3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze

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

2004 bottle. My first from this brewery, and much thanks to Tom (oldgrowth) I was able to try this fantastic brew. Pours out a cloudy orange color, not much carbonation. Sweet citrus in the nose, and a nice upfront sourness on the first taste. As that fades it leaves way to oakey flavors, wood, and the ever present sourness. Awesome. Probably the best geuze ive had to date, glad I have another bottle of this, to last me for a while.

Bottle. Pours a hazy golden colour with a big white head. Aroma of barnyard with some citrus hints. Sweet malty flavor with nice sourness and hints of citrus. Sweet malty finish.

Re-Rate. Bottle dated Apr. 2, 2001. Different label than the picture; it seems like a vintage, but the vintage rating is only for 2002 and after. Hazy grapefruit color in the glass, large fizzy head dissipates quickly. Lemony and skunky smell, yeasty things going on. Strong carbonation on a light body; acidity is stiff but slow burning, takes two seconds to emerge in lemony goodness. This is awesome, but the palate seems a bit weak; I dropped it one point, but I also raised the smell one point from the original rating.

Original Rating. 37.5 cl bottle into tumbler, Bier Circus. After having my Drie Fonteinen Framboos order ripped away from me (the lady said they didn’t have any more, but I have my doubts), this was the fall back, and it was a good choice. Hazy brown gold in the glass with a peach frothy head. The smell doesn’t give much, pretty much just some bitter brett and not much fruit character at all. The taste is a sour bomb at first, it takes over the whole mouth in a rush; however strong the sourness is, it can’t keep back an insistent brett, which forces its dry way up through the middle; only to be replaced by a resurgent sourness right before the swallow. The finish blends the two nicely, tasting of a very dry blending of muscat and proseco (it retains a tiny bit of the sweetness of the former); in the middle of the finish, some hops push through with a very un-citrus bitter and become the dominant feature, although there’s still sourness lingering strongly on top of it (it’s an amazing flavor, each layer well-defined and coexisting while being almost exactly complimentary); after a long ass time (30 seconds or so), the finish mellows and tastes distinctly of apples. Decidedly dope.

Bottle January 2004. At first, you only taste the sourness of this gueuze, but once you get used to it WOW! a wonderfull world of complexity just unveil its secrets. Pours a deep hazy golden with a medium white head. The aroma is citrusy witu hints of grapefruit, barnyard, herbs and yeast. Taste is dominated by a wave of sourness, followed by citrus, grapefruit, currant, horse blanket, funky barnyard. Full body and an everlasting finish.

Bottle says Dec 2000. Pours deep, hazy gold into a tumbler. Very active white micro head. Bright sour resin and herb lambic notes. Upfront sour yeast with an extremely tart, long lasting finish.

mon dieu! i’ve died and gone to heaven and all the angels are belgian brewers! ah, geuze, either you love ’em or you’re nuts! the beauty of this golden, richly foamy-headed geuze takes my breath away. love that citrusy-hay-earthy nose and the dry, tart grapefruit tingles the tongue, tipping my tastebuds towards nirvana!

Bottled (2002). Rated already in the end of April, but missed it in my beer logbook. Pale orangeish colour with surprisingly good head for a lambic. Aroma is yeast, fruits and sourness. The flavour is sour apples with hints of also citrus and some yeast. Very refreshing beer after getting used to the biting, crispy sourness. I think this would fit perfectly at a cheese table.

1999 bottle shared at Sven’s homebrew party. This poured a light orangr color with a good sized head. Aroma was very distinct with notes of yeast, citrus, and a hint funkiness. Initial flavor was very tart. A light-bodied beer with lots of citrus and sour notes. Dry, refreshing after taste. A great summer beer, perfect in the almost 90 degree weather I consumed this in.