Girardin Gueuze Black Label

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

I'm still weeping over this one. My wonderfully kind-hearted beer amigo, radiomgb, invited me over for a night of guezes. This nectar, our first of the evening, saw fit to burst forth in an eruption of reddish froth leaving us with only half the bottle to enjoy. and enjoy we did - I am a novice in general when it comes to rating beer, and even more so when it comes to the complexities of a lambic. I was overwhelmed by the cider and balsamic vinegar battle being waged in my nose as I admired the rich amber colour. Lots of apples and citrus and grapes in the cidery taste with a wonderful puckering tartness too. Very dry - leaves you almost as soon as you swallow. A great beginning to the night and my gueuze experience. Thanks Jeff.

Black label. Large head, off-white, lasted long. Hazy yellow in appearance. Aroma is yeasty, barnyard, leather, malty with subtle notes of wood. Flavor is lightly sweet, tart fruit, but not a sour as other gueuze’s I have had in the past. Just the right balance for my palate. Some are too over the top sour, killing my tastebuds. This one is right on!

Sour and funky nose, with huge notes of cheese and that special barnyard flavor. Hazy orange brew, with a small white head. Lemony flavor, huge sourness, salty, cheesy and very refreshing.

City Beer, San Francisco 7/06. 375ml. Hazy golden/amber with large white head. Musty tart aroma. Pleasant tart musty flavor milder less vinegary than Cantillion. Good body welll balanced. Very good.

The beer is clear copper gold, moderately effervescent, and topped by a good two inches of bubbly head. Decent head retention and good lacing. Sour aroma – citrus and herbal. The flavor is a tart citrus, mainly sour grapefruit juice and lemon rind. A little cheesy funk is thrown in as well. Lighter body, with memorable acidic carbonation, and a dry finish.

Beer #100. Orange colour. White head that disappears quickly. Apples and lemon in the aroma. Some barnyard aroma aswell. Very tart flavour. Some apple taste too. Dry and crisp finish. This is a great beer.

I’ve waited awhile to enjoy this one. I popped the cork and was immediately met by the aroma. A deliciously sour, cheesy, hay, vinegar, and upscale leather wafted from the bottle. The flavor starts with a hugely salty and sour lime body that morphs to a mushroom jack cheese and leather glove. It has a lingering lemongrass flavor. When drinking this, you’re met by a huge fizzyness that is like Pop Rocks™ exploding in your mouth. So tart that it wrinkles ones face. After drinking, it’s time to reflect how beautiful in appearance this beer is. It radiates light like it’s creating the light. The body is a shiny copper/bronze and has a thin, nearly non-existent white head. For a gueuze, this is good stuff. I wish it more leathery. Granted, there’s a lot in there, but it’s my world! I want more! 8, 4, 8, 4, 17 = 4.1

Had this last night. mmmm. I bumped up the aroma 1 point.

Big sweet-tart like brett nose with hints of grapefruit, pineapple and a light smoke. Flavor is acidic but not overwhelming, flavors are balanced with citrus with a crisp white wine (grape) like finish reminiscent of a citrusy Sauv Blanc.