White Whale List - How are they tasting?

Of the ones I've had fairly recently (last year or two):
Cantillon Loerik: Mixed bag, one I had was decent but not particularly noteworthy, the other was simply outstanding.
Midnight Sun M: I greatly enjoyed it, didn't think it was past its prime, minimal oxidation.
Lost Abbey Yellow Bus: Eh, was decent, but glad I wasn't the one that tracked it down.
Drie Fonteinen 50th Anniversary: Drinking very well, complex and subtle, well worth it.
Cantillon Reed Gueuze Muscat: Quite nice, I think this will drink well for a while.
Cantillon Reed Gueuze Pinot Noir: Even better than the Muscat, just a trememndous vinous character.
De Dolle Speciaal Brouwsel 20: I enjoyed it a fair bit, nice depth of flavor, a bit of oxidation, but in an enjoyable way.
Flossmoor Station Wooden Hell: Mixed bag. A couple bottles were right up there among the best barleywines I've had, others jsut lacked complexity and refinement.
Cantillon Don Quijote: My favorite beer on the list... enough said.
Drie Fonteinen J&J Roze: I think Blauw blows this out of the water.
Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze 1999: Many find this to be the best vintage, I don't agree, but I'd have a hard time arguing it wasn't pretty damn close.

 

Jesus dude... I though I have slayed some whales recently

Millenuim Gueuze is about as good as you are gonna get.....
I actually prefer the J and J Rose over the J and J Blue but we are splitting hairs with that. Both are super good.

Dave is a not worth trying to track down in my opinion. I am glad I got to try it but it did not blow my mind. Tasted like an SA utopias to be honest and that is much easier to get.

 

I've only had a couple of those ones.

I wasn't impressed with Dirty Horse at all. It tasted to me like a poor man's supplication. And considering it hundreds of times harder to get, that's not very good.

T20 is unremarkable. I'd rather have Beat B5.

Blauw and Roze are different but both amazing, I don't think I have a solid preference between them. Roze tasted a lot like hay, which was weird, but I think it worked (if you're into that you'll love it).

 

Had De Dolle SNR2000 and SB'20 in January (as part of this tasting). Thoughts from the time:

Haven't had anything else on the list within the last year.

 

I had DH'83 about a year ago. I'd trade for it in a heartbeat, although I think I'd prefer a blend.

I agree with jedwards about the De Dolle stuff. I'd trade for them, but I've heard of a lot of variation and am a De Dolle homer. I think most people would pass.

3F'99 was pretty good a year ago; something I'd trade for.

 

Alright, Ryan, I'll bite:

1. Cantillon Soleil de Minuit: I'm a huge cloudberry fan, but this was perhaps the best fruit lambic I've ever had. Can't believe how good this tastes for the age

1. Cantillon Loerik: big bottle variation between the two bottles I had. one in 2011 was unremarkable, but the one we opened this past weekend was pretty phenomenal. 30x better than a classic gueuze, I don't know.

1. Midnight Sun M: Not sure I've had a better barrel aged barleywine or stout. This was unreal and I am even more impressed by the age

1. De Dolle Stille Nacht Reserva 2000: I thought '05 and '08 were far better than the '00. Still very good, but not sure it's worth the effort.

1. De Struise Dirty Horse (100% 1983, 90%/10%, 100% 2005): had the 90/10 blend and it was fantastic!

1. Cantillon Pikkulinnun Viskilambic: you want a unique lambic, this is it! (besides feestbier). Strange combination of flavors that may or may not be for everyone. The bottle we had Saturday was actually drinking better than the one I had last year, so whether that's bottle variation or it just coming into its own, I don't know.

1. Sam Adams Millenium: For what it is, it's stellar. This is one that I wish I had a bottle myself

1. Flossmoor Station Wooden Hell: nowhere near as good as it was two year ago. still delicious, but definitely not M, and maybe not even as good as KH

1. Cantillon Don Quijote: If it weren't for soleil, this would be the best fruit lambic I've ever had, and honestly, I could see an argument for either. Only a single taste to compare, but it is fantastic right now

1. Russian River Toronado 20th: Very good, but I can think of a lot of beers I'd take over this (including perhaps beatification). Just not a beer for me.

Not sure how helpful that is, but it's honest, and hopefully helps some people out there.

 

I had Toronado 20 from a keg at the pub's anniversary party last year -- first time I've had it since it was fresh. It was still good, but it had lost so much complexity. T20 at its release remains my favorite beer of all time. Even a very well-preserved keg (several friends who had had bottles recently remarked on how much better it was on draft) just didn't measure up. I still put a picture of it in my avatar (it's on the left).

 

50/50 blend blew T20 out of the water. I keep telling Vinnie to bring it back.

 

I've not had all on the list but I have had several and I've had some recently and some several times. Of course, all are great for "bragging rights," and, let's face it, we all like bragging rights! However, some are far better than others and worth seeking out and worth a high trade. Others would be fun to taste but really are not "worth" trading for or paying for unless you simply just want to say that you've tried them.

