Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vandervelden 135 Years
Brouwerij Oud Beersel

Amber colored beer. Poured a nice head that subsided to thin veil. Medium traditional nose. Incredibly balanced beer and highly drinkable.

 

Cellared 4 years. Burnt orange body with a white cap. Wet hay, barnyard and cellar funk, rustic oak, lemon, pear, white pepper, white wine and flowers in the wonderfully vibrant nose. Taste starts with orange and lemon before opening up to wet rustic oak, hay, a hint of olive, big various funks, and light diacetyl, has a funky champagne like flavor in the aftertaste actually. Funky more than sour, but certainly both in the feel with an oak backbone, finishes dry and elevated with vinous tones as it warms. Wonderful gueuze, age has only matured the balance

 

I was able to import a bottle direct from Belgium at a very reasonable price, so I don't know how "retired" this one actually is.

Pour is fairy standard fora gueuze: dark orange, hazy, with a wee bitty wisp of a white head.

Aroma is Sweet Tarts, acidic and manageably sour with some pronounced and inviting fruitiness.

Flavor is divine. I don't know if this has aged well or whatever, but much less intensely sour than what most reviewers have described in the past. (The cork is stamped 70481 but I don't know if that's a date or a batch number or something else). Aforementioned sour candy starts things off, moving into a smooth and sweet middle and beautifully clean and dry finish.

 

Mild malt vinegar smell. Smooth mouthfeel, very smooth. A bit funky, was expecting more from this famous blend in terms of funk. A geuze to be tried for sure.

 

Colour is on the bridge between gold and copper, opaque; just barely forms a fine white head before it drifts away to a film.
Aroma is sharply acidic and tart, some notes of apple and pear.
Bracing acidity and tart flavour, not fruity, like a lemon pit. A musty, moldy, oak-y note kicks in towards the finish, which sounds unpleasant but is interesting. Lemon zest. Finishes tart, like the skin of a granny smith apple, very dry. The yeasty funk is distinct and intriguing to the palate in both taste and feel. Medium body and a fine effervescence.

Not for everyone, but if you enjoy the style this is definitely one to try. I found myself analyzing each sip, it's a curious delight.

 

375ml bottled dated Feb 2017 at home with Lisa, May 2020

A 375ml corked and caged bottle with a best before date of 14th February 2037. Poured into a Cantillon gueuze glass.

Appearance: A mostly clear golden colour with a thin white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.

Aroma: Funky, barnyard, musty, green apple, straw, oak, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Taste: Lightly sour, funky, earthy, straw, hay, oak, green apple, lemon, with hints of sweetness, pineapple, grape, and vinous notes.

Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Very enjoyable. One of my favourites from Oud Beersel with good aromas and flavours, matched with a good balance between sour and sweet.

330 mL Bottle. ABV 6.5%.
Appearance: Orange gold, Under half a finger of fizzy off white head, Lots of yeast in suspension, Under medium carbonation, Collar remains.
Aroma: Brett, Musty, Citrus zest, Wet wood, Pale stone fruit (peach, apricot), White grape, Apple.
Mouthfeel: Just under medium body, Medium carbonation, Crisp, Tart, Dry Finish.
Flavour: Brett, Citrus zest, Pale stone fruit (peach, apricot), White grape, Well integrated.
Overall: Wow, this is a phenomenal Gueuze. Classic example of the style and very well balanced with great complexity. That mouthfeel and taste blew me away. Outstanding!

Review: 135

 

 

Pours a clouded amber color with a smaller, soon receeding head.

Smells of a heavy funkiness, featuring wet basement, pineapples and cream cheese among dried grass.

Has a light, refreshing mouthfeel, due to the beer‘s high, mineralic effervescence and lighter body.

Tastes of old white grapes, an aqueous note and flour among old oak. Brings more lime and a lighter funkiness to the palate then, with a little leather and basement among cream cheese. Finishes mineralic, with brighter funk and ripe white grapes among dried grass.

While this finishes surprisingly clean, the funk is heavy on the nose with a unique flavor profile to it, due to the barrel, which works great in here.

 

 

375 ml bottle into tulip glass, best before 2/14/2037. Pours slightly hazy pale golden yellow color with a 2-3 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, citrus peel/zest, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wet wood, leather, musty/lacto funk, wheat, cracker, white bread, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, wine foeders, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, citrus peel/zest, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wet wood, leather, musty/lacto funk, wheat, cracker, white bread, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate lactic tart/sourness, Brett/wine tang, and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/sour lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, citrus peel/zest, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wet wood, leather, musty/lacto funk, wheat, cracker, white bread, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, wine foeders, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tart/tangy/sourness and yeast/wine/oak spiciness balance; with no puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Moderately crisp/clean finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/tang/sourness, yeast/wine/oak spiciness, and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy, and acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 6.5%. Overall this is an outstanding Gueuze. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, wine foeders, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and refreshing to drink with the modestly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish, not overly lactic. Amazingly well rounded classic barnyard Brett/Bacteria complexity; with great wine foeder presence, and pale/wheat malts against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazingly spot on style example as expected.