Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René

Brewed by Brouwerij Lindemans
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
St Pieters Leeuw-Vlezenbeek, Belgium

1994 vintage, courtesy of Brigadier.
Semi-hazed and dusted orange with icy white bubbles hugging the side and bubbly glaciers convening in the center. Wonderfully careening tartness strikes the nose. Perfume essence perpetrates greatness. Balsam and tart cranapple slide down porous cedar. Sweetness settles under a pond-like mineral water element. Lemon shortbread with sweet, tart icing. Supple carbonation aids the clean, craving, cleansing trifactor. Sulfurous mandates and tart coalescence linger on the tongue long into the night.

2002 bottle. Pours gold with a dissipating white head. Smells of perfume, wild meadows, some tarte sourness and slightly sugary with some woody qualities. Tastes initially sweet with some nice subdued citrussy tartness and some acidic notes as the beer continues to breathe. Palate is soft but not as delicate as Cantillon and 3 Fonteinen’s examples I’ve had. Mouthfeel is tarte and light with a sour sugary finish.

750 ml bottle (1994 vintage)

I found this on the short drive from Three Floyds to Flossmoor at a hole in the wall liquor store. It was a bit a surprise to find which is why I could not pass it up. Since gueuzes don’t always agree with me I brought it to the tasting at Sombeast’s house. It seems to have held up well which makes it an even better find. I can’t wait to crack open my 2005 vintage, especially since I know it will last for the next ten years.

Aroma / Appearance - The clear bronzy body had a thin oily head which was quick to fade. The nose was a strange combination of cherries, olive oil, sourness and a trace amount of fruits. It was very unusual but tempting at the same time.

Flavor / Palate - Sour lemon drops form the main taste of this beer. Orange peels blended with sour patch kids dry out the throat slowly. Instead of attacking the senses it chews at them methodically. I was only able to drink about five ounces before it overwhelmed me. The dryness was still in my mouth on the drive home 30 minutes later. My other bottle will be for a special occasion or when I am in the right mood. Based on this it will take a long time to finish off.

2005 bottle - Pours hazy light orange-yellow with a moderate sized head. It has a very substantial aroma of tart fruit and lambic funkiness. The flavor has apples, some citrus, and lots more funk. The wild yeast strain is strong in this one, but good. Medium bodied, it has a sour, dry finish. This brew is more of a true lambic (to the purists) than the other Lindeman’s lambics I’ve tried, which tend to be pretty sweet.

Consumed at the Pewaukee tasting, . 1994 bottle with a 8 badly written in Sharpie over the 4. Consumed at the Pewaukee tasting. Wonderful sour barn-yard aroma. Unclear apricot color. Tart, sour, dry. Balanced and desirable - I could stand to drink more of this.

1994 bottling (we believe). Poured a slightly hazy medium caramel with a light cap of dense white head. Aroma picked up lots of lovely, hefty vinegar and barnyard sourness and funkage.. lemon zest provided an accent. Flavor found vinegar and lemon tartness at the forefront.. musty old barn, horse blankets, and dry dust round out the back-end. Tart and acidic, but never oppressing.. dry and refreshing. Very good stuff!

1994 on the label. The beer pours to a very hazy orange body with a really dense and creamy white head. The aroma is sour and funky with lots of horseblankets. It’s a pretty complex and nicely tart beer. The flavor is tart, acidic, horseblanket, and finishes nicely balanced. The palate is tart but unfortunately not overly so. A light gueuze.

Nearly a champagne. Super tart, delicious with no fruit juices to enhance the flavor. It’s not necessary as this gueuze stands on it’s own. Great representation of the style.