Oude Gueuze Tilquin à L'Ancienne - Cuvée Paul
Gueuzerie Tilquin

 

 

My 14,000th different beer! Cellared 3 years. Crystal clear golden amber body with a pinking finger of eggshell white foam. Sour green apple, lemon, pear, grapefruit, and white grape with rustic oak barrels, cheesecloth and barrel funks, flowers, and wild yeast contrasting, beautiful. Taste is more compact in a shorter lived sip on the palate to start, led by barnyard funk joining the cheesecloth and barrel varieties with hay added meeting the sour and somewhat acidic lemon, apple and grapefruit with a whisper of dried plum head on, then after the clash a fading yeast and soured funk dissipate, short and sweet. But then, what's this? Another wave way after the supposed finish?!? More barnyard funk, hay, and potent lemon juice with a floral tone supporting. Feel is a touch acidic even with the aging, the sour and funky tones are still far stronger though, otherwise light and dries quickly. A great gueuze indeed!

Copenhagen 19/10 2024. 75 cl bottle with a cork stopper from Beershoppen web-shop. 2021/2022 edition. Light turquoise label in Tilquin's usual design with some elegant drawings of vegetation.

Pours unclear golden orange with a mid-sized white head. A bit bubbly. Settles as a thin rim of foam running along the side of the glass. No lacing.

Aroma is fairly intense with a sweet fruity odor eith woody notes soon overpowered by a tart, sharp scent. Lightly funky. Sweet peach. Tart gooseberries, citrus and vinegar. Sour cheese.

Light carbonation. Thin, oily, soft, almost flat texture.

Flavor is intense with a light sweetness followed by strong tart sourness. Aftertaste is tart and a bit sharp. A bit searing. Lingers for a bit. Finish is dry.

Dry and tart with a nice touch of wood.

 

750 ml corked & caged bottle, vintage 2021-2022, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 7.0%. Deep golden to orange colour, moderate white head. Lovely aroma of farmhouse / brettanomyces, rustic kitchen, oxidised apples, oak, hints of apple cider vinegar. Sour flavour of brettanomyces, salted lemons and oak.

2021/2022, best before 2032/03/02
Pours a fizzy bubble 1/4 finger head with fair retention, a little lacing, mostly clear orange slight copper color

Nose loads of gorgeous funk, souring bacteria tartness and acidity, barnyard funk with that, cheesy funk, general tart fruity character but no specific fruit, a hint of menthol-like cough syrup but in a good way, a faint hint of buttery oak, a bit of bramble-berry tannin

Taste is fairly tart, not overly sour but just the right balance and blend, lots of funk again, acetic acid sourness from the bacteria, a bit of creamy lactic acid as well, plenty of barnyard funk, cheesy funk, more generic fruity characters with tart fruit, some plum and bramble berry as well, and a little tannin, faint bready character mostly on the finish, a bit of a buttery oak in the background as well, getting more tart as it goes, finish isn't too flemmy either

Mouth is med bod on point, high frothy foamy carb, lots of acidic tartness, not too flemmy somehow

Overall this is awesome, such a good gueuze with some great blending of lambics, does everything well and yet somehow not too flemmy on the finish

2021/2022 bottle poured into a SP 10yr wine glass. foggy but lighter orange with two fingers of foam head. musty oak, tart lemons, very light white wine all on the nose. taste follows but everything is more amplified and it’s so smooth and fantastic. not overly sour or funky. full mouthfeel. this was really excellent. very balanced.

 

 

 

 

 

A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2021-2022, and a best before date of 2nd March 2032. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.

Appearance: A hazy dark golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.

Aroma: Fruity, apricot, gooseberry, green apple, dried lemon peel, funky, hay, wood.

Taste: Sour, tart, apricot, green apple, lime, lemon peel, tangy, funky, dry hay, wood.

Mouthfeel: Spritzy, light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Drinks extremely easy and is very enjoyable with great aromas and flavours. My favourite of the initial three Tilquin Family Tree Project beers.