Drie Fonteinen Framboos 1999 - still very drinkable and, despite its age, it still has charm and character. I tried it about a year ago and only one time but very much enjoyed it. One of the few I've tasted that old the retained lots of charm.

Cantillon Soleil de Minuit - enjoyable and drinkable; worth seeking out and shows lots of character and complexities.

Cantillon Loerik - another good older Cantillon that is perhaps a bit less charming and complex than some and showing some age, at least in the bottle I tried. Definitely worth the effort to get and try.

Lost Abbey Veritas 005 - I've tried this twice, once about 18 months ago and once about 2 months ago. This is simply one of Lost Abbey's winners. It is complex and full of character with layers of flavor. A Veritas actually worth at least some of the hype; worth seeking out but one of the few bottles that just doesn't show itself.

Lost Abbey Yellow Bus - lots of variation in this one, even in bottles from the same case. Had one two years ago that was boring and pretty much without character in my opinion, although many liked it; had another bottle from the same case two months ago and it actually had some peach fruit character and flavor left! Worth trying for lots of reasons but beware of great bottle variation in this one. I've discussed this one with Tomme about two years ago and he said then that it was over the hill and not worthy of consumption. Well, he was right on one bottle I tried and wrong on the other.
De Struise Dirty Horse (100% 1983) - this was an honor to try and many with whom I tasted it liked it. However, I found it completely over the hill; completely undrinkable and absolutely awful. I tasted my pour once immediatley out of the bottle and actually spit out the first taste it was so bad. I tried it over the course of a half hour and never really changed my mind. I actually gave away the lion's share of my pour. I would not trade anything for this one, nor would I pay anthing for it, unless I was simply a bottle collector and wanted the empty bottle.

Drie Fonteinen 50th Anniversary - drinking nicely and pretty readily available. Lots of charm and complexities and a nice drink.

Cantillon Pikkulinnun Viskilambic - this is probably my favorite Cantillon! I loved this one. It has some strange and unique floral, vegetal and fruit tones. Lots of layers of complexities and flavors. I loved it and would love to find another bottle.

Sam Adams Millenium - worth trying if one gets the chance. In summary, drinks more like a sherry than a beer, with lots of sherry tones and character. Likely can't drink too much but you're likely only going to get a small taste, in any event.
Flossmoor Station Wooden Hell - another one with great bottle variation. I've had some that are thick, rich, bold and full of carmel and sweet wonderful flavor layers. I've had others that were bitter and "sour sweet" with no character and which were most unappealing. So, worth the effort and hope for a good bottle.

Cantillon LH12 - a nice effort and worth trying. A bit basic for Cantillon but clearly well made and with layers and the basic Cantillon complexities.

Stone Vertical Epic 020202 - this is not the beer it was intended to be. However, 11 years later it has morphed into an interesting and somewhat thick and sweet complex drink. Hints of bitter with over tones of sweet and honey, much like a very old wine that at some points loses its "wine character" and gets sweet and dessert like. Worth the effort and worth tasting but the age has changed this one completely.

Drie Fonteinen J&J Roze - nice, pleasant and worth tasting.
Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze 1999 - Takes the age well and retains character and charm. Drinking very nicely and worth getting.

Russian River Toronado 20th - Tasted several times in bottle and tap and always enjoyable. Starting to show its age with some vegetal tones but still wel worth getting and trying. This is one of our American efforts that really competes well with the best of the Belgians in my opinion.

Cantillon Brabantiae - this is likely my second favorite Cantillon. This one is just drinking great and tastes wonderful in my opinion despite it's age. I've never seen a bottle with a decent label and one opens it to expect something very old and over the hill. Note the case and one cannot judge a book by its cover. I'd drink this one any time - it just plain tastes good.

Cantillon Zwanze 2008 - I've always liked this one although I've found it a bit more "green" or vegetal than most other Cantillons. Still, there are lots of flavors and layers and it's worth getting and tasting.

Damn! Sounds like you may have yourself a hell of a tasting if these are the kinds of bottles you're trying to put together! Enjoy!

 

I've lucked into trying a few of these fairly recently:

1. Drie Fonteinen Framboos 1999: Fucking incredible in every way, the best fruit Lambic I've ever had.

1. De Struise Dirty Horse (100% 1983): Major disappointment - not bad, but a very pedestrian Kriek. The cherries were surprisingly prominent for such an old beer, but overall it was just kind of bland and muddled.

1. De Dolle Speciaal Brouwsel 20: Way over the hill - musty, oxidized, tasted like a slightly tart basement. I still enjoyed it, but would never dream of trying to trade for another bottle.

1. 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze 1999: I had a 375ml bottle of this with the old-style paper label, and it was possibly
the most amazing Geuze I've ever tasted. If I had the ammo, I'd trade for more in a heartbeat.

Cheers!

 

Here goes (all within the past 12-16 months):

1. Drie Fonteinen Framboos 1999: really incredible. Lots of earthy, jammy notes from the raspberry along with some must and underlying funk.

1. Cantillon Loerik: probably the best beer I've ever had. This is holding up extremely well. Lots of bright, citrusy notes with a smooth lactic sourness through the finish. More funky than many Cantillon offerings.

