Oude Geuze Cuvée Armand & Gaston
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

Drie Fonteinen Armand and Gaston

A: The beer that may soon take over the lauded moniker of flagship Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze pours a slightly hazy apricot orange, golden and radiant, with a massive orange-tinted white head of three fingers and very high carbonation, even on a soft pour. Retention is masterful, and lacing is very impressive as well. This is a brilliant-looking beer that may be just a touch over-carbed. 4.75/5

A: Classic 3F notes of heavy damp basement funk, musty attic, used cheesecloth, very earthy Parmesan rind umami, forest floor and mushrooms, wet hay, and barnyard dominate. There is a hint of something meaty, almost like liver in its earthiness. 3F almost always serves up the funkiest gueuze, and this is no exception. The aromatic acidity is on the light end of moderate and is lemony with a touch of stonefruit brightness. A little vinegar sneaks in but adds only complexity, not unpleasantness. The signature kiss of malty sweetness common to 3F is very subdued, hardly present at all. It seems a little out of balance toward the intense funk, but this is still very interesting. No oak is detectable in the aroma. 4.5/5

T: Unlike the aroma (and many gueuzes...in fact, beers in general), the flavor does not come entirely in waves; certainly there are distinctive a phases that it goes through, but the funk, acidity, malt, oak, and even a little hoppiness all work brilliantly in concert with one another, creating a very complete and complex product. Simultaneously, light vinegar, tons of underripe stonefruit, lots of lemon, barnyard funk, musty basements, and a touch of very ripe cheese (less so than some other 3F products) hit the tongue. The only element that waits its turn is the oak, adding a little vanillin and a moderate tannic astringency. That livery earthiness shows up in the aftertaste along with some more damp funk and a kiss of sweet, crackery malt. Oddly, this does tend more toward the citrusy acidity, nearing a 7/10 in intensity, with the funk being much less dominant (yet still intense). This is a wonderful gueuze, but more funk presence like what the nose alluded to (and 3F is known for) would be nice. 4.5/5

M: The carbonation is actually not as intense as the appearance would have one believe. Certainly it is near champagne levels, but it feels soft and right for the beer. The texture is fluffy yet very refreshing. There is initially a moderate pucker, but a few sips and it is mostly no longer noticeable. The finish is mostly dry with obvious oaky tannins and a clean finale. The acidity could come down just a little bit and this would be perfect. 4.5/5

O: Assuming this becomes the new Oude Gueuze (based on the fact that it is likely the same recipe just brewed on the new, larger system), it might make stock of "old" Oude Gueuze rise. I personally prefer the heavy funk that regular OG has to the sharp acidity of this beer. Nonetheless, this is a wonderful example of the style, and were it not for the lack of any real minerality, it would remind me more of a Cantillon product than something from 3F. Certainly it is worth seeking out, as 3F are truly masters of Gueuze and lambic. Maybe in time it will funk up. Pair with Plini's "Handmade Cities," which, while grander in scale than previous releases, came up just a little short of the greatness he is capable of. 4.25/5

 

 

 

 

Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen "3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Cuvée Armand & Gaston"
12.7 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, corked & caged. "BOTTLING DATE 27 SEP 18 BEST BEFORE 26 OCT 38"
$9.98 @ Wine, Beer, and Spirits, Omaha, NE

Notes via stream of consciousness: This is Blend n˚ 80 • season 17/18. It's poured a hazy golden-peach colored body beneath some wispy surface foam. The aroma displays fruitiness that includes some banana amidst Brettanomyces character and a hint of oak. I've never found banana in a gueuze before so I wonder if it's in the taste - yes, it is, but it's mild and I didn't get it at first, it only appeared across the middle, and then again in the finish. Interesting. I'm getting sharp fruit and wet oak upfront, including plum, pear, and apple. There's some added citrus across the middle, a touch of green banana, and the malt itself which is lightly sweet and bready. Some "horseblanket" comes forward at this point along with some dry leather, and a little bit of mineral character. The apple note weaves back and forth throughout. The more I drink the more the oak builds on my palate, pushing it to appear drier in the finish as I go along. The Brettanomyces character seems to be rising as well, along with the acidity which is unusual because normally as a beer warms it becomes sweeter. It's a really interesting gueuze, while at the same time it's also very polished compared to many others. In the mouth it's medium bodied on the lower end, and smooth without much carbonation except for the zing from the acidity. Really quite delicious!
Review #9,403

 

Nice deep golden amber color on the pour with a small head. Very fruity & somewhat funky sour - very prominent green apple, lemon zest, orange, and grapefruit with herbaceous notes of hibiscus & light cilantro. It has a nice little bit of barnyard funk & lactic tang. Very well balanced - sour notes don't overwhelm other flavors. One of my all-time favorites.

 

 

 

Glowing amber-orange with slight haze under a ribbon of white; cider vinegar, beeswax candles, wildflowers, fresh-picked apples, and crystalized honey on the nose; apple tart, more cider, whisper of Biscoff, lemon zest, mild oak, vague yoghurt + leather, hints of Krupnik + cellar floor, grass; dry, light, low carb. Vanilla + orchard fruit as it opens.

4 4.5 4.25 4.25 4.5

Blend No17 - season ‘16’-’17
Bottled January 25, 2017

Much like the Oude Geuze, this is quite a toned down lambic - there are hints of barn + lactic tang, but they are so mature + measured as to be melded into the overall experience. After 7 years it’s tough to even parse how the pieces are coming together: is ethyl butyrate throwing subtle fruit notes?
This is more about fruit, wood + sly spikes of sweetness - if you want, say, golden raisin sugar or dried apricots, they are there. Also worth appreciating all the things other gueuzes do wrong that this doesn’t: not aggressively acidic, thin, too fizzy or too dead, too bracingly funky.
I can’t say for certain how much more nuanced or complete this is vs regular strength Oude Geuze. And what’s challenging is how different it is from most other Gueuzes; sips almost more like Basque cider. I think this needs cheese and an outdoor table - a different context than your usual sour sipping session.
Falls firmly into the “so good, it changes your idea of what beer can be” category, but - like many of those - I respect it more than I actually enjoy it.

An idiosyncratic gem.

 

Hazy, yellow color with a medium-sized, white head. Funky aroma with notes of apples and lemon. Sour taste with balancing sweetness. A treat for wild beer lovers.

 

 

Picked up this special 37,5cl bottle at the brewery/tasting room in Beersel/Lot. No. 5 blend, 22|23 season, bottled 11/08/2022, best before 10/26/2042. While buying I was told that this is one of their blends that is from lambic brewed fully in-house, as opposed to some of their "less special" blends including some lambic from other breweries nearby. This specific blend has up to four-year old lambic at the time of bottling and the final blend comes from four different barrels and six different beers. As expected, this is difficult to describe. So complex. So much going on. Also quite strong. The yeast, the funk, the acidity, the near fruit-like qualities. This is lambic taken to another level. Obviously a world-class blend.