Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

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, BIIR, Lambic - Gueuze, Spain

BIIR 4B Oude Gueuze Series 2014

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Brewery: BIIR
Country: Spain
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Bottled at De Troch, Belgium by BIIR Brewer Assoc

Brewer Description: (from bottle) BIIR Oude Gueuze ia a 100% lambic beer, aged 12, 18, 24 & 36 months in French oak barrels. Blended by Gunther Bensch (Montaigu), the maker of Tripel Gueuze.

Oude Gueuze is a traditional Belgian style beer made exclusively of lambic beers and brewed in the Zenne Valley. It is also known as Brussels Champagne.

4B is the name of our Oude Gueuze because it is a blend of 4 lambic beers from 4 different brewers of 4 different aging, made by Gunther Bensch between Barcelona and Brussels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, bottle no. 1680/2700, with a best before date of June 2024. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger beige head that had decent retention and settled to a nice thin cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, red apple, apple peel, oak, lime, lemon, funk, musty, dried grass, and a touch floral.
Taste: Light to moderately sour, tart, red apple, lemon juice, citrus zest, oak, funk, hay, dried grass, with notes of apple cider vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: In truth probably left lost in the cellar for too long (at least for a first try). But, what I did try 9 years in the bottle was bright, vibrant, and enjoyable to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Oskar Blues Brewery, Stout - Imperial, USA

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Bourbon Barrel Aged

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Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 12.5%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Oskar Blues Brewery stuffed Ten FIDY Imperial Stout into bourbon barrels for a minimum of eight months; allowing vanilla, oak, and bourbon flavors to permeate the pitch-black depths of FIDY. During maturation, the FIDY-plus-bourbon flavors mellow into a cool, drinkable, deeply complex brew at 12.5% ABV.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.44
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. can, canned on 24th November 2020. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice one finger tanned head that had decent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, dried dark fruit, prunes, fig, vanilla, and bourbon.
Taste: Roasty, chocolate, brown sugar, dried dark fruit, prunes, raisin, vanilla, oak, bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable and complex sipper full of great flavours.

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.

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.