7

Hapu, happeline, sidrun, funk, puuviljane. Ok, liiga happeline.

6.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

Pours a light, slightly unclear yellowblonde. Foam is persistant - in being absent. Even a very agressive pour delivers the smallest foam, which fades instantly - even faster than your soda. Scent is brett, oak, but not super intense. Smooth, and so far according to style, just toned down a bit (but so is the ABV) Taste is dry, fairly sharp in it's acidity - pointing towards a higher lactic acidity, rather than the very complex get-together you hope for in a geuze. Lower carbonation (perhaps due to the attempt of foam buildup?) . Most typical about this (and it's a negative) is a quite 'oily' texture. Even buttery, at times - making me suspect some diacetyl ? Anyway, in a beer with little intensity such as this one, a contributing factor like that can quickly become dominant, both in mouthfeel, and aroma. Too little funk, wood, or complexity to compete even in the average of geuze's, and the mouthfeel is pretty ... Unique. There's a citrussyness to it that almost seems like something was added (lemongrass-like) because it seems out of place... The whole thing is a bit of a mess, really. I'm sad to say. Expectations sure were higher.

7.4

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

One of this new, very small lambic blender’s first geuze attempts, literally dubbed a “summer geuze”, shared with Goedele and Jo. Thinnish, open, snow white ring of tiny bubbles over an initially clear, warm pale orange-golden robe, turning misty with sediment. Aroma of halfripe apricot, grass silage, dried lemon peel, oxidized green apple slices, field flowers, a vanilla-ish oak wood note, ripe gooseberry, something nutty (dry sherry), cucumber flesh, lime juice, wood sorrel, cava. Crisp onset, green-fruity, sour with a slight astringent edge, with flavours of green apple, cucumber, green walnut and unripe plum; lively carb, but less ‘champenoise’ than is custom for a geuze. Soft, supple, slender body, a bit ‘fluffy’ and sourdoughy with a continuing green apple- and lime-like acidic edge, even developing a subtle citrus pith-like bitter note. Meanwhile a vague whiff of peachy sweetishness lingers about, along with floral effects; tannic woodiness and funky Brett remain very restrained, so that this geuze finishes very light-bodied, summer-fruity and flowery – in fact delivering a flavour ‘parcours’ much more reminiscent of a modern blonde sour ale than a true lambic or geuze… Especially the wild yeast aspects are oddly lacking here, and the whole seems, in a sense, insufficiently matured – or even made in a different way than the traditional lambic way. Quite ‘off the beaten track’ for a geuze – not unlike some of those Sako geuzes – so if you are looking for a full-bodied, deeply complex, funky, classic geuze, then this one will probably disappoint, even though judged by itself, it is an elegantly light, indeed summery, ‘natural’ and pleasant quencher. A bit weird – but it will be interesting to see how this Donder range will evolve in the coming years.

5.3

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

750mL bottle at the International Lambic & Kriek festival. Pours murky yellow with a white head. Very buttery oak on the nose. Flavour has a ton of buttery oak, sour wood. Very little good to say here.

5.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5

750mL bottle at International Geuze & Kriek Festival 2025, pours a hazy yellowish blonde with a small white head. Aroma has some musty armpits, not really any funk. Flavour is more geuze-like, with moderate tartness, almost a lacto-like character, and a hint of citrus. Almost tastes more like a kettle sour than anything lambic-like, let alone gueuze-like. This isn’t good at all.

7.6

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

A hazy golden beer with a white lacing. Aroma of tart peaches, grapes and brett. Taste of sour apples, aprcicot, brett and apple skin.