Armand'4 Oude Geuze Zomer (Summer) | Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen
Brewed by:
Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen
Belgium | website
Style: Gueuze
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.00%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
The second of four limited edition geuze blends using lambics brewed by 3 Fonteinen before the thermostat incident ceased brewing operations.
Added by fewa on 06-24-2011
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
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Reviews: 102 | Ratings: 387
4.24/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This poured out as a hazy yellow color with a big foamy white head on top. Even with the gentlest of pours this beer is very active. The retention is pretty strong on this as well as the lacing. The look of the beer is really nice. The smell of the beer is funky, not much else to say... it's like bile or some other form of acidic pungent aromas. The taste of the beer is tart, also more funk with a sharp lemon zest in there also. The mouthfeel has a lot of sharp carbonation to it. Overall this beer is a good representation of the style. It's not an easy one to get so I'm glad I got to try it.
★ 598 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This poured out as a hazy yellow color with a big foamy white head on top. Even with the gentlest of pours this beer is very active. The retention is pretty strong on this as well as the lacing. The look of the beer is really nice. The smell of the beer is funky, not much else to say... it's like bile or some other form of acidic pungent aromas. The taste of the beer is tart, also more funk with a sharp lemon zest in there also. The mouthfeel has a lot of sharp carbonation to it. Overall this beer is a good representation of the style. It's not an easy one to get so I'm glad I got to try it.
★ 598 characters
4.12/5 rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks Mark for sharing this with everyone! It was a special highlight, glad I got the chance to try it. Served in a small snifter glass.
Frothy pour with a thin veil of delicate lacing, bright crystalline orange body. After a few sips the foam parted, leaving behind a broken skim.
Citrusy aroma with a pleasantly musty oak character, wet wood and bright citrus dominate.
Flavors follow, with plenty of tart citrus fruitiness, restrained dry oak, signature stable funk, and a soft mellow dryness that lingers. Medium bodied, champagne effervescence at first. Seemed to mellow out after a little bit. A nice gueuze no doubt, but it feels like "emperors new clothes" compared to other very similar 3F blends.
★ 711 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks Mark for sharing this with everyone! It was a special highlight, glad I got the chance to try it. Served in a small snifter glass.
Frothy pour with a thin veil of delicate lacing, bright crystalline orange body. After a few sips the foam parted, leaving behind a broken skim.
Citrusy aroma with a pleasantly musty oak character, wet wood and bright citrus dominate.
Flavors follow, with plenty of tart citrus fruitiness, restrained dry oak, signature stable funk, and a soft mellow dryness that lingers. Medium bodied, champagne effervescence at first. Seemed to mellow out after a little bit. A nice gueuze no doubt, but it feels like "emperors new clothes" compared to other very similar 3F blends.
★ 711 characters
4.62/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Thanks to ahalloin for sharing this a few weeks back. Served in a snifter and reviewed from notes.
Pours a really nice bright golden-yellow with a fluffy white head and some good lacing. Clear beer with visible carbonation. The nose is really quite nice, though not quite as good as the Lente. Bright notes of citrus and lemon zest plus plenty of funk and light earth. The flavor is moderately fruity with some orange and green apple plus a good dose of lemon. Mild acidity and plenty of Brett-induced funk and earth. Crisp carbonation and a dry finish with a nice earthy funk throughout. Light acidity. Absolutely stunning.
★ 625 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Thanks to ahalloin for sharing this a few weeks back. Served in a snifter and reviewed from notes.
Pours a really nice bright golden-yellow with a fluffy white head and some good lacing. Clear beer with visible carbonation. The nose is really quite nice, though not quite as good as the Lente. Bright notes of citrus and lemon zest plus plenty of funk and light earth. The flavor is moderately fruity with some orange and green apple plus a good dose of lemon. Mild acidity and plenty of Brett-induced funk and earth. Crisp carbonation and a dry finish with a nice earthy funk throughout. Light acidity. Absolutely stunning.
★ 625 characters
4.47/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I had this at sour and bitter. It was tough to drink so many world class gueuzes at once :) Poured into a stemless wine glass.
Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber with a half finger of off white head that fades to a layer on top of the pour.
Smell: Funk up front with lemon tartness in the background. There is a mild white wine note as well.
Taste: Very smooth. The malt balances out the tartness quite well. Very easy to drink. The white wine note shows up here as well. I'm getting the aged hops in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.
Overall: Another very good beer in this series. I enjoyed them all. This may have had the most balance. I would have it again.
★ 707 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I had this at sour and bitter. It was tough to drink so many world class gueuzes at once :) Poured into a stemless wine glass.
Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber with a half finger of off white head that fades to a layer on top of the pour.
Smell: Funk up front with lemon tartness in the background. There is a mild white wine note as well.
Taste: Very smooth. The malt balances out the tartness quite well. Very easy to drink. The white wine note shows up here as well. I'm getting the aged hops in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.
Overall: Another very good beer in this series. I enjoyed them all. This may have had the most balance. I would have it again.
★ 707 characters
4.45/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bottle into several glasses. Tasted next to the Lente version. Huge thanks go to Stakem for busting these out because he felt that I hadn’t reviewed enough Geuzes yet LOL! Well here ya’ go buddy and thanks again for sharing these!
Pours a hazed peach color (maybe a tad darker), with a finger of rich and foamy off-white head. This maintains a strong and robust look, leaving back a frothy cascade of lace which hangs in thick swathes down the sides of the glass. The aroma is bit funk heavy up front, with a musty and earthy quality to it, while an underling acidic tartness gives this a touch of sharpness. Sweet toasted grains fills out the edges of the nose. There is maybe just a smidge of warmth coming out as well.
The taste is zesty and tart up front, which is dulled by a good bit of earthy and musty accents to the flavor. This does get a bit sweetener underneath. The backend of the profile is fairly dry and acidic feeling, which lingers with a good bit of tannic character. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a bit more of a slickness from the barrel that mingles with some overall chewiness to the body. This is also showing some more alcohol in spots than I would have guessed.
