Belle-Vue Sélection Lambic

Formerly brewed at Belle-Vue (InBev)
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

Drank the 1991 version at the weekend of spontanious fermentation. A very nice product from Belle-Vue, although not really comparable to some other geuzes out there ... .

UPDATED: JAN 13, 2012 Opened Spring 2011. 1999 Vintage.

A: Medium straw-orange body. Small white cap. Slowly receded. Thin streaks of lacing.

S: Deep, musty tartness with lemon and orange fruit notes shining through what is other wise fairly earthy.

T: Really tart. Like grow hair on your chest tart. Nice interplay between the fruits and musty oak. I found this to have developed quite the nice complexity over the years. While it is incredibly sour and tart, there is a clearly discernible depth of flavor to this gueuze. Lemon, orange, oak, earthy must, barnyard notes and the slightest hints of salty sweat.

M: While it was incredibly tart, it wasn’t what I’d consider to be abrasive. The beer coats the tongue with flavor and slowly fades with a nice lingering citric aftertaste.

O: I savored my glass for damn near an hour. Each sip was enjoyable. It makes you wonder what Belle-Vue could do now if they gave a real go at producing a quality gueuze.

Thanks to Chris for this... peach gold, no head... acidic vinegar, a touch oxidized, a bit nostril signing... the taste is right on with the nose, vinegar acidicness, a bit enamel biting, but really just gives you the quality that you like in a super sour beer but super drinkable

RBESG Sheffield 2009 Grand Tasting @ the Harlequin. It is quite difficult to rate something so extreme for a style that I am not used at all. There have been some geuzes that I started enjoying, but this is so acidic and reminded me of nail polish. I hope I will have the chance however to try it again with a more sour trained palate

Pouring at the grand tasting at RBSG in Philly. Pours a hazed golden orange with a thin white head. Lightly cheesy at the start. Big acid, nutty acetone. Long acidic sourness, very acetic, big long acetic finish, and a touch nutty.

1999 bottle generously shared at the RBSG grand tasting. Pours a hazy strawberry blond. Aroma of aged cheese, peach, and nail polish. Fairly acidic with the right touch of acetone (noticeable without an obnoxious sting). Also notes of peach and a hint of vinegar. Outstanding finish; some legitimate dryness and the right acidic bite. The level of acidity is just about perfect.

tepid gold pour, Plastic nose, heavy acetic, some hay. The dusty aspects of some lambic are totally lost amid the slick sour citrus assault. Flavor is harsh but better, light citrus and fruit skin, bit flat and dead. Thin body, sticky. Bit harsh on both ends but still within the realm of enjoyable, the light burn only slightly detracting.

Insane bottle share by Brad at RBSG. Pours orange. White head. Nose/taste of lemon rind, vinegar, very funky tart fruits, orange peel and bready wild yeasts. Funk is very sour and full of intense vinegar. Medium body.