Oude Geuze
(has 108 batches)
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in Lot, Flemish Brabant, Belgium 🇧🇪
Lambic Style - Gueuze Regular|
Score
8.12
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A true Geuze. A blend of 1, 2, and 3 year-old lambic unfiltered and unpasteurized and aged in the bottle for at least 6 months after blending. Continued fermentation in the bottle give this Geuze its famous champagne-like spritziness. The lambic that goes into it is brewed only with 60% barley malt, 40% unmalted wheat, aged hops, and water, spontaneously fermented by wild yeasts, and matured in oak casks.
3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze is a blend of one-, two-, and three-year old lambics. Spontaneous fermentation, patient maturation in oak barrels, and continued evolution of the ecosystem in the bottle result in a distinctively complex and elegant natural beer. No two bottlings are alike, as there are multiple variables in the blending process, a variety of barrel sizes and shapes, differences in aged lambic proportions in the blend, etc. When cellared properly, 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze can be aged for several decades. The aromas and flavours will evolve from notes of vibrant fresh citrus, zesty and grassy notes to a mellow, oaky, stone fruit bouquet as the lambic continues to develop with time. Lambic and Geuze are living, cultural heritage rooted in the Zenne valley! Taste, savour, enjoy and experience this bottle fermented, unfiltered, unpasteurised and unadulterated beer with friends new and old!
3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze is a blend of one-, two-, and three-year old lambics. Spontaneous fermentation, patient maturation in oak barrels, and continued evolution of the ecosystem in the bottle result in a distinctively complex and elegant natural beer. No two bottlings are alike, as there are multiple variables in the blending process, a variety of barrel sizes and shapes, differences in aged lambic proportions in the blend, etc. When cellared properly, 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze can be aged for several decades. The aromas and flavours will evolve from notes of vibrant fresh citrus, zesty and grassy notes to a mellow, oaky, stone fruit bouquet as the lambic continues to develop with time. Lambic and Geuze are living, cultural heritage rooted in the Zenne valley! Taste, savour, enjoy and experience this bottle fermented, unfiltered, unpasteurised and unadulterated beer with friends new and old!
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9.1/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
Have had this a number of times, the earliest being 2004 where it was already mellow/easygoing, but extremely flavorful. Much later than that, it still mellowed out, but has aged gracefully and still tastes outstanding. Lower lactic/lemon/yogurt than usual, with a solid malt base and great wheat texture. Good brett character leaving it tart, barely sour. Different than the 98, 00 and 01 (primarily being much more gentle) but I certainly have no idea if any of them should be separate entries or not. Will certainly get my rating in while I can (lol).
Earlier Rating: 8/30/2004 Total Score: 4.8
1999 750mL bottle, consumed August 2004. Decants a lovely bright golden, gaining cloudiness as more sediment is mixed in. Very soft oranges and warm yellows swirl about beneath a mountainous white head. Lightly bubbly, lazy medium sized bubbles travel to the surface. Overall a fine appearance. Aroma has tons of tart yeast, light wheat notes and plenty of dough and citrus. It’s like bread dough with orange zest in it. Flavor is moderately sweet, full of citrus tinges, and hugely tart on the finish. Body is extra-full, and just immensely flavorful. Naturally, I compared this to Lindeman’s Gueuze Cuvee Rene and there were of course striking similarities, but also many distinct difference. This gueuze seemed a good amount sweeter and while Cuvee Rene tends to be more peppery and yeasty throughout, this one saved its immense tartness for the finish. Body on the Drie Font tended to be a bit more loose and oxidized, but this is from age for sure, the Lindeman’s I have tried being 2-4 years younger. The Drie Font also had much more citrus presence, with hints of honey wheat dough. I really found the Cuvee Rene to be a bit more funky and unpredictable, but this one was no disappointment. Truly a pleasure to try this, and I’m happy to have a bottle in my cellar (that will certainly get tons of cellar time before I try again).
2001 bottle sampled November 2004 (Belgian Beer Fest). Pours a deep orange, very similar to the 1999 if somewhat less sweet, perhaps. Still, the citrus is very noticeable in this one and it is quite creamy and full-bodied. Surprising residual sugar flavor near the finish, much like honey.
Another sample of a 2001 bottle, side by side with 2003 Cantillon. This one has so much less funk, horsecrap, wet hay and what not, much more clean, straightforward tart brett, dry and zesty, sour green apples and a really nice mouthfeel, but it’s no Cantillon in my book.
