One in a series of four new OWA lambics centered around Japanese themes, this one with apples, probably the well-known Fuji variety, originating from Japan and still grown in Japan, primarily Nagano prefecture. Thin, mousy, eggshell-white head, open in the middle apart from an irregular, wafer-thin pattern of foam, yet retaining as a ring around the edge, on a misty, deep and warm golden apricot blonde beer with somewhat coarse, but lively carbonation sustaining the head. Very fruity aroma containing a lot of shiny, hard, green apples in a very 'real', non-estery way, homemade apple juice, apple core, dry apple cider and apple peel beginning to oxidize, forming a thick layer on top of more typical De Troch lambic features including dry hay, old books, dusty old jute bags, urine-like Brett effects, fermenting plums, sour berries, dried bitter herbs, 'fleshy' proteins (cooked chicken-like almost). Lively fruity onset, strangely a tad less prominently apple-like than I was expecting based on the very convincing apple character in the nose yet still featuring clear sweet-and-sour, pink-and-green apples, next to sour lime and somewhat wry unripe plum and gooseberry, relatively softly carbonated (softer than expected based on looks), with this multi-dimensional, astringent yet not harshly puckering sourness drying the core to the bone - some yoghurty lactic acidity, some lemony sharpness, but even more expressly, that typically 'green', hard astringent sourness of biting in a green apple, with the bitterness of apple peel lingering - yet some of the sweetness of red apple is also present, in a much more subtle and volatile way. A certain fleshiness, probably also related to the apples, builds up in the end, vaguely tofu-like almost, with more and more 'dry farmland' funkiness of the lambic coming up, reminiscent of fermenting hay, grass silage and dusty attic accompanied by a dash of Bretty horseblanket. Ends refreshingly sour, like indeed an apple - but embedded in lambic earthiness and dryness, with a dried herb-like, deeply situated, lingering hop bitter note all the way at the back; the fleshiness, almost protein-like at this stage, adds some richness and body. Apart from a few (heavily) sweetened examples, such as Lindemans Apple, I do not recall having encountered any apple lambics so far and I have long wondered why; this OWA example shows that it works, even if the astringent effect of the lambic's own tartness amplified by the apples' natural wryness may perhaps be a bit unpleasant to some. Not a very accessible lambic, not the most 'deep' or complex one either, but, as usual in this OWA series, very unique and surprising, with the apples fitted cleverly into the lambic - and featuring very prominently in the nose. A curious one, and I'm sure the three others will be just as curious...

Bottle @Luppolo Station (Rome). Oro rosa, intensa, limpida, schiuma bianca media, discretamente persistente. Al naso note di sughero, fieno, stalla, cuoio, quindi emerge la fragola. In bocca è equilibrato, mediamente acido, fruttato, tart, discreta mineraità. Corpo medio, carbonazione media. Molto buona!

375ml bottle from Bierhalle Deconinck, shared @ monthly tasting, Chez Sophie March '19. Pours murky gold, thin white ring. Vermouth aroma, herbal, compost, oxidisation. Taste is herbal, dirty sharp, acidic.. has the impression it's been aged in a dirty Japanese barrel perhaps, though it does have a lovely lemony yuzu sweetness that introduces a sense of normality to things. Really wanted this to be outstanding, given the uniqueness of it, but it just falls short.

Flaska från Etre Gourmete drucken med ölföreningen. Fin jordgubbslambic. Mycket drickvänlig och bra balans mellan syra och sötma. Ganska cleen på gott och ont. Mycket gott.

Botella de @Señor Lúpulo. Despacho de cervezas, Gijón 09/03/2019
Color amarillo oscuro aromas dulces, sabor dulce seguido de notas acidas, cuerpo medio.

Bottled. A hazy golden beer with a yellowish head. The aroma has notes of yuzy, lemons, straw, and perfume. The flavor is sour with notes of spices, brett, malt, and caramel, leading to a lightly tart finish.