Monthly Archives: August 2024

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Gueuze

3 Fonteinen Zenne d’Auge (Two Barrel Calvados Lambik)

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9.8%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Blend°122, Season 21/22

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Zenne d’Auge is a new addition in the Zenne-series and is the result of ageing lambik on old Calvados barrels. The Pays d’Auge is a beautiful area in Normandy, France. This region is known for its apple orchards, point-l’évêque and camembert cheese, and ciders and calvados.

For this two-barrel calvados lambik, we matured three thirty-one-month-old lambikken for a full year on two casks from a small organic cider and calvados producer. About one third of the grain bill used for brewing these lambikken was sourced directly with Pajottenland farmers from our Cereal Collective. We let them sit in our cellars for another full year almost before its release.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle at 3 Fonteinen lambik-O-droom, blend°122, season 21/22, bottled on 29th September 2022. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour, with a one finger white head that had good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Apple peel, cooked apple, wood, vinous, toffee, and raisin.
Taste: Raisin, apple peel, toffee, wood, vinous, with some nutty notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Wow, an impressive barrel that stands out with so much raisin and apple, yet does not take away from the lambic.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen, Lambic - Fruit

3 Fonteinen Pruim Mirabelle x Oloroso

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.4%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Blend°25, Season 22/23

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For this small batch Pruim Mirabelle x Oloroso, we macerated hand-picked Belgian Mirabelle plums for four months on three-year and four-year old lambik, before blending with more of such old lambik and four-year old lambik. The oldest lambik was brewed in January 2019 and was later on matured on an Oloroso barrel from Josefa Perez. As this old portion (and barrels) covers a considerable part of the lambik volume, the resulting weighted average of this blend is more than 34 months. The final fruit concentration is 328 grams of Mirabelle plums per litre of Pruim.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.5
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle at 3 Fonteinen lambik-O-droom, blend°25, season 22/23, bottled on 11th January 2023. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A cloudy apricot orange colour, with a one finger fluffy white head that had good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Juicy, plum, yellow stone fruit, wood, with notes of sherry and funk.
Taste: Lightly tart, juicy, plum, yellow stone fruit, wood, sherry, and lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Smooth, easy drinking, balanced and enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Fruit

Cantillon La Corvée

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Trousseau and Poulsard grapes

Brewer Description: (from bottle in French) Une collaboration entre le Domaine Stéphane Tissot et la Brasserie Cantillon. Assemblage de marc de Trousseau et Poulsard macéré 3 mois en amphore et de Lambic de deux ans d’âge. Refermenté naturellement en bouteille.

(translated to English) A collaboration between Domaine Stéphane Tissot and Brasserie Cantillon. Blend of Trousseau and Poulsard marc macerated for 3 months in amphora and two-year-old Lambic. Naturally refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.29
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle at the brewery, bottled on 24th March 2022. Poured into a Cantillon tasting glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour with a slightly pink tinge, and a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, minerally, cactus, cucumber, grape skin, vinous, and lemon zesty.
Taste: Somewhat like the aroma, tart, minerally, kiwi, cucumber, melon, cactus, sweetish, raspberry, vinous, with lemon zesty notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was definitely interesting, as while still being vinous, the aroma and flavours were not what I expected. Especially those kiwi and cactus notes.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Fruit

Cantillon Signorina

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Sangiovese grapes

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A collaboration between Fuori Mondo & Cantillon. A blend of two-year-old lambic and Sangiovese grapes.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.5
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, opened and drank at the brewery, bottled 15th December 2023. Poured into a Cantillon tasting glass.
Appearance: A clear ruby red colour with a half finger slightly pinkish head that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Nice red wine vinous, grape skin, berry gummy notes, and wood.
Taste: Lightly sour, a touch funky, grape must, red wine vinous, berry cherry bits, and lemon zesty.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable and very easy drinking with nice vinous notes and lots of red fruit.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Unblended

De Cam Oude Lambiek

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Lambic – Unblended
Other Notes: 3 years old lambic

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Aged in vats of more than 100 years old, De Cam’s Oude Lambiek is a blend of unpasteurized 3-years-old lambics specially selected by brewer/blender Karel Goddeau for their character and roundness .Still, without a head, Oude Lambiek should be chilled and enjoyed like a fine white wine but prized for the wonderful, rare, spontaneously fermented Belgian Ale that it is. Proost!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.64
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 3 years old lambic, bottled in December 2015. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Oak, funk, woodchips, lemon zest, grapefruit, tea, and notes of honey.
Taste: Sour, tart, lemon zest, grapefruit, tea, honey, oak, funk, musty.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with no carbonation.
Overall: Milder than expected, but it’s still got some interesting aroma and flavours.