3 Fonteinen Druiven Geuze Malvasia Rosso

Formerly brewed at 3 Fonteinen
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Beersel, Belgium

750ml bottle labelled Drie Fonteinen Druiven Geuze at the <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/sweden/s target=blank>Akkurat in Stockholm, Sweden. Hazy golden-amber in colour, medium sized white head, some lacing. The aroma is quite tart and sour, green apple skins and red grapes, light citrus. The flavour is tart and sour upfront, after that the citrus (lemons, oranges peel) comes in, peaches, grapes and apples. Moderate acidic mouthfeel, medium body, medium/high carbonation. Finishes lightly acidic, long, very dry at the very end. Fantastic stuff. Very refreshing and sour, excellent balance, this is great stuff.

Bottled (vintage 2000). Hazy peach colour, big foamy head. Spices and sour apple in aroma. Sour apple, grapes and spices in flavour. Very dry finish. Extremely pleasant. Wellbalanced.

Bottled, vintage 2000
Hazy peach colour, not much head. Sour, lambic nose. Very carbonated, fruity, you really can taste grapes here. Sour, fruity aftertaste. Balanced, fruity lambic.

(Bottled, 2000 vintage@Akkurat) Hazy golden with no head. Very sour and acidic aroma. Dry, sour and fruity flavor. Medium-bodied, very dry without carbonation. A nice lambic, what else can you say... at least after about 30 different beers.

Very big rocky head. Subtle sour aroma of sweet malt and sour yeasts. Fruits (apple and wine grapes) lively enough to cut the sourness. With an extremely pleasant dry finish. Good.

Bottle, Belgium, May 2005. Head is initially average sized, fizzy, white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy light amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted grain), moderately yeasty (barnyard, horseblanket), with notes of peach, pineapple, honey, cask wood, apple skin, minerals, gooseberry, etc. Flavor is moderately sweet, heavily acidic. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic. Medium body, watery texture, fizzy/lively carbonation, lightly astringent. No, I’m not going to say where I found this, so don’t ask. I only had the one, no more stashed away for trade. That said, this was truly astounding to me and I’m kinda surprised this isn’t closer to the Top 50. The aroma is just incredible with enticing notes and complexity beyond my senses. I could stand just a touch more sourness in the mouth, but man oh man this is one of the best fruit lambics I’ve had (and ever will have, I’m certain). Armand does it again.

2005 Lambic Festival at Deliah’s Chicago (sample of a 2001, 750 mL bottle): Explosive cork removal; gushing…Dark, hazed aprivot – the initial head dies quickly and leaves the beer looking completely still. Swirling the glass revives the head, but it dissipates quickly. More subtle tartness than I was expecting, but as it warms and opens up a freshness is released: green grape skins and granny smith apple flesh begin to sooth and in trance the senses. Soft, delicate palate that seems to take its time across the tongue…luscious mouth feel with great, fruity flavours and minimal acidity and another bone dry finish. Simply and elegantly great.

Slightly hazy golden. Big, fluffy white head. Interesting nose of white grapes, hay, wheat, leather, light chesse and some horseblanket. The flavors show less fruit character and more of the traditional lambic geuze follows. Extrememly dry, almost shockingly so, for a lambic. More wood here than some of the other samples of the day. Tasty and a rare treat.