Category Archives: Belgium

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Gruit, La Source Beer Co.

La Source Œuvre Au Noir

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Brewery: La Source Beer Co.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9.1%
Style: Gruit
Other Notes: Sour Gruit. Carbonation in progress, please wait until January 2022 to open. 2021 BXL BeerFest beer pack

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This sour Gruit has been brewed with mugwort and woodruff and then spent almost a year on the lees of freshly emptied natural red wine barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.86
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 750ml bottle with an open after January 2022 date, and a best before date of 13th July 2023. Brewed for BXL BeerFest 2021. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: It was a hazy golden orange colour with a very thin large bubbly head that disappeared almost immediately, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, lemon juice, pickled ginger, orange zest, candied cherry, rosemary, oak.
Taste: Sour, tart, orange zest, grapefruit, lemon peel, pickled ginger, candied fruit, herbal finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: I’m not at all familiar with mugwort and woodruff, but I liked the aroma and there was an interesting mix of sour, sweet, fruit and herbs in the flavour.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Boon, Lambic - Gueuze

Boon HORAL’s Oude Geuze Mega Blend 2017

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Brewery: Brouwerij Boon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: HORAL members – 3 Fonteinen, Boon, De Cam, De Troch, Hanssens, Lindemans, Oud Beersel, Tilquin, Timmermans. Limited edition – 21600 bottles

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Voor deze botteling van de Oude Geuze Megablend 2017 hebben 9 verschillende brouwerijen en stekerijen samen lambiek gemengd. Deze Megablend werd speciaal voor de elfde editie van Toer de Geuze 2017 meer dan 6 maanden op fles gerijpt hebben. Het mengsel bevat Lambiek die bij het vullen van de flessen 1, 2 en 3 jaar oud was.

(translated to English) For this bottling of the Oude Geuze Megablend 2017, 9 different breweries and blending companies mixed lambic together. This Megablend was aged in the bottle for more than 6 months especially for the eleventh edition of Toer de Geuze 2017. The mixture contains Lambic that was 1, 2 and 3 years old when the bottles were filled.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2017 vintage, with a best before date of 24th November 2036. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had good retention, eventually settling to a thin cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Musty, dried grass, earthy, gooseberry, lemon, citrus zest, green apple, wood, and a touch herbal.
Taste: Lightly sour, lemon, gooseberry, grassy, green apple, oak, funk, lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Balanced and refreshing with good aroma and flavours. One of my favourite Mega Blend vintages.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij De Ranke, Lambic - non-Lambic Blends

De Ranke Cuvée BXL

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – non-Lambic Blends
Other Notes: 2022 BXL BeerFest beer pack

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Old Stock Ale & Lambic.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.22
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled in January 2022, with a best before date of 14th January 2027. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass. Brewed for BXL BeerFest 2022.
Appearance: A hazy dark golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Orange zest, citrus rind, grape skin, peach, wet wood, and a touch dusty.
Taste: Lightly tart, grapefruit, orange rind, grape skin, peach, lime, with woody and funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: ‘Old Stock Ale & Lambic’, not really given a lot of information based off of this, but with this blend, the flavours do work well together, and it was enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Lambic - Gueuze, Lambiek Fabriek

Lambiek Fabriek Organic Geuze Natur-Elle

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Brewery: Lambiek Fabriek
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.2%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Bio geuze van zelf gebrouwen bio lambieken met hergisting op de fles. Deze unieke blend van verschillende jaargangen is geheel biologisch, puur, ongefilterd en niet gepasteuriseerd.

(translated to English) Bio gueuze from self-brewed organic lambics with refermentation in the bottle. This unique blend of different vintages is completely organic, pure, unfiltered and unpasteurized.

My rating: 4-
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.01
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottled in March 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention and eventually settled to a very thin cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, brett, damp wood, musty, dusty, fruity, green apple, grape skin, dried lemon peel.
Taste: Tart, green apple, orange, lemon juice, lemon zest, wood, with some light to moderate funkiness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Thirst quenching, enjoyable and drinks easy.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Lambic - Gueuze, Lambiek Fabriek

Lambiek Fabriek Oude Geuze Bord-Elle

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Brewery: Lambiek Fabriek
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: 2021 BXL BeerFest beer pack

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of an unique unfiltered blend of self-brewed, spontaneous fermented lambics. It is a blend of 1, 2 and 3 year-old lambics, matured in oak barrels.

My rating: 3+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.81
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottled in February 2021. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, lemon, lime zest, apple, damp wood, funk, hay.
Taste: Sour, tart, apple, pear, white grape, lemon, lime zest, wood, funky, musty.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I prefer my Geuze’s to be lighter and crisp, like something great for a hot summer day. However, the high ABV here, while not entirely noticeable, did feel a bit heavy.