Oude Geuze
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

Vintage 2004.

The colour is gold with a tint of orange; the liquid is almost clear. The two finger thick white head is airy and quite firm. Looks nice to me.

The smell is strong, sour, dry and earthy. I noticed notes of vinegar, fruits, minerals, earth and some roasted flavours (rubber?). It is complex and not as chemical as other gauzes that I have reviewed.

The taste is … Wahoo! It is very complex, but at the same time very pleasant and balanced. It is, of course, sour with notes of white wine vinegar, lime and minerals (iron, rust). There are also notes of heather, wormwood and bitter oranges. The aftertaste is surprisingly creamy with flavours of “Herbs de Provance” spice mix and bitter citric fruits. The bitterness disappears slowly into a flavour loaded with mineral and earthy notes. It is balanced all the way through.

The carbonation is very fresh with lots of small bubbles.

This is a truly outstanding beer and I am really impressed!

 

 

Bottled on March, 21, 2018.
Drank on August, 16, 2023.

Poured from 375mL corked & caged bottle into my BeerAdvocate teku. Bottled 3/13/19; best by 10/26/39.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a light haze and a frothy but low head of ivory foam. Pretty.

Smell: a lovely and balanced combination of sweet, tart, and earthy. It has kind of a "savory candy" thing going on; it's really great.

Taste: bright and just a bit tart, with a subdued sweetness and a good, earthy maltiness. It many not be super complex, but it is very, very good.

Mouthfeel: light body with a light carbonation and a refreshing fizziness. Never having had this before, I don't know if that's typical for Oude Geuze; when I popped the cork it didn't seem super carbonated.

Overall: a delicious and refreshing tasty treat on this warm summer day. Very glad I snagged myself a bottle of this.

I have even saving this bottle for a bit. It is 2019 vintage. Recently got a promotion so I wanted to celebrate a bit.

Really an excellent beer! Pours a bright golden yellow color with a fluffy white head and excellent curtain lacing. Smell and taste of sweet and tart appleas and sweet pears. Rustic, earthy and woodsy with a refreshing fruity finish. I wish I had another bottle!

 

 

(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.