Dry hopped IPA according to the beer menu, not sure why it's listed as blonde. Hoppy, floral and bitter

Bottle. Color: Lightly hazy purplish red, pink head. Aroma: Rural funk, fruity blackberry. Taste: Funky barnyard and some leather. Blackberry, oak wood, red wine. Light to moderate tartness, hints of hay. Light sweetness. Light bitterness and hints of minerals at the long lasting dry-ish finish. Medium body, low carbonation. Nice one.

The third Van Aert lambic, not technically a geuze contrary to what the label says, but a cassis lambic aged on Barolo wine barrels (like the two others in this new series); 75 cl bottle with cork and crown cap, shared with Goedele. Moussey, pale lilac, foamy, thick and well-retaining head over a cloudy carmine red robe with purplish-burgundy tinge. Aroma of lots of fresh blackcurrant berries and blackcurrant juice, red plum, sour grapes, wet oak wood, crabapple, stale lemon juice, old oxidized red wine, hints of barnyard, vine leaves and fried button mushrooms. Very juicy onset, utterly generous in fresh blackcurrants, tart with mild herbal notes and a bit of sweetness surrounded by lemon, green apple and gooseberry sour impressions, generally 'mals' with very active yet refined carbonation; vinous mouthfeel, bready malts dried by lactic acidity yet relatively softly so, under a truckload of ongoing dark-purple fruitiness from the blackcurrants, which seamlessly connect with this lovely 'grapeyness' in the finish, coming from the Barolo. Drying woodiness, blackcurrant skin and seed tannins and mild Bretty funkiness (damp hay) join in, establishing a rich finish in which the blackcurrants remain the dominant factor, enriched by that grapey Barolo effect. Very well executed, complex and delicious fruit lambic, everything falls naturally in place here. A series to keep track of.

Bottled Jan 2024. Orange body, with a big, white head. Aroma of barrel, stone fruits, wine, moderate funk, some straw, slight almond. Tastes similar. Medium mouthfeel, with an average carbonation. Finishes smooth, wooden, fruity, a bit funky. Lovely, characterful Geuze, fruity, wooden and very well balanced. If there's anything I'm missing it's a bit more rustic funk notes. Great stuff nonetheless. Score: 8 / 4 / 8 / 4 / 16

1/VIII/24 - 75cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ Ardennes Holiday, bottled: II/2024, BB: +5Y (2024-654)

Pretty clear blond yellow beer, small irregular off-white head, unstable, dissipates quickly. Aroma: nice, fruity, a bit funky, lychee is noticeable, lemonade, woody notes. MF: lively carbon, medium body. Taste: nice, very fruity, good acidity, juicy, lemony, lemon juice, clean acidity, nice! Aftertaste: very fruity, pretty bitter, tannins, earthy, juicy, more lemon, nice one!