Timmermans Tradition Gueuze Lambic

Brewed by Timmermans (John Martin)
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Itterbeek, Belgium

This beer is a bit of a two-face - it alternates regularly between something rather nice and something really shit. Initially it smells brilliant - big Brett. with loads of funky fruitiness and cheese but at other points it just smells sweet and fruity like the crappest of megalagers. It initially tastes quite juicy and sour but then all the sourness is overtaken by a boring, sweet finish. It’s certainly quite drinkable, but it just doesn’t come together well. I’d love to try this stuff unadulterated (if they make it like that.)

porte noire cafe brussels: this one is served in a timmermans ceramic mug...strange way to drink beer but a cool different look and feel with your mouth. this one i think was golden with a white head. hard to tell in a dark cafe and the beer in a ceramic mug. lots o citrus in the nose lemons and vine sweetness.. bubbly and tingly in the mouth with a short dry blast of sour apples and bitterness and then finishes with a bit of sweetness. not bad but the mug is freakn me out. i need glass that i can see through!

slightly hazy darkish golden, light rocky head. Sour grainy caramel, wood and fruit, grape and cherry with some bitter aroma. Grainy vanillin oak, sour acidity, ripe pineapple, peach and pear, somewhat winey, quite dry and sour.

Bottled: Golden coloured. Clear. Medium dense white head. Light sour and fruity aroma. Light earth notes. Flavour has a dry fruity sweetness, not overly balanced by sourness. The light sourness continues into the finish and lingers light on the palate a short while. Is dry and acidic with some heavy fruit notes. I like a gueuze a bit more sour than this one.

Pale yellow colour, white head. Sourish fruity aroma. Sourish fruity flavour. It’s not a splendid gueuze, but at least it is not another sweet-one.

Bottled
Hazy orange head. Small creamy white head. Aroma is apricots, yeast, alcohol and cherry. Taste is very sour, yeast, apples and very much like very dry white wine. Sourish aftertaste. I like sour things but too sour beer is just not for me. (7/3/4/2/11 2.7)
Re-rated, bottled (BB 07/2005)
Hazy orange color, small dissappearing white head. Aroma of sour apple juice. Sour taste of apples, apricots, mould, earth and grapefruit - a bit like champagne. A bit watery in palate. Fruity sourness in the aftertaste. (7/2/6/3/12 3.0)

Sampled from bottle at Danish Beer Festival 2004 (#56).
Dark golden beer with a fine white head. Mild aroma with a little sourness from the spontaneous fermentation. Flavor is mostly sweet with a dry woody background. A tasty but quite boring Gueuze. Too sweet.

The aroma is initially of spoilt milk and vinegar before mellowing out to a more medicinal nose. Poured a nice clear yellow. Flavour was quite cidery with apple and other fruit notes. Quite refreshing and has a finish similar to a quality dry cider. The is a lot to like about this except the price.