Doesjel
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°85, season 19/20, bottled on 1st December 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.

Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a very thin white head that dissipated almost immediately, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.

Aroma: Tart, green apple, citrus zesty, lemon, lime, hay, dried grass, oak, funky.

Taste: Lightly sour, tart, lime, lemon zest, green apple, oak, damp wood, funky.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: Easy drinking with enjoyable aroma and flavours, but my preference would definitely still be the regular Oude Geuze.

 

750 ml "champagne" bottle, at local tasting, thanks to abemorsten. ABV is 6%. Deep golden to orange colour, moderate carbonation, no head. Strong musty and funky aroma, notes of horse stable, hints of oak. The flavour is sharp and funky, hints of bitter cider apples, peppery finish.

Bottled 1/12/2020

I really love the funk and bret of the beer. Classic Fonteinen notes, but they come through even more clearly without the carbonation present. Very dry but not overly tart. I could drink this all day on my patio if I could afford it. I’m glad I have another bottle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4yo, 2015, 37.5 cl bottle

Hazy orange-amber, barely existential foam.

Nose is classic gueuze, barnyard, some citric notes, a hint of stone fruits.

Taste is smoother than average.. soft lactic acid, yet dry. I think it is pointless to lavish standard Gueuze markers here such as hay etc as if they would differentiate... This is not *that* unique, merely a very well executed softer version of a classic gueuze. Very low carbonation.

 

 

 

This is a 12 year old bottle I just found in the basement.
L: copper amber beer has a slight haze and a very slight fizz - looking more petillant than sparkling

S: balsamic, fruit, a bit of wet horse blanket, faint barnyard, a hint of tobacco, traces of vanilla and nuts, over ripe fruit and a pinch of mint

T: tart, slightly bitter, Granny Smith apples, balsamic, lemon, lime, nuts, oaky, with a slight diacetyl slickness and a tannic, oaky slightly astringent finish

F: medium light body and very low carbonation.

O: My only regret is that I had but one bottle

 

 

 

Poured from fridge temp. Pours a golden orange with fairly limited head. Aroma is huge citrus - lemon and orange. Sweet candy, and a bit of horse saddle. Taste is really nice and smooth. Not too bitter and not too sweet. The notes combat each other in a nice way. Definitely has some barnyard funk. Overall really nice, with a medium and somewhat dry mouthfeel.

Deep rose gold with touch of white film. 4
Apple orchard flowers and floral honey, plus a touch of rindy cheese. 4.25
Thread of honey, loam, some chalk, big bunch of pears, pineapple juice, grass, wood. 4
Almost medium, round, smooth. 4.25

Orchard redux. Brett still quiet; but beautifully rounded and nuanced. Nectar, just a bit young. 4.25

 

 

 

Bad bottle of '09. Will get a new bottle and review.

375ml cork and caged bottle, dated 5 March 2015. Served in a tumbler glass. Pours a clear, darker copper body, like a clear dry cider; not a single bubble comes up for air, as expected. So obviously there is nothing to retain or create any lacing. Smell is mildly muted, slight cidery sweetness, touch of cobweb. I think the carbonation needs to be there to bring out the aroma. That being said, the flavour is pretty nice. Light cidery sweetness, light funk, touch of green apple, pear, oak and moderate acidity. Easy drinking. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, not much carbonation. Slight oaky bitter finish. An interesting take on the regular Oude Gueuze, and it gives me an appreciation for the beer itself without the carbonation.

'06 vintage

 

 

 

I always thought of this and Cantillon GCB as the same, though I realize this is, in fact, geuze, a blend of different year lambics, rather than the 3-year which comprises GCB. That said, tasted side by side, there's definitely similarities, not only in the stillness (though Doesjel does display the lightest touch of carbonation), but also in the ability to pick out all the distinctive elements of lambic. This is a touch richer and sweeter than GCB, with more funk in the nose and perhaps less acidity on the palate. It feels a bit decadent to me, whereas GCB felt delicate. And yet, they strike so many similar notes. Both are a refreshing change of pace from the more overt and forward (though equally delicious) notes of geuze. A real treat.

 

 

The cork comes out without a pop, and no head results from the pour. The nose is very nice. A mix of funky yeasts, berries, lemon and other citrus. Lovely- you can just keep smelling this beer.

The flavour is very good, but not nearly as remarkable as the smell. Fairly sour, with a lemon flavour, along with wheat, light fruits, oak and a slightly dry, funky finish. There is a fair bit of sweetness here that offsets the dry funk.

While obviously not unusual for this style, the lack of carbonation does result in a body that feels rather thin. I think it would benefit from a bit more activity. That said, it goes down smoothly and is very inviting to drink.

Overall, a really good beer, which is no surprise given its origin. Very complex. You have to allow the beer to sit in your mouth for awhile and explore what is going on. Lovely.

 

 

2015 bottle. Obviously still. Golden color.

Lots of funk. Lemon acidity. Sour. Cobweb and basement musk. Very classic 3F flavor.

No carbobation. Light bodied.

Very enjoyable. Easy to drink. Unique.