Monthly Archives: September 2022

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Belle-Vue, Lambic - Gueuze

Belle-Vue Sélection Lambic

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Brewery: Belle-Vue
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.2%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 1999 vintage.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 1999 vintage, bottle no. 05590, with a notched best before date of December 2005. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A clear bright copper orange colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, funky, barnyard, musty, damp wood, apple, citrus, orange, vinegar, with maybe some berry notes.
Taste: Tart, sour, apple, apple cider vinegar, mixed berries, lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: This was interesting, and I probably want to say, past it’s prime, although unfortunately I don’t really have a reference point since this is the first one I’ve tried. But there was still some nice flavours going on. Worth a try, especially for those that enjoy gueuze like I do.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Gueuzerie Tilquin, Lambic - Fruit

Tilquin Oude Pinot Meunier À l’ancienne

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Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.9%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2020-2021

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Pinot Meunier Tilquin is made from the fermentation of 250g of grapes by liter of lambic. The grapes were grown biodynamically by our neighbours at Domaine W. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.17
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2020-2021, and a best before date of 11th March 2031. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice looking pinkish orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention, but eventually settled to a ring around the glass while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Grape skin, grape, funky, oak, with green and citrus zesty notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, funky, grape skin, grapes, grapefruit, citrus zest, oak, earthy, with light gooseberry notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Loved the appearance of this beer. The aroma and taste was interesting, but it was definitely more green and earthy than expected. It’s good, but not one of my favourites of the grape lambics from Tilquin.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Funky Fluid, Poland, Sour Ale - Smoothie / Soda / Pastry

Funky Fluid Triple Gelato Ice Cream Sour Nero

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Brewery: Funky Fluid
Country: Poland
ABV: 8%
Style: Sour Ale – Smoothie / Soda / Pastry
Other Notes: Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, plum, marshmallow, vanilla

Brewer Description: (from can) In this Gelato we decided on a mix of dark fruit – raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants & plums. We added marshmallow & vanilla to round it up. A fruit bomb!

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.65
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 500ml can, with a best before date of 21st April 2023. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A dark maroon colour with a one finger pinkish purple head that had pretty good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, candy like, raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry, vanilla, and cream.
Taste: Sweet, mixed dark berries, blackcurrant, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: The flavours are exactly what I enjoy. Vanilla mixed with a whole bunch of dark berries. Just yum.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Funky Fluid, Poland, Sour Ale - Smoothie / Soda / Pastry

Funky Fluid Triple Gelato Ice Cream Sour Yellow Fluff

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Brewery: Funky Fluid
Country: Poland
ABV: 9%
Style: Sour Ale – Smoothie / Soda / Pastry
Other Notes: Banana, passion fruit, marshmallow & vanilla

Brewer Description: (from can) Gelato is a series of sweet & sour beers inspired by the intense Italian ice cream flavours. This one is revisiting & amplifying our Yellow Fluff recipe, the banana & marshmallow packed delight. A liquid dessert.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 500ml can, with a best before date of 28th March 2023. Poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A golden orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, dessert, passion fruit, with light notes of banana and vanilla.
Taste: Sweet, sour, jammy, passion fruit, banana, vanilla, with hints of cream soda.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: I wasn’t entirely sold on the aroma, but the flavours does work well for me, and it drink so easy that you don’t feel it’s 9% abv at all.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Braambes

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°38, Season 18/19

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) 3 Fonteinen Braambes wordt bekomen door de maceratie van handgeplukte braambessen op jonge traditionele lambik, gedurende minstens vier maanden, in een verhouding van één kilo bramen per liter traditionele lambik. Daarna wordt de fruitlambik geassembleerd met jonge lambik en wordt alles gebotteld, en zet de vergisting zich verder in de fles. Het resultaat is een bijzonder braambessenlambikbier, met een intens bosvruchtenboeket en met evolutie in het glas. Natuurlijk fruit, zonder toevoeging van sappen, siropen, of suikers. Ongefilterd en ongepasteuriseerd.

Deze specifieke Braambes heeft 4,5 maanden gemacereerd op haar fruit. De finale fruitintensiteit bedraagt 426 gram fruit per liter Braambes. De lambikken zijn afkomstig uit vier vaten en van vier brouwsels. 75% 3 Fonteinen en 25% lambik gebrouwen door Brouwerij Lindemans.

(translated to English) 3 Fonteinen Braambes is obtained by maceration of handpicked blackberries on young traditional lambic, for at least four months, at a ratio of one kilo of blackberries per liter of traditional lambic. Then the fruit lambic is assembled with young lambic and everything is bottled, and the fermentation continues in the bottle. The result is a special blackberry lambic beer, with an intense forest fruit bouquet and with evolution in the glass. Natural fruit, without the addition of juices, syrups, or sugars. Unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This particular Braambes has macerated on its fruit for 4.5 months. The final fruit intensity is 426 grams of fruit per liter of Blackberry. The lambics come from four barrels and four brews. 75% 3 Fonteinen and 25% lambic brewed by Lindemans Brewery.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°38, season 18/19, bottled on 12th February 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy maroon red copper colour with a one and a half finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Funky, dusty, blackberry, jammy, oak, vanilla, with a touch of lime zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, funky, lime, blackberry, dusty, musty, oak, and gooseberry like notes.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Not my favourite blackberry lambic that I’ve tried, and even among 3F, I preferred Bramenlambik, but this was still nice and enjoyable.