Blind Gueuze Tasting

For the third time (and by coincidence, about three years apart from the last tasting which was about three years apart from the first), some friends and I organized a blind gueuze tasting.

I don’t know of any surviving notes or scores from that first tasting, but I’ll post a recap of the second tasting after this, as a point of comparison.

Big thanks to @Goldstar81 for helping organize and selecting the order and flights, and generally pushing to make this happen. Thanks to @clayfu for doing all (I think all) of the pouring. And thanks to everyone who attended and contributed beer.

Beers were served in flights of three in the following order:

Cantillon Gueuze 2013
Hanssons Gueuze 2015
Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze 2012

Drie Fonteinen Golden Blend 2014
De Garde Broken Truck
Green Hill Brewery Sour Blend 2007

Lindemans Cuvee Renee 2012
Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze 2011
Drie Fonteinen Armand’4 Lente

Cantillon Gueuze 2015
Oud Beersel 2012
Tilquin Gueuze 2012

Timmermans Gueuze 2010
Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze
Boon Mariage Parfait 2003

De Troch Cuvee Chapeau ???? (before the recent label change, ordered n/v from Belgium in a Box winter 2014/2015)
Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage 2006
Oud Beersel 2003

(after the reveal this got passed around in a brown bag)
HORALS Megablend 2009

Before I post results, any predictions / questions?

 

Not as much as in the past, and this could definitely have an influence on the ratings, although the beers generally got more distinctive as the tasting went along, which helped.

There was plentiful water for rinsing (both glasses and palates), fresh IPAs from Alpine and Beachwood were made available, and we did this tasting at a local brewery where there were pilsners, stouts and other IPAs that people took advantage of. People also ate throughout the tasting (but not all the same things and not all at the same times).

In general compared to the tasting I did a few years ago, the difference in quality (in both senses of the word) of the beers and the water/refresher beers/food broke things up, but this is a long way from scientific.

 

And noticeably so, during the tasting. But 2/3 were still quite good...

 

While you missed at least one (De Troch) and there's a few that shuffle around this isn't a bad summary of what's to come.

 

The Results:

There were 11(?) of us at the tasting. I collected 9 score sheets, one of which had no scores (only tasting notes), one of which scored in BA fashion and was excluded because I’m lazy, the remaining seven score sheets were all using a ranking of 0-100.

Ok, at the time of tasting a quick straw-poll was done and the top three beers were:
1st Place (tie): Golden Blend / Lente
3rd Place: DF Vintage 2006

A deeper dive into the collected scores revealed, however, a different order:
1st place: Golden Blend
2nd place: DF Vintage 2006
3rd place: Lente

While not everyone placed DF Vintage in their top three, it scored higher in aggregate from those who loved it than the Lente did.

AWARDS

Most Divisive: Lou Pepe Gueuze
Got top marks (literally the highest or tied-for-highest score) from several voters, but mediocre scores from many. For some (like myself), this was the dividing line between the beers that were “good” in some capacity, and those that were mostly bad (I thought it was pretty bad). A few people really liked it. To a lesser extent, the same is true of the De Garde Broken Truck, although there the highs were lower and the lows higher. They represent the “mixed feelings”

Most Surprising: De Troch
Unknown by many at the tasting, and by reputation a poor one among those that did, this beer was the 7th best overall by rating, ranked as high as first by some, and overall scores were comparable to Cantillon and Tilquin. The first time many of us (myself included) have had the gueuze, it was delicious and distinctive in character.

Most Boring Recurrent Stories (three way tie): Drie Fonteinen makes the best gueuzes, Cantillon is good but overrated (and Tilquin is better), and Duck Duck Gooze is not good.

Drie Fonteinen once again dominated the tasting, and the fact that three of their special releases “won” the tasting doesn’t quite do justice to how much better these beers clearly were than the competition. It’s better reflect in the averaged scores, and although it wasn’t quite unanimous, they ranked as virtually everyone’s favorite in some order. It is worth noting that as the tasting conversation developed, there was a lot of talk about how good these three beers were, and some conversation about how clearly DF they were. This CERTAINLY could have influenced and colored people’s judgment.

