Eylenbosch Gueuze

Formerly brewed at Mort Subite (Alken-Maes - Heineken)
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Kobbegem, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

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375ml bottle, I think from 1988 or something. Lost my notes, but didn’t really need them with this. Long story short, a complete buttery mess. Just nasty butterscotch, something has gone wrong here. I would have liked to have tried one of the "epic" bottles of this, but diacetyl just took over this poor bottle.

Bottle from 1988:
Aroma: minerals, mustiness, some fruitiness--like peaches and apricots, watermelons, some "greeness" like stems or leaves, hisbiscus flowers
Appearance: murky, dirty yellow, lots of yeast
Flavor: watermelon, jerky, slight smoked meat flavors, some mustiness and minerals
Palate: smooth still quite tart, some aged flavors but not overwhelming

UPDATED: NOV 1, 2009 1988 vintage @ WSF. Pours hazy orange and practically still. Aroma is slightly sour with oxidation notes. Taste is funky still with some cardboard present. A good bit of lemon still left in this one. Finishes decently and not very spritzy at all. Not bad for a 20 year old lambic. 6/4/7/3/14 1984 vintage courtesy of Andy. Pours brownish and still. Aroma is quite oxidized and caramel sweet almost. Doesn’t seem too promising until you taste it. Pretty much the exact opposite. Big puckering tartness; lemons and acetic acid. Some oxidative sweetness in there as well. Mouthfeel is a bit thin and finish is plenty sour. I rather liked this despite the sensory confusion. 6/3/8/3/16

Bottle at the Weekend of Spontaneous Fermentation 2008. 1988 vintage: Cloudy amber with a thin film of bubbles that run to the sides of the glass. Aromas seem a bit subdued but very nice. Normal barnyardy funk with lactic acid, tart fruits, some white wine vinegar. Good musty earthiness and a touch of cork. Slightly grassy, or hay. Possibly a touch of malt in the back? Smooth is definitely the word! Once tasted you see how well this beer has aged. No negative effects from oxidation. Good tight sourness that is well blended into all the complex flavors. Fruity tartness. Apples. Mouth watering. Earthy. Finishes with a long dry acetic nature. Light sherry build-up towards end. Fantastic!

Diese Flasche habe ich Egide Snakkers zu verdanken, der sie mir zum Testen überließ. 1989 wurde die Brauerei von Alken-Maes aufgekauft und 2001 ganz geschlossen, die Flasche stammt noch aus der Zeit vor beiden Ereignissen aus der Mitte der 80er Jahre. Verhalten säuerlicher Geruch, nicht unheimlich aromatisch wie viele andere Gueuze. Mäßig säuerliches, gleichmäßiges Auftreten, wobei es nicht das Gefühl und die Feinfühligkeit besitzt, den Tester richtig anzusprechen. Die Aromen sind nicht wirklich stark und die Säuerlichkeit bleibt auf gleichem Niveau. Keine Ausnahme-Gueuze!

Wow, Thanks to FooFaa for acquiring this bottle for us to share! Poured implementing the traditional lambic method into wine glasses A - A mellow golden clouded appearance w/ modest quick it’s there, now it’s gone carbonation that makes a ring of pin sized bubbles the color strikes me as a caramel sunset S - A smell that is so complex it is hard to put into words! a blend of sweet and sour grape aromas, oak and floral elements w/ mild funky accents not really off putting at all but contribute highly to the nose w/ a hint white pepper and mild orange rind. There is light herbal hints but the nose also has a gentle aroma of persimmons under the citric aromas M - The right mix of lemony tartness and sweet pineapple like acidity whcih has balance that outweighs its acid and tannic qualities. The lambic is both light on the tongue and wild w/ fruit notes and light toasted oak texture - the feel is good but leads you right to the taste... T - Holy Hyena Harpsichord - the Best flavor I could not even imagine a taste this sublime - I did not want it to end with one glass or two or... A light grape and passionfruit blends with sweet pear and mellow grapeskin flavors, but the acidity in taste is pleasant and layered w/ mild lemon rind and hints of vanilla. The intensity is great but not to the extreme of grapefruits, just delicous citrus delivering both the sweet and sour in one forceful action, the flavor lasts on the palate long after the liquid is swallowed like ripples of pleasant flavor echoing in the taste buds D - I wish I could say I was exaggerating, but this is hands down the best gueuze experience I could imagine let alone actual have - The layers of taste peel back and beckon for each additional sip the aging has contributed wondrously to the mellowness and complexity yet still retaining the sweet sourness every gueuze fan longs for

Tasted in Belgium at Emelgem.Bottle from 1979!!Even though 32 years old the aroma and the taste was amazing.Mostly cloudy.

Vintage 1988 from the old Eylenbosch brewery. 75cl bottle. Sampled May 1, 2005. Cork still in very good condition for that age; rusty metal cap on top of cork. 2 cm wide fishbone structure of sediments all along from bottom to top of the bottle. Very nice amber-orange color with off-white, not very thick head. Fine carbonation, still amazingly sparkling. No off-flavours, not too sour, well balanced Gueze with some wood flavour. Reminicence of a faro sweetness though. Amazingly drinkable and refreshing. Wish I had more than just two bottles left...