Boon Oude Geuze A L'ancienne Vat 108
Brouwerij Boon

A: Pours a beautifully hazed orange color. At first a dense two finger white head forms, and recedes quickly. Some patchy lace is left behind.
S: There is a nasal clearing and sharp citrus acidity in the nose. Lemon and grapefruit rind are the show and is amazing. A cheesy funk comes out in the finish, this is great.
T: So, the acidity is very much apparent as I suspected from the nose. Tart/sour and unsweetened grapefruit rind. Subtle oak and maybe light vanilla that cuts the acidity just enough. Along with that aged cheesy funk that all good Gueuze have. Though very much puckering and bone dry in the finish.
M/O: A light to medium body that is beautifully carbonated. Bone dry and puckering in the best way. Something that is great to sip on throughout a lazy afternoon. I can't get enough.

This is the first I opened from the Gueze Discovery Box, and I love this. A fantastic example of the style, and one I want to keep coming back to when I get the chance.

A: Medium amber in color with a small light brown head.

S: Very tart smell with a touch of funk, perhaps a touch of vinegar.

T: bright, and sour. A little pucker, and definitely acidic. Some woody notes, and a touch of earth.

M: Light bodied, with lovely carbonation, and a bit of an acidic bite int he finsh.

O: Overall this is a damn fine beer.

2016 blend, magnificent geuze. Good half an hour out of fridge, even more layered somewhat after warming further. Still some lacing and significant carbonation.

 

 

my perfect beer. with a color reminiscent of copper and in the flavour, acidic as one would expect from an oude geuze, the fruity aspects are very present: pear, strawberry and raspberry. strawberry is also the keynote of the splendid perfume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decanted pour yields a crystal clear straw gold body, topped by a good sized head with excellent retention for the style. Very nice loud pop while uncorking this nearly 5 year old bottle.

Nose is very impressive. From a distance, it yields strong tones of apples, apple cider, pear, white wine, and musty funk. Up close, the funk is far more pronounced, musty, dusty, and dirty, with a cheese-like note along with the oak and much less pronounced apple. Just a touch of honey and straw.

Moderately sharp character on the palate; somewhat sour, in between vinegar and citric acid character (but leaning closer to vinegar, perhaps rice or white wine vinegar). Mild citrus, with a lemon and orange peel finish. Lovely malt base, with notes of light honey, wheat, straw, cracker, multi-grain bread, and pepper.

Funk is unpredictable; at times, it comes across more sour up front, while on other sips, the funk is more pronounced (although it's consistently moderately sour). Finish is funky and oaky. When you get more of the funk, the result is a pungent punch to the flavor, accenting and strengthening everything; it makes the sour more potent, the malts more sweet, the booze slightly more pronounced (although still quite restrained).

Smooth and on the thicker side of medium bodied with a dry champagne-like finish. Gum-smacking puckering, although more from pungent earthy funk than from sourness.

This beer is a good reminder that while yeast-driven funk is often what drives a Gueuze's profile, there can be much more going on in a wild ale, including souring agents, even if they are not necessarily front and center. This Gueuze features a balance of the two, with the moderate sourness making for more of an immediate known presence, the stronger funk requiring a little more time to fully appreciate.

 

 

Having this side by side with 108bis.

Wow, how much better the 108 is. Both have a nice pop. 108 has more head retention. Both are clear darker golden color.

108 has a ton of nutty and sherry notes. Very complex. Wine notes for days. Some mineral notes. Wet oak and some dried fruits. Red apple skins. Touch of citrus. 108 is incredibly complex and very enjoyable. I keep grabbing for the 108 as it is that much better.

108bis is brighter and a bit more citrusy. Some mineral, a touch of oak. Seems to be a bit drier. Red apple skins/dried fruits. Just lacking the nutty sherry notes. Could be because of age, but the 108 comes out on top of the 108bis.