3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze 1998 (50th Anniversary)

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

Bottled on 21-Nov-98. Pours a cloudy, two-toned yellow-gold-amber w/ a large, frothy, off-white head. Floral, fruity aroma of citrus (lemon), tart green apples, apricot, fresh, dewy hay, leather, & sharp blue cheese. Light, highly carbonated, mildly acidic feel. Tart, fruity flavour of grapes, lemons, & apples w/ some cheesy edges. Smooth & mellow though still moderately complex.

Bottled. Cloudy amber coloured with a huge white head. Acidic aroma of unriped fruit with notes of barnyard and wood. Acidic and woody flavour of berries and wood with notes of unriped fruits.

Blue cheese, citrus, floral, green apple aroma. Opaque orange-tan with fine-bubbled white head that lies in a thick and lasting cover. Lightly tart and sour tropical fruit flavours. Very strong carbonation prickles the tongue and cheeks. Bottle (bottle date 21-Nov-98) enjoyed with CapFlu, Goldorak, Joey_Capps, Olivier_MTL, Lubiere and MartinT.

(750ml bottle) pours a cloudy, sediment filled body with a large white head. Nose of sour apples, white wine and yeast. Flavour was mildly peppery in the throat. Very delicious. Many thanks to Lubiere for humping this back from Belgium! (7/4/8/4/15=3.8) Re-Rate (Bottle) Shared at the PNW Christmas 2006 party at Oakes on December 9th. Huge exploding head with highly carbonated amber body. Nose of tart cherry pits. Tonic. Good sweetness and tartness balance - peaches, apricots and antacids round out the flavour. (7/4/8/3/15=3.7)

Dorée très trouble tirant vers l’orangée pale. Grosse mousse crémeuse et dense, moyennement persistante. Sublimes arômes rappelant les pommes vertes, le foin mouillé, le fromage bleu, la vanille et le vieux bois, le tout signé par de sympathiques levures sauvages. Flaveurs levurés flirtant avec les brettanomyces, acidité citronnée et quelque peu mielleuse rappelant les premiers signes d’un début de madérisation. Carbonatation très active, de fines bulles explosent dans notre bouche. Franche acidité présente, lactique et très sauvage. Merci Lubière.

Thanks to Lubière who brought back a sample from his recent trip to Belgium, this one was a ’98 vintage. I’ve checked out my little notebook and found notes on a fresh sample I had, and my notes were surprisingly similar. Hazy and peach/orange, with a thick white bubbly cream on top. Why this one has more head than other Gueuzes I don’t know. Yeah, the nose is funky, very much like freshly cut sour apples, the old vintage didn’t have that tobacco/leather dimension the newer version had. Taste profile goes from a tart blast to a faint sweet middle with a touch of yeast than a sandpaper-licking dry finish. Carbonation may prove to be a bit tasking for some, but I like it. I liked the fresh better, but will gladly repeat the experience of older vintages if the occasion arises.

Many thanks Luc and Olivier!!!

The Lure:
Wild hay and straw dance to the cadence of the brettanomyces storm. Much funkier than the regular Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze.

The Festivities:
Diplomatic sourness supports the big-bubbled carbonation and the savage yet intelligent funkiness. Barnyard humidity prevails and imposes itself onto the hay and warped wood. Everything (tartness, dryness, wild yeastiness, citrus flavors) is nicely blended to a medium intensity, yet is enlivened by an inner whirlwind which makes it present a different façade every sip or so.

Transcendence:
Opening up the barn after a few days away.

The 6-year-old bottle provided by Luc was fantastic, but a further-aged 8-year-old bottle provided by Olivier showed that this one is only getting better. It is now within divine realms.

Aroma of brie, straw and horse blanket. Soft, initial lemon juice bite that floods the senses. A ton of bret and lightly buttery. Medium-dry finish, flowery (geraniums and clover), lime rind and tropical tartness. Sucks the moisture from my tonguee. Tasty.