St. Louis Gueuze

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Ingelmunster, Belgium

On draught at Brasserie Beck. Light winey nose, mild cherry wood or oak, and a mild fruity character. Not overly complex or sour, but a decent tangy freshness. Dark golden-amber clear, with very little white foamy head. Medium light body, watery with light carbonation. Starts with very light gueuze profile, mild tarty fruity notes, light oak, and some winey acidity. Bit sugary, and overall a bit watery. Run-o-the-mill quaff.

Smells almost exactly like a McDonald’s cheeseburger. A little bit of sewage works its way into the nose as well -- less than impressive, but points for being interesting. Appears brown, I think, but I’m drinking it from a white mug. White head (heh). Has a cheeseburger taste similar to the aroma. Very sweet and dry. Aftertaste is of grains or cereal. Frankly, it’s made me want a cheeseburger. (Once the initial taste recognition has worn off, I can taste some sour apples and other stuff.)

Green bottle - LCBO - Big sticker on the side announcing it is artificially flavoured. Amber colour, initially large white head which quickly reduces to a small one. Kind of a sweaty-peppery aroma with a sour tinge, some apple & vodka (?) in there too. What a contrasting taste, like over ripe apples that have been dried and eaten as a snack food, a ’dusty’ finish, little carbonation, just odd. Not what I expected at all.

Shared with Pyrozoid. Clear orange/amber poor with a tiny off-white head. Aromas of oranges, sour apples, pine resin, lemon juice and rhubarb. Sweet unexpected for a gueuze... and unexpected after listing the aromas. The acid mouthfeel hits you right off the bat but very quickly switches to a longlasting sweetness and a very faint bitter palate. Acid fruits completes the flavors... but again... slightly to sweet. Good tasting beer but very far from its actual style.

50cl bottle@carlsenskvarter,Odense. Clear gold with surprisingly large & lasting white creamy head. Aroma is both sweet & sour - mostly sweet. Notes of corn & fruit. Vague vinegar notes. Sticky & very easy drinkable gueze.

Achetée à la LCBO. Bouteille verte avec autocollant pour souligner le sucre ajouté (étrange emphase). Bière de couleur ambrée avec des tons orangés, claire. Donne une mousse assez généreuse au service, mais qui disparaît presque entièrement la minute suivante. Le parfum est dominé par les pommes surettes, fermentées. Sent plus le cidre artisanal que la bière. Odeur sucrée et mielleuse. Goût sucré (miel floral), par-dessus une base un rien surette. Dominée par les pommes et les poires. A bien le goût un peu médicinal des levures de type gueuze. Laisse un arrière-goût inhabituel, difficile à cerner : maïs, herbes de cuisson (thym, basilic), girofle, lilas? Ce n’est pas une complexité, mais plutôt une ‘imprécision’ dans la facture… La bouche est ronde, pétillante et crémeuse. Rafraîchissante. Ce n’était pas mauvais, mais ce n’était rien pour inviter à être bu encore ou en grande quantité.

Green bottle, 375 ml, best before 04-2009, purchased at the LCBO, savoured on March 22 2006; eye: copper with a reddish hue, clear, voluminous beige head that falls rapidly to leave a blanket on top of the beer, lacing, good effervescence; nose: lambic, light fruitiness, horse blanket; mouth: surprisingly the expected acidity is barely present, relatively thin, definitely uncommon savours, horse blanket, stale apple, sugar is present throughout the sip, a bit of hops, finale in horse blanket with stale apple, slightly bitter, mildly sweet, medium body, rather carbonated; overall: disappointing FRANÇAIS Bouteille verte, 375 ml, meilleure avant 04-2009, achetée à la LCBO, savourée le 22 mars 2008; œil : cuivrée avec une teinte rougeâtre, claire, mousse blanche abondante qui tombe assez rapidement pour laisser un petit tapis, dentelle, bonne effervescence; nez : lambic, léger fruité, cheval; bouche : curieusement l’acidité tant attendue est à peine présente, relativement mince, définitivement des saveurs non fréquentes, cheval, pomme éventée, sucre est présent tout au long de la gorgée, un peu de houblon, finale en cheval avec de la pomme éventée, très légèrement amère, moyennement sucrée, corps moyen, plutôt carbonatée; en résumé : déçu

375 ml bottle from LCBO, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass.

App.: Deep golden, clear(!), minute white head. Aroma: Light acidic/grassy notes, slightly spicy and peppery, a bit of apple/pear, the tiniest hints of funk, light brown sugar, a bit of bread and yeast, stale apple juice. Palate: Medium-ish body, soft but fairly full effervescence. Flav.: Lots of stale apple juice, cherries, apples, pears, and other fruits, a hint of spice, a bit of cardboard, some grain/cereal, a wee bit of yeast, no funk; a bit sweet, lightly tangy, no bitterness, leaves an impression of old apple juice.

A Gueuze this is not! And artificially sweetened?? Since when do beer drinkers watch their calories??