While this lacked the bright and refreshing qualities of the Lente, the boldness of the wild yeast flavors and that chewier body definitely brought something new to the table and still kept this drinking rather nicely. I really liked this. It’s definitely a top Geuze for me. Thanks again for sharing these Adam. They were both quite awesome!
★ 1,556 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bottle into several glasses. Tasted next to the Lente version. Huge thanks go to Stakem for busting these out because he felt that I hadn’t reviewed enough Geuzes yet LOL! Well here ya’ go buddy and thanks again for sharing these!
Pours a hazed peach color (maybe a tad darker), with a finger of rich and foamy off-white head. This maintains a strong and robust look, leaving back a frothy cascade of lace which hangs in thick swathes down the sides of the glass. The aroma is bit funk heavy up front, with a musty and earthy quality to it, while an underling acidic tartness gives this a touch of sharpness. Sweet toasted grains fills out the edges of the nose. There is maybe just a smidge of warmth coming out as well.
The taste is zesty and tart up front, which is dulled by a good bit of earthy and musty accents to the flavor. This does get a bit sweetener underneath. The backend of the profile is fairly dry and acidic feeling, which lingers with a good bit of tannic character. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a bit more of a slickness from the barrel that mingles with some overall chewiness to the body. This is also showing some more alcohol in spots than I would have guessed.
While this lacked the bright and refreshing qualities of the Lente, the boldness of the wild yeast flavors and that chewier body definitely brought something new to the table and still kept this drinking rather nicely. I really liked this. It’s definitely a top Geuze for me. Thanks again for sharing these Adam. They were both quite awesome!
★ 1,556 characters
4.65/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Chris for sharing this treat!
Pours a white head. It actually even leaves some lace. Color is a golden orange. Slight haziness to it.
Aroma: Lemon acidity. Old cobweb and basement funk. Musky, yet clean. Muskmelon, green, apples, and oak all show.
Taste: Lemon, muskmelon, and other fruity flavors up front. Oaky. Cobweb and basement musk. Some spices. Very funky. This is gueuze. Light vinegar and acidic flavor. Green apples.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, tart, and acidic. Light bodied with a lower amount of carbonation. Ends clean.
Overall, a fantastic gueuze. Top beer for the style. It is young, but tastes old which I really enjoy. Very solid. Great drinkability.
★ 675 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Chris for sharing this treat!
Pours a white head. It actually even leaves some lace. Color is a golden orange. Slight haziness to it.
Aroma: Lemon acidity. Old cobweb and basement funk. Musky, yet clean. Muskmelon, green, apples, and oak all show.
Taste: Lemon, muskmelon, and other fruity flavors up front. Oaky. Cobweb and basement musk. Some spices. Very funky. This is gueuze. Light vinegar and acidic flavor. Green apples.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, tart, and acidic. Light bodied with a lower amount of carbonation. Ends clean.
Overall, a fantastic gueuze. Top beer for the style. It is young, but tastes old which I really enjoy. Very solid. Great drinkability.
★ 675 characters
4.87/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Served cold I opened it and let it breath before decanting into an oversized wine glass.
The pour produced a very nice golden color. Nice darker color with a nice head of near two inches that settled down nicely into a covering of about a quarter of an inch. Rich aroma of barnyard funk, lemon, hints of grass and nice funk coming through very nicely. Clean, crisp and very tart. The very first sip yields a very clean and fresh taste. Lots of lemon and hints of apples and peaches, warming brings more fruits and deep critters begin to take their hold, souring this out and drying that palate right off the bat. Letting it warm brings forward a nice grape skin and funky fruit like note. Nice and well balanced here. Near perfect carbonation lends to a light feel and very crisp finish. I could have easily had another bottle of this one right after I finished this one.
Overall it was very solid. This was just amazing crisp and clean and really just incredibly drinkable. these are incredible, two of the best beers i have ever had, cannot wait for fall.
★ 1,060 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Served cold I opened it and let it breath before decanting into an oversized wine glass.
The pour produced a very nice golden color. Nice darker color with a nice head of near two inches that settled down nicely into a covering of about a quarter of an inch. Rich aroma of barnyard funk, lemon, hints of grass and nice funk coming through very nicely. Clean, crisp and very tart. The very first sip yields a very clean and fresh taste. Lots of lemon and hints of apples and peaches, warming brings more fruits and deep critters begin to take their hold, souring this out and drying that palate right off the bat. Letting it warm brings forward a nice grape skin and funky fruit like note. Nice and well balanced here. Near perfect carbonation lends to a light feel and very crisp finish. I could have easily had another bottle of this one right after I finished this one.
Overall it was very solid. This was just amazing crisp and clean and really just incredibly drinkable. these are incredible, two of the best beers i have ever had, cannot wait for fall.
★ 1,060 characters
4.22/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks as always, Richard.
A: The beer pours a cloudy golden-orange color with a tall white head.
S: Funk and grass, two of the trademarks of Drie Fonteinen gueuze, start this one off. Lots of lemon zest and lemon juice tartness to go with a rather musty funk and some green apple.
T: Lots of grass, lemon zest, and green apple tartness to this. A rather barnyardy funk, plenty of must and earth to it, too. There is a light grape and peach flavor on the finish with a sharp acidity.
M: Medium bodied with a medium to high carbonation.
O: Definitely a good gueuze. As with Lente, however, not sure it's worth the additional cost.
★ 634 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks as always, Richard.
A: The beer pours a cloudy golden-orange color with a tall white head.
S: Funk and grass, two of the trademarks of Drie Fonteinen gueuze, start this one off. Lots of lemon zest and lemon juice tartness to go with a rather musty funk and some green apple.
T: Lots of grass, lemon zest, and green apple tartness to this. A rather barnyardy funk, plenty of must and earth to it, too. There is a light grape and peach flavor on the finish with a sharp acidity.
M: Medium bodied with a medium to high carbonation.
