 7.0%. New brew for me.

Pours an orangey amber with a good sized bubbly frothy head. Some lacing.

Aroma of orange, sugar, malts and caramel.

It's thin to medium bodied, nicely carbonated with a slightly fizzy mouthfeel, and with a
great depth of flavour right from the first sip, and some complexity. Fresh, fruity and
crisp start with the really full on flavour. Sweetish, very fruity especially oranges,
sherbet, grains, spices. Sharp sweet and bitter right through to the strong finish.
Great brew, one of the best fruitbeers!

Cheers!

Viv

1545. EGGENBERG WEISSE (MAY 2026)
EGGENBERG WEISSE     

Wheat beer from Austrian Eggenberg, with an ABV of 5.0%. New brew for me.

Pours a cloudy murky golden blonde, with a huge frothy creamy head. Excellent lacing.

Aromas of spices, wheat, hops, malts, and it's earthy too.

It's thin to medium bodied, perfectly carbonated, with a good depth of flavour and enough
complexity for the style. Creamy, hoppy, malty, spicy, and smooth and easy drinking. With
citrus fruits, berry fruits, caramel and wheat. Bittersweet background.  Good for the
style, but not really as good as most German wheatbeers. 

Cheers!

Viv

JOUP (MARCH 2026)       

Dark Ale from Grain d'Orge, last tasted once in 2006, now with an ABV of 6.8%
( was 7.5% ).

Pours a deep ruby burgundy, with a rocky frothy head. Good lacing.

Fresh airy aroma of hops, malts and caramel.

It's thin bodied, nicely carbonated, with great complexity and good depth of flavour.
Smooth and very easy drinking, there's plenty of caramel, honey, malts, fruits especially
plum, maple and fig, fruit gums, cough candy, grass, gingerbread, pepper, ginger,
baking powder, florals, and herbals. Every mouthful is different. All those flavours
really do work together in this pretty unique brew. The first time I tasted it back in
2006 I wasn't impressed but I am glad that I have tried it again and this time I am
greatly impressed! Excellent brew!

Cheers!

Viv

HOVELS ORIGINAL     

Alt beer from Hovels, in Germany, and last tasted in 2004. 5.5% ABV.

Pours a golden amber, with a huge rocky frothy bubble head, Excellent lacing.

Malty, floral, hoppy aroma.

It's thin to medium bodied, nicely carbonated, smooth but not very complex, but
it does have good depth of flavour. Easy drinking, refreshing, with lots of
caramel, toffee, florals, dark chocolate, berry fruits, and a long dry bitter
finish. Nice brew. 

Cheers,

Viv

EGGENBERG WILD SCHUTZ     

Amber Lager from Schloss Eggenberg in Austria. New for me, with an ABV of 5.0%.

Pours a nice rosey golden, with a frothy bubbly head. Great lacing.

Herby, floral, airy malty aroma.

It's thin to medium bodied, nicely carbonated, but doesn't have much complexity.
Easy drinking and refreshing, with berry fruits, florals, caramel and background
spices, sweetish with a long dry finish. Nice brew. 

Cheers,

Viv

HOFMUHL ZERBERUS       

Weisse-Bock(Double) from German brewery Hofmuhl. New for me, with an ABV of 7.5%.

Pours a cloudy golden amber with a huge frothy bubbly head. Great lacing. 

Herbal, floral and spicy aroma.

Thin to medium bodied, nicely complex, good depth of flavour and perfectly carbonated.
Smooth and easy drinking. Sweetish malts and caramel, hops, spices, florals and herbals,
and lots of fruits dominated by banana and mango. Long dry and slightly more bitter
finish. Outstanding brew! 

Cheers!


Viv

ERDINGER SCHNEEWEISSE     

Winter Weisse beer from German brewery Erdinger. Tasted before in 2002, and has an ABV of 5.6%.

Pours a cloudy pale golden blonde, with huge frothy bubbly head. Good lacing.

Fruity- especially banana and caramel aroma.

Medium bodied, nicely complex, good depth of flavour and well carbonated.
Sweet malts and caramel and toffee, fruity- especially banana, spices and hops.
Smooth and easy drinking. Nice brew.

