New to Lambics. Suggestions?

Lindemans fruited beers in the US are all back sweetened. If you want something true to the style grab Cuvee Rene. If you have other options available your choices grow.

 

Lindemans rene cuvee is a pretty good gueze, and as far I've seen, one of the cheaper ones. I think it sells in 375ml bottles too, that way you don't have to invest in the full bomber

 

Stay away from Lindemans fruited as they are artificially sweetned. I second Cuvee Rene.

 

In the simplest terms possible, yes. Its much more than that but you have the basic gist.

 

Several of the reviews of the Cuvee Rene are quite informative about what flavors, etc. to expect. (Sort them by top reviewers as they are most likely to have experienced others before reviewing the Cuvee Rene.

Also it does come in two bottle sizes, the 750ml and 375ml. Both with cork and cage and so its a good idea to learn a bit about how to open a bottle of Champagne. Most Gueuze isn't as carbonated as most Champage, but you don't want to risk losing an eye from a flying cork.

 

Typically three years of unfruited lambic blended.

 

Lambic, Gueuze, old Gueuze, Kriek, old Kriek and Faro are all protected labels in the EU. If the label says Lambic, it should come from Brussels, the Senne valley, or region just west of Brussels. Old Gueuze (French: vieille gueuze; Dutch: oude gueuze) and old Kriek (French: vieille kriek; Dutch: oude kriek) refer not to the appellation, but to the composition and traditional method of production, as do Gueuze, Kriek and Faro. That being said, I don't know of any certified old Gueuze or Kriek that does not come from Belgium.

The ''old' certification means the product is 100% spontaneously fermented beer brewed according to traditional methods with no additives besides fresh fruit in the case of Kriek, or sugar (for flavouring purposes; Gueuze might get sugar during bottle conditioning) in the case of Faro. Gueuze or Kriek that is not ''old'' only has to contain some amount of ''old'' Gueuze/Kriek, but can be blended with beers that are not.

There are many Gueuzes and Krieks from Belgium that are not certified old Gueuze/Kriek. I would keep away from these for a start, as they may give you the wrong idea about the traditional style. I think the best place to start is to look for proper old Gueuzes, Krieks, and real Lambics. Keep in mind that a lot of fruit beers in Belgium (Lindemans, in my humble opinion, being a prime example) are brewed for the wider, non-sour-loving public, and are more similar to Bacardi breezers than a proper Belgian sour.

Another rule of thumb is to - at least at first - avoid fruits other than cherries (Kriek) and raspberries (Framboise/Framboos), these being the most traditional recipes. Notable exceptions are Cantillon Fou' Foune (apricot) and Cantillon Blåbær (blueberry). Most other apple/lychee/passion fruit/etc. Belgian sours are a disaster.

Look for (all styles): Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, Tilquin, Girardin

Avoid: Timmermans, Belle Vue, Liefmans, Mort Subite (except their proper ''old'' beers), Lindemans (except their proper ''old'' beers).

 

Boon make's an affordable and nice Gueuze ,Tilquin or Giradin are more pricey but very good

 

That's true, forgot about Boon. They make proper oude gueuze.

 

Among other threads, try these:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/can-someone-explain-lambic-beers-to-me.287066/

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/appreciating-lambics.207637/

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/learning-about-lambics.195385/.

 

have they changed format recently? lindemans has always been crown cap and wine cork for me...

 

Its the same. I assume he misspoke.

 

from all the info that i've come across, gueuze should "officially" only ever get its refermentable sugars from young lambic. according to this definition, cantillon's lou pepe "gueuze" is actually not "traditional," as it contains lambics from only one year, and indeed uses sugar for the secondary bottle fermentation. this is one reason why cantillon has chosen not to be a member of HORAL.

 

Yes, good catch. My error.

 

I'm not expert on the styles but will comment based on my own experiences with Boon and hopefully address your question about age.

Boon offers solid Gueuze options that are more readily available than others listed above such as Tilquin, Cantillon and 3 Fonteinen based on my experience. They'll offer a solid representation of the style and a better price point. I found them to be a great introduction to the style which I learned can only get better after trying some of the others.

You'll find that the vintages on these may be be older. For example, 2012 - 2013 indicating the beer was brewed in 2012 and bottled in 2013. This is normal and assuming they've been handled properly is a good thing as these beers can hold up for extended periods of time. Boom often has "best by" dates on their bottles that are 20 years out.

Also not mentioned above is St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition by Van Honsebrouck, which is a good entry and lower price point into the style as well.

Cheers and hopefully you find some ones in this style you enjoy!

 

i'm half joking, half serious here, and i know others have made the same joke/advice countless times before, but here it is again: do your (and your family's?) personal financial security a favor and never start getting into lambic...

 

Find a bottle share event and hit that up. Lots of people (too many people?) are bringing sours.

 

I just love having a St. Louis Kriek on Sunday mornings with breakfast along with eggs and all. Just a lot better than juice.
This past Sunday was scrambled eggs with red peppers and smoked chorrizo.