Hanssens Oudbeitje

Brewed by Hanssens Artisanaal
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Dworp, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

Aroma: sour strawberries. Appearance: clear amber liquid goodness with a non-existent head. Taste: First lambic so I wasn’t sure what to expect - really nice and sour with an aftertaste of strawberries. Palate: No carbonation to speak of and a nice long finish. This will be remembered long after it’s finished. Overall: I look forward to trying this again.

Bottle - Pours cloudy amber with no head to speak of--it’s totally still in the glass. Nose is apricot, hay, and poop, with tart brettiness. The strawberries come out in the taste, delicate and subtle, with a tart and funky lemon and orange rind finish. Really refreshing and easy-to-drink while still being tart. Smooth, syrupy, and medium-bodied, I really liked this and am looking forward to laying a bottle of this down for a couple years.

2000 edition, pours orange/amber with thin white head. Awesome lambic aroma, with a lot of funk, strawberry and cheese almost. Taste is acid tartness with some strawberry, wood, and more funk. Excellent sour!

12.7 fl oz bottle, 2000 edition (Thanks to Jessica). A very pleasant beer here. The sour and funky aspects are prominent but definitely not over the top. Very complex, though at the same time very drinkable and refreshing as advertised. Describing the notes alone don’t really do it justice. On the aroma, a good amount of cheese, funk, vinegar, olives, and buttery popcorn. Also, fruity peaches, apricot, and light berry, and even some woody hops are evident. Its quite oily looking with a dull tangerine color, and a slight oil bubble head. I was expecting a more acidic feel, but it actually turned out to be nicely smooth with a slight crisp yet still oily and buttery feel. A very nice feeling on the tongue. Definitely more tangy citrus fruits on the flavor than expecting, and you really don’t get any strawberry until the end where the finish is comprised strongly of olives and light fruits. Through the middle of the body, there is some good funk, mildly sour mixed fruits with apricot and peach again. Hidden in there is also varied peppery spices. All this combines into a fairly mild and easy drinking experience. Wow! All I know is that this particular bottle of beer was fantastic. Excellent stuff.

Perfect level of sourness for me. Very dry and clean tasting. Nose is faint but the flavor is all there. This is right up there next to New Belgium’s La Folie for me. This one is a little cleaner than the La Folie. I’ll have to try them side by side sometime.

Bottle. 37,5cl. Fine fine candy, no head. what too say, not the best, but ok. barnyard in a small way, earthy in a non earthy way.

( 375ml bottle 2002 vintage thanks to BA bosse) Pours clear orange-red with no head. Nose of tart strawberry, sweet tart candy and light funk. Taste is very tart, strawberries and other berries, with a dry finish.

UPDATED: JUN 8, 2010 375 corked and caged. Pours a surprisingly hazy golden straw with a small bubbly head that quickly takes cover along the sides of my glass. The aroma of funk immediately fills the room- powerfully. After a couple minutes the yeast is knocked out of suspension and the pour clears out significantly. After a couple minutes of ADD music searching, I am reminded that I’m drinking lambic by a distinct oaken strawberry note- guess its time to actually go in for a few sniffs. By this time, the head has completely dissipated, leaving a beautiful vessel or orange hued tantalizing deliciousness. Ok really now- tons of funk with noticeable strawberry, acetic acid, and farm-glory. Damn this is crackalackin...AS she warms the bubblegum becomes prolific and dank. More music searching...nothing like drinking lambic to a combination of death metal, pop hip hop, and classical. As for the delvage: Lighter than expected- this would be dangerous in the summer time. Terrifyingly dangerous. I need to make that happen now that I think of it. Good thing it’s 2 degrees out in lovely New Hampshire... Strawberry nectar is met nicely with semi-abrasive funk that warms the back of the throat with its acidity. Bubblegum follows closely- odd put pleasant I suppose. Finish off the pour- smack that yeast back into suspension! Things are still generally quite tart and pleasant 20 minutes later. How about that palate? Low carbonation with that gum like taste that translates into a super-duper smooth body with wholly slippery semi-finish, and a smackingly dry actual finish. Kind of like a dog with peanut butter in its mouth, but far more attenuated and bone dry. I guess not at all like that dog but I suppose you understand. 40 Minutes later: Big League Chew! Strawberry is still there massively, as is the titillating funk. Think Parliament 1976. Women should not drink this delicious lambic during pregnancy due to possible funky birth defects- but I wont tell if you slip a little...

Re-Rate

Vintage 2000 courtesy of craftycarl21. An unbelievable vintage after an epic tasting with the bros- Blabaer, SNR2K, Matt, and Hunahpu , and Pannepot Reserva among others. Uncorked and Uncaged by Carl. A subtle tame pop yields some boyish excitement. I grab the bottle and am met with notes of sour bubblegum...mmm...just like I remember. Lets pour. A hazy apricot pour gives way to a veneer of a head. Musty acetic acid gives way to more big leage chew- fruit gum notes abound. We argue and banter about aromatics and decide to finally go in for the first quaff. Is it kumquat, tart apricot, or citrusy lemon tart? More hay and farmy barnyard notes come through as the brew warms. The flavor is riddled with lemon citrus acetic acid and more delicious bubble tape. A puckering dryness leaves a smacking feeling on the roof of the mouth. The palate is ultra supple and slippery with a super attenuated texture and and bone dry finish. An excellent brew for sure- thanks carl for the excellent vintage.