Category Archives: Lambic – Gueuze

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

3 Fonteinen Speling van het Lot XVIII.iv: Single Wood Kastanje

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Blend°112, Season 21/22. Number of bottles – 486

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This series of eight Spelingen van het Lot feature the ageing of the same lambikken on different wooden barrels. The lambikken come off two different brews, fully crafted with cereals sourced from our cereal collective and fully organic. The different wood types used are: American oak, German oak, acacia, the combination of German oak and acacia, chestnut, ash, cherry and mulberry. This bottle features the chestnut wood and was handbottled on 486 bottles.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle at 3 Fonteinen lambik-O-droom, blend°112, season 21/22, bottled on 8th September 2022. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour, with a one finger white head, that had good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, yellow stone fruit, funk, wet wood, wet leather, apricot, and lemon zest.
Taste: Sour, tart, lemon, unripe mandarin orange, gooseberry, leather, wood, funk, with peppery notes.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: Drinks nicely and was enjoyable. The series is interesting, but I didn’t have the opportunity to compare and try the others aged on different wooden barrels.

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

3 Fonteinen Armand’4 Oude Geuze Winter

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Bottle date: 22/04/2010

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) After the thermostat incident, and in order to be able to bridge the following financial gap, Armand blended 4 distinct and unique geuzes with lambics he brewed himself. The resulting blends were bottled at the beginning of 2010. They were named after the four seasons, and launched in the specific seasons.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.82
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.7

Intro: A 750ml very dusty corked and caged bottle at 3 Fonteinen lambik-O-droom, bottled on 22nd April 2010. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A cloudy dark orange colour, with a two finger beige head that had excellent retention, and left very nice lacing.
Aroma: Musty, dusty, apple, wood, sherry, funk, grapefruit peel, and spritzy lemon zest.
Taste: Mildly sour, tart, funk, wet wood, hay, grapefruit peel, and apple peel.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: My second time trying, but this one at the source was much better. I suspect the first bottle probably travelled too much. This bottle was smooth, easy drinking, with layers of complexity, and just super enjoyable.

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

3 Fonteinen Zenne d’Auge (Two Barrel Calvados Lambik)

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Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9.8%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: Blend°122, Season 21/22

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Zenne d’Auge is a new addition in the Zenne-series and is the result of ageing lambik on old Calvados barrels. The Pays d’Auge is a beautiful area in Normandy, France. This region is known for its apple orchards, point-l’évêque and camembert cheese, and ciders and calvados.

For this two-barrel calvados lambik, we matured three thirty-one-month-old lambikken for a full year on two casks from a small organic cider and calvados producer. About one third of the grain bill used for brewing these lambikken was sourced directly with Pajottenland farmers from our Cereal Collective. We let them sit in our cellars for another full year almost before its release.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle at 3 Fonteinen lambik-O-droom, blend°122, season 21/22, bottled on 29th September 2022. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour, with a one finger white head that had good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Apple peel, cooked apple, wood, vinous, toffee, and raisin.
Taste: Raisin, apple peel, toffee, wood, vinous, with some nutty notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Wow, an impressive barrel that stands out with so much raisin and apple, yet does not take away from the lambic.

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

Sako El Ambiguo Geuze

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Brewery: Brouwerij Sako
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze

Brewer Description: (from Untappd) This Kattem gueuze El Ambiguo is a “Bourbon gueuze” that has been aged for 2 years in Bourbon barrels, hence the beautiful intense color and the special wood touch. It is a very soft gueuze, refreshing yet tender, complex yet thirst-quenching. Only water, homegrown hops, barley malt and wheat from the Pajottenland are the raw materials. Unfiltered and 6 months re-fermented and matured in the bottle, this Bourbongeuze is perfectly drunk from August 2023. Taste this divine drink, this is a wonderful gift from Pajotse nature!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 21-22 cork, bottle number 2014? with a best before date of 2060. Poured into a Tilquin stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark golden orange colour with a one finger white head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Musty, damp wood, funky, dusty, sherry, dried orange peel, apple peel, lime, persimmon, with a dash of sweetish marmalade.
Taste: Yellow stone fruit, apricot, orange peel, lots of wood, funk, with some wet leathery notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This gueuze had great aroma and drinks really easy. The bourbon doesn’t stand out in the aroma or flavour, and I certainly wouldn’t mind it, but this doesn’t take away from the beer, as assuming that it was just integrated well, it was enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Gueuze

Cantillon 50°N-4°E Brandy

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Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Lambic – Gueuze
Other Notes: 2018 vintage, Brandy barrel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Lambic brewed on 24 February 2015, aged in Brandy barrels and bottled on 4 December 2018.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, 2018 vintage, bottled on 4th December 2018. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed Zenne glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour, with a nice one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Tart unripe yellow stone fruit, citrus zest, funky, musty, wood, brandy, butterscotch, with a minerally note.
Taste: Lightly sour and tart, lemon juice, green apple, grape skin, a touch vinous, a bit of berries, funky, woody, brandy, with caramel like notes.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: This needed time to open up, and after an hour it definitely improved. Not my favourite among the 50°N-4°E variants, but still enjoyable.