O: Definitely a good gueuze. As with Lente, however, not sure it's worth the additional cost.
★ 634 characters
4.33/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks a lot to Stakem for sharing this with Kegatron and me. Poured from the 750 chilled into a tulip.
The color is darker than golden slightly golden amber with thick rocky cream cap which measures about 1 inch from a vigorous pour the lace sticks well and bead is fine. The aroma is bitter hops with some funk and slight tropical fruit notes with mild citrus tinges and mellow wood accents. The feel is pretty aggressive with some sour elements, mild tannic wood and high carbonation which adds to the bitter sharpness from the hops and wild yeast.
The flavor is good, some herbal tinges, mild grainy elements but mostly funk from the yeast which gives a horseblanket and slight earthy flavor which is augmented by a slight ripe tropical and sour fruitiness which leads to a sharp taste in the back end which almost seems like it has a hint of alcohol in the taste. The herbal hop tinges add some pleasant complimentary flavor to the very mild sweet malt accents, but mainly the taste is dry, almost spicy and acidic. This gueuze is a good example of the style, it has the funk and wood and plenty of yeasty complex accents to the gentle fruit it provides with a mild funk note it just has some aggressive edges that hold it back slightly for me.
★ 1,255 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks a lot to Stakem for sharing this with Kegatron and me. Poured from the 750 chilled into a tulip.
The color is darker than golden slightly golden amber with thick rocky cream cap which measures about 1 inch from a vigorous pour the lace sticks well and bead is fine. The aroma is bitter hops with some funk and slight tropical fruit notes with mild citrus tinges and mellow wood accents. The feel is pretty aggressive with some sour elements, mild tannic wood and high carbonation which adds to the bitter sharpness from the hops and wild yeast.
The flavor is good, some herbal tinges, mild grainy elements but mostly funk from the yeast which gives a horseblanket and slight earthy flavor which is augmented by a slight ripe tropical and sour fruitiness which leads to a sharp taste in the back end which almost seems like it has a hint of alcohol in the taste. The herbal hop tinges add some pleasant complimentary flavor to the very mild sweet malt accents, but mainly the taste is dry, almost spicy and acidic. This gueuze is a good example of the style, it has the funk and wood and plenty of yeasty complex accents to the gentle fruit it provides with a mild funk note it just has some aggressive edges that hold it back slightly for me.
★ 1,255 characters
4.47/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to foofaa yet again for sharing this one with us at our recent gueuze tasting. Served beside the other Armand'4's.
A - Pours hazy golden orange with a nice one and a half finger tall white head leaving small wisps of lace down the entire glass.
S - Smells of fresh cut grass and plenty of funk initially with hints of lemons, apples, wet hay, oak and a touch of fruitiness. This one is seriously funky.
T - Starts off with a decent sizes sour kick quickly giving way to hints of lemon zest, green apples, oak, wet hay and the ever present drie fonteinen funk. Not as sour as I was expecting, more funky really, with a bit more booze than some of the others. Finish is pretty dry, lingering on the pallet for quite awhile after consumption.
M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Smooth, tart feel with a bit more booze than Lente, leaving the pallet dry after the finish.
O - I still prefer Lente to this one but I would definitely say that this is the second best of the series. It has plenty of flavor yet it remains easy to drink, awesome stuff for sure.
★ 1,084 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to foofaa yet again for sharing this one with us at our recent gueuze tasting. Served beside the other Armand'4's.
A - Pours hazy golden orange with a nice one and a half finger tall white head leaving small wisps of lace down the entire glass.
S - Smells of fresh cut grass and plenty of funk initially with hints of lemons, apples, wet hay, oak and a touch of fruitiness. This one is seriously funky.
T - Starts off with a decent sizes sour kick quickly giving way to hints of lemon zest, green apples, oak, wet hay and the ever present drie fonteinen funk. Not as sour as I was expecting, more funky really, with a bit more booze than some of the others. Finish is pretty dry, lingering on the pallet for quite awhile after consumption.
M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Smooth, tart feel with a bit more booze than Lente, leaving the pallet dry after the finish.
O - I still prefer Lente to this one but I would definitely say that this is the second best of the series. It has plenty of flavor yet it remains easy to drink, awesome stuff for sure.
★ 1,084 characters
4.6/5 rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
From 08/17/11 notes. Huge thanks to ahalloin for sharing this bottle; thanks Tony!
a - Pours a murky golden-light orange color, with one inch of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.
s - Smells of funky, sour fruits, citrus hops, hay and grassy notes, and some barnyard funk. A nice combination of funk and sourness.
t - Tastes again of sour fruits, and even more of that barnyard funk. Also some lemon, vinegar, hay/earthy notes, and a bit acedic. Way funkier than the nose; I really love the taste. A step up from the nose.
m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Not as carbonated as I expected, but still nice.
o - Overall another awesome gueuze from Drie Fonteinen. Very drinkable and I found the taste very funky, moreso than the nose. Very glad to have a bottle of this one.
___
Had this again on 04/14/12 and loved it even more; Lente was better but this was second in the series.
★ 910 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
From 08/17/11 notes. Huge thanks to ahalloin for sharing this bottle; thanks Tony!
a - Pours a murky golden-light orange color, with one inch of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.
s - Smells of funky, sour fruits, citrus hops, hay and grassy notes, and some barnyard funk. A nice combination of funk and sourness.
t - Tastes again of sour fruits, and even more of that barnyard funk. Also some lemon, vinegar, hay/earthy notes, and a bit acedic. Way funkier than the nose; I really love the taste. A step up from the nose.
m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Not as carbonated as I expected, but still nice.
o - Overall another awesome gueuze from Drie Fonteinen. Very drinkable and I found the taste very funky, moreso than the nose. Very glad to have a bottle of this one.
___
Had this again on 04/14/12 and loved it even more; Lente was better but this was second in the series.
★ 910 characters
4.62/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
After having small samples of this on a couple of occasions, I decided to pull one of these from the cellar to share with my wife. An appropriate beer to start summer vacation.
