Oud Beersel Oude Geuze

Brewed by Brouwerij Oud Beersel
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Beersel, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Stem glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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BB 2022 (=> bottled 2002?) Clear pale gold with a very good dimply head (excellent for the style). Massive bretty aroma quite similar to Orval but more intense - fetta, nappies, cider, pineapple, toasty, cheesy, stale hops, sesame seeds. leather and vomit. The aroma in particular is absolutely amazing - I can’t imagine a beer smelling any better. The flavour takes a little longer to open up as the beer comes to room temperature - starts with (again) Orvalesque river stones, soda water and grassiness. No sweetness shows through but it’s apparent that some malt is left behind in the way everything balances, a light sourness is countered by a beautiful leafy, cheesy bitterness. As it warms the sourness comes through more but never dominates - it’s more the quality or character of the sourness, rather than the intensity, which really does it. It’s fizzy initially but when that dies down it reveals a relatively full body. Sensational stuff. It couldn’t have been easier to drink. I would have taken better notes only I wanted to just enjoy the experience and not think about it too much. Not the crazy-sour stuff I usually go for, but this is even better. I was shocked how similar this is to Orval, actually, only this is far more intense. Amazing (did I already say that?) I can’t believe this brewery is no more...

Bottle. Hazy amber colour with a large white head. Huge aroma of sour champagne, with some cheese/barnyard in the background. Flavours are sour, fruity, some sweetness - it’s like an idealised form of champagne - although one shouldn’t cheapen this magnificent beer by comparison to that inferior offering. Complex and well balanced. Outstanding.

Glorious. Amazing. Balanced. Why did they stop brewing? A truly tragic loss. I have to go buy their kriek now.

One of the most fruity geuzes available, still sour but easily accessible. An all time geuze classic.

This is one of my favourite oude geuze. It’s a very well balanced geuze between the "mellow" geuze like Boon and the very sour geuze like Cantillion.

Sampled 45-50 deg in flute. Another outstanding sampling from this brewery, but not as lovely as the kriek. A near perfect beer but I think I prefer the added complexity of the fruit in the kriek. Marvelous fruity aroma in this one though, a touch of peach and apricot and perfume. I told my fiance that if she had a perfume the smelled like this, I'd kiss her all the time. Refreshing effervescence in a lightly tart, lightly sweet flavor with light fruitiness. Pale goldish color with medium fading head.

Pale yellow, hazy. Vinuous aroma. Very dry with well balanced acidity. Complex, subtle flavours, including a hint of blue cheese. An outstandingly well balanced example of the style. Sheer world class!

3/19/03: bottle. nice full champagne-like head. yellow-orange colored body. cloudy and very active. minimal lacing-if any. sweet and sour fruity nose, with hints of cherries. tastes similar to champagne with a sour and very clean finish. as it warms there is a heavier evidence of yeast. sensational.

Bottle from Only Fine Beer (Bottles’ website). Deep, blooming orange, with a towering, cloud-like white head. One of the best looking beers I’ve ever seen. Superb aroma - tart, fresh, sour and malty sweet. Marvellously, deliciously brilliant beer!! Hits the tastebuds with a fruity, flavour packed burst: orange, pineapple, then a sour wave, which slides over the tongue, and into the throat letting go before the onset of any harshness. Perfectly balanced. The best gueuze (or geuze) I’ve had.

Had a bottle of this at In De Wildeman. This is an amazing beer. I have a bottle of ’99 laying down which I plan to open in 2010 if both I and the planet still exist. It’s very sad that this brewery has closed but I hear rumors that it may reopen. Nice copper color; nice creamy head; nice tart/sour fruit taste. I don’t know that it get’s much better than this.