De Troch Gueuze

Brewed by Brouwerij De Troch
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Ternat-Wambeek, Belgium

Tour de Geuze 2007, bottle at brewery. Almost without carbonation. Simple, tart sour flavour. Tastes like a single old lambic. Pretty poor example of a geuze but a work of genius compared with the other childrens beers produced here. Not convinced they are actually brewing on site anymore, may just be aging and blending.

Bottle at The Kulminator 1999 vintage. Great aroma. Nice gueuze which ticks all of the boxes. Good acidity. Lovely lemon acidity.

Bottled - Kulminator- Antwerpen - 1999 vintage. A hazy light brown coloured beer with a ring of off-white coloured bubbles for a head. The aroma is fresh and funky. Acidity and lemons abound. Very inviting. The taste is also funky and sour. Great acidity and good lamon flavours. Very nice and still seems remarkably fresh.

Sebastian (DerDoppelbock) and I had ourselves a great lambic tasting which we kicked off with two bottles from Joris’ cellar, the first being De Troch’s Gueuze - a bottle dating from the 80s but whose precise vintage couldn’t be determined by any inquisition. Despite its age, the gueuze was still showing signs of life as it formed a presentable froth dissimulating the crepuscular brass body. Surprisingly open and airy, the aroma was showing exceptional complexity mingling the fruity tones of green apples, cherries and apricots to a distinctly sweet blend of brown sugar, mild caramel and unmistakable guimauve. The dusty oak profile adds just the necessary hint of maturity but there’s no chance I would have deduced its age in a blind tasting. On the palate, springy carbonation and dry flavors overtly remind of Champagne, subtly tangled in brown sugar, apple and vanilla. The parching finish leaves a sticky sweet Emmental aftertaste on the tongue pleasingly fading with time. I’m full of awe at how well this gueuze has aged and can only humbly thank my benefactors.

The non-Chapeau version of this beer is actually quite pleasant. Straw colored with weak white head. Citrus notes on the nose with notes of horsiness in the background. Clean, dry sour notes of tanned leather resolve to a brisk, cutting finish. Surprisingly good after experiencing the Chappeau Gueuze and well worth a taste if you can get one.

At the Ambiance Magazine Gueuze tasting (De Heeren van Liedekerke) in Denderleeuw. Light hazy warm-yellow color with nice white frothy foam. Soft citrus and rubarbe touches in the aroma. Also hints oxidized rasped Renette apples and hints horseblanket and led pipe. The taste is clean and very citrussy, it has touches of wet wood, barnyard accents, again oxidized apple, goosberry’s and unripe prunes (Reine Claude). Afthertaste is dry and has some green taninnes.

Bottle (Staminee deGarre): Copper with a lasting white head. Brown sugar aroma with a hint of leather. Quite sweet in flavour, though not cloying. Brown sugar with some white wine notes. Slight tart finish, only enough to balance sweetness. Cleansing mouthfeel. Ok but I prefered the Curvee Chapeau.

Wow - thanks for this Joris. I was overwhelmed but its complexity and sophistication. Pungent even astringent geueze nose with some dust, metal, and a drain pipe. Pale copper color with no head. Like apple juice at first, really, then a puckering sourness that hits you on the head. Dry chalky end with some spicy tastes. Wine-like at times. After breathing for a little while this beer just kept improving through the glass. A pretty hefty gueze experience.