De Troch Gueuze

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

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.

37,5cl from 1993 - Beautiful really deep golden yellow body with a small white head; Beautiful deep really fresh lemony sour, some malt and hay notes as well as marzipan and macaroon, no sign of age; Quite soft textured body with no carbonation, very sour and very complex; Very long sour finish, complex, hay and wood aromas toped by tons of fresh lemon juice;

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.

It is very little known that brewery De Troch at Wambeek has always made - and still does - a traditional gueuze. In specialised beerpubs you can find the old one with the yellow label and lettering. In other pubs you might find the current with various lables, often for the pub itself (the, already defunct Schaere gueuze springs to mind), but you ought to be able to find it easily enough. For this tasting, I had only an old example. The saccharine (?) tells it all. One warning: if it bears the dreaded inscription "Chapeau" it is not what you are looking for. Colour: dull orange, little yellow head immediately gone. Very much 'horseblanket' in the nose, lemony, vinous as in old over-the-top Burgundy. Taste: very lemon-sour immediately, then flavour as in the smell of unsmoked cigarleaf, and the taste gets immediately milder (this is probably saccharine). Leather aroma. Acidburn, dry, woody. Interminable tumbling of acids, smokey and sweet-that-is-not-sugar notes. Very pleasing. Well worth looking for.

1993 bottle (375ml) at De Heeren van Lindekerke
Pours like clear apple juice. Nutty honey and apple crisp nose, a bit old and faded (musty), but still quite enticing. Light prickliness on the tongue up front, then more of a faded sweetness, giving way to a tannic burnt almond flavor and finally a bright and sharp acidity in the finish, coating the mouth with apple cider flavored residue.

Joris - thank you so much for presenting this one to us - another treasure! This Geuze (from the 80ies) has a wonderful orange color, medicine, pungent, dusty nose - also wet stones with some sweetness. Wow. Astringent taste, overripe apples, earth, very strong metallic taste, long chalky aftertaste, harsh copper wood finish. Great!

Kulminator, bottle 1999. Notes say: Flowery, citrus yeast. Everything seems to have mellowed nicey, great complexity, subtile sour hints.

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.