Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait

Brewed by Brouwerij F. Boon
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Lembeek, Belgium

I agree with the Commercial Description: ’’’’sparking and refreshing¨. If I wasn´t sparked up enough, I had the pleasure to try this with Duff in some pub under London Bridge on southside the name of which is not so important right now. Tart and the bit of the blue cheeze that´s been sitting in the olive juice on the snack tray and all the Jatz are gone so I´ve gone and used my unwashed hands straight to the mouth despite the rags I may or may not be on right now. Beautiful geuze, beautiful company.

Was recommended this beer by a fellow patron at the Delerium Cafe in Brussels. I received a 2003 vintage, served in authentic glassware. Head was pure white and sparkling. First taste was lemon, sweet and tart, and the aftertaste was wonderfully dry. I would compare it to a fine champagne.

Very explosive as the cork hit the ceiling after I removed the cage. I didn't lose all that much thankfully. Copper in colour, large head that diminishes slowly. Aroma of apples, some peaches, vinegar, acidic but at the same time some sweetness. Flavour is very complex, with a great sourness, soft bitterness, smooth, nicely acidic, with the alcohol nowhere to be found. Finish is tart and dry. This is a very well rounded gueuze.

Maybe a bit of oxide in the aroma. Quite funky. I think all four of the adjectives on the bottle describing this beer are accurate. Tart, dry, sparkling and refreshing. Don’t know if I’ve ever agreed with a label completely before. You can add funky to it as well.

Pours a lightly hazy copper with a 1/4 inch frothy ivory head. Head hangs in there for a bit but dissipates for the most part after a few sips. Smell is funky. Strident brett and barnyard. Sour apple, hints of tart plum. Taste is very different from the aroma, at least in balance. Very dry up front. An even balance of the green apple fruitiness, the barnyard funk, the light sweetness of the malt and the puckering tartness. Then it finishes nice and dry again. Crisp, clean and dry mouth. Exquisite on the tongue. Very nice. Every now anf then you are struck by a brew that is simply subtle, balanced and well crafted. This is one for me. Been wanting to try this for years and it did not dissappoint. Time to get more.

375mL bottle. Deep Golden Color, white head, great lacing. Aroma is tart (like a bag of sweetarts), bready, and yeasty. Flavor has an unique sweet acetic medium sourness, tart, straw, barnyard... in a good way. Pinot Gris, Apple Cider. Perfect. Balanced. Very enjoyable.

Bottle. A lusciously lemony-tart gueuze with a playful zing of sweet sourness that really puts it over the top. Sparkling carbonation really helps to carry that zing along. Truly splendid.

37.5cl bottle (dated 2005 with an expiry date of 2028 on the label!). A hazy orange beer with an amazingly stable small white head providing excellent lacing. I’m told that this has aromas of "horseblanket" but not being familiar with that particular smell, I’ll just say that the nose has distinct sour lemon and yeasty characteristics. The taste is lemony with those wild yeasts coming through initially but then it becomes sweeter and more fruity with apples, oranges and sulphur coming to the fore. It finishes dry and tart but certainly not sour. The mouthfeel is perfect with a refreshing spritely carbonation. The alcohol is very well hidden inside. It is probably the sweetest and smoothest oude geuze I have ever tasted and I would imagine it would get even better with cellaring. Top marks from me.