3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze 1998 (50th Anniversary)

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

Murky peach in colour, long lasting white coloured head, great lacing. The aroma is of lemon citrus, barnyard, leather, huge sourness, very tart, old cheese. The flavour is mind-boggling, lot of lemon citrus, very tart, sour, mould, earthy, oak, lots of funk and wonderfully complex. Sour mouthfeel, medium body, medium carbonation. Finishes very long, sour, great acidity. Immensely drinkable, refreshing and elegant. Easily one of the best Gueuze I’ve ever had.

<font size=-2>750ml bottle obtained in a trade with <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?U target=blank>Engelsmann, thanks Martin. Bottled November 21, 1998.</font>

750 ml bottle. Hazy golden color, white head, mostly lasting. Light malts, moderate yeast, plenty of must, some barnyard, apple, intense sourness but not over whelming. Flavor is complex with light notes of citrus, basement, leather, light bitterness and plenty of sour. Palate is active, yet very soft, very acidic. Immensely drinkable. Absolutely wonderful, possibly one of the finest beers I’ve ever had. Thanks again, Jeff!

Bottle. Pours a murky orange body with a medium-sized bready white head. The aroma is um, ridiculously scrumptious. Cheesy yeast, grapefruit, other fruits, brett funk, hay, and oak all come to mind. Sparkling carbonation with tonnes of brett twang, lemony middle, closing off with earthen oak. Wonderfully refreshing. Thanks for sharing this masterpiece, radiomgb!

(Bottled, 0.75l) Very hazy golden color with a large, foamy, mostly vanishing head. Very smooth, sourish, lightly tart aroma with wheat, apricot and strawberries. Very dry and acidic, naturally wheaty flavor with fruity apricots. Still surprisingly smooth. Medium-bodied, tart and smooth palate with quite low carbonation. A very nice and balanced, easily drinkable gueuze. My 700th Belgian rating :)

Clear, golden body with a thick, tightly-packed white head. The aroma is a fantastic potpourri of stinky cheese, horseblanket, sweet apples, tart lemon, dry hay and a pronounced earthy, floral bitter scent. The nose on this is one of the most complex I’ve experienced in some time. The body is light and crisp with a happy, lively effervescence that really awakens the tongue. When sampling, one of the first things that jumps out at me is a light, fruity sweetness. The sweetness is more perceptible than in most examples, but quickly morphs into a stunning, bracing example of funky, earthy acidity. The acidity is greeted by a surprisingly strong and slightly shocking bitterness. Mostly citrus zest with a hint of pine and a lot of shock. Definitely more bitterness than I remember in most Geuze. This is just one fantastic beer. The complexity is robust and damn near profound. As the beer warms, it metamorphisizes into a smoother example of itself, showing a bit more fruitiness and allowing the funky acidity to permeate its environs. The finish is funky and dry, exactly as it should be. This has to be one of the most elegant and enjoyable examples of one of the most elegant and enjoyable styles in all of beer. Wow.

Bottle courtesy to sk8viking: Pours a hazy golden bronze with a nicely-lacing wispy white head. Fresh, tart, funky brett complex aroma has some earthy barnyard and citrus notes. Starts with good bittersweet tart, funky barnyard complexity, very well balanced and enjoyable. Not overly tart, but finishes dry and puckering, a very nice gueuze. Thanks René!

Bottle. Pours a hazy golden colour with a big white head. Sweet barnyard aroma and lovely hints of citrus. Malty tart flavor with lots of citrus. Very nice balanced mouthfeel. Long malty sour finish. This is a lovely gueuze.

Cloudy golden hue. The head is respectable, white, large at first and fading slowly. Gently lactic nose, softly fruity with ripe mandarines, pineapple. Contains a backing mineral character that borders metallic in a rather vinous manner. Hay, grass, barnyard funkiness, flower petals, intricately assembled. Not the most pungent example, but staying far from agressive brashness. Delicate musty sourness, absent sweetness at this age, though the dryness is not opressive. Still quite active carbonation, gentle round bubbles caressing the tongue, while the mouthfeel is medium to medium-full for a gueuze. Exceptionally refined.. Thanks Olivier.