3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze

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

2005: Poured a hazy yellow color with a large white head. the aroma was acidic and citrusy with notes of lemon and light leather. nice yeasty funk. the flavor was tart and acidic. Nice and refreshing. Mild bitter finish.

22 oz bottle. Pours a cloudy golden orange with a half finger white head. The aroma is of citrus, grapes and yeast. You can taste the citrus. Lots of carbonation with a dry grapefruit finish.

Rerate (4-15-08 and several lambics/gueuzes later):
375ml, Hazy orange, still spritzy. Very good, very traditional gueuze. Well, more bitter than most, in the cherry-pit feeling sort of way (not that there’s anything like cherries in the flavor, does this make sense to anybody else? much like Hanssens Kriek in this way). Also a little more acidic than a lot of other ones. Still juicy. Medium bodied but feels lighter than it is because of the carbonation. Surprisingly I’m giving it the same rating as the first time I had this. Expensive (especially for this half bottle), but very very good.

11-18-06: 750ml, My first gueuze/lambic and going with the Ohio State - Michigan game(we won). First, I love the bottle and label, very appropriate. Sour green apples and lemon juice. Very juicy, bubbly, and fun.
8 5 9 5 18

Pours hazy dark amber with a nice thick off white head. Smell is tangy pine and citrus. Oak and lime taste with HUGE dryness; nicely carbonated. Wow, really picking up on some things I didn’t the first time I tried this one...After taste is as good as the first taste... really some nice fruitiness here. Absolutely delicious!

(Bottle, 22 Jan 2004 vintage) Pours a lightly cloudy orange body with a medium-sized white head. Aroma of white grapes, grapefruit peel, earthiness, and chardonnay grapes. Flavor of grape tartiness that just makes the mouth salivate. Dry finish. Excellent gueuze! (Bottle, 1999 Vintage) Pours a cloudy orange with a thin white head. Nose is sweet, tart, and full of life. The taste is tart, apples, and grapes with a well balanced acidic finish. Incredible Gueuze!

Pours a clear amber gold, somewhat fizzy, with an inch of white foam. Decent lacing throughout the glass. Funky fruity sharp tangy aroma. Ahhh.... Very full flavored - with dry apple cider, straw, tart cherry, light mild cheese, and a hint of spice like coriander in the finish. Excellent sour lemony dry aftertaste lingers forever. Medium bodied, lively carbonation. Great stuff. Expensive, but worth it.

April 2005 Bottling (Oct 2009, 3.7)
Softer palate structure than I expected but still very good. Good sour fruits right through the palate but doesn’t really stray into the intense territory. Good grapey notes as well and finishes with some minerals and pepper. Stil some years to go yet.

1997 Vintage (Oct 2006, 3.8)
Thin head, well built, cloudy orange body. 9 years of bottle age becomes very evident on the nose with old, grapey, wine-like notes and a hint of sour fruit. Palalate is something special as the bracing acidity and sourness evident in so many young gueze has all but disappeared. More vinous and mild sour notes drive the palate and plenty of fizz keeps the beer dancing across the mouth. Just a hint of volatile acidity. (Oct 2006, 4.0) (e8.00 750ml @ Brewery cafe

Poured orange with a light brown head and floaties. Aroma was sour, burn vacuum, barnyardish, and smelly cheese. Had that poweful funky lambic flavor that I have come to love. Tart and sour with what I could call cheese and barn yardish hay flavors. Good body. Excellently sour and tart.