3 Fonteinen Millennium Geuze

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

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

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10/28/06. Poured out of 750 mL bottle, obtained in a trade with BierKonig on RateBeer 8/17/06. Lightly hazy, luminescent gold-orange color with a frothy, sudsy head that collapses a bit, presumably under the weight of the yeast I may have stirred up when pouring. Looks almost like an active krausen. Body has beautiful color. Even more beautiful aroma-- bandagey phenols, some musty dusty cloth with some slight tartness, slight spice and white pepper, even a touch of a nasal burn from some alcohol apparency. Quite a surprise, but it’s not unwelcome at all. This isn’t a high alcohol burn like a high-octane, out-of-control monster. This is an alcohol burn that prickles and pokes like pepper, or like a quick whiff of sauteed garlic and onions as they release their potent perfume before caramelization. Perfectly balanced in harmony with the acidity and funk. Some lemony taste, grassy and straw-like, phenolic with a stern woody dryness and scrubbing quality; dusty and old like a musty attic, beautifully funky with an incredible hop bitterness still so prominent. Some soft elements of acidic, drastically underripened fruits in sort of an apple/lemon/pear medley even with some white grapefruit and white peach. Fluffy, spritzy and effervescent carbonation create a lighter feel to the medium-light body, complemented again by the complex acidity to make this so utterly dry and fantastically drinkable. Bitter in the finish, a near-perfect blend of components that capture the best of geuze with charactericstics that don’t typify the style (bitterness, alcohol nose), simply beautiful beer-- dry and mouth-wateringly good. I hope I get to try this again some day while it’s still at its peak, because I fear I may be underrating it. Such a unique, fantastic geuze. Not a shade of degradation or wear from the 8 or so years of age.

Rating #700! Bottle shared @ S&B. Hazy golden yellow color with a medium, delicate white head. The nose is really funky cheddar cheese and light eggy sulphur. Heavy lemon liqueur and barnyard sock. Light acrid mold. Deep and complex aromas. The taste is lemon wood and dried cork, funky light pears and shaved parmesean cheese. Some sweet pineapple. The body’s indescribeably soft and lush, complex on the tongue. Light, nimble, and still drinking wonderfully. I understand the bottle to bottle variation on Millenium can be pronounced, and I think we got a winner of a bottle. This beer is fantastic, the flavors are constantly changing and evolving on your tongue. A great experience.

Bottle @ Sour & Bitter Dinner, Copenhagen, shared with Bergen Beer Tasting Crew and the fine fellas of the Die By the Beer blog. :-) Ah, so a legend is being opened. Let’s see what the myths are made of. Pours a blonde orange body with a medium off-white head, fading rapidly. Aroma is tart lemon, dense funky brett tones, aerial yeasty apple vinegar notes and hints of straw. Very mellow and finely integrated (as expected). Taste is bitter lemon zest, straw and grassy notes, barnyard funk and hints of grapefruity bitterness. Slight metallic hints in the finish, without being disturbing. Nice. Palate is still a bit fizzy after all these years, but works well in bringing out the flavors. Everything has sort of melted together, as one would think when dealing with this kind of age on a beer, but somehow the overall impression isn’t quite as awesome as the ratings indicate, in my opinion. A very good geuze, but I’ve had better.

10th May 2012
Bottle shared at Sour & Bitter. Very hazy amber beer, tidy white head. Light dry palate., a little soft. Mildly woody. Mild orange citrus. Mild sourness. Pretty dry finish with mild sourness in the aftertaste. An approachable Gueuze for a non sour lover but really not getting all the stellar marks, no change there then!

Bottle @ S&B - Pours cloudy orange, steady white head. Gentle aromas of apple, wood, citrus and some floral notes. Very smooth siiky mouthfeel for a gueuze, very soft from beginning to end. Very well balanced! Taste confirms the nose + some grapefruit. Brilliant beer! One of my all-time favourites.

S&B 2012. Pours cloudy copper amber with a great shortlived off white head leaving lace. Aroma is sweet yellow prunes sweety horse blanket fruity sour; so well in balance and so good. Flavor is sweetish fruity tart sour in front, more dry pungent stable cellar in the middle with sustained fruits getting more barrel harsh and lemon juice tart towards the end. Finishes sour metallic tart.

Bottle at Sour & Bitter. Pours cloudy yellow with a creamy white head. The aroma is acid, sweet fruit, citrus, oak and barnyard. Seems powerful. The flavour is dry and citrussy with notes of fruit, oak and barnyard. Perfectly balanced Gueuze.

A: yeasts, grapefruit, very fresh fruits. A: amazing gold-light amber. T: teh perfect geuze, medium to heavy sourness. P: mb, medium carbo. O: 20/20

Bottle at sour and bitter. Pours hazy amber with no head. Aroma is up front complex wildness, soft tartness, not very "in ya face" but just smooth and mellow. Smooth wood, ruraly stable notes, nice bett, bright leather, grapefruit, a little bit sulfur, dry wood and some lemon. Taste is dry oakyness, grapefruit, overall pretty fruity, not overly tart, floral notes, lemon, very dry wineish, rural stable notes but not at all "dirty". Very clean and mellow. Balance is the key word to this. Taste very authentic.

Bottle at Sour and Bitter. It pours cloudy orange-amber, with a thick white head. The nose is very soft indeed - sweet banana, apple pie, pineapple, spice, floral (particularly chamomile) and a touch of tart lemon. The taste is tart lemon, white currant, green apple, white grape, pineapple, floral, a bit of farmyard and lingering alcohol warmth, with a pleasantly tart finish. So very well balanced, smooth, complex and with a touch more alcohol warmth than most gueuzes. Medium body, fine carbonation and velvety mouth-feel. A brilliant gueuze.

Sour & Bitter 2012, Copenhagen. Orange a bit hazy beer with a small offwhite head. A bit rubber/leather, citrus, plums, grassy sourish aroma and similar flavour. Best geuze I tasted so far :-)