Feb 2004 bottle. Drunk in Aug 2006. More acidic, along the lines of the 2002 vintage release, though probably not as sour/lactic as that one. Very nice stuff all around, somewhat appley, though mildly so. Nice esters, dry wood, very creamy, engaging mouthfeel. Top notch stuff and probably getting nothing but better. Cheesey, tart, funky.
1999 bottle drunk 8/13/16
This wasn’t quite as spectacular as Millennium Gueuze, but still nothing to scoff at. Brightness a little less intense, but perhaps a tradeoff, as it may have a bit more earthy, subtle funk to it. Little bit less carbonation, slightly more loose, but still a strong texture to it, with a bit more mustiness and sourness overall. Rich tannin and wheat-like notes with light lemon-yogurt lingering. Great even after 17 years...
Earlier Rating: 8/30/2004 Total Score: 4.8
1999 750mL bottle, consumed August 2004. Decants a lovely bright golden, gaining cloudiness as more sediment is mixed in. Very soft oranges and warm yellows swirl about beneath a mountainous white head. Lightly bubbly, lazy medium sized bubbles travel to the surface. Overall a fine appearance. Aroma has tons of tart yeast, light wheat notes and plenty of dough and citrus. It’s like bread dough with orange zest in it. Flavor is moderately sweet, full of citrus tinges, and hugely tart on the finish. Body is extra-full, and just immensely flavorful. Naturally, I compared this to Lindeman’s Gueuze Cuvee Rene and there were of course striking similarities, but also many distinct difference. This gueuze seemed a good amount sweeter and while Cuvee Rene tends to be more peppery and yeasty throughout, this one saved its immense tartness for the finish. Body on the Drie Font tended to be a bit more loose and oxidized, but this is from age for sure, the Lindeman’s I have tried being 2-4 years younger. The Drie Font also had much more citrus presence, with hints of honey wheat dough. I really found the Cuvee Rene to be a bit more funky and unpredictable, but this one was no disappointment. Truly a pleasure to try this, and I’m happy to have a bottle in my cellar (that will certainly get tons of cellar time before I try again).
2001 bottle sampled November 2004 (Belgian Beer Fest). Pours a deep orange, very similar to the 1999 if somewhat less sweet, perhaps. Still, the citrus is very noticeable in this one and it is quite creamy and full-bodied. Surprising residual sugar flavor near the finish, much like honey.
Another sample of a 2001 bottle, side by side with 2003 Cantillon. This one has so much less funk, horsecrap, wet hay and what not, much more clean, straightforward tart brett, dry and zesty, sour green apples and a really nice mouthfeel, but it’s no Cantillon in my book.
Feb 2004 bottle. Drunk in Aug 2006. More acidic, along the lines of the 2002 vintage release, though probably not as sour/lactic as that one. Very nice stuff all around, somewhat appley, though mildly so. Nice esters, dry wood, very creamy, engaging mouthfeel. Top notch stuff and probably getting nothing but better. Cheesey, tart, funky.
1999 bottle drunk 8/13/16
This wasn’t quite as spectacular as Millennium Gueuze, but still nothing to scoff at. Brightness a little less intense, but perhaps a tradeoff, as it may have a bit more earthy, subtle funk to it. Little bit less carbonation, slightly more loose, but still a strong texture to it, with a bit more mustiness and sourness overall. Rich tannin and wheat-like notes with light lemon-yogurt lingering. Great even after 17 years...
