Girardin Gueuze Black Label

Brewed by Brouwerij Girardin
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Sint Ulriks-Kapelle, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

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Had this at 't Brugs Beertje in Brugs-Black label, dust-covered as though it had just been brought from the cellar. Dark orange, some straw in the aroma and also a whiff of apple cider. Startlingly dry and acidic. Very complex with all sorts of aromatic flavors: hay, apples, and a lemon-juice sourness that lingers. Ends with grapefruit and sour apple flavors. Just the right balance of tartness and flavor to make this enjoyable from start to finish.

Black label bottle. Very like a good cider. Appearance like a cider, but more amber and much cleaner. Aroma is ciderish, but without the apples. Quite tart and woody. Refreshing with a journey that starts with a hesitant sweetness and finishes dry as the Sahara desert on a dry day. No astringent nasties, just a clean, dry finish. But I didn't get the reason for the raves. I think this is a well made beer, tasty and refreshing, but a little one dimensional in it's flavour profile. Gueuze and dry cider seem to have taste experiences in common, though a dry cider has a greater range of flavours and is more complex.

I am really glad that I had other gueuzes (Cantillon, Mort Subite, Beersel) before having this one, because I could see then the level of complexity and intensity of flavors on offer here. Attractive white head over a cloudy yellow body. First aroma and flavors were the barnyard ones I expected, with some sour zing. Layers of flavor revealed a lovely citric, very lemon flavor, and then as I got closer to the bottom it produced more grapefruit notes, with a bitter grapefruit finish. Musty, chewy flavors carried on throughout. The acidic effect was a bit too much on top of a lamb madras earlier in the evening. What a gem of a beer to find in a pub. I really didn't need a whole bottle of this (a half bottle would be fine). (at the Wharf, Oxford)

UPDATED: JAN 11, 2004 RateBeer Summer 2003: Murky light orange color with a small head. Sour aroma with a bit of horse-blanket and old wood. Tart and sour. This is the first gueuze that I truly enjoyed.

Summer Gathering 2003: Cloudy amber with little to no head. Very sour nose with hay/farmyard/lemons. Mind numbing, puckeringly tart and sour, like sucking on lemons & limes. Hint of sweet bready malt in back. Touches of mint in there--something slightly medicinal. Tannic hints; bitter, dry, and nutty at times. All that a lambic should be.

Very cloudy appearance with an aroma something like standing outside in the country after a spring rainstorm (it's more subtle than Belle Vue Selection). A sip hits your tongue hard with tartness, inducing a pucker (it is quite effervescent), but then it eases off. Quite good!

Girardin Gueuze 1882 has dark golden colour with thick off-white head. It has big acidic nose with some floral, piney notes. It has some light piney, resiny flavour notes similar to Cantillon's gueuze, though nowhere as pronounced. High carbonation rate and very dry and refreshing. It's an extremely drinkable, big gueuze with a complex woody character.

Perhaps Gueuze is not my style. Hazy yellow with vinegary, musty aroma. Has a sour, wood flavor.

UPDATED: MAR 26, 2007 Bottle... RBSG2003... This beer Rocks!... Murky, deep golden brew. Creamy, lasting white head. Nice lacing. The nose is vinous and tart. Notes of leather and must. The flavor is wonderful! Pungent, earthy, leathery. Nice hop bitterness. Medium-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel and fizzy carbonation. Astringent, lightly bitter, acetic finish! Great Lambic!

UPDATED: AUG 1, 2003 This brew pours a very envigorated large head of small bubbles that was mostly diminishing. Its body was a hazy light orange brown color. The aroma was very bubbly and fruity. It had a dry complex flavor and it was not much of a flavor I cared for. It fruity citrusy flavor was dry from start to finish.