Category Archives: 5 – Excellent (must buy)

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

Girardin Gueuze Black Label

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Brewery: Brouwerij Girardin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze

Brewer Description: Unfiltered version.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle. Bottled in 2017. Poured into a The Lambic Basket gueuze glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark golden orange colour, with a pillowy two finger white head, that had great retention, eventually settling to a thin cap, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Red apple, lemon, lime, wood shavings, damp wood, musty, funk, with notes of lemon zest.
Taste: Lightly sour, red apple, grapefruit peel, wood shavings, oak, a touch bitter, lemon zest, funk.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: One of my favourite regular gueuze’s out there. Lovely aroma and flavours with a nice complexity that aligns with my palate.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Gueuzerie Tilquin, Lambic - Gueuze

Tilquin Oude Gueuze À l’ancienne – Cuvée Jean-François

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Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7.3%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: 2021-2022

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Gueuze Tilquin – Cuvée Jean-François 1759 was blended in honor of Jean-François Tilquin with 10% 2-year old lambics and 90% 3-year old lambics, all matured in oak barrels. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented and matured in the bottle for 1 year.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2021-2022, and a best before date of 23rd June 2032. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen gueuze glass.
Appearance: A mostly clear golden orange colour, with an almost two finger white head that had good retention, and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Plums, fresh cut green apple, wood, funk, hay, with light notes of lime juice.
Taste: Green apple, unripe stonefruit, gooseberry, lemon, lime zest, oak, damp wood, funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Great aroma and flavours, and it just drinks so easily. The fourth from the Tilquin Family Tree Project and my favourite so far (granted that Cuvée Arthur has already been released, but I haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet).

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

Cantillon La Vie est Belge

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: vin Jaune barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle in French) Lambic vieilli en fûts de vin Jaune du Domaine Mireille et André Tissot.

(translated to English) Lambic aged in vin Jaune barrels from Domaine Mireille and André Tissot.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.87
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle at Les Brigittines, bottled on 9th February 2022. Poured into a Cantillon tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden colour, with a one finger white head that had good retention, and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, dusty, wood, white wine vinous, yellow stone fruit, apricots, sherry, with a very light curry nutty note.
Taste: Sour, tart, funk, dust, wood, yellow stone fruit, apricot, sherry.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Loved it. This will probably be my favourite of 2024. Smooth, easy drinking, good complexity, and just enjoyable.

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

Cantillon Ashanti

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Blend of Poivre Noir des Gorilles and two-year-old Lambic. The name Ashanti comes from the Ashanti Kingdom, whose inhabitants traded this pepper. This beer was made in collaboration with Misao La Maison des Poivres. To be consumed preferably within the 20 years after bottling date. Beer with taste evolution.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle at Moeder Lambic Fontainas, bottled on 23rd May 2023. Poured into a Moeder Lambic stemmed tasting glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark orange colour, with a one finger white head that had decent retention, while leaving nice lacing.
Aroma: Black pepper, pink pepper, so perfumy, lime zest, Himalayan salt, floral.
Taste: Sour, tart, black pepper, pink pepper, lime zest, hay, perfumy, and floral.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was wonderful, easy to drink, with exciting aroma and flavours.

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

Cantillon Barbera

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: Barbera grape pomace and lies

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A collaboration between Cascina Degli Ulivi and Cantillon. A blend of Barbera pomace and lies, and 2-year-old lambic.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.58
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle at Moeder Lambic Fontainas, bottled on 28th November 2022. Poured into a Moeder Lambic stemmed tasting glass.
Appearance: A clear ruby red colour, with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated quickly while leaving sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Lightly tart, sweet berry hard candy, strawberry, grape skin, red wine vinous.
Taste: Lightly sweet and tart, grape skin, red wine vinous, strawberry, mixed berry hard candy, light funk, and lovely cough medicinal notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Lovely vinous, berry hard candy and medicinal touch. It was easy to drink and super enjoyable.