Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze

As long as you'd like.
Will only improve with age...

 

i just had one that was the 2001 vintage sticker (bottled in 2003).

i find fresh LP gueuze to be rather dull, one dimensional, and overpriced. that changed when i had an 11 year old bottle. i was stunned and how well it aged. it had this old powerful strong sour lemon with bright dry oak. it was deeper and more complex.

basically, age this.

 

Buddy popped a 2000 Lou Pepe a few months back and everyone in attendance said it was amazing.

I couldn't make it that week

 

Having had 2010 sticker twice and being fairly unimpressed with it (I'd rather spend the coin on multiple 3F Oude Geuzes), if I ever get another bottle, I will age the hell out of it.

 

This one is really meant for aging, preferably at least 5 years, at which point (and beyond) it just becomes more and more amazing. Younger than 3-4 years and you're better off just drinking Classic Gueuze.

 

Question to those saying age for 5-10 years, or more: did you have those same vintages fresh as well as aged?

 

I'm normally against aging fruited lambics, but my fresh 2011 LP framboise was such a major letdown that the others will be in storage for a minimum of 3 years before another is opened. As a fresh beer Rose de Gambrinus is miles ahead. So I'd say let it sit.

 

no but i have had multiple vintages of lou pepe gueuze and all were pretty tame. its well known gueuze ages well so i would have a hard time believing it would not age well and its one challenge i am willing to wait and try

 

For those of you aging LP Gueze or any Cantillon/Guezes do you lay the bottles on their side or stand them upright. I just brought 4 bottles back to the states and want to drink one fresh and then age the rest for who knows maybe 5/10/15 years for each remaining bottle.

 

i lay on the side, keeps the cork moist and allows the yeast to spread out

 

When you are saying the age of the LP Gueze are you taking that from the Vintage year or when bottled? My 2010 vintage was bottled in 2013 for example.

 

agree @ age it. it's sort of like iris; elements of what the beer is supposed to be seem to say "why would you age THIS one???" but the answer is: "because it's cantillon, and when you let those bugs hang out for several years, they reward you."

 

Take a look at how they´re stored in the brewery. (Hint: not vertically)

 

So iris ages particularly well? I know it's dry hoped so I figured it'd be one to drink fresh. Just got 2 and plan to drink one fresh and age the other but wondering what to expect. Thanks

 

it's not like it ages particularly well relative to other cantillon, but relative to most other beer. the funk and weird mineraly-ness of cantillon always seems to develop with time, and it always gets more sour after 5 years.

honestly, the only time i've ever been disappointed by cantillon was drinking rose de gambrinus too young. ...which itself isn't saying much, because a few years later i had some more fresh rose de gambrinus and loved it.

anyway, yes, i would suggest aging iris, weirdly enough. great both ways, and will definitely taste different.

 

From the bottling date, although they're sometimes off by a year on the corks due to old inventory.