3 Fonteinen J & J Oude Geuze Roze

Bottle shared with GregClow, Jerc, Hogtown Harry, Mabel, and Blankboy, courtesy of Jerc and Mabel. Dark yellow, hazy, small white head. Smells great = spicy funk, sour. Good taste - lots of sour, nice balance with "funk" (bitter citrus and acidity). Good, quenching yet complex. A real rare treat, thanks so much for sharing Jerc and Mabel!

2008-03-28. Hazy orange amber body with a nice white head that diminishes. (3+) Massively funky aroma, acidic generic fruit character, hay, light musty notes, light lemon. (8+) Bracing sour first sip turns refreshing, a lull, then a lot of sourness the rest of the way through. Sour lightly astringent, very bitter lemon seed. Average palate is lightly carbonated, but suits it. Pretty solid - a cool experience. Bottle brought back from De Heeren Van De Liedekercke, Belgium

Bottle (750ml - green). Shared with blankboy, GregClow, jerc, mabel and tupalev - bottle courtesy of mabel and jerc. Cloudy orange, decent frothy white head. Mmmmmmmm aroma - sour pineapple, oak, lemon, waves of light funk, dry and oh so acidic, even cheesy. Taste - acidic sour tropical fruit, lemon juice, very yeasty, oak resins underneath it all (no cheese). Mouthfeel is quite lively and acidic, long sour finish, nicely balanced - this is old, woody, sour and great - thanks for sharing, guys!

Bottle shared by Moejuck @ cbusX...who f-ing rocks. Orange pour with a white film. Aroma of funk, oak, a light creamy malt, light vinous fruits. Flavor of sour fruits, oak, more vinous notes, dry malt. Light body, sour/fruity with a sour/funky/very dry finish.

Bottled. Hazy and almost amber coloured with a medium sized off-white head. This is more bitter and dry than it’s blue counterpart. Notes of barnyard, hay, citrus and a slight hint of strawberries.

Bottle, shared on Valentines Day. First pour this was a little harsh and fusel, but as it breathed it really opened up. Does not come anywhere near it’s brother (Blauw) though, and to me doesn’t quite reach the level of many of the standard lambics. It’s interesting that Boon lambik is included in this blend as I can taste a good bit of it based on the unblended casks I’ve had.

Aroma is minerally, sour, completely dry. A little bit of hay, lemon. Not too pungent or complex. Pour has pretty much no head. Flavor is a bit cardboardy, perhaps too old? Oxidized, a little rough of the palate in the finish, with still a bit of fusels. Up front though the flavor is delicious, brilliantly tart and juicy. Big sips of this are great. Overall though this is a bit of a letdown, especially considering the crazy shipping I had to pay to get it from Denmark. I’d pay as much for the Blauw again but not this... I’d take a $10 750 of Hansenns Gueuze or Cuvee Rene over it.

Pours with an almost three-finger thick, light tan colored head. The beer sits in my glass an amber tinged, honey color, but shows a brilliantly clear, copper color when held up to the light. The aroma has an appetizing lactic sourness to it up front that only becomes more intoxicating as one digs deeper into the aroma. Aromas of berry-like nail polish, tart grapefruit, perhaps a touch of pear, hints of honey-like malt, a bit of cat piss, maybe a hint of woodiness. Somehow this manages to smell thicker and heartier than your typical Gueuze. It is mellow for a Gueuze, at least the aroma is, not nearly as funky as some, though it is note anything near an artificial Lambic.

This beer is very dry, quite tart, and it does not feel thick as the aroma suggested, which is good as a Gueuze should not be thick. It does have some structure to it, with tannic oak character providing a creamy mouthfeel to this brew. The oak also seems to contribute a touch of character in the finish that has some light spiciness to it. This has a full on sourness to it that is not just Lactic, some other acids play a part here as the acidity seems a bit sharper than lactic gets on its own; it has touches of nail polish and maybe some acetic notes. Brettanomyces character is here, but does not play an aggressive role; musty leather, a touch of barnyard, butyric soaked cotton balls, and a sharp mushroom note are each noticeable to varying degrees. A medium level of carbonation is evident and provides a soft prickle as it passes through my mouth.

The second pour of the bottle provides a bit more haze from the sediment and yields some aromatic notes reminiscent of tart cherries, though this note seems to quickly dissipate. The texture becomes much more carbonated again, which makes the beer seem quite a bit lighter. Additional noticed flavors of sour grapefruit, light notes of tannic green tea, a touch of hot higher alcohols in the finish.

This is on the light side of the carbonation spectrum for a traditional Gueuze, but honestly the level of carbonation seems to have dropped considerably in the last couple of years, as most seem to be slightly more carbonated than your standard beer, which this is, as opposed to aggressively carbonated. I prefer the aggressive carbonation, as it seems more rustic and makes the beers feel lighter. I like this beer, but the nail polish note seems a bit off-putting at times, though it is always fairly light.

Pours a hazy amber with a medium sized diminishing head. Smells of a newly cut lawn. Quite bitter and sour with some sweetness. More sour than the Blauw. Slightly grassy with a hint of plant sap. Also aromas of berries, resin and wood. Almost full bodied with a slightly sticky mouthfeel. Lively carbonation. Long dry finish. I prefer Baluw to Roze. Tak bager.