Oude Geuze
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

 

(375 ml bottle, Blend no 52, season 18/19, bottled 13 Mar 2019, 6.6% abv; purchased single at Benash yesterday... decanted into my Chouffe tulip)

L: mildly-hazy, yellow-orange colored liquid; messy cap persists after initial pad decay... laces a little; looks dirty near murky

S: textbook: nutty lemon, rainy spring day, smutty penny, hints of rustic white bread and apple cider vinegar... the nutty breadiness increases as it aerates... peppery, onion spicy; note of sweat

T: green grassy earthiness lighting up front of palate; moderate cider-lemon brightness in the bottom-back of the palate... this morning it's still raining, and this perfectly compliments the aromas... aftertaste dry, vaguely bready, with the nuttiness of a mother... the finish has a lovely length and intensity

F: satiny spread, tingly tang, mineral twinge and parch... wheated bounce up front, sticky funk smearing, acid ting numbing the backs of my teeth, roof of my mouth... my sinuses are opening, view brightening... longing for more goat-licking sticky... textures/body seem broader, more bracing than other brands

O: a travesty I never tried this before; of course, I've hesitated getting their other brands, due to cost, and seeing myself getting carried away... might be my new go-to, when I get that hankering; solid. (2138)

Took me back to Belgium at my first taste.

 

Fairly clear pour at first, it turned a little hazy as I could not properly leave out some of the stuff at the bottom of the bottle. There isn't much head to talk of, but a thin collar of bubbles shows it isn't a still beer. The nose is my favorite part, with a lemon spritzed tart nectarine impression with an slight cider vinegar edge and some light funky cheese. Combine those more acidic notes with backup scent of light cereal malt and even lighter herbal components.

On the lighter side with the mix of tangy sour and micro-carbonation leavening things. The taste isn't quite as complex as the nose, with a bit more of a herbaceous bitterness than I expected, at least relative to the tartness. The beer has an acidic component that pairs with this, for sure, but on my tongue, it seems to go for the sides while the lightly herbal wood tannin note takes up the middle. As it warms, the sour level slowly increases, pushing the more bitter aspect further back on my palate.

I loved the nose, and my enjoyment of the taste increased as I sipped. Glad to finally get to review this.

Pours a straw colour. Looks beautiful. Nice head and good lacing is left over as it dissipates.

Smells of barnyard funk and that sort of sourdough yeast that you get on 3 Fonteinen lambics. Lots of fresh fruit character. Apricot, pear, some fresh apple, wet straw.

The oak barrel comes through nicely. Lots of funky fruit notes. Lemon zest, apricot, orange, intangible citrus notes, grape skin.

Medium body with a reeeally long and dry finish. The finish is great.

This is a fantastic gueuze. Always worth the price and so consistent.

 

 

 

 

Superb Gueze!

750ml bottle into a tulip. Bottled 11/21/18, best by 10/26/38.

Superb looking beer. Glowing pale amber body with swarms of carbonation. Big bright white head persists in lesser form throughout leaving a lattice work of lacing.

Slightly funky aroma.

On tasting, not much funk. Dry, sour, tart. The other word that comes to mind is clean, not what you might think of in a gueuze. Such an easy drinker here. A small fruit note.

Mouth above medium, finish a dry sour tartness.

Overall, such a great example of the style, hits all the right notes, subtle, delicate, flavorful, not a bum note anywhere. A bit pricey, so a treat once in a while.

bottle into glass
Minimal, white head. Very slightly milky, medium light orange, amber & golden appearance. Unusual, earthy and almost mildew like aroma, with a spiced and touch of vinegar tinge, as well. Definite lemony and touch of clove, deep down in the depths of the taste, with a light body and tanginess, with a little bit of a medium toasted malt underneath.

Blend 43, season 19|20, bottle 4/2/20

It’s always an honor to drink a Gueuze of any kind, and this one seems to be one of the most popular, at least on BA. This is my first 3 Fonteinen beer since Armand passed, so this one goes out to him. Let’s dive in

Pours a hazy burnt orange with a finger of white head that fades to a thin ring and leaves minimal lacing

The funk in the nose is soft, it really relies more on fleshy fruit than anything else. I’m picking up on aromas of tart peach, jammy apricot, lemon juice, wet hay, white wine, stone, white pepper, light cracker, and apple skin

It’s a bit more forward in taste, and still very damn impressive. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tart apricot, orange zest, apple skin, white wine vinegar, stone, light leather, and lemon juice. The swallow brings notes of tannic white wine, bready malt, lemon zest, white pepper, stone, wet hay, and jammy apricot

A medium body pairs with moderate carbonation, resulting in a funky and zesty beer. Finishes mostly dry with more earth than tartness

Goddamn, I loved this one. It’s very nuanced but not overly aggressive. Sucks that Lambic has to be so pricey but it’s fun to splurge every now and then

A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°63, season 18/19, bottled on 3rd April 2019. Served from a 3 Fonteinen lambic basket, and poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.

