Worried about Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen Shelf Life....?

It's a gueuze. It's already skunked.

 

Gueuze is indestructible.

 

Since there are pretty much negligible hops in gueuze, skunking isn't really an issue.

Drie Fonteinen will last a mighty long time.

 

I'm sure someone knows a hardline technical answer here, but I didn't think there was any issue with these sitting on the shelf. I normally consider it a blessing!

 

Now purchase and enjoy!

 

It's going to be fine, it's a stunning beer, the shelf life on those go into 2021...

 

It really is a miracle that I found Golden Blend for 9 euro in Brugges. It's so expensive here. Such a good beer though.

 

I believe Armand would disagree with you after the May 2009 thermostat incident....

 

It will be a little skunky, but you will convince yourself it tastes awesome because of 3F, $30 and the ratings.

 

I doubt you would notice skunkiness unless you were incredibly sensitive to it.

 

I've had Cantillon Classic skunk, as well as Girardin Black Label. I have no clue on the storage conditions previously as I bought them from an online retailer, but I can only assume they must have sat out on the shelf for a long time.

 

There have been at least three confirmed reports of skunked Gueuze by fellow BAs who actually know enough about gueuze and skunking to know what they are talking about.

Claims that it is already skunked because it is gueuze or that it can't skunk because they don't use enough hops to skunk either confuse skunk with funk or show a lack of knowledge about gueuze is made. E.g, there are hops in gueuze but they are aged and so don't have strong flavoring or bittering effects.

If the bottles have been exposed to UV it's a gamble to buy one.

Shelf life estimates into the future assume proper storage.

 

http://imgur.com/fBXRjxs
Nope industructible

 

This almost made me cry!

 

I've only had a skunked Geuze once, but it was most definitely skunked - Oude Geuze De Cam at the De Lambiek museum just down the road from 3F. I think it had been sitting right in front of the fridge's light, for who knows how long. Armand gave me and a couple other beer nerds a ride to the museum from the brewery, and we were the only patrons.

I do think, though, that this was a genuinely isolated incident and that the style holds up against skunking far better than most. I remember cringing when Yves held the bottle of '84 Eylenbosch I was purchasing at In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst up in direct sunlight to show off the sediment that had collected over decades in his cellar - but the beer was flawlessly delicious when I opened it a couple months later.

TL/DR - Lambic can indeed skunk, but it's rare. Buy at your own risk.

 

Right. Less likely but not impossible. I'd guess if the stuff you found is pretty fresh it could be a good gamble.

I'd buy one to try. If it was still OK I'd get more for the cellar.

 

The last two bottles of 3F Gueuze I had were skunked. They weren't the Golden blend.