Cheers!


Viv

HERRNBRAU SCHNEEWALZER     

Winter Weisse beer from German brewery Herrnbrau. New for me, with an ABV of 5.6%.

Pours a cloudy deep golden amber with a rocky towering frothy head. Good lacing.

Fruity, malty hoppy aroma.

Thin to medium bodied, some complexity, good depth of flavour and well carbonated with
a stream of bubbles rising up from the bottom of the glass. Smooth and easy drinking,
with lots of herbals, spices, sweetish malts, and fruity- especially banana, with a
long drier finish. Good brew.

Cheers!


Viv

HERRNBRAU WEIHNACHTS     

Christmas beer from German brewery Herrnbrau. New for me, with an ABV of 6.0%.

Pours a pale golden blonde, with a huge rocky frothy bubbly had. Great lacing.

Spicy, grassy, fruity hoppy aroma.

Medium bodied, quite complex, with good depth of flavour and perfect carbonation level.
Smooth, easy drinking, spicy, grassy, fruity- grapefruit especially, malty, dry and bitter
with a crisp and sharp delivery throughout. Very nice brew.

Cheers!


Viv

TUCHER CHRISTKINDLESMARKT     

Christmas beer from German brewery Tucher. Tasted before in 2005, and now has an ABV of 5.7%,
as it was previously 5.4%.

Light and airy aroma of hops, malts and spices.

Pours a golden amber with a huge rocky bubbly frothy head. Great lacing.

It's medium bodied, with nice complexity, good depth of flavour, and well carbonated.
Smooth and easy drinking with sweetish malts, spices, florals, herbals, hops, fruits
especially grapefruit, with a long dry sharp and bitter finish. Very good brew. 

Cheers!




Viv

WELTENBURGER WINTER-TRAUM     

Winter beer from German brewery Weltenburger. Tasted before in 2005, and has an ABV of 5.4%.

Pours a deep golden amber, with a huge rocky frothy head. Great lacing.

Dry and bitter, spicy, malty, herbal, floral and fruity aroma.

Medium bodied, nice complexity, good depth of flavour and perfectly carbonated. Smooth and
easy drinking, with lots of herbals, florals, hops, fruit, spices and roasted malts,
toffee, chocolate, and overall quite dry and bitter. Lovely brew.

Cheers,


Viv

HOFMUHL WINTERMARZEN     

Winter beer from German brewery Hofmuhl. Tasted before in 2002, and has an ABV of 5.4%.

Pour a golden blonde, with frothy bubbly head. Good lacing.

Sweet spicy herbal hoppy malty aroma.

Medium bodied, with a nice complexity, good depth of flavour and it's nicely carbonated.
Smooth and easy drinking, with herbals, hops, spices, sweetish caramel and malts, and a
dry yet fruity finish. Good brew.

Cheers!


Viv

FREISING WINTERMARZEN     

Winter beer from German brewery Freising. New for me with an ABV of 6.1%.

Pours a golden blonde, with a bubbly frothy head. Great lacing.

Hoppy, herbal, spicy aroma.

It's medium bodied, with some complexity and good depth of flavour, and well
carbonated. Smooth and easy drinking, with lots of spices, herbals, hops,
sweetish caramel toffee and toasted malts, and nuts, with a long dryish fruity
finish. Good brew.

Cheers!



Viv

SHIEVE X-MAS       

( New ) Christmas brew from Senne. New brew for me with an ABV of 8.0%.

Pours a sightly cloudy pale golden blonde, with a rocky bubbly head. Good
lacing.

Fresh floral hoppy malty aroma.

It's medium bodied, quite complex, with good depth of flavour, and a nice level
of carbonation with a fizzy mouthfeel. Sharpish, dry and bitter, with lots of
florals, herbals, malts, caramel, biscuit, hops, spices, marmalade, fruits- fig,
bitter orange, plum and greengage, candied fruit. Cinnamon, honey, ginger, and
vanilla. Once warmed it becomes smooth luxurious and creamy with a long herbal
hoppy finish, with a hint of chocolate and licorice. Lovely brew which does
seem more saison-like than a Christmas brew. 

Cheers!


Viv