Oude Gueuze Cuvée René
Brouwerij Lindemans

Well this was certainly something else. My first lambic I think. Pours apple juice yellow, with only half a finger of white head. Smell is dominated by funky yeast, with a bit of straw and pepper in the background. The taste likewise begins with that yeasty funk, and a very tart sourness, giving way to a distinct apple note. Being as tart and sour as it is, I can't say it goes down super smooth, but it does make you want to drink more. Overall an interesting beer but not one I would reach for regularly.

 

 

Purchased several in Hancock, Michigan in 2002. Cellared for 20 years. I remember I tried one right away, I was very turned off by the musty smell and taste. Since then I have had many more wild and sour beers, so it's possible my taste has changed just as much as this oude gueuze. Popping the cork did not cause the bottle to erupt like I feared. Color is a deeper golden than I remember. The head is just as thick and long-standing as it was back then. Smells strongly of raw apple cider and wet hay with additional esters. Taste is similar, mostly right down the center of the tongue, but then the alcohol begins to warm the edges. I thought I'd had enough after one glass, but the lingering acid was so nice I went back for more, only to find that sitting open for half an hour might have improved it. If I could do it all over again I would.

 

 

 

 

Pours a gold color with a minimal head that lasts quite a while. Aroma is slightly fruity. Tastes of apples and other fruits. Sour but not overly so. Crisp and dry.

 

 

 

12oz/355mL bottle purchased at Huckleberry's, in Spokane, WA, several months ago. My first Geuze, I believe. No obvious freshness date, just a code where the freshness date should be.

Poured into a flute, this was a clear, golden color, with many tiny bubbles rushing skyward. A tight, bone-white colored head quickly formed and quickly dropped, but wouldn't die away completely.

Musty and funky nose, slightly vinuous, slightly earthy.

Tastes tart, vinegary, grassy and bitter. And dry. Very dry.

Fairly light bodied, not as effervescent in the mouthfeel as I expected, but not heavy, either.

Interesting, but not something I'd drink on the regular. This might be the only Geuze available, locally, so I'm not sure if I'll have another to compare it to. Guess I'll have to go to Brussells.

 

 

May 2013 bottle consumed May 2021. Perfect. Dark golden, fluffy white head, good lacing. Nose white wine, wood, chamomile. Taste is balanced with so many flavors. Green apple, wood, mild sourness. Medium body and carbonation.

 

 

Lindeman’s Oude Gueuze is crystal clear and a golden amber in color. Head is light, and bone white in color.
My first impression of Oude Gueuze’s nose is that it’s got a gentle earthiness. The immediate second perception is that of an assertive and enticing sourness. All of this is supported by a subtle barnyard quality. That barnyard quality presents itself in the form of aromas of horse blanket combined with a grapefruit scented citrus quality. What makes this beer’s aroma so enticing is how those earthiness and barnyard aromas are secondary to the beer’s overall tartness. They help give the nose character and complexity.
Taking a sip, Lindemans Oude Gueuze is crisp, dry, and spritzy. Lemon tartness leads the charge. Oude Gueuze’s tartness is supported by a subtle flavor of malt in the form of soda cracker. At this point I’m also picking up a bone dry woodiness. Not the more intense flavors of oak, more of a general, neutrally woody character. All of this combines to provide an interesting overall flavor profile. Lemon tartness up front, with other flavors providing balance.
Lindeman’s Oude Gueuze 2018 is a delicious, engaging example of a blended lambic. It’s tart, dry, and balanced with a subtle barnyard character common to so many of the best Belgian styles of beer. My only caveat for the average beer drinker is that the tartness is slightly more assertive than some people may enjoy. That being said, this beer’s other qualities provide great balance to that initial tartness.

 

 

 

 

Production code is L BB19PGC
So according to what I can find on the internet that means it was bottled on 02/19/16.

L: Pours a pale to deep gold with a low haze. A gentle pour gives a 1 finger off white head with decent retention. After a few minutes the head has fallen to about 2 mm with a sheet of head in the middle of the glass. Leaves a decent webbed lacing as the beer goes down.

S: Lemon, a bit of green apple, a note of woody funk, and hint of grainy malt character.

T: Following the nose I get lemon, some green apple, some nice funky notes (both woody and herbal) come in mid palate along with some slight grainy notes. The back end brings a nice spiciness with a sourness that builds and crescendos on the finish. As the beer warms the funky notes continue into the backend become more prominent.

F: Light body with medium-high carbonation. Mouthfeel is crisp with some tingly carbonation on the tounge and top of the palate. The finish has a gentle dryness.

