3 Fonteinen Armand’4 Oude Geuze Zomer

Formerly brewed at 3 Fonteinen
Style: Lambic Style - Gueuze
Beersel, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Stem glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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750 ml bottle in those awesome bottles from 3F. Drank almost right after the Lente. Pours a much darker amber color with a similar large white head. A rich nose of massive tannins, oaky but also some huge sour acidic notes, very distinctly aggressive. There is certainly a fruity character in those nose, it’s hard to pin down close to lemon and currants. The flavor is a massive blast of sour tart lemons, dusty, herbal tea, it leaves a long lip smacking tartness, something akin to leather and grains. Very nice. It also has the lovely dry and effervescent palate that only the greatest lambics have. Much more aggressive than the Lente in some ways, refreshing and tasty. A nice, no a amazing Summer beer.

Good, slightly dirty-yellow head over fully hazy amber-orange beer, very lively carbonated. Sulphurous nose, lemony and barnyard odours. Quite sour, very lemoney flavour; sulphur never far away, lactic acid, redcurrants or whitecurrants; and something vaguely reminiscent of black olives retronasal. Sometimes as sucking a lemon through a bit of sugar. Very lively, refreshing and long-lasting, lipsmacking acidity. Doubtless harsher than the Lente, with more outspoken sulphur and lemon. Result of two separate tastings (thanks to Hildegarde & Bas!).

750mL bottle, shared with Ali after finally knocking out a long draft of an article. Absolutely brilliant pour: murky, bright orange-copper color; huge small-bubbled off-white head with perfect retention and lacing; there’s long-lasting visible effervescence here, replenishing the head. Aroma shows sharp tart lemons along with a slight saltiness, definitely some modest amounts of cheese in there; hugely mouthwatering, with an undercurrent of very light notes of wood and wheat. Medium body with huge, spritzy carbonation; effervescent by all measures; medium to medium-high levels of acidity, slightly bracing; sharp lemony tartness, cheese, and (again) light saltiness; a bit oily (there’s a ropiness here that, if you wiggle your tongue through the beer, you’ll catch as viscosity); slightly more pronounced oak than appears in the nose, but still light; very much a lemon-forward gueuze, but beautifully rendered and with a completely filled-out profile in the mouth; hugely citrusy, vibrant acidity, Champagne-like carbonation, and a quiet toasty undercurrent providing a place to land. I’m not sure what more I can ask for from this beer; possibly a touch more soft vanilla and oak (that tends to be my preference). Long-lasting finish of tart lemons, some lightly toasty wheat; nicely dry, soft ending.

750ml bottle. Courtesy of Shaun for bringing this one over... Def pours darker than the lent with a lazy deep blood orange hue, mostly opaque, and topped with a dense but mostly fluffy white to barely off-white head... Aroma is abundant with must and funk, quite a bit more aggressive than the lente, some rotten egg in a positive non-off-putting way with a little spicy pepper nature. Assertive but still fairly nice all-around... Flavors follow-up suit in a very consistent way with a vibrant degree of funk and and cheesy horseblanket notes. Def less grassy and more assertive than the lente. Medium bodied with soft pillowy accents which suits well and combine nicely with the aforementioned qualities. Excellent lambic and a lo vely complement to the lente albeit somewhat if a different beast altgether.

UPDATED: SEP 16, 2011 Tastes what I would imagine blauw tasting like fresh. Pours a dark rusty orange with a frothy eggshell white head. Leaves some spotty lace. Aroma of dry fresh bright leathery, old cellar, old book, citrus cobweb funk. Complex. Clean. taste of. Dry lactic acid funky toasted doughy big chewy rustic leather funk. So good. Can’t believe how much better these Araman beers are than standard drie fonteinen gueuze. Wheelhouse. Chugglaug.

Bottle looks again wonderful. Beer in the glass deep orange-golden, very zippy, nice head. Sourish aroma. Starts much more sour than the Lente, but not too much. Fine fruity notes of not too ripe apricotes, lemon. Wonderful balanced. Finish still sourish, with a salty touch. Finish also well balanced, complex sourish, intense aftertaste. Again a masterpiece!

Orange nectar pour, slightly darker than Lente. Aroma is apricot, nectar fruit, musty basement, light cheese. Nicely acidic, restrained but much more sour than the Lente. Flavor is immediately funky cheese, then becomes very sour with a kick of effervescence in the mouth, slightly sharper than the Lente, more acidic upfront and less must, funk. Doesn’t linger as much either, cleaner, but overall more sour. Delightful, a near perfect beverage

HUGE thanks to oteyj. Cork pushing out as the cage is removed. Pours a beautiful opaque orange with a huge fluffy head. The nose holds delightful rye breadiness similar to the Lente, along with amazing notes of horseblanket, basement must, and tart fruit; an impeccably balanced funk profile overall. Flavor is absolutely scintillating; similar flavor profile as the Lente with an awesome combination of bright tartness and musty funk, but the sourness is sharper, more acidic, and the palate more effervescent. The Zomer does not linger as long as the Lente but good GOD is it incredible while it’s there. Absolutely insane.

UPDATED: APR 5, 2013 comments are for first bottle opened alongside lente. second tasting alongside herfst was a rich experience, as always the case with 3 fonteinen, but it didn’t have the same burst of peach rind fuzz and all that. i’d imagine every bottles tastes different given the ester and acid release from pouring and glassware chosen. that said: glowing dense sparkling amber copper with a inexplicably supported white satin thick cream of a head. first dance with the nose is spiced cedar phenols and citrus esters, developing into the most intoxicating combinations of smells ever experienced in a beer: fuzzy, musty just-ripe peach rind fruitiness; light lactic fatty acids; a touch of butyric cognac with oak; it feels like tree bark, wildflowers and berry bushes in the wilderness. it smells like the earth, and it’s textured, alive and playful. it develops late into a more waxy and oily honey-tinged semi-sweet malt and wheat base, with doughy, full, rounded yeast. the sparkling and zesty acid and superb natural carbonation have produced playful wood / bark / berry / peach esters and acids, even some faint waxy sweet pickle notes when warmer. yeah, pickles. then throw in some some chalk / calcite / drywall rounds. Zomer is an unconventional geuze but with an ester and acid profile that may be unmatched. it’s one of the best I’ve ever had.

UPDATED: MAY 1, 2012 Aroma dustier than Lente, more hay and cobweb but not as much grass and fruit. Some hay and cobweb, a bit of egg. Not as bright, grassy, or hoppy as the Lente tried next to it, body not as carbonated (though I prefer this), but I’m guessing it will fade less with time than the Lente will.