No 52 - Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (2009)

A very deep, powerful, tight nose with lots of dark chocolate, cream, candied orange peel and some bourbon notes. Very deep, dark and yummy!

The taste is deep, focused and intense with notes of dark fudge, chocolate and some Irish Coffee notes. A long, long, lingering finish. This is like drinking heavy chocolate cream with a healthy dose of Bourbon in it - yummy!

91p   (tasted from bottle - 2010/12)

No 51 - Pauwel Kwak

A fine, cool nose with notes of mature red apples, fudge and moist undergrowth. Round, good and nice - maybe a bit to nice too be really interesting.

The taste is medium bodied and soft with notes of buttery biscuits, red apples and hay. Some warmth in the medium long finish. This is a good crafted beer but it doesn´t exist me.

86p   (tasted from cask - 2010/12)

X20 - La Trappe Tripel

A fine, medium big, deep nose with lovely flowery notes paired with toffee, hay and corn. Very balanced and fine. Deep nose. A lovely summery meadow feeling about it!

The taste is deep and complex with notes of caramell, dried flowers and some ginger. Long, cool and elegant finish with nice bitterness. A touch of sweetness in the end. Very, very good.

90p   (tasted from cask - 2010/12)

X19 - Samuel Adams Triple Bock

I got a couple of these bottles for my 40th birthday - 6 long years ago...:-) I drank one then and found it a little to overbearing at 17% - at that time the strongest beer in the world (I think - correct me if I´m wrong).

Well, I found two of these bottles while moving things around in the cellar. They have been stored at 11 degrees Celsius since I got them. On the back a sticker says "Best before 200709".

The nose is big and heavy with deep notes of toffee, black cherrys, licorice and dark chocolate. It is a little flat on the nose, there were no foam what so ever when I poured it. Cherry Heering. Very deep but not that complex, more brutal in its structure.

The taste is massive with waves of black fruit and notes of sweet licorice, fire smoke and chocolate. A very long finish that ends semi dry. Very concentrated. I remember it being more sweet 6 years ago. This is definitely impressive but not hedonistic - this is more of a tasting beer than a drinking beer. I´m gonna save the remaining bottle a few years more just to see what happens.

83p   (tasted from bottle - 2010/12)

X18 - Ridgeway Ivanhoe Ale

An interesting, light, fresh nose with notes of dried fruits, some soapy notes and that typical urinal touch that is soo intriguing in english beers, especially cask versions... This is good though.

The taste is tight and fresh with a cool bitterness and with notes of orange peels, dried fruits and a small medical note. A little too light in the finish. A nice cask bitter all the same.

84p   (tasted from cask - 2010/12)

No 50 - Nynäshamn Pickla Pils

This is another winner from the Nynäshamn Ångbryggeri. The nose is fine, fresh as a daisy and elegant with notes of lemons, oranges, fennel and summer flowers. Very fresh and lovely.

The taste is as fresh as the nose with lots of sweet hops and lemons. In the finish there is notes of herbs and grass, and it ends with a beautiful dry twist. Very, very good!

91p   (tasted from cask - 2010/12)

X17 - Nogne O God Jul

This is the 2010 version of a winter warmer from the the Norwegian brewery Nogne O. The nose is deeply creamy with lots of nice notes of dark chocolate, cinnamon, dark bread and some lime peel. Deep and good. After a while some tar/asphalt emerge.

The taste is big and creamy with a nice chocolaty feeling paired with some sweet malt and a long finish with a nice bitterness. A nice sweetness in the middle flavour. Very good.

88p   (tasted from bottle - 2010/12)

No 49 - Erdinger Dunkel

This one has a ligth, malty nose with some notes of dark bread, chocolate biscuits and a cool creamy feeling about it. But is rather dull on the nose, nothing is wrong but nothing happens either.
The taste is a little better with malty notes and good bitterness. The finish is medium long with some chocolaty notes in it. Fault free but in the rather boring.

77p   (tasted from bottle - 2010/12)