Category Archives: Belgium

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V., Lambic - Fruit Sweetened

Timmermans Sloe Lambicus

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Brewery: Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 3.5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit Sweetened)
Other Notes: Canned Lambic, sweetened with sugar

Brewer Description: (from website) From its entrance in the glass, we already reveal the maturity of its basic fruit. Its dark ruby color announces many tasty satisfactions reminding that its base is the blackthorn, the fruit which exposes in maturity. Associated for the first time with a brewing fermentation, and married to a young lambic, thus acid, this beer ends in a rich taste browsing 3 delicious stages, from its introduction in mouth. It reveals successively its freshness by a powerful nose, a fruity flavor moderately spreaded with an acidity become modest and conjugated with a conclusion reminding its unpublished basic fruit.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.8

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 15th February 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A purplish ruby red colour with a two finger pinkish head that had decent retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, candy, dessert, blueberry, vanilla, berry soda.
Taste: Sweet, hard candy, blueberry, vanilla, blueberry milkshake, berry soda, jammy, syrupy, way too sweet.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied, moderate carbonation, way too sweet such that it was uncomfortable.
Overall: Sweetened Lambic with sugar added, which is not my thing, as its generally too sweet for my palate, and this one was definitely way too sweet… so sweet that it was uncomfortable on my palate. Found out that sloe is blackthorn, but I haven’t tried the fruit before. In this case it seems to have resembled blueberry in aroma and taste. Very uncomplex for a fruit lambic, but it was the over sweetness that was the main downfall.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V., Lambic - Fruit Sweetened

Timmermans Strawberry Lambicus

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Brewery: Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V.
Country: Belgium
ABV: 4%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit Sweetened)
Other Notes: Canned Lambic, sweetened with sugar

Brewer Description: (from website) For anyone who finds strawberries irresistible, Timmermans Strawberry evokes the fragrance of long sunny days. Its strawberry flavour will have you wrinkling your nose in delight with each sip. Its luminous colour and its fruity freshness are a treat for taste-buds and eyes alike. A totally juicy experience. Timmermans Strawberry Lambicus is brewed by adding natural juice to lambic beer, a blend that is then fermented in oak barrels. After which it is bottled.

Its aroma evokes the perfumes of a lovely summer’s day. Its strawberry flavour confirms the nose’s impression, without being over-sweet, and is enhanced by a real feeling of freshness, recalling those tiny green granules that are found around ripened strawberries. Its taste is consistent and spreads very quickly throughout the mouth, finishing on a note that is fruity rather than sweet.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.64
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 25th December 2019. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy reddish pink orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Strawberry hard candy.
Taste: Sweet, strawberry hard candy, strawberry, syrupy, jammy, strawberry soda, too sweet.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied, moderate carbonation, too sweet.
Overall: Sweetened Lambic with sugar added, which is not my thing, as its generally too sweet for my palate. But the strawberry aroma much resembles that of strawberry hard candies which I love. Taste as I said was too sweet, but the strawberry flavours were ok. Very uncomplex for a fruit lambic.

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

3 Fonteinen Intens Rood

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– aka 3 Fonteinen Intense Red Oude Kriek (ratebeer & beeradvocate)

Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.9%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) 3 Fonteinen “Intens Rood” wordt bekomen door het macereren van hand-geplukte volle krieken op jonge traditionele lambik gedurende minstens zes maanden, in een verhouding van één kilo per liter. Daarna wordt de kriekenlambik geassembleerd met jonge lambik tot een intensiteit van min, 450 gram fruit per liter wordt bekomen. Na minstens zes maanden flesrijping onstaat een intense Oude Kriek die doet denken aan een rond pinot noir. Natuurlijk fruit, zonder toevoeging van sappen, siropen, of suikers. Ongefilterd en ongepasteuriseerd.

Deze specifieke botteling van Intens Rood heeft niet minder dan 7 maanden fruitmaceratie gekregen en heeft een finale fruitintensiteit van 480 gram krieken per liter.

