tiggmtl (4179), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada May 23, 2004 Drie Fonteinen Framboos (1986). Label has worn away completely over the years and cage around the cork is rusted clear through in places and is impacted with soil. We were blessed not only with a fine lambic but also a little piece of Belgium. Year has been marked by hand in white on the side of the bottle. Cage and soil, once removed, reveal a wax plug sealing the top of the cork and apparently still intact. Pulling the cork resulted in a very satisfying pop and a mist of CO2 after all these years. Poured a very strong, pink-tinged head over a murky, red-brown body. Fantastic crisp lambic aroma. Raspberries are still there and strong - captured all those years ago and released at last. Barnyard, horse-blanket, musky sweat, mustard seed and leather all come out as it warms. Assertive sourness marries perfectly with explosion of raspberry flavour in the mouth. Wonderfully tart and noticably funky - a perfect complement to the fruit. Puckers the edges of the tongue very gently despite the strength of the sour, tart acidity. Acidic (lactic and acetic) without any burn. This is a gentle giant. Smooth, fresh palate. Incredible lasting carbonation. Medium body with lively mouthfeel after all these years. Head lasts throughout despite the fact that I lingered over this one. Long dry finish with raspberry that endures for minutes after the sip. Probably the most complex thing I have ever tasted. The only issue I took with this one is that even with the loitering pace, it was gone far too soon. The empty glass continues to provide new wonders in the aroma and the bottle the next day further still. There is truly nothing I can think of that would make this a finer beer. It got better with every sip. My first perfect five. If this one has any peer, I am looking forward to that discovery. Absolutely sensational.
Bottle given by JorisPPattyn to MartinT. Thankyou both for sharing this fantastic lambic (savoured with MartinT, mr_kimchee, Oakes and Rastacouere).
arjoseph (557), Chicago, Illinois, USA Aug 30, 2008 Bottle into tulip. Crazy-ass lambic tasting in our hotel room, GABF 2007. Super huge thanks to cquiroga for bringing this to the tasting. He was saving it for a special occasion, but the occasion is simply opening a bottle such as this; it carries its specialness with it. Smell is funky, berries round and rich and underneath something soft and almost lactic. Flavor is what I expect from Drie Fonteinen: a nice sour bomb riding perfect carbonation, fills the whole mouth and tingles in perfect complement to the acidity and sour fruits (crisp apple, cherry); raspberry emerges more in the finish than in the middle, and is really only an accent to the gueuze-y goodness. The finish just doesn’t die, hitting in waves of renewed acidity and fruit and yeast (the closest any beer has come to the sublimity of Blauw). After it warms, the alcohol comes out just a bit on the nose, which is strange but not bad, and it’s somewhat salty in the finish at turns. Wow. Bam. Dope. (The trifecta.) MIBRomeo (1889), Wisconsin, USA Aug 7, 2008 Tried this from the cellar of a brew pub in belgium, can’t even read my notes on which one. Vintage 99.
Off orange pour looks a bit muddy. Not much of a head left on it touch of white wisp. Aroma is great very out there sour raspberry, a bit of sour wine type smell in there too and some undefinable spice. There’s just a lot of stuff coming through that I can’t pull apart but I like it. Palate was fully coated and nicely puckered. Sour berries raspberry I think dominate hint of vinegar some dry wood and notes of earthy leathery blend come through.. there’s definatelly a dairy hint hidden in there. Good stuff... wish I had been in a bit better mind when I drank it, would like to try it again. Ofortuna (315), Grafton, Wisconsin, USA Jul 29, 2008 #300 for me and what a way to celebrate!
A tremendous “thank you” to Jeppe for bringing perhaps the “holy grail” of the beer world. May 25th 1999 vintage 750ml bottle. Pours a cloudy amber hue with a surprising amount of carbonation that left a quickly dissipating head. Holy aroma! Amazing. Musty, funky, balsamic vinegar-esque, blue cheese, raspberries. Unbelievable amount of complexity in the flavour. I just sat for minutes wafting and enjoying the experience. The first sip brought about an assertive acidity, but mellowed just enough to allow a tapestry of flavours to present themselves. These flavours came in a wash over my taste buds and presented themselves as a horse-blanket drenched in a puree of sherry, balsamic vinegar, raspberries, key limes, and a little turbinado sugar.
Each flavour component played so beautifully off each other that it was like watching a well done stage play. A pair of characters would present themselves on my palate and trip delicately around my senses. With each unveiling, new complexity was found and a new sensation. Subtle, refined, delicate, nuanced. The years and expert cellaring seemed to have done this masterpiece well.
xnoxhatex (791), Chicago, Illinois, USA Jul 21, 2008 Big thanks to Jeppe for sharing this bottle, once again another beer I thought I’d never ever get to try. Murky red brown with small beige ring. A wierd sort of funk in the aroma that is a little sweet but like soured fruit, raspberry is very prominent. The flavor matches the aroma but the sweetness is more prominent, a little like strawbeery yogurt, very funky, a little acidic, jammy. Medium body and very acidic, especially down the throat. This might be the most unique beer I’ve ever had and it is holding up extremely well. I really appreciate Jeppe sharing this bottle with us. pantanap (793), Chicago, Illinois, USA Jul 19, 2008 750ml bottle dated May 25, 1999. holy crap another unattainable beer today. brought to us by the extremely generous jeppe...... pours an extremely cloudy and murky apple cider brown with a thin wispy off-white head.... to be succinct and to the point, the nose was incredibly funky with soft raspberry notes, a little cheese, and vinegary....flavorwise is where this lambic takes off. funky and intese raspberries play off each other in perfect harmony. sublime mouthfeel with just the right amount of liveliness. an extreme explosion and awesome amalgamation of great flavors. i can’t say enough about this.
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