Girardin Blended Oude Lambik
Brouwerij Girardin

 

This is what Shelter advertised as having so this is what I'm reviewing. Pours an orangish, amberish, golden. Some funk on the nose. Tart, funky, green apple, and red pepper - all the flavors you’d expect from a lambic - but a little low on the carb so less spritzy than say a champagnized gueuze. Overall, this was fine, but a little more carb would've been ideal for me.

2019 draft at Beer Temple. Tasted side-by-side with Girardin 1882 Black Label Oude Gueuze.

Not as exceptional as the Girardin 2 year Oude Lambiek (unblended) typically served from bag-in-box at Belgian cafés. Tangy citrus, apple cider, vague leather and oak. A bit of oxidation unfortunately, mildly tart but not very lively. A few large bubbles from dispensing but otherwise still. Wasn't aware this warranted a new listing, but Girardin is not typically kegged either.

Lambic- Traditional #52

On tap at The Upper Lip.

A clear copper with a thin white head, nonhead or retention. The nose is cidery, mildly powdery, a touch of deep sweetness that's not unlike a kettle caramelized note, a touch of sulfur. So different from the 1882, it's astounding. A soft funk of wet wood, rotting leaves, wet mushrooms, a touch of wet diaper. The palate opens mildly tart, surprisingly so, with a blend of unfiltered apple cider, delicately fruity and spicy, with a mild nutty note, a little walnut like. Bitter, wet wood tannins, light floral notes. Sourness is surprisingly low, with a little lemon and a touch of cider vinegar. Sweet, cidery flavors on the finish. Smooth, slick on the palate, non-existent carbonation. Orange peel bitterness. Wet wood and wet diaper flavors linger in in the finish. While there's a lot going on, the whole is less than the sum of the parts here.

 

Snallygaster 2019 (DC).