The beer is golden hued and mildly hazy with a towering, fluffy white head.
The aroma brings a lot of citrus, classic Drie Fonteinen funk, hay, grass. Smells fantastic.
Top notch flavor as well. Smooth, tart, funky. Ample citrus throughout.
Light bodied and really easy to drink. Complex and wonderful.
Overall, another world class gueuze from Armand. Highly recommended.
★ 554 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
After having small samples of this on a couple of occasions, I decided to pull one of these from the cellar to share with my wife. An appropriate beer to start summer vacation.
The beer is golden hued and mildly hazy with a towering, fluffy white head.
The aroma brings a lot of citrus, classic Drie Fonteinen funk, hay, grass. Smells fantastic.
Top notch flavor as well. Smooth, tart, funky. Ample citrus throughout.
Light bodied and really easy to drink. Complex and wonderful.
Overall, another world class gueuze from Armand. Highly recommended.
★ 554 characters
4.6/5 rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Bottle enjoyed with Slatetank and Kegatron poured back to back with Lente. Poured into a cervoise, this brew appears a light hazed color of orange. A tan head forms across the top composed of rather large bubbles. Spotty lacework clings to the glass. Constantly streaming carbonation makes the head last. When held to the light, this brew shows some lighter yellow coloration around the rim. A swirl brings the cap back to a finger or more strength of yellowish stained color.
The smell of this brew is funky with hay initially. More barnyard quality comes through with notes of poop and sulfur as more smells are taken. There is straw-like grain intermingled with brett characteristics, funk and cheese. The layering of barnyard quality streams throughout the nose and is deep in character but not excessively bold by any means. More smells reveal more depth of cheese and feet with a light citrus note.
The taste is tart with a sourness that persists across the tongue and gets mildly oaky across the back. Lots of brett flavoring as the aroma indicated with a dryness in character. A flavor of straw is present increasing the barn-like quality of the flavor. Some mustiness is present across the back which gets exaggerated by the tannic nature of the barrel presence. Once the brew warms up, there is a grassy earth character about this brew that persists into the aftertaste with a mildly lemon flavor that brings the focus of this brew's taste back into sharp and acidic territory.
This is a medium bodied brew with a very lively level of carbonation. It is prickly on the tongue and keeps the feel of this brew alive inside your mouth. This is quite an aggressive tasting brew that is sharp in nature but very enjoyable. I really enjoyed this offering. When compared to the previous blend in the series, I give the slight edge to Lente with regards to my enjoyment level. But this Zomer had a more traditional feel to it and was super enjoyable in it's own right. I was hesitant on whether I would be able to tell the subtle differences between them and wow are they different when paired up against each other. Fantastic stuff all around.
★ 2,149 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Bottle enjoyed with Slatetank and Kegatron poured back to back with Lente. Poured into a cervoise, this brew appears a light hazed color of orange. A tan head forms across the top composed of rather large bubbles. Spotty lacework clings to the glass. Constantly streaming carbonation makes the head last. When held to the light, this brew shows some lighter yellow coloration around the rim. A swirl brings the cap back to a finger or more strength of yellowish stained color.
The smell of this brew is funky with hay initially. More barnyard quality comes through with notes of poop and sulfur as more smells are taken. There is straw-like grain intermingled with brett characteristics, funk and cheese. The layering of barnyard quality streams throughout the nose and is deep in character but not excessively bold by any means. More smells reveal more depth of cheese and feet with a light citrus note.
The taste is tart with a sourness that persists across the tongue and gets mildly oaky across the back. Lots of brett flavoring as the aroma indicated with a dryness in character. A flavor of straw is present increasing the barn-like quality of the flavor. Some mustiness is present across the back which gets exaggerated by the tannic nature of the barrel presence. Once the brew warms up, there is a grassy earth character about this brew that persists into the aftertaste with a mildly lemon flavor that brings the focus of this brew's taste back into sharp and acidic territory.
This is a medium bodied brew with a very lively level of carbonation. It is prickly on the tongue and keeps the feel of this brew alive inside your mouth. This is quite an aggressive tasting brew that is sharp in nature but very enjoyable. I really enjoyed this offering. When compared to the previous blend in the series, I give the slight edge to Lente with regards to my enjoyment level. But this Zomer had a more traditional feel to it and was super enjoyable in it's own right. I was hesitant on whether I would be able to tell the subtle differences between them and wow are they different when paired up against each other. Fantastic stuff all around.
★ 2,149 characters
4.15/5 rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Bottle dated 3/26/2010. Reviewed from notes.
Appearance - Another gusher. Orange and hazy with a big head. Better retention than Lente, but otherwise a similar looking beer.
Smell - Bigger funk to this than Lente. Less citrus, but has more of a distinct orange aroma. The funk is like an aged aged. Very nice and distinctly different from Lente.
Taste - Heavy funk. Much heavier than Lente. Verging on a vinegar acidity. Dry and less fruity than I'd like. Herbal hops in the finish.
Mouthfeel - Dry. Cottonmouth dry, really. Puckering from the dryness, but not really from the sourness. Not as high in carbonation.
Overall - Good, but a step down from Lente. Hefty funk character that actually makes it feel a little sluggish. On to Herfst!
★ 782 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Bottle dated 3/26/2010. Reviewed from notes.
Appearance - Another gusher. Orange and hazy with a big head. Better retention than Lente, but otherwise a similar looking beer.
Smell - Bigger funk to this than Lente. Less citrus, but has more of a distinct orange aroma. The funk is like an aged aged. Very nice and distinctly different from Lente.
Taste - Heavy funk. Much heavier than Lente. Verging on a vinegar acidity. Dry and less fruity than I'd like. Herbal hops in the finish.
Mouthfeel - Dry. Cottonmouth dry, really. Puckering from the dryness, but not really from the sourness. Not as high in carbonation.
