Another of 3 Fonteinen’s ‘Twists of Fate’ which has made it to the regular assortment, this time a grape lambic with Spätburgunder grapes, or Pinot Noir as the French call them, with a perhaps more familiar name. Medium thick, open and ring-shaped, off-white head on a misty deep amber-hued peachy-coppery robe – considerably less ‘red’ and dark than I was expecting, especially since this is Pinot Noir after all… Aroma of grape must, dead tree leaves, dry manure or dusty earth, grape skins, rosehip, old wood, dried orange peel, unripe green plums, barnyard, redcurrant, sherry vinegar, grape seed oil, oxidized rosé wine. Tart, lemony sour onset, acidic but not vinegary – rather a very lively fruit acidity, the grapes accentuating the natural green apple, redcurrant and gooseberry aspects of the lambic; quite softish carbonation for a fruit lambic, but full-bodied, a dry-bready core under yoghurty lactic tartness, lots of drying woody tannins and added vinosity, reminiscent of old rosé wine, grape skins and grape seed tannins more than the fleshy effect I tend to expect from this grape – even when used in lambic. Clear Brett-induced funkiness too, old leather, barnyard and dried moldy lemon peel, adding another angle of flavour. Not the juiciest, most vinous or most grape-forward grape lambic I had (even within 3 Fonteinen’s vast legacy and range), but a kind of special case, with complex, mature and ‘noble’, full-fledged lambic character. One for the more experienced lambic drinker, I think.

Small whitish/pinkish head, fast gone over beautiful reddish rosé, clear beer. Vinous, grapey, but also something as from peanut(shells). Very faint horseblanket, then lots of sulphur. Fruity flavour, berries, some grapes. Vinous, but not overly so. Acidburn and -thinning, lipsmacking acidity, spritzy carbonation - if almost invisible. Less vinous as expected. For 3F standards maybe not the very best - but it is still 3F and great. Txs to Stef!

750mL bottle, pours a hazy bright amber red with a medium, quickly-diminishing white head. Aroma is wonderfully funky, with tons of horse blanket, red grape skins, and oak. Flavour is wonderfully dry, rich and funky, with big red grape skin presence, lots of oak, big barnyard funk, oak, and a touch of leather. Low acidity for the style, with a massive grape presence on the finish. Lovely stuff.

750ml shared with Ryan and Phill and an American gang. Appearance: purple with a rose head. Aroma: honey and berries, moderately sweet. You can definitely feel the massive amount of berries used per litre in this beer. Taste: along the same lines, lots of fruit, a bit dry, some funk, minerals. Overall: nice one.

750 mL bottled Jan 25, 2022, drunk 4/30/23 at Tørst. Pinkish-plum. Clear. More barnyard, not quite as much intense poop as the Druif Riesling, but still funky and complex. Or maybe it is? Getting poopier as it breathes. Grape skin, tart, tannic but not huge fruit. Playful, fruity,more chalk, tannin, skin. Kinda tough to follow the Riesling. A bit more acid and stronger dull lactic presence. Chalky, dull mineral finish with grape tannin.