Jan
Vermeersch in Maldegem, East Flanders, Belgium 🇧🇪
Lambic Style - Fruit Regular|
Score
7.46
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Alengrin (11675) reviewed Jan from Vermeersch 3 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
After Cantillon pioneered the idea for their first Zwanze (initially still without the whole event around it) in 2008, rhubarb lambic had no following for years to come – until 2018, when both Tilquin and 3 Fonteinen started experimenting with the same idea. Four years later, traditional lambic producers seem to consider it as natural an ingredient as sour cherries or raspberries and many of these new rhubarb lambics are beautiful creations. For a newcomer like Vermeersch, a blender in East-Flemish Maldegem active since at least 2018 (and only more recently ‘officialized’) and founded by a former Ratebeerian if I am not mistaken, it seems logical to step right into the idea. Named after a family member like most of the Vermeersch blends (an idea they seem to have ‘borrowed’ from Hill Farmstead), this second edition of ‘Jan’ contains rhubarb from Veurne and various lambics from established producers. Bottle at Station 1280 in Antwerp, actually the first bar where I see this Vermeersch brand being up for sale (at prices comparable with Antidoot, Bofkont or Cantillon bottles), shared with Steve. Moussy, snow white, medium thick, opening and slowly thinning head, lightly hazed peach blonde robe with pale orangey tinge and enthusiastic sparkling. Aroma of grass silage and dried bitter weeds – the thumbprint of De Troch lambic, next to indeed raw rhubarb stems, lemonbalm, chives, wet oak wood, green apple, wood sorrel, dusty attic, gooseberry, dried lemon peel, sulfuric touch (yeast autolysis, possibly, but fitting in well), hint of freshly fermented farmland in the background. Crisp, green-fruity onset, lemony in a ‘malse’ way with lots of the expected oxalic acid from the rhubarb, adding juiciness; green apple, gooseberry and lemongrass accents accompany a rounded, slick bready-grainy core steeped in yoghurty lactic aciditiy and tannic woodiness, but always remaining ‘mals’ and juicy, with the rhubarb upfront. De Troch’s bitter plant-like effect shines through very clearly in the end, where things slowly come to a dry, quenching, ‘yellow-green’, elegant halt. A bit as expected really, decent rhubarb lambic with De Troch written all over it; not the single most refined rhubarb lambic I had to date (as with Bokke, Bofkont and others one can wonder if it is all worth the hype), but for a lambichead like me, certainly interesting enough to try more of these Vermeersch blends – if given the chance.
Werckmeister (8153) reviewed Jan (2021) from Vermeersch 3 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
0,75l from bottle at hops n more. Yellow hazy color, small white head. smells funky, Sulphur, berry, peppery notes, bit fishy. Decent to nice smell. Full body, soft carbonation. tastes funky, earthy, grassy, berry notes, stone fruits. Finishes dry and lightly to medium sour with notes is stone fruits, earthy and grassy notes. Very good one, did not care so much about the smell, but taste is very good, lovely balance
8, 6.5, 8, 8, 8.5
Sloefmans (15519) reviewed Jan (2022) from Vermeersch 3 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6.5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Faintly pinkish yellow beer, no head. Rhubarb a mile out, nothing else. Rhubarb, lemon, farmyard, pineapple, white yoghurt. Light body, acidthinning, low carbonation. Thinnish, and a bit unidimensional - too much rhubarb?
tderoeck (22946) reviewed Jan (2021) from Vermeersch 3 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
4/VI/22 - 75cl bottle @ Maldegems Bierfestival, BB: +20Y, bottled: VI/2021 (2022-650) Thanks to Ama and Erwin for sharing today's beers!
A little cloudy blond to light orange beer, small creamy white head, stable, non adhesive. Aroma: lovely, lots of rhubarb, very nice, juicy, mineral, lovely beer! MF: lively carbon, medium body. Taste: nice, dry, herbal, lots of rhubarb, a bit fruity, dry. Aftertaste: more rhubarb, a hint of sulphur, mineral notes, juicy, nice! I’m a sucker for rhubarb lambic, this one works very well for me!