Overall - Good, but a step down from Lente. Hefty funk character that actually makes it feel a little sluggish. On to Herfst!
★ 782 characters
4.57/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Bottle generously shared by Jason. Served in a Jester King snifter.
A - A finger-plus of white foam settles to a thick chunk collar and partial cap, leaving minimal lace behind. Hazy dark peach body.
S - Big, brash signature Drie Fonteinen funk, light urea and acetic acid, extremely green, with tons of grass, hay, mushrooms, and barnyard aromas, and a surprising amount of oak for a true Belgian gueuze. There's some light lemon and stone fruit sweetness in the periphery, but this is all about the funk. Get up on it!
T - Taste is great with more acetic vinegary notes, lemons, stone fruits, and again the surprising oak. While there's sourness in the flavor, the acidity level is low and doesn't induce stomach distress. Not as funky as the nose, actually reminds me a bit more of Cantillon in some ways.
M - Pleasant active carbonation, medium-light body, tannic finish, and obviously no perceptible alcohol.
D - A superior gueuze. I'm glad I ordered a few bottles of this one, as I'm curious how it will develop over time. Something I'd willingly drink at any and all times. I could see myself working through an entire bottle on a hot summer day with ease.
★ 1,168 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Bottle generously shared by Jason. Served in a Jester King snifter.
A - A finger-plus of white foam settles to a thick chunk collar and partial cap, leaving minimal lace behind. Hazy dark peach body.
S - Big, brash signature Drie Fonteinen funk, light urea and acetic acid, extremely green, with tons of grass, hay, mushrooms, and barnyard aromas, and a surprising amount of oak for a true Belgian gueuze. There's some light lemon and stone fruit sweetness in the periphery, but this is all about the funk. Get up on it!
T - Taste is great with more acetic vinegary notes, lemons, stone fruits, and again the surprising oak. While there's sourness in the flavor, the acidity level is low and doesn't induce stomach distress. Not as funky as the nose, actually reminds me a bit more of Cantillon in some ways.
M - Pleasant active carbonation, medium-light body, tannic finish, and obviously no perceptible alcohol.
D - A superior gueuze. I'm glad I ordered a few bottles of this one, as I'm curious how it will develop over time. Something I'd willingly drink at any and all times. I could see myself working through an entire bottle on a hot summer day with ease.
★ 1,168 characters
4.54/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Poured from the bottle, cork is just bulging out of the foil with the cage barely hanging on, into a Drie Fonteinen crystal stem glass. Huge pop, and a large gush with some saving, luckily didn't loose too much.
A real gorgeous looking beer. Honey peach orange glowing, opaque, with a roaring column of middle fast carbonation. Head retention in gigantic, with huge bubble bath and shampoo like appearance. Off white and tan colored head, with a creamy top as it settles. One impressive looking brew.
Nose is just full of deep earth and large funky notes. Hints at barrel aging round character (is this barrel aged I have no idea?) full and luscious, toasty also. Large amounts of pepper, and dirt and soil grit. It's large but in control, a little bit one dimensional. Floral components come when the beer is quite warm though, it smells like a tilled earthy garden.
Big lemon tartness mixing with large funk qualities. Soft acidic feel, but a sharp hot white pepper, in fact pepper continues to come out often, with a little bit of bready malt character. Giant earth qualities, with a hotness not coming from alcohol. I keep thinking of stinky cheese when I drink this even though it doesn't taste like cheese luckily. Super spritzy carbonated but with a good thick body and thick pepper finish.
It's very impressive, I just wish it was a little more complex and diverse. It is without question a gueuze heads beer. I would love to try the other seasons to see if they are better, cause if they are then those beers would just be phenomenal.
★ 1,548 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Poured from the bottle, cork is just bulging out of the foil with the cage barely hanging on, into a Drie Fonteinen crystal stem glass. Huge pop, and a large gush with some saving, luckily didn't loose too much.
A real gorgeous looking beer. Honey peach orange glowing, opaque, with a roaring column of middle fast carbonation. Head retention in gigantic, with huge bubble bath and shampoo like appearance. Off white and tan colored head, with a creamy top as it settles. One impressive looking brew.
Nose is just full of deep earth and large funky notes. Hints at barrel aging round character (is this barrel aged I have no idea?) full and luscious, toasty also. Large amounts of pepper, and dirt and soil grit. It's large but in control, a little bit one dimensional. Floral components come when the beer is quite warm though, it smells like a tilled earthy garden.
Big lemon tartness mixing with large funk qualities. Soft acidic feel, but a sharp hot white pepper, in fact pepper continues to come out often, with a little bit of bready malt character. Giant earth qualities, with a hotness not coming from alcohol. I keep thinking of stinky cheese when I drink this even though it doesn't taste like cheese luckily. Super spritzy carbonated but with a good thick body and thick pepper finish.
It's very impressive, I just wish it was a little more complex and diverse. It is without question a gueuze heads beer. I would love to try the other seasons to see if they are better, cause if they are then those beers would just be phenomenal.
★ 1,548 characters
4.82/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Gusher, on the computer. :(
Beer served in a Drie Fonteinen glass, a reward for all the housework I did today, thank you me. At the time of this review this beer is the #54 beer on the "Top Beers - Popular", the #2 beer on the "Top Beers - New", the #8 Beer on the "Top Beers - Belgium", and the #2 on the "Top Beers - Gueuze" lists on beeradvocate.com. Sounds like a good one to try for the night cap to me.
Beer is orange and really hazy, huge head, that consolidates into large bubbles that break, leaving behind a mildly tan head, one finger, small and medium bubbles, lots of lacing on the glass. Aggressively carbonated. Dinging it for the gusher cause that was a disappointment.
The smell is light, airy, with hints of funk, oak, slight metallic and a little, light sulfur / rubber. Smells like a Drie Fonteinen should.
Beer is about as light in body and you can get, dry finish, burns a little from the acetic brightness and the heavy carbonation, but it burns so so good.
