Girardin Rare Vos

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

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

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On tap @ Restaurant De Rare Vos. Brown and reddish in colour with a medium sized head. Fruity and refreshing with some sour notes and a somewhat dry and bitter finish.

Amber, orange, a little unclear, huge creamy white head; Not huge, but very upfront complex nose, it seems as a clear mix Lambic, Krieken Lambic and Faro: unripe apple, grapefruit juice and peel, cherry and cherry pit, brown sugar, candied sugar; Quite acidy (pricking) medium full a bit watery body; Into long finish starting of a grapefruity acidy growing into harsh grapefruit peel, later some malt appears, even later the finish becomes very faro like with brown sugar and the mixed aroma of candied sugar and cinnamon that you find in some biscuits (in Denmark called Bastogne-biscuits). It is a fine beer, but I guess you have to be a Schepdaal local to really appreciate this unclear mix of styles. Great bar by the way!

Clear amber with a medium white head. Aroma had sweet malt, caramel, brett and cheese. Flavour had sweet and sour malt, caramel, sour berries and brett notes. Finished sourish.

Draft @ De Rare Vos, Schepdaal. Pours a clear copper color with a small off-white head. Has a sweetish malty carame land brown sugar aroma. Sweetish malty candy sugary flavor with some fruity hints. Has a fruity malty brown sugar finish.

From tap at Rare Vos. Distinct malty aroma with a light barnyard note. Fruity and nice malty flavoured. Citric, light sourish. Nice malty and lingering fruity. Lingering citric. Light caramelish to breadish note. Somewhat a hybrid between faro and flemish bruin.

Sampled July 2010, from the tap at Rare Vos
This arrives with a frothy, one-finger thick, pale, lightly tan colored head. The beer is a red, brilliantly clear color that shows a dark amber sheen to it. This smells of caramelization, somewhat beery (not very Lambic like), has a hint of tartness to it and somewhat fruity with a berry like character that comes through softly. This is interesting, if a bit industrial smelling somehow.

The beer tastes nicely tart as it first hits my tongue; it is very refreshing and maybe even has some hop character to it. It finishes with a slight bite that is a mix of hop bitterness and carbonic acid. This is somewhat sweet tasting, but this is pretty well balanced by the soft tartness. This is very cool and refreshing on this muggy, hot day. The texture is somewhat viscous and has a light-medium body.

I really wonder how Girardin makes this beer, it is likely a blend with a bit of Lambic in it and some caramel color; quite weird in some ways, I am really not quite too sure what to think. In the end this is a bit simplistic, but still nice.

Draught at De Rare Vos, Schepdaal, Belgium (only place available!).
Tall off-white head, clear dark amber body. Mild sweet malty with a slightly acidid tone in the aroma. Notes of brown sugar. Flavor is pretty mild as well with a sourish note. Citrus, hints of wood and a sugary character in the middle. Sparkling mouthfeel. A nice and easy drinkable beer, but not outstanding.

Pours a dark golden amber, transparent, creamy off white head and a lot of lace. The nose offers sweet caramel and candied fruit with a touch of a metallic twang and some light cherry behind. The taste is a little more put together, still very sweet. Notes of lemon zest and some lightly soured cherry on top of caramel and candied sugars. Lighter body, soft on the palate and very creamy. Decent carbonation and a semi dry finish.

Tap on Rare Vos. Dark amber with high off white foam. Very thin aroma. Fresh taste of fruit and brown sugar. Light hoppy end.

Hazy light amber, small bubbled white head that reduces quickly but leaves considerable lacing. Grainy nose has dust, toast, and yeast, considerable sweetness, and a bit of souring citrus. Flavor is sweet, more faro like with the grainy, offset sourness, derived mainly in citrus, but the grain is too spicy even for that and so the malt is too evident. A blatant contrast that doesn’t work well