7.8

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

Bottle shared at the 2025 Pre-Christmas/NY Zaandam Borrel. Poured a hazy yellow golden colour with a thin broken white head. The aroma is yeasty, citrus fruits. The flavour is moderate sour, with a crisp, super dty, yeasty, tart, vinous palate. Medium bodied with average carbonation.

7

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

Goudgele kleur, tikje troebel. Nauwelijks schuim. Geur is zuur, houtig, tannine. Retronasaal zuur, iets funky, licht druif. Smaak is zurig, lichtjes bitterig en zelfs een vleugje zoet. Medium body. Iets funky, droge en licht bittere afdronk.

8

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

Bottle shared thanks to Borrie at kermis tasting. Slight hazy golden with snall head. Deep funk, sweet grapes, bread crust, light weedy, bitter oak. Medium sour, less sweet. Medium bodied. Nice.

8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8.5

Sample uit 75cl fles van Etre Gourmet, Zaandam Kerst/NY tasting. Mistig goudgele kleur, geen kraag. Medium zuur, hout, druiven, witte wijn, eikenhout, citroenschil, friszure smaak, niet te houterig zoals de Ranke dat wel kan zijn soms, heerlijk gebalanceerd en rijk. Lichte body, rond. Erg lekker.

8

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

Bouteille 75cl partagée avec Hiroki. BB 30/05/2029.
Belle couleur dorée, pâle, col léger crémeux blanc tenace.
Arôme est frais bien sur le fruité avec de belles notes d'agrumes, fraicheur presque d'abricot voire touche de Reine Claude.
Palais garde une approche classique belge dans le côté du malt et des houblons nobles - je note cependant un léger effet funk voire acidulé - soit de la base de la bière ou du raisin. Là où tout cela change est au niveau de l'apport et complexité du Souvignier Gris qui confère un caractère fruité plaisant oscillant sur des notes douces agrumes, rondeur fine de fruits à noyaux avec un relent discret épicé. Entre ce côté fin acidulé reste aussi présent une note adoucie.
Une belle réussite, meilleur souvenir que d'autres bières de la série 'Grapevine' avec ici, un cépage 100% terroir belge.

8

2024 versioon. Hapu, viinamarjane, kuiv, tsitrus, puuviljane, happeline, nisune, herbaalne. Hea.

7.5

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 6.5

The latest Grapevine to my knowledge, using Souvignier Gris grapes, a variety created in Germany in 1983, known in oenological circles for its tropical and stonefruit aromas; the grapes in question were harvested in the Hageland region in Flemish Brabant (and partially Limburg). Thin but well-knitted, off-white, tiny-bubbled, immediately opening head initially retaining around the edge in a thin ring and some shards in the middle but then dissolving completely; hazy peach blonde robe with merigold hue. Aroma of green plums in spring, dandelion, unripe nectarine, white wine must, a weird and relatively strong whiff of chlorine or the pheromones of a fruit fly even though no fruit fly was drowning in my glass (I double checked), young wormwood, rainwater, dry wood, sorrel, hay, hints of unripe pineapple, old dry crackers, grass, wet dog, sweat. Tart, fruity onset, the mellow sourness of green apple and not quite ripe stonefruit like plum or nectarine mingled with something unripe pineapple-like and the wryness of grape skins, moderately carbonated (certainly no geuze-like effervescence, rather the soft carb of a bottle-conditioned unblended lambic) with smooth, vinous mouthfeel. Bread-crusty core under strongly astringent lactic acidity, carrying this 'green' fruitiness further while the 'grapeyness' develops, though less sweetly and juicily so than I was anticipating (as compared with earlier vintages); a dry white wine and grape must effect is of course clearly present, next to very strong tannic woodiness and an old dry sherry effect - which, along with that chlorine-like effect returning, clearly hint at some form of aged lambic. The most distinct feature here, however, is a wry, 'green' bitterness spreading out in the finish, partially hoppy in nature I reckon, but also linked to this chlorine-like scent and, seemingly, the skins and seeds of the Souvignier Gris grapes. In fact, this bitterness is more a kind of 'green' wryness reminiscent of green bitter weeds (mugwort, dandelion) or indeed unripe grapes - grapes that have lacked sunlight and warmth, or even time to grow on the vine. I took me a whole bottle to get used to this wry, bitter 'aftertaste' and I did not like that chlorine-ish aroma at all, but structurally this is still an interesting concoction, especially considering it was made with their own aged 'Spierelambiek' - and possibly aged lambic from the actual lambic region, though this remains undisclosed. I recall previous editions to be fruitier, juicier and far less bitter - more akin to 'real' grape lambic, arguably, so that for me, this Souvignier Gris edition is so far the least successful of the lot. I hasten to add that I sadly missed out on the Chasselas Blanc one, however, so I hope this 'cépage' will be revisited somewhere in the coming years, like they did with Montepulciano.