Hanssens Oude Gueuze

Brewed by Hanssens Artisanaal
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Dworp, Belgium

Bottle. Wow. This is my first shot at a geuze, so bear with me. My first impression is that it is quite sour. There is a nice fruity taste on the backend. The sourness is all encompising, but is quite nice. Quite acidic, it reminds me of vinegar. There is a faint smoky bite on the front end. I like everything about this except this weird taste that I cannot describe on the backend.

Undated bottle. Without reading or remembering anything about this beer, I’m excited to give a completely unbiased review (except that gueuzes are my favorite beer, ahem). Pours a golden straw color, slight rusty yellow/coppers. Little head retention, quite bubbly. Relatively small amount of sediment, but still enough to please me. Aroma is quite unique. Very acidic, reminds me of pear skin, grape skin and sour lemon. Almost like unripe limes. Yes, I do believe unripe lime is it here. Nowhere near as much horseblanket, funk, cheese(dont even really smell any cheesey bacteria) as say Cuvee Rene or Drie Font. That’s ok though, to each lambic his own and I’m just happy that it’s got its own character. Flavor is tart at the beginning, with light light citrus, good full yeastiness and some sour lemon and grapefruit. On the end, this stuff gets really good; that unripe lime flavor, sour pear skin, orange peel, a bit of sweet malt (nowhere near as sweet as 3F) and even a hint of hops, perhaps? Another unique characterisitic of this one was the oily, leathery, acidic grapeskin quality coming on at the start and again on the finish. Body is medium-full, with a soft but ever-present carbonation that gives the tartness a nudge in the right direction. As it breathes, gains almost a light creamy sweetness on the end, though only in passing. Lots of lemon-lime-pear lingers on the finish, with light yeast as well. Outstanding and quite a good balance. I prefer the extra bacterial, ultra funky, barnyard lambics and saisons, but this one was magnificent in its own right. To be constructive, this one was a bit lighter bodied than the others I’ve tried, though the flavor was so eminently quaffable.
Another (likely 2003) bottle (beige label, purple lettering) consumed Summer 05 at Sunset Grille. Just about as good as it gets for a gueuze. I can see now why this is regarded so highly by many. The aroma is just something else! Pure horseshit, wet barnyard notes. Wow, nice and strong. Flavor is cheesy, heavily funky and only moderately sour. The only moderate amount of sourness is probably further attractive to those who desire a more balanced acidity/sourness. Juicy apples are quite present as well. Wonderfully round and creamy texture with very tight carbonation.
Undated bottle consumed 11/05, label pictured at left. Yep, fascinating again, though not quite as funky. Obviously older and more mellowed out, but still quite cheesy and appley. Perfect texture/carbonation again.

(Bottle) Pours a cloudy oragnish-yellow with a small white head. Pineapple and citrus aroma. Acidic palate. Tart and sour flavor. Incredible! Thanks Nuffield!

Really really really good, but then, its a style I adore. Orange/peach color with a good, thin head. Notes of vinyl, citrus, grapefruit, vinegar, and other fruity possibilities. Notes of sweetness in the finish. Moderate palate. Not quite enough jaw-breaking sourness for my taste, but close enough.

Bottled. Best before 07/08/2020. Bottled opened with a very pleasing champagne pop and nice smoke. Pours an orange colour and later turned hazy after the yeast poured in. Aroma of sweaty socks, pearskin, and general sourness. The taste is very harsh and challenging at first like pickling vinegar and very sour lemons. It then mellows out into a clean crisp fruity (but again) sour drink. The overriding impression is of sucking on lemons though which is not the easiest thing in the World to do.

750 Bottle cork popped out with a loud bang. Poured a hazy honey/amber with a nice dense but small off-white head. Aroma is fruity and sour. Dry like champagne. Apricots, apple cider, and something abit off....musty... Flavor is quite sour. Very acidic, like lemons. Not quite enough sweetness or flavor to balance it for me. I thought I liked sour things, but this takes a bit getting used to. Wish I was sharing it. Different, unique and interesting enough to ern decent marks from me.

BIG, musty nose, fruity, sour, stinks! Wife: " What stinks?" I says, Gueuze! Wife:" It smells like a skunk!" Hmmmmmm. Incredible nose, good looking brew. Sour as hell, fruity, crab apples, lightly phenolic, acidy, sour, lightly woody, hints of BO. Wet leather notes, light oxydation. As yer mouth acclimates and this baby warms, it becomes even more drinkable, smoother, carbonation level drops off exposing lightly toasted malt notes, yeast spiceyness and faint citrus notes, very complex brew, damn, gotta stop. Lovely, dry, tart, sour, fruity finish. One rockin Gueuze!

75cl bottle, best before 2018. Hazy golden, white head. Extremeley yeasty(pleasantly of course). Oak, ripe apples and dry. Quite lively. And that wonderful sourness...