Beer's finish is uniquely oaky, more so than the lente was (although a side by side is in order right fellas?) with a stronger acidity and a lighter palate throughout. There is almost an alcohol, sulfur mixing in the late midpalate before the dry tartness of the finish gets you. The acid coats my mouth and gums. Great, very dry, very tart, nice sourness, great funk. A near perfect beer.
★ 1,375 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Gusher, on the computer. :(
Beer served in a Drie Fonteinen glass, a reward for all the housework I did today, thank you me. At the time of this review this beer is the #54 beer on the "Top Beers - Popular", the #2 beer on the "Top Beers - New", the #8 Beer on the "Top Beers - Belgium", and the #2 on the "Top Beers - Gueuze" lists on beeradvocate.com. Sounds like a good one to try for the night cap to me.
Beer is orange and really hazy, huge head, that consolidates into large bubbles that break, leaving behind a mildly tan head, one finger, small and medium bubbles, lots of lacing on the glass. Aggressively carbonated. Dinging it for the gusher cause that was a disappointment.
The smell is light, airy, with hints of funk, oak, slight metallic and a little, light sulfur / rubber. Smells like a Drie Fonteinen should.
Beer is about as light in body and you can get, dry finish, burns a little from the acetic brightness and the heavy carbonation, but it burns so so good.
Beer's finish is uniquely oaky, more so than the lente was (although a side by side is in order right fellas?) with a stronger acidity and a lighter palate throughout. There is almost an alcohol, sulfur mixing in the late midpalate before the dry tartness of the finish gets you. The acid coats my mouth and gums. Great, very dry, very tart, nice sourness, great funk. A near perfect beer.
★ 1,375 characters
4.69/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Sampled during the South Carolina tasting and right after Lente. This one pours a cloudy tinged, dull gold with a white frothy lacing. It's a lot clearer than Lente. It smells of freshly cut apples, barnyard, brett, and is definitely is smelling fresher than the Lente. The apples are still very vibrant and fresh. The flavors too are full of vibrant and crisp sour apples with a drive head on into brett and hay. It drinks a lot more crisp and clean than Lente as well. This is probably the best that I've had of the style, seconds after Lente. Great gueuze.
★ 559 characters
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Sampled during the South Carolina tasting and right after Lente. This one pours a cloudy tinged, dull gold with a white frothy lacing. It's a lot clearer than Lente. It smells of freshly cut apples, barnyard, brett, and is definitely is smelling fresher than the Lente. The apples are still very vibrant and fresh. The flavors too are full of vibrant and crisp sour apples with a drive head on into brett and hay. It drinks a lot more crisp and clean than Lente as well. This is probably the best that I've had of the style, seconds after Lente. Great gueuze.
★ 559 characters
4.23/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Sampled August 2011
Quite the little gusher, I lost at least a couple ounces of precious beer to my counters before getting this to a glass. The beer looked clear through the bottle, but pours a hazy amber color that shows a touch of gold around the edges. The head starts out about three inches in height with a lightly tan colored head; the head leaves some nice lacing on the sides as I work my way through this Gueuze. The beer smells of sour urea and lactic acid, a deep musky funkiness, some phenolic slightly medicinal notes. This is just so deeply funky, rustic and wonderful. Once you really start digging around there is a dry, somewhat cracker like, more dried hay leaning grain character and even a touch of sour dough bread character in the deep finish of the nose. The aroma is really quite sharp and acidic, though it doesn’t seem to be acetic which I certainly am thankful for. After a bit, a toasted, slightly woody oak note starts to come out in the nose.
Sharply acidic tasting, though it doesn’t make me pucker, this is accentuated by a zippy, expressive, frothy carbonation that makes this foam up as it hits the mouth. Ample lactic acidity is boosted by some sharp urea notes (that contribute some characteristic Lambic notes of cat urine). This finishes very dry, the acidity is the main reason for this, but there is a dried hay / grassy grain character, a drying, slightly medicinal phenolic character, a palate lingering musky, animal / barnyard funkiness. There is a slight flavor of grapefruit, bright lemon notes and just a really big lactic sourness that is so enjoyable. The texture of this beer is nice and light, yet has some slickness from the ample lactic acidity and perhaps a touch of structure from the barrels. Speaking of barrels, there is a slight toastiness to the finish as well as some spiciness and a subtle woody note that is all contributed by the oak; the oak is quite subtle as it usually is in a Lambic, but definitely contributes to the flavor profile. The phenolic character in the finish adds some sharpness here, it is not really medicinal, sort of plastic like, but not, and I can’t really quite pinpoint what it is. As the beer warms up a fruitiness starts to come out, it contributes notes of apple that is a touch cider like, with perhaps a touch of pear as well.
So much better than the Lente, but this is entirely due to the lack of acetic acid; for some reason I find acetic very distracting in Lambics. This is quite nice, it is a bit different than a standard Gueuze, though I am not entirely sure how. To start with it is definitely quite a bit darker, perhaps a touch richer somehow, a touch more oak astringency to the finish perhaps. In the end though this is just a fantastic example of a Gueuze, it is exactly what I was hoping for out of the Lente, though that one certainly wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t quite as tasty as this one.
★ 2,912 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Sampled August 2011
Quite the little gusher, I lost at least a couple ounces of precious beer to my counters before getting this to a glass. The beer looked clear through the bottle, but pours a hazy amber color that shows a touch of gold around the edges. The head starts out about three inches in height with a lightly tan colored head; the head leaves some nice lacing on the sides as I work my way through this Gueuze. The beer smells of sour urea and lactic acid, a deep musky funkiness, some phenolic slightly medicinal notes. This is just so deeply funky, rustic and wonderful. Once you really start digging around there is a dry, somewhat cracker like, more dried hay leaning grain character and even a touch of sour dough bread character in the deep finish of the nose. The aroma is really quite sharp and acidic, though it doesn’t seem to be acetic which I certainly am thankful for. After a bit, a toasted, slightly woody oak note starts to come out in the nose.
