Bottle at the BA Belgian Beerfest, 9/17/16.
Brilliant golden-bronze body shows high clarity and a small-to-medium white head atop with moderate retention.
Quite funky and fun in the nose, with sweat, barnyard/sulphur and light to moderate oak suggestions. It’s all backed by a healthy malt/wheat character (and the oak balances, as well). Pretty interesting and it’s cool that it’s not just a noseful of acetic/lactic acid. Very fruity and with soft, brett suggestions. As it warms, more oak, light honey and increasing barnyard emerges. Reminds me a lot of older Cuvee Rene or maybe even a more lighthearted Tilquin/Girardin. No alcohol or flaw and no green apple. Would like a little less oak and malt character, as well as a little more lactic/brett notes, but this poopy barnyard is really nice.
Similar in the mouth, it’s got a full body for a lambic replete with oak tannin, wheat and malt sugar. Not sweet, really, but not one of the more dry lambics I’ve had, either. Hay, sweat, cheese, barnyard and lightly toasted oak all seem quite harmonious, with soft lactic-brett acids adding moderate tartness (like the newer Cantillon/3Fs, this is not terribly sour). Good fruitiness without any green apple. Quite nice and would imagine this will improve nicely in the next few years as it dries out and develops some more brett intricacies. Rating is for a Lambic - Gueuze, not a Sour/Wild.