8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Recently released 'geuze' version of a lambic dry-hopped with Talus created earlier this year, with the Talus, a 'daughter' of Sabro, being a new hop variety released in 2020 and supposedly imparting citrusy and piney aromas. Egg-white, dense and stable, slightly irregular but firm, medium thick head lasting for a long time on an initially crystal clear, warm 'old golden' robe with apricot glow and a whirlwind of lively, champagne-like sparkling - a beauty, turning misty in the end, with some tiny 'flakes' of (probably) protein dancing around. Aroma of grapefruit pith, wet old leather, lemon juice, sawdust, freshly sawn timber, dry hay, lightly toasted pumpkin seeds, black tea, freshly cut dandelions, bergamot, 'horseblanket' and something a bit sulphurous to even H2S-like ('putteke', as we say in Flanders) but not to the extent that it bothers me, dried lemonbalm (strong), minerals, arid farmland in midsummer. Very crisp onset, sharp champagne-like effervescence jumbling impressions of raw rhubarb, green gooseberry, unripe plum and lime juice and throwing them at a smooth-edged bread-crusty core dried by lactic acidity and strong woody tannins, with a combined astringent effect, even if the basic character of this lambic blend is rather 'mals'. Lovely leathery Brett effects throughout, very pronounced retronasally, adding complexity and funk, while the Talus effect I have been waiting for finally reveals itself towards the finish, in the form of a citrus peel-like, herbal bittersourness which blends perfectly with the citric-tart character of the lambic and the woodiness rather than contrasting with them. It accentuates a vibrant minerality too, with a sharp 'crystalline' effect in the finish - the perfect accompaniment to a plate of fried fish or fresh seafood, I reckon. Very crisp and clear 'geuze' (note how the creators in this case avoid the legally encumbered 'oude') - basically the sparkling version of that Talus-dry-hopped lambic they made in preparation of this one. The fraîcheur, crispness and acuteness of the hops are seamlessly integrated into the whole, adding to it in a way that is both subtle and powerful at the same time. Oud Beersel still ranks as one of the most accomplished lambic producers of our day and age in my personal opinion.