Sharply acidic tasting, though it doesn’t make me pucker, this is accentuated by a zippy, expressive, frothy carbonation that makes this foam up as it hits the mouth. Ample lactic acidity is boosted by some sharp urea notes (that contribute some characteristic Lambic notes of cat urine). This finishes very dry, the acidity is the main reason for this, but there is a dried hay / grassy grain character, a drying, slightly medicinal phenolic character, a palate lingering musky, animal / barnyard funkiness. There is a slight flavor of grapefruit, bright lemon notes and just a really big lactic sourness that is so enjoyable. The texture of this beer is nice and light, yet has some slickness from the ample lactic acidity and perhaps a touch of structure from the barrels. Speaking of barrels, there is a slight toastiness to the finish as well as some spiciness and a subtle woody note that is all contributed by the oak; the oak is quite subtle as it usually is in a Lambic, but definitely contributes to the flavor profile. The phenolic character in the finish adds some sharpness here, it is not really medicinal, sort of plastic like, but not, and I can’t really quite pinpoint what it is. As the beer warms up a fruitiness starts to come out, it contributes notes of apple that is a touch cider like, with perhaps a touch of pear as well.
So much better than the Lente, but this is entirely due to the lack of acetic acid; for some reason I find acetic very distracting in Lambics. This is quite nice, it is a bit different than a standard Gueuze, though I am not entirely sure how. To start with it is definitely quite a bit darker, perhaps a touch richer somehow, a touch more oak astringency to the finish perhaps. In the end though this is just a fantastic example of a Gueuze, it is exactly what I was hoping for out of the Lente, though that one certainly wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t quite as tasty as this one.
★ 2,912 characters
4.5/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
8/13/2011
Thanks to Matt for opening this.
A: Hazy dark orange with a big mousse-like head.
S: Buttery oak blends with horse blanket and cheese notes. Lemon is evident, as well as wet leather, earth, mushroom, and goaty characteristics with a faint cat piss note. The aroma is balanced and amazing.
T: Piquant up front with drying oak. A moderate lactic sourness blends with the same level of citric acidity. Musty and earthy with mushroom. The finish has a mouth puckering tartness and a finishing citric acidity.
M: Upper light body with high carbonation. Mouthfeel is dry and lightly tannic.
Overall: A delicious Gueuze. Well balanced and well crafted. A pleasure to drink.
★ 683 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
8/13/2011
Thanks to Matt for opening this.
A: Hazy dark orange with a big mousse-like head.
S: Buttery oak blends with horse blanket and cheese notes. Lemon is evident, as well as wet leather, earth, mushroom, and goaty characteristics with a faint cat piss note. The aroma is balanced and amazing.
T: Piquant up front with drying oak. A moderate lactic sourness blends with the same level of citric acidity. Musty and earthy with mushroom. The finish has a mouth puckering tartness and a finishing citric acidity.
M: Upper light body with high carbonation. Mouthfeel is dry and lightly tannic.
Overall: A delicious Gueuze. Well balanced and well crafted. A pleasure to drink.
★ 683 characters
4.96/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
The beer comes in a hazy straw color with a big foamy white head.
The aroma is wonderfully tart of lemons and then that familiar aggressive Drie F funkiness.
The flavor follows of bright tart lemons, green apple and then onto a wet hay and barnyard funk in the finish.
A wonderfully fruity beer with tons of uplifting light colors. Extremely refreshing and complex gueuze.
★ 376 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
The beer comes in a hazy straw color with a big foamy white head.
The aroma is wonderfully tart of lemons and then that familiar aggressive Drie F funkiness.
The flavor follows of bright tart lemons, green apple and then onto a wet hay and barnyard funk in the finish.
A wonderfully fruity beer with tons of uplifting light colors. Extremely refreshing and complex gueuze.
★ 376 characters
4.83/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a snifter. Major thanks and kudos to Kevan for generously sharing this with us!
(A)- Pours a cloudy golden orange hue that produced a subtle but pure white froth and lacing left behind.
(S)- Such a lovely dry but funky cheese with lemon peel and an earthy oaky quality that is just that excellent to breathe in. It gets more fruity as it warms revealing pineapple and maybe even a slight hint at orange.
(T)- Just an awesome showing of bright pineapple and lemon citrus. Subtle but complex funk and smooth yet oaky acidity with earthy complexion. Really dynamic in that my review probably fails to describe it fully.
(M)- Such a vibrant yet complex carbonation level and balance. Incredibly dynamic and exciting with a great play on acidic citrus meets a perfectly dry yet funky oak.
(O)- This is just further proof to me that Armand is the premier gueuze blender, if not the BEST in the world. Superbly complex yet balanced and a wonderful gueuze to enjoy. Another serious thank you to Kevan for sharing this!
★ 1,057 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a snifter. Major thanks and kudos to Kevan for generously sharing this with us!
(A)- Pours a cloudy golden orange hue that produced a subtle but pure white froth and lacing left behind.
(S)- Such a lovely dry but funky cheese with lemon peel and an earthy oaky quality that is just that excellent to breathe in. It gets more fruity as it warms revealing pineapple and maybe even a slight hint at orange.
(T)- Just an awesome showing of bright pineapple and lemon citrus. Subtle but complex funk and smooth yet oaky acidity with earthy complexion. Really dynamic in that my review probably fails to describe it fully.
(M)- Such a vibrant yet complex carbonation level and balance. Incredibly dynamic and exciting with a great play on acidic citrus meets a perfectly dry yet funky oak.
(O)- This is just further proof to me that Armand is the premier gueuze blender, if not the BEST in the world. Superbly complex yet balanced and a wonderful gueuze to enjoy. Another serious thank you to Kevan for sharing this!
★ 1,057 characters
4.33/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle at our Drie Fonteinen tasting last night
Orange, mildly hazy with a dense white head with excellent retention and gorgeous lacing, this looks perfect, as did the rest of the Armand' 4 lineup. The nose is a lot mustier, funkier, sharper and tarter than Lente. Earthier, deeper and fruitier, this is an excellent blend IMO.
