3 Fonteinen Faro

Brewed by 3 Fonteinen
Style: Lambic - Faro
Beersel, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

A gueuze like base with brown sugar added for a little sweetening effect. It rounds the edges off the massive gueuze flavours in the base beers and amongst all of the faro's I tried, this was the best.

Sampled at 3 Fonteinen restaurant. Good looks, spritzy with big head. I’m not a fan of the style but if you have to ruin good lambic, this is probably the most agreeable way to do it ;-)

Aroma: apples, pears, raw brown sugar
Appearance: dark brown, small head, very thick
Flavor: raw brown sugar, graham crackers, some carmel malts, some raisins

(03/2007. Draft at 3F resto in Beersel) A bit watery with a timid acidity. Worty and just too young ... seems like it wasn’t finished yet ...

After being lectured about Faro by Armand Debelder and Jean-Pierre Van Roy, there was really no way I could leave Belgium without tasting the "real" thing. Of course that had been my intention all along, but the sourness of Debelder was more poignant in the critique of his forsaken colleagues than the lambic itself. Pumped and poured into the austere Drie Fonteinen tumbler, the Faro resembled unfiltered apple juice, opaque and topped of a light beige column of bubbly foam. Apples appear again with strength in the slightly sweet aroma otherwise dominated by raw vinegar. Soft goat cheese and gorgonzola provide a fresh and smoothing funk. The flavor is again highlighted by apple as well as cantaloupe, apricots and peaches. Lightly sour and barely sweet, this is a velvety soft drink with a character more likely to soothe than any beer I’ve had. It’s the salubrious comfort of a mother when you’re sick.

Bottle. Reddish brown with a thick compact offwhite head, very clear - looks good! Sourish aroma with notes of acetic acid, unrefined sugar and sweets. The flavour surprised - I expected it to be sour when thinking of the aroma. A little one-dimensional and lacks all the complexity I was hoping for. But a little fruity and quite sweet. Very refreshing.

Sampled on tap at the Drie Fonteinen restaurant with lunch. What a wonderful find as the style is hard to find and on tap ever more so. Beer was served with a copper color and just the slightest amount of bubbles on the edge of the glass but there was no carbonation at all on this one which is due to the fact of how it is served. The aroma was sweet with some slight acidic notes as well. Taste was sweet but not overpowering. Refreshing and just a hint of tart but sweet was the overall tone of this beer and made for a great lunch beer.

Thick, creamy white head with beautiful reddish-brown body, similar to unfiltered cider with more red. Aroma very similar to champagne, but far more complex. Fantastic sweet, fruity start with very complex tones flowing to a clean finish.