Ale macerated with real cherries, brewed in 2001 for the “24 hours of Belgian specialty beer”, a yearly event held until about that time by the OBP (Objectieve Bierproevers), the first guild of beer lovers in Belgium and forerunner of Zythos. The 2001 edition was the fourteenth in a row, but it proved the one but last edition, as in 2003 the OBP fell apart due to internal disagreements and was followed up by Zythos, organizing its first namesake beer festival that year in Sint-Niklaas. For the 2001 edition of OBP’s “24 hours”, André Paeleman, still an independent brewer back then but long retired meanwhile, created this ‘Medewerkersbier’ for the many volunteers who had helped build up and operate the festival. It is thanks to one of the former Leuvense Biertherapeuten that the (probably) last remaining bottles were available for tasting at last weekend’s Dijleschuimers Winters Bierfestival – a unique look back to an interesting juncture in the history of Belgian beer consumer organisations. At no less than 21 years of age, this vintage beer still displayed a pale greyish beige, quite moussy but admittedly quickly dissolving head and ruddy amberish robe with coppery tinge, almost clear at first but murky in the end from proteins having precipitated from the beer. Aroma still remarkably vivid and colourful: cherry wine, elegant sweet sherry or madeira (from oxidation), almond, oxidized red apple peel, green pear, bread, forest fruit, yoghurt, a whiff of toast and some vague dustiness (as in old cherry pits). Lively onset, fruity and even fleshy cherries, side notes of redcurrant, blackberry and red apple, still softly carbonated with smooth body; bready malt core deeply soaked in sweet-sour cherries, tart without becoming acidic, tempered by sweet maltiness and lovely ‘maderisation’ (fortified wine effects from oxidation). Some tannic cherry pits add dryness, along with a slight, subtle (and probably long faded) floral hop bitter note. Maderisation is there and the looks of this beer betray its age as well, but other than that, this has aged incredibly well for this kind of fruit beer – it does not feel older than, say, a year or two… Still full-bodied, vibrantly fruity and fleshy, which sometimes is not even the case in fruit lambics of the same age. The guy who cellared this must dispose of the ideal ageing circumstances… Very good and very unique, glad I had a glimpse of this particular part of Belgian beer history.