Lindemans Faro

An interesting experience again with a Lindemans beer.
This is their Faro, a lambic beer blended with sugar, i picked it up last month in Cardiff, its silver foil wrapping promising sophisticated beer drinking. And i was quite surprised when popping the cap to find a cork underneath as well, combined with the label its all very stylish indeed.

Once that was removed a fruity yeasty smell hits you immediately. It a lovely copper colour with a small white head, and again its aromas promise a bittersweet taste. Its tarty, sweet apples, yeasty, musty, the candy sugar they add at bottling is strong but the whole thing is quite heavy in the mouth, very good. It taste mature, with cherries and a champagne like finish.

Overall quite an enjoyable beer, i recommend trying it if you see it on a shelf somewhere.

a few new bottles

Managed a beer run early this week in Cardiff, and now i'm tingling with excitement at my purchases.
On my last visit i chatted with the owner about possibly getting in more US beers, and i was pleased to see a chance to try something other than the Pale ale from Sierra Nevada as on the shelves was their Torpedo IPA.
Turning the corner and amongst the very recently newly stocked shelves was Sharp's Monsieur Rock, which i think most beer drinkers who read blogs will have read about, a brilliant tasting and extremely drinkable bottle from Stuart Howe and Orval's Jean-Marie Rock apparently. I picked up three bottles, kept looking at the others on the shelf though, i might go back sooner rather than later.

 Next in the box was something i've seen around in books and online but never actually on a shelf, that is Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Joining it was Saltaire brewery's Cascade Pale ale 4.8%, Naylor's brewery Bradford Lad 7.2% strong ale/barley wine.
Ridgeway brewery's Bad King John, a 6% black ale which going by the label is supposed to exported to the US.

Now from the other side of the English Channel comes:
Saison Dupont 33cl 6.5%, Lindemans Faro Lambic 4.2%,
Maredsous Abbaye Blonde 6%, and Westmalle Trappist Dubbel 7%.

Again there was so many i picked up and left behind, 3 Monts, Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet, so many british breweries, Thornbridge's pilsner also was hesitantly put back (this time). He only had the Marzan smoked beer left no Urbock unfortunately, and i was hoping for a couple of different wheat beers but his German supplier is not as good as it used to be he tells me. And i got a free glass!

Timmermans Tradition Gueze Lambic

Okay so i only knew a few things about Lambic beers before i bought this bottle and starting writing this .
1. Belgium origin
2. Spontaneous fermentation
3. Supposed to be very sour
and thats it really, and i had never tasted one until now.

Its a 5% abv, 330ml bottle, not quite sure what made me plump for this one on the shelf, and i cannot honestly remember any of the others that were there, whether i missed a classic for this one i'll never know. But you've got to start somewhere.
It pours a more golden yellow than the photo shows, with an aroma of green apples, almost 'granny smith' like.

Timmermans Tradition Gueze Lambic

 

Taste wise i'm not sure what i was expecting other than the sourness, but it has not got the bite i was expecting. It reminds me of a sparkling wine or cider but not with the unpleasant lingering harshness i find they have, if cider tasted like this i'd drink it! There is a dryness that sits at the front of the mouth, and the sourness is quickly mellowed by a sugary undertone, quite refreshing.

So overall, not unpleasant, i would try another for sure, but not as sour as i thought it would be. Perhaps this was not a good example of a gueze lambic, i'll have to google up other reviews, or please tell me if you've had this and other lambics and how they compare.

Good times ahead.

Just before the weekend i had to go into Cardiff for a work thing which meant i could make a slight detour to probably the best (as in most varied selection) beer shop in South Wales that I'm aware of. Please feel free to correct me if you know of another.
On 97-99 Whitchurch Road is the Discount Supermarket which from the outside looks reasonable ordinary, little hint at the treasures inside.



Aside from the usual convenience shop fare and a large wine section, is a fantastic beer selection. Floor to ceiling shelves with a choice from all corners of these isles, including as high up as the Scotland's Orkney Brewery. Then there is the Belgian beers, German, many other European, and a good but small selection of US beers.
I picked up:
two from the Anchor brewing co. Porter and Liberty Ale
Orkney Brewing co. Red MacGregor

William Brothers Kelpie Seaweed ale
Timmermans Gueuze Lambic   -   this will be my first lambic beer btw.
Schneider weisse Tap 6
Samual Smith Oatmeal Stout
Marble Lagonda IPA
Leffe 9
and the Untapped Triple S  in my last post.

I then went to Dorset for the weekend to see family and friends, and my oldest friend Dougie kindly gave me three beers he picked up on holiday in Devon recently from the Teignworthy brewery. Cheers mate!!

Unfortunately i know am working three nights and then have the next few nights already booked up so all of these will have to wait until next week!!! To be fair thought one of these nights out is a small stag do which will be attending a beer festival so that pretty good compensation!