Cuvée Akkurat & Christmas ratings 1999

Another outstanding beer was Jacobins Gueuze 1993 from Brasserie Bockor in Westvlaams (which is not the traditional lambic district in Belgium). This gueuze has matured in oak casks which has given it whiskyish flavours and a deep golden colour.

Other examples of what time can do to beer isOerbier 1991 which had developed into sort of a sourish red ale, á la Rodenbach, instead of a double dark, while the chery flavours in Felix Oudenaarde Kriekbier 1990 had turned into very mature raspberry flavours. The sweet Carnegie Stark-Porter 1986 was now dry, very balanced buyt slightly papery, while Crombe Christmas-Beer 1992 had developed cardboard flavours and was past it's peak.

As a bonus Akkurat were also having a mini festival of Scottish beers. Belhaven S:t Andrews Ale and Harviestoun Freshers Bitter were two excellent cask conditioned ales, and McEwan's ales seemed terribly one dimensional in a head to head rating.

We did also rate a few bottled beers later on, some of the Chjristmas seasonals, like the sweet Aass Juleøl or the full bodied but perhaps overly almond flavoured Shepheard Neame Vintage Christmas Ale 1999. Some were just beers we happened to possess like two fine beers from St Peter's Brewery.