The ’luierik’ or ’doesjel’ version of 3F’s Golden Blend, meaning a Golden Blend in which the spontaneous refermentation in the bottle moves forward too late and too slowly, resulting in an undercarbonated geuze and therefore not fulfilling the local consumer’s expectations of a traditional geuze (traditionally speaking, that is). Never noticed this one existed, honestly, must have confused it with the regular Doesjel, so I ordered it at 3F’s Lambik-O-Droom today, where it was obviously served as properly, carefully and professionally as one can imagine. Loose, bubbly head, requiring forcing to develop but settling into an irregular, snow white rim, eventually retaining quite well but not to the same degree as a ’succeeded’ geuze; hazy peach blonde robe with deep and warm orange hue. Aroma has a striking and unexpected, but very inviting tendency of freshly baked bread, refreshened by soft but very outspoken lemon rind, unripe yellow plum, raw rhubarb, dry sherry, wet wood, bread crumbs returning, vaguer hints of stale sweat, kimchi, wet wood, dusty old horse stable. Estery onset but seemingly a tad ’cleaner’ than the full-fledged version, lots of unripe stonefruit, unripe gooseberries, wry grape peel, hard pear and a touch of bitter oranges, evidently softly carbonated but not entirely flat like a straight lambic, feeling a bit vinous; bready basis but less so than expected based on the nose, wheaty breadiness too, supporting a long-stretched, drying lactic tartness and a thin but incentive lemony acidity, helping in thoroughly drying the palate. The estery fruitiness seems to become more explicit towards the finish with even a nectarine-like accent in the end, surrounded by Bretty funkiness (though again subduedly so), a lot of ’wet wood’ tannins and sherry-ish impressions. I know that the producers consider this type of undercarbonated and under-refermented geuzes a technical failure (and they are right), but this one is still in its very nature an intelligent and delicate blend of great lambics - granted that it hasn’t reached the astonishing complexity of the eventual ’Golden Blend’ (which is physically the exact same beer), but it still boasts an impressive degree of complexity and personality and I for one thoroughly enjoyed it, especially considering its ’natural habitat’ in which I tasted it, of course.

At Maakun’s. Shared from 2013 bottle. Thanks bro! Hazy deep golden with no head. Intense white grapeskin, nutmeg, white wine, cerise, hyena balls, camel toe, apricot cheesecake, bookcase shelves, lipstick of your first kiss, swampy teenage armpit, sexy goat, virgins ballsack. Tres complex. Medium body, no carbonation, slick feel, daaaaaamn tasty. Only emoji can express the quality of this beer. 😱

Bottle shared. May 2013 vintage. Bit hazy deep orange golden with no head but some big bubbles on top and small bubbles clinging to the glass. Massive funk and hay, apricot, white pepper, pineapple, light cookie dough, some soft cheese, dank earthy notes and soft caramel. Under medium sweet, light sour and very light bitter. Medium bodied with very soft carbonation. Incredible aroma and taste. Crazy good.

(Bottle) Hazy, golden amber colour. Still, with some brief white bubbles. Fruity, sourish nose with notes of citrus, grapefruit, dried apricots, sour grapes, hay, barnyard and funky yeast. Fruity, tart taste with grapefruit, orange, dried apricots, hay, green apples, yeast and a dry and tart finish. Medium body, smooth mouthfeel. Dry. Solid and well made, the lack of carbonation makes it a touch smoother than the ordinary gueuze. Great beer.

2012 375mL bottle drunk 8/25/16.
Large white head shows good carbonation atop a clear, bright flaxen-gold body.
Soft oak tones intertwine deftly with plentiful brett fruitiness, as easygoing lactic notes enter the mix as well. Graceful aging, hints of honey-like malt and cream-of-wheat character deepen the elegance as well as providing a good backbone. Beautifully balanced, attractive nose eminently invites sniffing, with the brett expression just about as perfect as one can imagine, full of horse blanket, guava, lime, light band aid and leather. Bright and clean with no alcohol or flaw.
Fantastic in the mouth, as expected, as well. Tight carbonation belies the name, as big bursts of juicy fruit and lip-smakcing sourness coat the palate. Great texture, with a nearly chewy, wheat-laden body that shows good dryness and yet still ample maltiness. Leather, lime, guava and other various tropical fruits linger long, with mild to moderate lactic character and soft, woody, oak tannins. Amazing stuff, and very, very different than the 2011 Golden Blend (non doesjel version). This one is far more approachable, but as well, I think it’s more flavorful and elegant, too.

(375ml 2012 bottle @ VilleValla Pub, Linköping, Apr 29 2016) Pours nearly clear dark gold with a very small portion of white bubbles, some slight carbonation has developed. Nose is very similar to Golden Blend as expected, heavy on woody components, cellar, dry leaves, musty funk, preserved lemon peel, slight graininess and a touch of sweetness, acidity is present but in check. Palate again fairly similar to Golden Blend, lots of wood, hay and dry leaf bitterness to contain citrus and tart pale pit fruit notes, a bit of crabapple quality, some lactic and maybe a touch of acetic acid. Becomes quite mellow towards the finish with the initial bite of the wood rounding off with smooth tart lactic fruitiness with an underlying dry musty funk. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a very light spritz of carb. Very much like it’s fully refermented brethren but with a softer, smoother finish. Perhaps a bit laid back but very nice stuff as usual from 3F.