The palate opens sharper and fruitier than Lente. Tart and sour with lemony and lactic acids lending a brightness, this beer is musty, a little more tannic and a little more heavy on the oak than the Lente. Some toasted bread is present, but less so than in Lente. Medium-light in body, highly carbonated, this is drying and sour on on the finish with a mild lactic acid bite. Excellent stuff.
★ 724 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle at our Drie Fonteinen tasting last night
Orange, mildly hazy with a dense white head with excellent retention and gorgeous lacing, this looks perfect, as did the rest of the Armand' 4 lineup. The nose is a lot mustier, funkier, sharper and tarter than Lente. Earthier, deeper and fruitier, this is an excellent blend IMO.
The palate opens sharper and fruitier than Lente. Tart and sour with lemony and lactic acids lending a brightness, this beer is musty, a little more tannic and a little more heavy on the oak than the Lente. Some toasted bread is present, but less so than in Lente. Medium-light in body, highly carbonated, this is drying and sour on on the finish with a mild lactic acid bite. Excellent stuff.
★ 724 characters
4.75/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
750ml bottle from the Armand'4 set, my contribution to the non-Lente Seasons tasting, poured into an unlabeled snifter today, 12/8/2013.
Review #325.
Pours a hazy, darker but still quite light straw-coloured body, with a very strong white fluffy effervescence that appears to be common to the Seasons, that retains quite well, perhaps the best looking blend of the 4.
Smells fantastic- its not quite as intense as Winter was, but it has a definite ground peppercorn nose along with a good bit of cheesiness (not as much as Golden Blend, though) along with some oak and tannic scents from the barrel. There is a really good bit of funky earthiness, perhaps related to the cheesiness that makes me want to pair this with a nice cheese and cracker plate. Great nose on this one, so complex and balanced.
Flavour is fantastic on this one too. Lots of earthy funk along with a fantastic bit of lemon zest that's perfectly balanced out by the oak and tannic flavours that have really been a common theme with these Seasons. Plenty of acidity to go with the funk as well; this is most certainly the most sour one of the non-Lente Seasons, and I definitely appreciate that. Complex, intense and balanced- you can't do much better than this.
Medium bodied, less substantial compared to Herfst, probably the same lighter side that Winter also brought to the table. Unlike Winter though, the carbonation was just perfect and it stayed that way for at least a solid hour as the tasting proceeded along. Tasted just as interesting a hour later as when the bottle is first opened; such a great dry, refreshing palate cleanser for the Dark Lords we drank afterwards.
Phenomenal. This is definitely the best of the non-Lente Seasons. If there is any indication at all from drinking the other 3 Seasons, Lente is going to blow my socks off. Zomer is a phenomenal geuze that really brings it in terms of nose and flavour profile- intense, balanced and very complex- and it is definitely the best Belgian geuze I've ever had pre-Lente. If you fancy yourself a geuze appreciator, there's no way you can live out your geuze-drinking life without drinking these Seasons- these may very well be the finest geuzes ever made.
Re-review: Drank this one alongside the other 3 Seasons in a 3F stemmed glass today, 3/30/2015. Essentially, this has caught up with Lente (if there was ever a distance) and I think this will end up being the winner in the long run. I would easily trade for Zomer over Lente at this point as the current values of these beers are fairly lopsided.
★ 2,554 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
750ml bottle from the Armand'4 set, my contribution to the non-Lente Seasons tasting, poured into an unlabeled snifter today, 12/8/2013.
Review #325.
Pours a hazy, darker but still quite light straw-coloured body, with a very strong white fluffy effervescence that appears to be common to the Seasons, that retains quite well, perhaps the best looking blend of the 4.
Smells fantastic- its not quite as intense as Winter was, but it has a definite ground peppercorn nose along with a good bit of cheesiness (not as much as Golden Blend, though) along with some oak and tannic scents from the barrel. There is a really good bit of funky earthiness, perhaps related to the cheesiness that makes me want to pair this with a nice cheese and cracker plate. Great nose on this one, so complex and balanced.
Flavour is fantastic on this one too. Lots of earthy funk along with a fantastic bit of lemon zest that's perfectly balanced out by the oak and tannic flavours that have really been a common theme with these Seasons. Plenty of acidity to go with the funk as well; this is most certainly the most sour one of the non-Lente Seasons, and I definitely appreciate that. Complex, intense and balanced- you can't do much better than this.
Medium bodied, less substantial compared to Herfst, probably the same lighter side that Winter also brought to the table. Unlike Winter though, the carbonation was just perfect and it stayed that way for at least a solid hour as the tasting proceeded along. Tasted just as interesting a hour later as when the bottle is first opened; such a great dry, refreshing palate cleanser for the Dark Lords we drank afterwards.
Phenomenal. This is definitely the best of the non-Lente Seasons. If there is any indication at all from drinking the other 3 Seasons, Lente is going to blow my socks off. Zomer is a phenomenal geuze that really brings it in terms of nose and flavour profile- intense, balanced and very complex- and it is definitely the best Belgian geuze I've ever had pre-Lente. If you fancy yourself a geuze appreciator, there's no way you can live out your geuze-drinking life without drinking these Seasons- these may very well be the finest geuzes ever made.
Re-review: Drank this one alongside the other 3 Seasons in a 3F stemmed glass today, 3/30/2015. Essentially, this has caught up with Lente (if there was ever a distance) and I think this will end up being the winner in the long run. I would easily trade for Zomer over Lente at this point as the current values of these beers are fairly lopsided.
★ 2,554 characters
Armand'4 Oude Geuze Zomer (Summer) from Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen
4.58
out of 5
based on 387 ratings.
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to wethorseblanket for sharing this one at mrbubbler's "end of the world" tasting.
Pours a murky orange with a foamy orange-beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with some grain and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with an acidic finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer and another great gueuze from Armand.
★ 495 characters