3 Fonteinen Beersel Lager

Pours lager like golden with a fizzy white head. This was an O.K. beer, but nothing worth tracking down.

Bottle. Large white slightly frothy, and fizzy head that mostly diminished, one ring of lacing, visible carbonation, semi-transparent and semi-hazy, and a pale yellow hue. The aroma was lightly hoppy, citrus, fruity, a tad sour, some grass hops, and lightly malty. Ditto for the flavor with light honey. Fairly smooth mouthfeel and medium bodied. Easy to drink, nice balance, nothing truly special stood out about this beer IMO and therefore this is not a beer that I will pursue again.

06-Jul-08 (330-ml bottle: Purchased 12-May-08 for $5.29 at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA) The rather ordinary looking label on the bottle may say "Lager", but this is not your ordinary lager. Tart, dusty nose is also pretty cheesy and funky, and this gives an apt introduction for the flavor. The dry, pilsener malt base is grainy and lightly bready, but the yeast contributes a funky and tart apple character. Dusty right from the start, but it’s magnified in the finish when some apple skin emerges. Light bodied but not watery, clean, gently crisp, dry and slightly chalky. Clear, golden body is capped by half an inch of white foam that settles very slowly to a thin layer.

Bottle from John’s Market in Portland, OR. Orange tinged golden color with a significant white head. Aroma is fruit, but slightly sour. Some grassy hop in the background. Medium body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is slightly bready with a very nice complex of fruit and hop. Just a lite bite of bitter at the finish. So this is just a top notch "real lager". "It’s real, or it isn’t. It’s ale, or it’s not. If it isn’t, and it’s not, why drink it? If it is, but it isn’t, maybe." Well this one is most definitely. Great beer. Soft and lush in the mouth. The bottle says it’s the best lager of Belgium. How about the world?

(Bottled) Slightly hazy, paleish golden with a medium, creamy-frothy, very lacy head. Grassy-aromatic, pear-honey-fruity aroma. Aromatic, grassy-hoppy flavor with diacetyl hints and some acidity. Medium body, soft and foamy carbonation. A reasonably fresh and clean pilsener. Yeast brings some ash and stuffyness.

This pilsner pours a medium yellow gold color from a 33cl bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head with nice lacing. The aroma is cereal and spicy. A medium bodied Pilsner. He malts are cereal and grain. The hops are spicy. Nice balance. There is some coriander and other spices as well in the mix. It is NOT your run of the mill pilsner that’s for sure. Light and refreshing beer. Lively carbonation. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

A pale lager with a thin white head. Ultra maderized aroma, with lots of honey sweetness. In mouth, a sweet honey, milkey notes, light hopping. Medium bodied. Old but still decent. Bottle from Joris Pattyn ca. 2005. Shared with the Outaouais Crew, at Old Stock Tasting No. IV, Nov.11 2006.

[1216-20080321] 330mL bottle. Cardboard paper aroma with a subtle fruity background. Slightly hazy, golden yellow orange body with a quick creamy white head. Sweet orange rind flavour has some sweaty notes and honey hints. Medium body has some bitterness. Really interesting, quite refreshing.
(w/ jerc)