Resonance
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

 

Resonance pours placidly into a 3F stem glass, the foam has to be coaxed out with a more purposeful pour. Loose large bubbles at first, with a finer foam that builds when pouring at greater height. Bright saturated brassy gold tone, flecks of spotty lacing around the edges.

Aromas of wet oak and hay, soft notes of lemon preserves and cider apple juice. More of a farm stable impression than anything.

Lemon and oak are the main components, lightly tannic grapeskin, sour grapefruit, and orchard apple in the background. Traces of complexity from the 77% old lambic.

Acidity is moderate and puckering, it’s balanced and easy to savor. It’s medium bodied and gently carbonated.

2019 was a special year, it was my first trip to Drie Fonteinen. This blend was bottled the same year, it’s a fitting tribute to master blender Armand Debelder.

Belgian Gueuze #124

 

 

 

A blurry haze of yellow-orange builds a low activity head of sparsely uneven khaki bubbles.

Oh so beautifully classic Drie Fonteinen, nutty, toasty, seedy oak meets grapefruit in this Lot dominant collaboration here in Greensboro Bend. Refreshing and less acidic than many a lambic, the finish exhibits a lovely dryness.

This full expression of geuze might might turn some palates off at FOFA, but I absolutely love not only the opportunity to have this right in smooth succession of many Farmstead ales, but also with the added fact that Shaun took the time to curate this blend.

"No acetic" indeed. A worthy tribute.

375ml bottle, 16.10.2019 bottle date, poured into a Drie Fonteinen "3" wine glass. Enjoyed on 12.28.2024, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The pours a bright amber color, slightly cloudy, fizzy loose head, no retention nor lacing. The aroma is excellent, super earthy and funky, bright fruitiness, herbal tea, wildflower, oak barrel, soft grain, and mineral water. The flavors are great, wonderful funkiness, bright aged hop, floral, citrusy, oaky with some berry or stone fruits, vanilla, grains, and mineral water. The mouthfeel is good, coating, tart, lively and tangy with a moderately dry finish.

Verdict: An excellent gueuze, very earthy and expressive. The funk character is really nice, very complex and layered with a really nice oak quality.

 

 

 

Blend 1:
Amber orange appearance, no head, scant collar, almost still. Mild fruity nose. Taste is young funk, must, rhubarb, minerals, mildly acidic, sweetens as it warms. Medium body, mild to still carbonation.

 

 

 

Bottle pour at Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT.

This one pours a slightly murky golden orange color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This feels distinctly more citrusy and has less funky complexity on the nose than most 3F gueuzes I’ve had. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just worth noting.

I’m not extremely well versed in lambic, never have been, and probably never will. I definitely enjoy this, as it’s pleasantly and uncomplicatedly citrusy – even though it doesn’t have Hill Farmstead saison in it, it feels like Shaun picked a blend that leaned towards what his beer taste like, instead of a classic build for a 3F gueuze.

This is lighter bodied, not super sour, and very drinkable.

This was pretty well done, and just drinks a lot easier than the style sometimes allows for.

5oz bottle pour for $14 plus tax at Hill Farmstead.

Dry and minerally with some citrus in the back. Fairly effervescent. Light funk, mild acid. Pretty standard Gueze-like character. Felt like a chump for dropping the big coin for a short pour. Oh well.

 

Blend 1 bottle

Very low carb. Perfume and herbal notes. Orange and grapefruit. Big minerals and wet basement. Melon/honeydew. Warheads. Pretty refreshing on a hot summer day. A bit tart though.