7.5

North Antwerp Black Koji Sour Ginjo ale

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Dubbel-inspired dark ale by this new brewery in Brasschaat near Antwerp, designed by two young guys to produce beers for the “value seeker”. This beer makes use of koji, which is basically moldy rice (or in this case: malt) infested by the Aspergillus fungus which has been used in Japan for centuries to make sake, among other things. Weird – and this Japanese theme seems to be on the rise in Belgian craft brewing lately, let us see what may come out of that in the future… Large-bubbled, egg-white, moussy head quickly dissolving into as good as nothing; dark mahogany brown robe with hazy wine red glow. Aroma of toffee, cookie dough, fried and sugared apple slices, porcini, vanilla-flavoured custard, rice pudding, indeed a vague rubbery sake note, cassis, dried blackberries, stewed plum, almond. Estery in the mouth, ripe pear, blackberry jam and candied cherry impressions, fizzy carb but in a refined way, light sourish edge round an essentially sweet onset; caramelly, brown-bready maltiness with a slight biscuity core, continuously yet gently dried by an ongoing sourish edge most likely coming from the koji. A tea-ish, herbal hop note appears in the end, adding soft bitterness to a mainly dark fruit sour-and-sweet flavour combo, with, all the way at the back, some old bread and slightly ‘dirty’ baker’s yeast associations. Could do with a somewhat cleaner profile, I think, but the Aspergillus does add something very distinct, which unexpectedly matches well into the whole (porcini-like aroma, sourish side flavour), accentuating the fruitiness. Quite an ‘autumny’ beer, a bit odd, but tasty and frankly better than I was expecting.

6.3

Appearance - 5 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 6.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6

Bottle shared with "keukeman" Johnny. Pours black initially, very fizzy bubbly head that diminishes almost instantly like a coca cola. Actually looks like cocoa cola as well. No head remains after about 15 seconds. Aroma is malty, caramel is sweetish. Hard to describe. Flavor is malts, lightly peppery, soy sauce, sweetish lightly and bitter lightly. Very odd. But interesting.

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Ferm/Craywinckelhof version Small yellow-cream head over deep brown beer. Plywood nose, dry, other grains, ricewafers. Liquorice, jap , chocolate; sweet and lightly mineral which excuses the term umami; sweet with a dry finish & character, wood. Chewy MF, viscous. Well carbonated. Chocolate and wood keep going on in the aftertaste. Not badm but not really that innovative tastewise. Thanks to Stef! Was: 8/5.5/6.5/7/6.5


Retried on draught as North Antwerp Black Koji Sour Ginjo ale I Draught /I Small pinkish-cream head over red-shot dark brown beer. Red and black berries, intense flavour, also with port-like notes as of an aged beer. Sour cherries, preserved cherry filling for pie. The same cherry stuffing as in the nose, cherry pie, aged Flemish Oud Bruin with cherry juice, lactic acid. Something vaguely bready, but with a strange yeast for bread. Feels much better bodied than the 6.5% (not mentioning this aging impression) would warrant. Soft carbonation, long lasting flavours. Very surprising beer; both in taste as in the making.

7.1

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

Pours dark, muddy brown. Small white head, soapy bubbles. Smell is medium sharp, chocolate, roasty, earthy, leaves. Taste is sharp, high carbo, fairly dry . Bit too much phenols , chocolaty, earthy. Rather thin, bit bitter. Very BE style. Not as different as hoped, this drinks like a decent quad. Certainly making it way to expensive for what you get, taste-wise. However, the process explains the price.