Once again people liked Cantillon, but not the best, and most people preferred Tilquin. There’s not much to say here other than it’s a shame Tilquin is rapidly becoming as hard to land as Cantillon so you can’t do much with this information.

Duck Duck Gooze was, to me, clearly drain pour. The only beer that approached it was a noxious batch of Timmermans Gueuze. This beer is bad, and it brings me no joy to say it.

Most Pleasant Personal Surprise:
It ended up in the back half of ratings for most, but I once again found Oud Beersel to be one of my favorites (it ranked fifth for me in the tasting).

Sad Omissions:
Girardin Black Label. Boon Oude Gueuze. Younger Mariage Parfait. Mort Subite.

Girardin has never shown well in blind tastings next to other gueuzes, but I continue to maintain that I love it so am sad it didn’t get a chance to show. The younger Boon gueuzes to me always stand out like a sore thumb with their softness and big aromas, but they’re delicious and underhyped. And Mort Subite I’ve never loved but would love to re-evaluate in a blind tasting. I’m not sad St. Louis wasn’t included.

Other comments:
Hanssens, while being eminently identifiable with its distinctive acetic notes, seemed like one of the better bottles I’ve had in recent years. Balanced and downright drinkable.

HORALs Megablend 2009 was passed around late and didn’t receive ratings, but was tasting excellent. Perhaps a bit past prime, but still holding up well. Would not have placed just above the middle of the pack.

Jeremiah (Green Hill) makes awesome beer and his downright ancient sour blend as part of the blind tasting stood out as different, unique, complex and interesting. It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea (and I’d dare say it was a bit too old), but it was delicious. His batch 1 sour blend, poured from a 3L bottle (thanks, Dave!) at the conclusion of the tasting was one of the highlights of the day.

It is entirely possible to murder your gueuzes (apologies to the many who already know this) in your rot box, so fucking drink them. One individual graciously shared some beers that looking at this list would have been two that I was most excited to try, 03 Oud Beersel and 03 Boon MP, and both were oxidized, flat and flabby. Interesting to try, but no longer good.

I can’t believe how well the 06 Vintage is tasting right now. I’ve previously cracked a bottle and found it flabby and corked. This beer was my platonic ideal of an aged gueuze. I wouldn’t sit on it any longer, though, and easily rivaled (despite being quite different in character than) the more hailed 07 Vintage release, to my taste.


The Scores and Notes
If there’s a demand for the (stupid simple and not at all complex) spreadsheet with all the individuals scores I can post a Google Spreadsheet link.

I haven’t included all notes/descriptors (often because I couldn't read hand-writing), but have cherry picked both for what feels like a full representation of the spectrum of opinion on a particular beer.

Cantillon Gueuze 2013
Rank: 9 | Avg. Score: 85.42857143
“Perfect nose, flavor falls quickly. Soapy finish. As it warms, some vinegar. Good. Vitamin c.”
“slight penny/metallic, nice tartness but fairly mild, trail of solvent/mint, bitter and herbal/earthy.”
“big acid and oak, funky must flavor, rustic and clean finish”
“musty, funky, cellar, overripe papaya, dry, orange, metallic”
“funky nose, light oxidation, bright early, drying finish, very tannic”
“good wood, balanced, age?”
“funky, chewy, cereal”
“spritzy and dry gin”

Hanssons Gueuze 2015
Rank: 8 | Avg. Score: 85.57142857
“very lemon, mild brint, flat, great start (citrus), huge vinegar finish (bad)”
“Vanilla, soft & sweet; oak; sharp sourness and a bit of vinegar; long but thin, slight watery, sharp, juicy”
“musty sweet, tart / stonefruit, acetic finish”
“funky, some acetic, dry, mousy”
“big funk, some acetic character, long, lingering finish, vinous”
“strong, nice, acidic, sharp finish”
“slight acetic, hop bitter”
“musty cellar, acidic, winey”

Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze 2012
Rank: 10 | Avg. Score: 84.57142857
“light nose, med. body, oaky roundness, briny, effervescent, bright citrus/lemon. chicken top ramen”
“cheesy nose, v. gentle scrubby texture, slight water, nice coating [mouth]; mineral; slight soap; soft & slick, slight earth/tobacco”
“savory, spicier oak and funk, long finish”
“chicken top ramen, oregano, herbal, clean mouthfeel, cloudy, stone fruit”
“subdued, mild aroma and flavor, great body, a little mushroom/earth”
“lemon, nice nose, old, earthy”
“cheesy, american, fruited?”
“hoppy, clean, bitter”
“lactic aroma, cheesy, funky, mild, sweeter”

Drie Fonteinen Golden Blend 2014
Rank: 1 | Avg. Score: 94.71428571
“barnyard nose, light body, oaky, sudsy, lots of carbonation, briny, tart finish”
“very good; soft nose; very full nose & flavor, lemon funky and full body”
“oak forward, nice balance, awesome”
“green, umami, high carb, not too funky”
“deep, rich, full bodied, balanced acid, long finish”
“wood, dust, funk”
“lactic, fruit forward”
“champagne-y and balanced”

De Garde Broken Truck
Rank: 12 | Avg. Score: 82.71428571
“tart nose, good oak, briny, vitamin c, stonefruit undertones”
“sulfur, white wine, v. sour, light carbonation, slight ocean brine”
“clear and sweeter, more soda-y, thin but tasty, fruit forward”
“very different aroma, doesn’t smell that funky, very sour! lactic, peach papaya, off-funky”
“very lactic, nice fruit, flat (flavor & carb.), american”
“meaty, sulfur, american, fruit”
“funktastic, clean, american”
“deep intestinal ass smell, decent acidity, complex”
“apple cider vinegar”

Green Hill Brewery Sour Blend 2007
Rank: 5 | Avg. Score: 88.16666667
“great nose, briney, zesty, medium body, sweet, funky, meyer lemon, light fruit”
“very sour, nice oak, good sweetness, juicy oak, sharp flavor”
“rich and old, tart and basement-y, rich oxidation finish”
“cheesy, funky”
“older, tart (cherry?), a bit cheesy, rich, lingering, very sour, light acetic finish”
“sweet nose, old wood funk, cheese”
“funky, cheesy”
“oxidized, but good flavor”
“musty and sweet, fruity, nectar-y”

Lindemans Cuvee Renee 2012
Rank: 14 | Avg. Score: 76.14285714
“light, zest, grassy, med. body, mild cork, wish it wasn’t corked”
“cork, turning to mushroom, slight watery, not impressive”
“musty smell, spicy musty, little funk finish, slightly watery, corked”
“funky, cork, green, balanced”
“light mushroom, thin, watery”
“rope-y, spice, peppery, funk”
“ropey, not much there, flat”
“musty, delicious aroma, bitter taste, light”
“musty old as fuck, spritzy”

Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze 2011
Rank: 13 | Avg. Score: 80.85714286
“fair nose, short, not great, fluey, nail polish”
“funky nose, dishwater, oak”
“very fruity and rich, acidic middle, clean finish, solid”
“ethyl acetate”
“huge acetic(??) nose, sweet mid body, vinegar”
“weird, young fruit, smooth, balanced”
“ropey, hay, dry”
“super tart”

Drie Fonteinen Armand’4 Lente
Rank: 3 | Avg. Score: 90.42857143
“modest nose, sweet, stone fruit, spicy, peaches and cream, dessert-y”
“mint, daiquiri, very good depth”
“deeper oak, spice, malt balance, salt oak finish”
“fruity”
“awesome sauce. grassy and lemon, sweet/acid balance”
“delicate, complex, belgian wood”
“acetic, oaky, complex”
“palo santo wood, light, bright, slight meyer lemon”

Cantillon Gueuze 2015
Rank: 6 | Avg. Score: 88
“great nose, oaky, bright, great balance, funky as it warms”
“nice metallic, pretty clean”
“bright and funky, nice body, funky finish”
“great funk”
“balanced, easy drinking, nice easy finish”
“grapefruit bitters”

