3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage (all from 2002-*)

Brewed by 3 Fonteinen
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Beersel, Belgium

Vintage 2003. Cloudy golden copper body with a large white head. Some barnyard in the aroma with green apples and hay. Green apples is the main taste and it comes with its usual sourness and acidic finish. Acidity level is average for the style. Side by side with a Girardin Black Label (the reference?) this one was almost as good, a bit more fruity and lacking the brettyness of the BL it was nonetheless sharper and more aggressive. Excellent. BEWARE: I also brought back a bottle home that proved to be disappointing (mellow, too fruity, lacking punch). Being a positive person I’m only rating on the good one. I wish women would do the same with my performances.

Hazy orange, low head. Iron Notes, leather, horseblanket. Spongy retronasal. Quite subdued really. Dry finish. Sparkly mouthfeel -slightly overcarbonated.

Bottled 4/13/02... This beer rocks!... Murky golden ale with a huge, wispy, white head. Great retention. The nose is acidic with a lot of funkiness; sharp cheese, lemon, wet leather and barnyard. Well-balanced for a gueuze. Just enough sweetness to hold the acidity down... unusual for a gueuze. Medium-bodied and a bit creamy with fizzy carbonation. Different… world class! Thanks to marsiblursi for providing the bottle!

750mL, bottled 04.13.02; many thanks to hopscotch for bringing this along. Pours a large, off-white head, good retention and lacing; cloudy yellowish-brown appearance. Enticing, citrus and barnyard funk in the aroma. Nice, chewy tartness up front; medium-to-low acidity, fruity, citrusy core; something of a belgian ale profile buried underneath. Medium, tart finish. A fantastic, drinkable gueze rendition.

(750ml bottle, bottled 4/13/02, thanks hopscotch) Cloudy apple juice body topped by a big white head that mostly dissipates. Aroma is mildly sweet, barnyard, some vinegar, funk. Taste is minimally sweet, horseblanket, lemon, funk, vinegar, light lime. Solid sourness, but not overwhelming. Somewhat dry finish. Light body, light acidity.

375ml bottle, 07/03/2002 (march?), thanks to Madsberg as a bonus in trade! deep dark golden, mostly clear body with a good amount of fizz moving up the middle. big off-white fluffy and foamy head. aroma is tart apple, apple cider vinegar, and a little dusty leather. flavor is dry and tart, a little like dandelion greens, unripe sour cherries, and a little acidity. carbonation is very tingly, makes the mouthfeel fizzy/foamy. finish starts dry, goes tart, then clean, then fizzy again. aftertaste is a faded dryness. big thanks, Madsberg!!

Defenitely even better than the other. It was sour and sweet at the same time, just impossible not to like. NIce colour and foam. Everything on it was great. The aftertaste is good.

Any first impressions?
-A ring of foam surrounds the veiled orange murk.
-Flowery orange juice is prominent, undermined by funky hay.
-The citrusy fruitiness and lemon and orange pulp prevails over the crispy wheat; this still remains sweeter than the usual 3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze.
-The prickly carbonation cannot hide the fuller mouthfeel than usual.

What if you dig deeper?
-Peppery funk tickles the back of the tongue.
-I don’t feel this is as clean and cohesive as the usual Oude Gueuze.
-Sourness is pleasantly puckering, yet does not overdo it.

Bottle; 16/04/2002.