1. Midnight Sun M: I thought this was disappointing. Too many dark fruit notes and most of the barrel character had faded. A bit one dimensional, though the mouthfeel was exquisite. Others have had better experiences recently.

1. Lost Abbey Veritas 005: One of the best, if not the best, Lost Abbey beer that I've had. Rivaled only by Veritas 006 for me. The grape is nice and the acidity isn't overpowering like so many LA wilds.

1. Lost Abbey Yellow Bus. I was disappointed. There isn't too much peach at this point, and I thought it was lacking compared to Isabelle and V004. It was fairly non-descript.

1. De Struise Dirty Horse (100% 1983, 90%/10%, 100% 2005). 100% 1983 was really smooth with mild acidity, backing cherry notes, and restrained funk. It was like a really, really mellow Flanders Red. Like with M, it was probably far past its prime, but the mouthfeel was really smooth and a bit creamy; almost sherry like.

1. Drie Fonteinen 50th Anniversary. Really fantastic blend, though not THAT much better than something like the 02/03 Oude Geuze Vintage. Signature 3F funk and light-moderate acidity. Very smooth.

1. Cantillon Pikkulinnun Viskilambic. I didn't really like this one all that much. Others in our group enjoyed it more, but I thought the whiskey was a bit overdone and it was slightly tannic, and the underlying beer didn't seem to be particularly refined.

1. Sam Adams Millenium: Incredibly smooth and rich with notes of vanilla, molasses, maple, etc. If that's up your alley, this is very much worth seeking out.

1. Flossmoor Station Wooden Hell. I thought this was mind blowing and blew M out of the water. Super rich and smooth bourbon along with an underlying caramel sweetness. Nothing overpowering and all very well balanced.

1. Cantillon Don Quijote: Wonderful beer when you get the right bottle, but I've had it 3 times now, and one of those times it was a bit flat in flavor. The "on" bottles were like Lamvinus on steroids. The grape character is nice and well-rounded, and the base beer seems like it was made for the fruit.

1. Drie Fonteinen J&J Roze. Pales in comparison to Blauw, 02/03 Vintage, and other old 3F. I don't think there's much that's all that special about this one.

1. Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze 1999. Wonderful blend. Like a much, much better version of most 3F stuff. Really integrated with age, though I would assume it was a bit better with a touch more bite a few years ago.

1. Russian River Toronado 20th. I really liked this, but I'm a sucker for dark sours. Nice acidity and dark fruits. One of Russian River's better beers.

1. Cantillon Brabantiae. Bottle variation on this one as well. The one we had was extremely smooth and a bit bready. Acidity was fairly light. Well past its prime.

1. Cantillon Zwanze 2008. The rhubarb is almost completely gone from this one, but there is extra lasting acidity. Smoother than a lot of other Cantillon stuff, IMO.

 

1. Drie Fonteinen Framboos 1999 - awesome, raspberries gone in the nose but still present (sampled about a month ago)

1. Cantillon Loerik - FUCKING INCREDIBLE...best beer I've ever had (sampled in April of 2012)

1. Midnight Sun M - underwhelmed, it was a fine barleywine but the bottle I had was on its way down, notes of oxidation although still good (sampled about a month ago)

1. Lost Abbey Veritas 005 - the real deal (sampled in April)

1. Lost Abbey Yellow Bus - acetic but the fruit was still there, decent not mind blowing

1. De Struise Dirty Horse (100% 1983, 90%/10%, 100% 2005) - pretty big disappointment in the 100% 1983, the mouthfeel was great but otherwise it is just a weak sour (sampled in April 2012)

1. Drie Fonteinen 50th Anniversary - real deal, for real (sampled in April 2012)

1. Cantillon Pikkulinnun Viskilambic - for as hard as this is to get just skip it (sampled in April 2012)

1. Sam Adams Millenium - one of the greatest beers ever made (sampled in April)

1. Flossmoor Station Wooden Hell - blows M out of the water, no comparision (sampled about a year ago)

1. Cantillon Don Quijote - had it twice, loved it both times, like Cantillons take on white grape juice (sampled twice about 12 and 18 months ago)

1. Drie Fonteinen J&J Roze - faded, not as good as Blauw but a good beer, more sulfury and rubbery than the others. (first sampled three years ago, again in April of 2012)

1. Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze 1999 - for real for real

1. Russian River Toronado 20th - meh...not as good as it probably once was.

1. Cantillon Brabantiae - like drinking a moldy basement

1. Cantillon Zwanze 2008 - this beer had an interesting bite to it but the rhubarb was gone

 

I need to try this list, that is the ones I can find.

 

Oh look... A list of beers I will probably never get to try.

 

I hang out with the wrong people...

 

Zwanze 2008 didn't have that much all that much rhubarb even when it was fresh .. maybe a mildly pulpy vegetal note in addition to an exceptionally funky Classic Gueuze, if that..

 

Don't beat yourself up over it.. Epic beer happens - it'll happen again with all the awareness and appreciation that exists for these creations.