Oud Beersel 2012
Rank: 11 | Avg. Score: 83.85714286
“radler when cold, very mild when warmed, mild funk”
“soft, fuzzy, nice, stonefruit, earthy”
“funk, lemon spritz, light, creamy?”
“subtle, complex”
“soft! beautiful, light mushroom, balanced, nice body”
“old, sweet, mellow”
“soft acidity”
“sweetish, musty aroma”
“musty and sweet”

Tilquin Gueuze 2012
Rank: 4 | Avg. Score: 89.85714286
“effervescent, sweet nose, med. body, fruit, bitter finish, pith, boozy”
“very sharp, super lemony, too bright, some chemical”
“nice, well toned flavors, subdued acid and funk/oak”
“bitter, balanced, light sweetness”
“oak, old, mellow!”
“bitter, hoppy, dry, nice acid”
“solid”
“yum! balanced”

Timmermans Gueuze 2010
Rank: 16 | Avg. Score: 58.28571429
“not pleasant flavor / good nose”
“shrill, high carbonation”
“nectarine nose, big strange oak and pit-y. oxidation?”
“green apple and ammonia”
“apple, cork, flint, bad acidity”
“cidery and oxidatized, too fucken sour”
“sweet, papaya”

Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze
Rank: 18 | Avg. Score: 50.14285714
“nail polish”
“off nose, sweet”
“nail polish”
“oak”
“bad, nail polish. drainpour.”
“super apple, acid, unbalanced”
“light oak taste, off ass aroma”
“nutella aroma, wafer, stawberry water”

Boon Mariage Parfait 2003
Rank: 15 | Avg. Score: 74.71428571
“balance, ok nose, good finish”
“sweaty, thin, watery and bland, oxidized”
“sulfur nose, blah”
“funky, green, smokey”
“old, past prime. thin. sherry.”
“nonexistent. dead.”
“musty ass cellar. flatish taste. light sweetness”
“barf.”

De Troch Cuvee Chapeau ????
Rank: 7 | Avg. Score: 87
“brine nose. light fruit. mild carb.”
“oak, little solvent.”
“delicious. fruity character, funk, dope.”
“fresh, hoppy”
“minerality and salt, light, fresh, grassy”
“wood, balanced, clean”
“mineral”
“musty cork, slightly acetic, light oxidized”
“musty cork, old, sweet”

Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage 2006
Rank: 2 | Avg. Score: 93.5
“farm, fruity, lactic, vinegary, very bright”
“very nice, big lactic character”
“flat, green”
“huge flavor, balanced acidity follows sweetness, round, low carb.”
“wood, strong, good, odd”
“balanced acidity”
“armand doesn’t make bad beer”
“tart, complex”

Oud Beersel 2003
Rank: 17 | Avg. Score: 58
“oxidized. slight.”
“super dead, caramel, sour, ashy, burnt”
“old as fuck”
“oxidized, apple cider vinegar.”
“old, old boon? flat, oxidized.”
“oxidized, old.”
“old, oxidiized, light tart, too old, like ginseng root.”
“root / herbaceous”

 

I agree with a lot of this. My comment re: Cantillon being overrated is from a baseline opinion that "people" generally think of it as The Best Gueuze. I still love them, and I like their fruit lambics (as you say).

I completely whiffed on De Cam being a notable omission. De Cam was my favorite gueuze of the 2nd blind tasting (slightly less ambitious recap of that one, to come).

I almost agree re: Boon, in that I haven't ever really loved a MP bottle and I think I'd put Oud Beersel, otherwise, on a similar pedestal of consistent quality at the same price point, and I think I like OB better.

 

The 03 Beersel and Parfait came from the same cellar. Those bottles, unfortunately, spent a lot of time in closets before transitioning to a temp controlled cellar a few years ago.

The 06 OGV was purchased from Belgium direct 3ish years ago by me and stored in my cellar ever since (which is a real basement cellar).

 

In the back half of that monster post are detailed notes from some of the members on all the beers. But here's DDG:

Lost Abbey Duck Duck Gooze
Rank: 18 | Avg. Score: 50.14285714
“nail polish”
“off nose, sweet”
“nail polish”
“oak”
“bad, nail polish. drainpour.”
“super apple, acid, unbalanced”
“light oak taste, off ass aroma”
“nutella aroma, wafer, stawberry water”

That "nail polish" is the key.