Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 9.5 | Flavor - 9.5 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 9

The first edition of a special 'Christmas geuze' by 3 Fonteinen, not because the lambic was flavoured with Christmas spices (luckily, perhaps), but a special version of the famed Cuvée Armand & Gaston enriched with a portion of five year old lambic to create extra depth. Snow white, medium thick, bit irregularly edged, bubbly head sustained by a storm of sparkling swirling through a hazy golden robe with apricot glow. Intense, refined bouquet of unripe peach, freshly cut green apple, green gooseberry, old wood, kimchi, green leek, old leather, unripe nectarine, rhubarb, lime juice, sweat, pickled onions, green walnut, dry earth, old dry sherry. Very crisp, 'crystalline' onset, lots of gooseberry, green plum, Granny Smith apple, redcurrant and unripe apricot impressions, sharp yet not harsh - tingling with 'champenoise' effervescence in an essentially smooth, full, bready core laced with green-fruity lactic sourness and lots of ongoing minerality. Tannic woodiness in the finish, dry sherry notes - a bit nutty even, but not as pronounced as I was expecting seen the average age of the lambics; add a perfectly tuned leathery Brett funkiness and combine it with this very crisp, fruity splendour and what you have, is this absolute gem of a geuze, perhaps feeling more 'summery' than 'Christmassy', but blended to utmost perfection. This is 3 Fonteinen geuze blending at its best, even topping the already majestic Cuvée Armand & Gaston for me... The depth and complexity of the five year old lambic does make a difference, without deviating too much from what one expects from a geuze by this world class producer. I hope this one will be repeated every year, it truly adds something to the already crowded world of traditionally made lambic beers.