O: Very nice and would buy again. The palate is very nice and well balanced, but for me the mouthfeel is where this beer really shines. Recommended.

 

 

Look in the glass is orange with a big head on the pour that mellows out. On the nose you get a classic geuze funk, however, it doesn't carry over much in the taste. Bright, lemon and citrus, flavors with a little oak character. Funk lingers on the palette at the end. Mouthfeel is good, but more acidic than other geuzes. Overall a great treat that will satisfy a geuze craving and keep you from digging into the cellar.

 

Bottled 2019 - 37,5 cl.

*Beautiful golden/orange colour. Thin but dense head.

*Aroma is relatively restrained. Brett is the most forward, reminiscent of straw. Then leaves room to some subtle zesty citrus notes. Noticeable cidery notes, as the glass warms up.

*Soft acidity and delicate funk. Bitterness is highly noticeable but dissipates slowly, leaving some earthy flavours for a moderately long finish. Overall, reminiscent of the pith from preserved limes.

*Effervescent, with a light body. Pleasant finish.

The glass goes down effortlessly. Not extremely complex, but a very pleasant beer that fits any occasion. I am curious as to how this one would age.

 

 

Lightly veiled orange appearance. Abundant white foam.
Gueuze: wild, cellar, salami skin, relatively delicate.
At the taste the sourness is well in evidence, but still smooth and pleasant.
No peaks, but a good, real gueuze.
Citric, dusty.
The sourness rises more strong and clean.
Easy to drink but not banal. Intriguing fruitiness, flora, white grapes, lychee.

 

 

Big bottle. Served in a wine glass. Bottle code is L BG07PGC. Pretty sure that means bottled in 2016, maybe on Feb 7, but there seems to be an extra character (the first G) that doesn’t make sense. I don’t know why one should be forced to try to decode so many bottling dates. Just put the damn date on the label! But I digress.

Appearance: Clear orange/golden hues, topped by a gorgeous dense small bubble foam. A visual delight.

Smell: Lemon zest, microflora funk

Taste: Quite lemony, to the point of being pleasantly puckery. Hay, earth, flowery. Wonderfully complex, which each sip evoking different flavors.

Mouthfeel: Light, fizzy. Coats the tongue with a lemony essence.

Overall: A mouth-watering beer, a testament to the skills of lambic production and blending. A wonderful beer to pair with oily fish, many cheeses, sausages and more. At around 14 bucks a big bottle, this beer is an incredible value, and widely available. If you’re serious about beer, try a gueuze like this. Gueuze, the Champagne of Belgium!

 

 

Bottled Feb 2016 (I think, based on a quick web search and my decoding of the code L BB26PGC) This puts it at about 53 months old. These are the bottles on the shelf around here, I'm uncertain if this is common or if it is a function of the store I get these at.

Beautiful clear golden beer with a wonderfully active presence that creates a mountain of dense white foam.
Wafting from that foam is a wonderful summertime scent of honey and fruit blossoms and a soft hayfield in the distance. Tip tops
Taste leads with a sharp and dry minerality, the sulphurs of apple peel and horse sweat. Such a wild and wonderful beer with each sip offering up something new, ripe pear and peach blossoms, dry white wine and underripe currants. Just crazy layers, and it's still chilly.
Crispy and intensely bubbly with a great refreshing bite.
Excellent beer, we see these for $13 a piece and man, I'm hard pressed to name a better value. If you like lambic, spontaneous, farmhouse type brews. This one is a great option

look: one finger white head which dissipates to a decent layer of bubbles which retain for a good while, beer is a lovely golden colour, quite foggy, decent stream of bubbles flowing up the beer.

smell: a most pleasant smelling beer, a nice amount of lambic sour character, lots of champagne notes, vinous, white grape, pear, green apple, a herbal earthy character to it, pomegranate, definitely acidic smelling but in a nice way, smells complex and exciting.

taste: a lovely sour beer, it is quite tart but not overwhelming, there is a certain malty character to it, some white bread, almost a tobacco smokey flavour at times, it’s really earthy, oak, some nuts like walnut or hazlenut maybe, somewhat salty, those fruit flavours too of course, lots of pear, green apple, there’s a definite similarity to champagne, nicely bitter finish, very pleasant to drink indeed.

feel: light to medium bodied, medium carbonation, very dry, very crisp, lovely mouthfeel really, a touch of warmth from the alcohol, incredibly enjoyable to sip.

overall: a very elegant beer, and very enjoyable to drink, easy to drink while still being full of character and complexity, good stuff indeed.