Category Archives: Belgium

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

Lindemans Oude Geuze Cuvée Lambikstoemper 2019 (20 Jaar)

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Brewery: Brouwerij Lindemans
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Lambikstoemper 20th Anniversary

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Deze Oude Geuze (een door de EG beschermde benaming) werd samengesteld bij Brouwerij Lindemans te Vlezenbeek, door De Lambikstoempers vzw, naar aanleiding van het 20-jarig bestaan van de bierproeversvereniging uit het Pajottenland en de Zennevallei in 2019.

Het is een blend van 12,5 hl uit foeder 1007 (brouwsel 14/11/2014), 6,25 hl uit foeder 1009 (brouwsel 10/03/2017) en 6,25 hl uit foeder 1215 (brouwsel 20/02/2017). De samenstelling vond plaats op 12/04/2018, de afvulling op fles op 11/05/2018.

Sprankelend blond bier van spontane gisting, met natuurlijke hergisting op fles.

(Translated to English) This Oude Geuze (a name protected by the EC) was composed at Brouwerij Lindemans in Vlessenbeek, by De Lambikstoempers vzw, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the beer tasters association from the Pajottenland and the Zenne valley in 2019.

It is a blend of 12.5 hl from foeder 1007 (brew 14/11/2014), 6.25 hl from foeder 1009 (brew 10/03/2017) and 6.25 hl from foeder 1215 (brew 20/02/2017). The composition took place on 12/04/2018, the bottling on 11/05/2018.

Sparkling blond beer of spontaneous fermentation, with natural refermentation in the bottle.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2019 vintage, with a best before date of 15th January 2025. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with a nice two finger beige head that had decent retention, and eventually settled to a nice thin cap, while leaving lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrus peel, gooseberry, green apple, funky, damp wood, musty, dusty.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, lemon, grapefruit peel, green apple, gooseberry, wood, funky, plum, grass.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Refreshing and easy to drink, with enjoyable funky notes.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Flanders Oud Bruin

De Struise Dark Horse Reserva

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin
Other Notes: 15 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This ale was brewed, bottled & capped by hand. Contains a hybrid dark sour ale somewhere between a Dirty Horse and an Earthmonk. Spontaneously fermented and aged for 4 years on some of the finest red wine barrels from the Bordeaux area in France.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 6th February 2018, and a best before date of 5th February 2028. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with maybe some slight amber notes, and a one finger beige head that had decent retention, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, dark fruit, prunes, plum, cherry, oak, balsamic vinegar, with some light red wine vinous notes, caramel, leather and funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, dark fruit, plum, cherry, prunes, red wine vinous, oak, lime, vinegar, with a hint of caramel and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s got some nice complexity and despite my preference for more carbonation, this was still very enjoyable.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Abrikoos Lambic

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2021 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Berg-Abrikozen – Orange Ruby en Red uit SüdTirol werden door Dino Sovilla speciaal vers van de boom geplukt en worden geheel (zonder sap) vers toegevoegd aan 1500 liter lambiek en samen vergist tot heerlijke Abrikosenlambiek. Deze hergist spontaan op fles. Het fruit is uit SüdTirol.

(translated to English) Mountain Apricots – Orange Ruby and Red from SüdTirol were specially picked fresh from the tree by Dino Sovilla and are added fresh (without juice) to 1500 liters of lambic and fermented together into delicious Apricot Lambic. This spontaneously re-ferments in the bottle. The fruit is from SüdTirol.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.64
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2021 vintage. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour, with a two finger white head that had good retention, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, sweet apricot, apricot jammy, orange zest, funky, oak, dried grass.
Taste: Sweet juicy apricot, orange zest, lemon cordial, oak, with light funky notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Super juicy, refreshing, and just so easy to drink. It’s thirst quenching, and I could just keep drinking this over and over again.

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

3 Fonteinen Doesjel

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Blend°85, Season 19/20

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This Doesjel was bottled on the 1st of December of 2020 and was intended to be an Oude Geuze. Because of the high proportion of older lambikken, the fermentation did not continue in the bottle and the blended lambik beer remained flat. The yeast dozed in, hence the name – a local dialect for that typical little sleepy knock you get over noon. In return, with a natural-white-wine-like aroma and malty citrussy taste, the resulting beer is a subtle lambik blend, with a weighted average age of about 30 months upon its release. The oldest lambikken were brewed at the beginning of 2018.

3 Fonteinen Doesjel is a blend of one-, two- and at least three-year old lambikken. Spontaneously fermented but not in the bottle anymore. Matured in oak barrels. Extended bottle ageing. Unfiltered. Unpasteurised.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.21
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend°85, season 19/20, bottled on 1st December 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a very thin white head that dissipated almost immediately, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, green apple, citrus zesty, lemon, lime, hay, dried grass, oak, funky.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, lime, lemon zest, green apple, oak, damp wood, funky.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Easy drinking with enjoyable aroma and flavours, but my preference would definitely still be the regular Oude Geuze.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Abrikoos Rabarber

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2018 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Deze Abrikozen en Rabarber werden in hun geheel toegevoegd. Fruit: 40kg per 100 liter. Deze spontane gisting lambik bevat enkel hop, tarwe, gerstemout, abrikozen en rabarber. Niet gepasteuriseerd en niet gefilterd, spontaan hergist op fles.

(translated to English) These Apricots and Rhubarb were added in their entirety. Fruit: 40kg per 100 litres. This spontaneous fermentation lambic contains only hops, wheat, barley malt, apricots and rhubarb. Not pasteurized and not filtered, spontaneously refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2018 vintage, bottle no. 1193, with a best before date of 15th August 2028. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention, but left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart, apricot, stone of the stone fruit, rhubarb, green apple, floral, with light oaky and funky notes.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, apricot, sour stone fruit gummy candy, rhubarb, floral, and a touch of lemon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: One of my favourites from De Cam. The aroma and flavours just work well for my palate, and it was just so refreshing and easy to drink.