Rabarber
Brouwerij Kestemont in Dilbeek, Flemish Brabant, Belgium 🇧🇪
Lambic Style - Fruit Regular|
Score
6.97
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Alengrin (11609) reviewed Rabarber from Brouwerij Kestemont 3 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Rhubarb lambic - no longer a total surprise since Cantillon's 2008 Zwanze - by Kestemont, the new family business in lambic land, continuing what Goossens had begun in the 18th centurty; 37.5 cl bottle with cork and muselet. Snow white, moussy, tiny-bubbled, thinnish and open head, remaining as a white ring of foam and some dots and veils in the middle for a while but eventually gone; initially lightly hazy apricot-golden blonde robe with very active, fine-bubbled sparkling, misty and deeper beige-tinged gold further on and almost cloudy yellowish in the end. Aroma of indeed raw rhubarb straight from the vegetable plot, green apple, gooseberry to even sweeter gooseberry jam in the background, moldy old lemon peel, dry hay, old dry wood, unripe nectarine, sawdust, oxidized white wine, petrichor, Conference pear peel, raw radish, something faintly smoky (burning rubber even) but very volatile, raw chard, light wet leather funkiness. Tart onset, estery with lots of green apple, unripe pear and gooseberry, even a sweeter note of apricot hidden within, all covered under crisp oxalic acid from the rhubarb - but surely that subtle sweet touch also comes from the same rhubarb; lively carbonation, dry and lightly vinous mouthfeel. Bread-crusty underground, playful lactic tartness with this oxalic acidity continuing, but both in a rather soft, mellow, 'malse' way, nowhere sharp; fruity, crisp rhubarb with that sweeter side to it remain noticeable in the middle, while woody tannins pop up and add to the overall dry effect. Slight funky notes here and there (wet hay, sweat, petrichor), vague lemony accents too - in the end accompanied by a deeply buried, earthy 'old hop' bitter touch; even then, however, this soft sourness and 'green' crispness of the rhubarb remain the dominant factors. Decent rhubarb lambic with the rhubarb sufficiently generously applied, but lacking a bit in body, spirit, character and complexity; I would not even have minded a sharper sting of oxalic acid, more funk and more tannic woodiness in this particular case. These Kestemont lambics so far seem a bit underdeveloped and unrefined, but there is passion and goodwill enough, and I do not doubt that they will improve as these people become more experienced. I will certainly keep obs on them...
EvNa (6056) reviewed Rabarber from Brouwerij Kestemont 3 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle. Color: Lightly hazy golden, white head. Aroma: Fruity, funky and tart hints. Taste: Moderate sweet and tart. Starting more tart, finishing more sweet. Fruity rabarber. Some oak wood. Subtle funky. Hints of hay. Not very outspoken. Medium body, below average carbonation. Ok but after five Kestemont fruit Lambics I have to say that at this moment it's not one of my most favorite blenders. I hope they're getting better over years.