Appearance: A nice clear golden colour with a just over one finger white head that had decent retention while leaving some nice lacing.

Aroma: Lightly tart, barnyard, funky, oak, hay, green apple, with light lemon notes.

Taste: Sour, tart, funk, oak, hay, green apple, lime, lemon, with light notes of grape skin.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with high, lively carbonation.

Overall: Surprised I didn’t review this much earlier. For an Oude Geuze in the core range, this is right up there among the best in my opinion, along with 3F A&G and Tilquin Oude Gueuze. I also specifically picked blend°63 of season 18/19, because it’s been one of my favourites lately, since the paper label blends of 2015 and earlier. It’s just super easy and enjoyable to drink, it’s basically something I could down at all hours of the day.

 

 

Sour and yeasty apple funk.

750ml corked and caged on 02 APR 19, best before date of 26 OCT 39. Opened 5-12-22.
Blend 62 Season 18/19. Good pop upon opening. Pours a thin white head with big bubbles, dissipates quickly but holds fast at a ring. Apple juice golden body with good clarity. Light funk in the nose along with a powdery perfume, sharp fruit, a vinous quality and what seems like it could be an aged hop aroma when swirled. Big acidity and a zesty grapefruit-like bitterness. Light body, soft mouthfeel and low carbonation. Long, acidic finish with a moderate bitterness. Very Good.

 

 

12.7oz caged and corked green bottle. Label has bottling date as '3 MAR 19' and best before date of '26 OCT 39'.
Pale gold colored body, clouded by the last dregs. Brief white skim of a head but a partial cap is long lasting. No lacing.
Aroma is like perfume that fills the immediate area of the opened bottle and filled glass. Complex funk of leather, hay and general barnyard.
Taste is sour but overladen by the musty funk. Leather straps and hay fields. Tends to be dry in the aftertaste.
Slightly heavier than medium mouth feel. Great mouth coating and release from the drying. Very good carbonation.
Such a complex blend that yields a main nose and flavor but allows for and almost insists on digging deeper with each sip. With oak and tart fruit.

 

375 ml corked bottle, 2017 bottle, best by 2037

pours a brilliant dark gold color, bright white head. aroma and the taste are a great balance of tart, mild funk, oak, touch of stone fruit. bit of acidity, but there is a touch of sweetness in the finish to balance it. thin to medium bodied, crisp carbonation.

Season 18/19 bottled 13 March 2019. Gentle pour resulted minimal head with a golden body. Aroma of mild funk, acidity, and some earthy qualities but opens up more as it breathes. The flavor is equal parts funk and sour. The funk is different than Brett in an aged Orval. This is earthy with a sharp grassy/herbal twist. Flavor of sour apple and grapes with a leathery finish. Minimal carbonation and a light body. I like more lively body in my sour beers. A complex beer that changes as it sits in the glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deep gold body, dull with haze, forms a fine white head with average retention.
Aroma is acidic, apple orchard, hay, relatively light.
Intense, mouth puckering tartness and acidity, like an unripe plum, granny smith apple; some oak character; the feel is sharp, with fine, prickly carbonation, yet paired with a sticky softness on the tongue - refined yet aggressive; dry finish, long on the palate with vinegar-like flavours.

The feel is fantastic, so lively, and the flavour is very good, though not as complex as I might have hoped. That said, it's meticulously crafted, and a benchmark.

 

 

16/17 vintage. this beer is bloody sensational. the balance between sweetness, sourness and wild funky flavours is perfect, it’s musty and funky and leathery and goaty, really oaky, pepper, walnuts, quite sour indeed, tart, acidic, vinegar, lightly bitter, sweet fruits, lemon, lime, lot of pear, some berry notes, slight white wine character, hint of caramel, lovely medium body, highly carbonated, super smooth, just a special beer, bursting with complexity and character while still being totally delicious, class.