Tried
from Can
on 15 Apr 2022
at 12:47
Lovely.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Apr 2022
at 13:36
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
17'/18' 375ml from Appalachian. Somewhat appropriate Mojito glass with the RB chatz room crew. Cloudy, orange juice, a little swampy with a thin bit of lace. Sharp, arugula, sweet vinegar, grape must, honey, battery acid, savory acidity. Vinegar, veggie-d chili, lemon, iced tea, light varnish, good bitters. Juicy. Yeasty. Strong for what it is. Not too sour compared to what's out there any more. Good, if less exciting then it once was. Notes from 3/27/2008: 4.59 It was sooo sour. (that's what she said) :o The cork pops & the smoke rises. Do I let it breathe, plug it & let it sit, chug it, cook it dinner, what do I do?!?! My dog sees my face frozen in confusion & immediately snaps me out of it with a piercing yelp. I stumble around & find my dusty tulip, give it a strong rinse, & proceed to pour. A hazy lemon orange honey pour settles in my glass & grows a rather porous white comb-over of head. The foam thickens up on subsequent pours, but we're on to more important things. The smell has already reached me, so I gain focus & get let a little closer. A sense of something pickled, sharp kiwis & tangy cantaloupe, something between semi-ripe watermelon & sour cherry candy(a fresh bag of sour skittles?), plenty of salt, something like stale garlic, along with some dry grass & ethanol way in the background. It's so pungent. Why am I not offended? I go to take a sip & it just rushes in. I don't know what came over me. It must of been instinctive, I just gulped down six ounces like it was an everyday thing. ...and it should be. :D Lemon juice, the sour sugar that Sour Patch Kids are dredged in, the white meat off half-ripe strawberries, grapefruit, citric acid is everywhere & its bitterness lingers for a long while, turning a little barky at the end. Just the faintest hint of dough in there somewhere. Why bother? :P As it warms, the sourness flatlines some & turns a little wheaty. Letting the bottle last that long was a mistake on my part. Drink, drink! Thin & frothy, a lightly greased taste, but it leaves a dry feeling once it goes down(like I just licked a bunch of envelopes). My tongue is getting numb, am I going to die? Straddling the line of spoiled orange juice & yesterday's digestive juices, who can honestly say this is exactly what was intended so many years ago. Purple monkey dishwasher? Hand me a blank check & this replaces the juice in the fridge. The only reason I can't give it a 5 here is price. bottling date: 2/19/04 Thank you kmpitz2 for blessing me with this little midnight snack. :)
Tried
from Can
on 18 Mar 2022
at 23:23
7.5/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 8
ide-by-side sample between 18/19 blends 121 and 117 .
This one pours clear, with more visible co2 (and bottle pressure) . Scent is fairly mild, compared. Funky, raw malts. Taste is indeed far more carbed, more dry. Acidity seems higher as well. Less on the aroma's, more fresh and vibrant. Easier geuze for the bigger audience, though less unique, and thus more forgeteable to me. Also too high carbed for my preference.
This one pours clear, with more visible co2 (and bottle pressure) . Scent is fairly mild, compared. Funky, raw malts. Taste is indeed far more carbed, more dry. Acidity seems higher as well. Less on the aroma's, more fresh and vibrant. Easier geuze for the bigger audience, though less unique, and thus more forgeteable to me. Also too high carbed for my preference.
Tried
on 14 Mar 2022
at 13:33
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Side-by-side sample between 18/19 blends 121 and 117 .
This one pours clear blonde, seemingly (visually) softer carb, as well as less pressure on the bottle. Scent is very funky, expressive old oak / mushroomy, thin impressions, very aged-like , though it's still fairly young. Reminds me of an H.ertie. Taste is full, oaky, mushroom, bit bitter (more so than the average 3f) , intenser on the malts too. Nice geuze, very different to their usual offerings. Can see this being a hard one to enjoy for some.
This one pours clear blonde, seemingly (visually) softer carb, as well as less pressure on the bottle. Scent is very funky, expressive old oak / mushroomy, thin impressions, very aged-like , though it's still fairly young. Reminds me of an H.ertie. Taste is full, oaky, mushroom, bit bitter (more so than the average 3f) , intenser on the malts too. Nice geuze, very different to their usual offerings. Can see this being a hard one to enjoy for some.
Tried
on 14 Mar 2022
at 13:31
9/10
Rest in Peace Armand 🍻
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Mar 2022
at 19:10
8/10
Tried
on 05 Mar 2022
at 22:00
8/10
Strong carbonation.Acidid,woody, and dry. Assemblage n64,saizoen 18 - 19. Bottled:18/04/2019
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Feb 2022
at 20:17
8/10
Sour and tart, strong carbonation. Green apple, woody, some slight funk, a bit of acidity. Nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Feb 2022
at 21:17
8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 9
26 December 2021. 75cl bottle, bottled 14/3/2015, shared by Pieter - many thanks!
Clear orange, thinning, white head. Aroma of ripe orange, apricot, oak, sherry, wet hay, barnyard, leather. Taste has sweetish-sour orange & plum, quite estery over funky straw & hay, bitter leather note too. 'Old' grassy hoppy finish, lingering tart, slightly bitter orange peel, funky with a dry and oaky sherry accent. Medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation. Still amazingly fruity, yet funky and tart of course.
Clear orange, thinning, white head. Aroma of ripe orange, apricot, oak, sherry, wet hay, barnyard, leather. Taste has sweetish-sour orange & plum, quite estery over funky straw & hay, bitter leather note too. 'Old' grassy hoppy finish, lingering tart, slightly bitter orange peel, funky with a dry and oaky sherry accent. Medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation. Still amazingly fruity, yet funky and tart of course.
Tried
on 10 Feb 2022
at 13:55