Bottle shared at Brewver Belgian Winter Gathering. Darker red mahogany red color, no head. Aroma and flavor are fruity sourish, red fruit, very nicely balanced. Lingering fruity sourness. Very pleasant, but I don't get barrel aging in there tbh. 9-8-8,5-8-8,5

Bottle at Belgian Beer Geeks Gathering. Slight hazy deep ruby with small pink head.assive sour cherries, cinnamon, vanilla, funk, wheat, red currants. Very fruity, soft lambic and bourbon. Medium sour, a bit less sweet. Over medium bodied. Lovely!

Special version of Griotteke, one of Timmermans' most memorable 'new' beers, backblended with lambic that spent 19 weeks in bourbon barrels; comes from the same frosted bottle as the regular one with very similar label, but clearly mentioning "bourbon barrel aged". Pale lilac-pink, fizzing, moussey, unstable head, quickly dissolving into a waferthin ring, over an initially clear, deep ruby red robe with vermillion glow and countless very fine bubbles everywhere; turns misty further on and at first sight, looks just a tad darker and more brownish-tinged than the regular Griotteke (but this could be autosuggestion - please do compare side by side). Quite complex and alluring aroma of ripe sour cherries, cherry wine, even a volatile whiff of candied cherries, cherry pits, wooden furniture, young green tree leaves, redcurrant, touch of bourbon in the background but very subtle (could have been brandy as well for all I know), some dry sherry, dry earth, very vague swimming pool chlorine, dry tree branches, red apple, freshly cut nettles, background touches of wet leather, cassis and bitter garden herbs. Utterly fruity onset, tart and a bit lemony round a 'moelleux', noble sour cherry character, very full with that vague tinge of sweetness and the thick 'fleshiness' the - proper - use of Schaarbeekse adds as a bonus; hints of red plum, apple peel and blackcurrant as well. Minerally carb, but in such a fine-bubbled way that it accentuates flavours rather than obstructing them; very vinous mouthfeel, like a full red wine, with lemony and obviously cherry tartness continuing, maintaining a very high and 'bright' level of fruitiness all the way through, supported by yoghurty lactic acidity and a soft bed of bready malts. Rounded, vinous, tart and long finish, in which more and more drying tannins creep in, from wood but also from cherry pits and stones, yet feeling clean and focused; the bourbon acts as an extra tucked away in the background and its flavour does not truly unfold - luckily perhaps, because it does palpably add a certain 'nobility', 'darkness', woodiness and maturity that the regular Griotteke lacks. Some bitter-weed-like hops very faintly pop in at that stage as well but this bitterish element could come from the tannins and the bourbon just as easily; in any case the lemony, fleshy, generous, 'dark red' character of the Schaarbeekse cherries remains the main component till the last drop. Timmermans has been through a lot in its three centuries of existence and the takeover by that dreadful John Martin back in 1993 did not bode well at the time, but three decades later I must admit that I was not expecting them to come up with a fruit lambic so pure, 'deep', honest and rich as this one. This is definitely a notch up from the already very satisfying Griotteke. I hate to admit it because today this brewery is still owned by John Martin and I hate them, but this is truly a beautiful fruit lambic in my book. Enjoyed every drop of it.