(translated to English) 3 Fonteinen “Intense Red” is obtained by macerating full hand-picked cherries on young traditional lambic for at least six months, in a ratio of one kilo per liter. The cherry lambic is then assembled with young lambic until an intensity of minimum 450 grams of fruit per liter is obtained. After at least six months of bottle aging, an intense Oude Kriek is created that is reminiscent of a round pinot noir. Natural fruit, without the addition of juices, syrups, or sugars. Unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This specific bottling of Intense Red has received fruit maceration for no less than 7 months and has a final fruit intensity of 480 grams of cherries per liter.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend n°35, season 16/17, bottled on 21st June 2017, with a best before date of 26th October 2037. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Light tartness and light funk, cherry and oak.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, sour, tart, cherry, cherry pie, oak and a splash of lemon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice intense cherry flavours. It was not as sweet as I remember it to be, but actually, the good amount of tart and sourness was a good balance to the cherry pie and oak notes.

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

3 Fonteinen Oude Kriekenlambik

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.4%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Oude Kriek but bottle fermentation did not occur

Brewer Description: (from bottle) (in French) 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek est le résultat de la macération de griottes cueillis à la main dans du lambic traditionnel, pendant au moins quatre mois. La fermentation en bouteille n’a pas eu lieu… Du fruit naturel, sans jus, sirops ou sucres ajoutés. Non-filtré et non-pasteurisé.

(in Dutch) Deze kriekenlambik heft niet minder dan zes volle maanden fruitmaceratie gehad. Serveertips: in een Bourgogne wijnglas en op keldertemperatuur. Laat gerust rondwalsen in het glas om de aroma’s volop vrij te laten. Op uw gezondheid!

(translated to English) 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek is the result of maceration of hand-picked sour cherries in traditional lambic for at least four months. The bottled fermentation did not take place … Natural fruit, without juice, syrups or added sugars. Unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This cherry lambic has had no less than six full months of fruit maceration. Serving tips: in a Burgundy wine glass and at cellar temperature. Feel free to roll around in the glass to fully release the aromas. Cheers!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.34
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, blend n°32, season 16/17, bottled on 24th May 2017, with a best before date of 26th October 2037. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A deep ruby reddish purple colour with a thin pinkish head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, jammy, vanilla, cherry pie, with hints of marzipan.
Taste: Light sourness, tart, cherry, oak, with a touch of lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice and enjoyable cherry notes, especially in the aroma which were dessert like and jammy. I think I’m leaning towards preferring more carbonation though.

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

3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek Honing

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.1%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Oude kriek with honey

Brewer Description: (from bottle) (in French) 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek est le résultat de la macération de griottes cueillis à la main dans du lambic traditionnel, pendant au moins quatre mois et avec fermentation en bouteille. Du fruit naturel, sans jus, sirops ou sucres ajoutés. Non-filtré et non-pasteurisé.

(in Dutch) Deze specifieke Oude Kriek heeft bijna 6 maanden gemacereerd op volle krieken. De finale fruitintensiteit is 370 gram fruit per liter afgewerkte fruitlambik. Tijdens de assemblage werd lokale honing toegevoegd.

(translated to English) 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek is the result of maceration of hand-picked sour cherries in traditional lambic for at least four months and with fermentation in the bottle. Natural fruit, without juice, syrups or added sugars. Unfiltered and unpasteurized.

This specific Oude Kriek has macerated almost 6 months on full cherries. The final fruit intensity is 370 grams of fruit per liter of finished fruit lambic. Local honey was added during blending.

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

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, blend n°58, season 17/18, bottled on 17th May 2018, with a best before date of 26th October 2038. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear ruby red colour with a half finger slightly pinkish head that dissipated that dissipated quickly and left only sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, cherry, oak and hints of marzipan.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, cherry, oak, cherry pie, soft honey sweetness, with hints of lemon and a touch of cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I preferred this version with honey over the original. Not sure I really got any honey in the aroma and taste, but there was a definite sweetness that wasn’t in the original, that brought out the fruitiness and cherries and made it very enjoyable.