8.4/10
ā
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
750ml from Des Bierschuur shared @ Ryan's with Farees and Alex.
Aroma: funky, minerals, horse blanket, seems more powerful than 2022.
Taste: along the same lines, prominent, quite intense, noticeable (but appropriate) acidity.
Overall: good one š
Aroma: funky, minerals, horse blanket, seems more powerful than 2022.
Taste: along the same lines, prominent, quite intense, noticeable (but appropriate) acidity.
Overall: good one š
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Aug 2025
at 05:23
8.3/10
ā
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Poured from 750mL bottle (huge cork shot pop). Chill hazed yellow gold with white head. Funky, carbonation, enjoyable, will be super enjoyable in a few more years.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Aug 2025
at 05:13
8.5/10
ā
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Poured from 750mL bottle. Lightly hazed gold with small white head and light touch of sediment. Very nice funk and balance after 3 years. Enjoyable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Aug 2025
at 03:57
8/10
ā
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 8
750ml shared @ Ryan's with Farees and Alex.
Aroma: very funky, some minerals.
Taste: along the same lines, moderately acidic, minerally, horse blanket.
Overall: good one.
Aroma: very funky, some minerals.
Taste: along the same lines, moderately acidic, minerally, horse blanket.
Overall: good one.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Kihoskh
on 30 Aug 2025
at 03:57
7.5/10
ā
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7
As my final VAT of the boxset, and given the fact no more VAT's are made, perhaps my final ever 'new' tick in this series, there is this 122.
Like the other 3 of this box, I'm tasting without description, only reading it after trying and thinking, whilst typing this review. So far, 16 to my was a bit unspecific, not 'worthy' of a price this high (compared to the regular Boon), 59 was pretty solid and unique, but not exactly my personal preference. 93 was really, really good. So, hopes are that the last unrated ever (to me) VAT will be another highlight - end with a bang, I hope!
Pours a fairly amber, slightly hazed blonde. Small but stable white head. Scent is very mature / old oak impression, on typical Boon profile, but the more mature version. Very inviting, but not overly specific perhaps. Taste is significantly focussed on brett. Seems like it'll be very sour, but it ends very mellow, actually. At first, all the old oak, brett, aged boon character rises up. Than it turns more mineral focussed. Aftertaste is very short though. I'm kindof missing out on the uniqueness here, again. Sure, a bit older oak (I think), perhaps also older lambic, but nothing majorly different, appart from the brett-heavyness. I would have hoped for more typicallity , specificness, and surely a longer aftertaste / more bombastic experience. Much like the 16, this is pretty forgeteable, in a price range (compared to others by the brewery) that would make you expect more.
according to the pamphlet, these barrels are amongst the latest additions to the brewery, EX wine barrels (which I didn't pick up on, at all) that have been filled 3 times now, giving the typicallity of Boon for the first time.
I get that this is a cool extra, but it feels, tastes, and reads more as if they 'needed' a new VAT, rather than a true gem presenting itself, demanding to become a monoblend (oh, good old days of Vat 77, I'm so happy I got some of these bottles left). Whilst remaining a fan (and very big respect for them!) of the brewery, I can see why they ended the series. Hopefully, we'll one day get a new VAT, when there's actually a lambic worthy of becoming a VAT. In this box, the 93 is the only one I'm very happy with - because it's a standout geuze, not even for the barrel influence specifically, but ofcourse that's a part. The 16 and 122 really feel like fillers. Not at all bad beers, none of them are !
Like the other 3 of this box, I'm tasting without description, only reading it after trying and thinking, whilst typing this review. So far, 16 to my was a bit unspecific, not 'worthy' of a price this high (compared to the regular Boon), 59 was pretty solid and unique, but not exactly my personal preference. 93 was really, really good. So, hopes are that the last unrated ever (to me) VAT will be another highlight - end with a bang, I hope!
Pours a fairly amber, slightly hazed blonde. Small but stable white head. Scent is very mature / old oak impression, on typical Boon profile, but the more mature version. Very inviting, but not overly specific perhaps. Taste is significantly focussed on brett. Seems like it'll be very sour, but it ends very mellow, actually. At first, all the old oak, brett, aged boon character rises up. Than it turns more mineral focussed. Aftertaste is very short though. I'm kindof missing out on the uniqueness here, again. Sure, a bit older oak (I think), perhaps also older lambic, but nothing majorly different, appart from the brett-heavyness. I would have hoped for more typicallity , specificness, and surely a longer aftertaste / more bombastic experience. Much like the 16, this is pretty forgeteable, in a price range (compared to others by the brewery) that would make you expect more.
according to the pamphlet, these barrels are amongst the latest additions to the brewery, EX wine barrels (which I didn't pick up on, at all) that have been filled 3 times now, giving the typicallity of Boon for the first time.
I get that this is a cool extra, but it feels, tastes, and reads more as if they 'needed' a new VAT, rather than a true gem presenting itself, demanding to become a monoblend (oh, good old days of Vat 77, I'm so happy I got some of these bottles left). Whilst remaining a fan (and very big respect for them!) of the brewery, I can see why they ended the series. Hopefully, we'll one day get a new VAT, when there's actually a lambic worthy of becoming a VAT. In this box, the 93 is the only one I'm very happy with - because it's a standout geuze, not even for the barrel influence specifically, but ofcourse that's a part. The 16 and 122 really feel like fillers. Not at all bad beers, none of them are !
Tried
on 28 Aug 2025
at 19:46
8/10
Danish cherries for the win. Collab with you know who.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Aug 2025
at 18:31
8.5/10
ā
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 9
third bottle from the 4 bttl box set, the other 2 were not that outspoken , and very unique but not my personal flavor. Sampling without reading the description, which I'm reading after taking notes (during the tasting) . This series has been a wild ride between absolute amazement (Vat 77) and beers I wouldn't even prefer over the regular OG by Boon. At a hefty pricepoint, it seems to have not taken off, and the sheer amount released made it confusing for the Big crowds - hence these might be the last beers i'll ever tick on the Vat Serries.
Pours fairly dark blonde. Small white head with good (for the style great) stability. Scent is raw, more funky boon. Lots of oak, but in an almost vanilla-kinda way (no bourbon aspects) rather than new make tannins or mushroomy 'old oak'. It does have that very fresh vibe to it - making me think about new make, or at least young - even though I don't get said tannic bite I associate with NM.
Taste is full, outspoken Boon profile, with their typical fruityness being present, but slightly less outspoken. This one's specifics is more about the oak, it seems - which I guess is one of the aspects that can shine beautifully for this series. However, hard to actually pinpoint the exactness here - it might just be a wonderfull lambic from a specific barrel, rather than the barrel being something unique (like a spiritted barrel). If so, i very much agree with this being a particularly good Oude Geuze. No doubt the best of the 3 from the pack, perhaps one of the best of the series even - still no match for Vat 77 though. Reading the booklet, it shows that this one is all about the acidity (its not specifically more sour to me, but sure) . Barrels are explained to be EX red wine barrels (10 y lambic, so they too say not nearly all wine influence is gone) . Well, for most part I really agree with their text (they even name the vanilla!) the barrels 'taste' younger than they turn out to be. Conclusion of the text is actually the same as my tasting conclusion, it's not about the barrels history, it's what came out of it for this bottling that makes it special.
Nice, truly nice geuze that I wish I could buy more of. To all those who are still doubtfull about Boon being underestimated by most 'geeks', this might be one of those to change your mind.
Pours fairly dark blonde. Small white head with good (for the style great) stability. Scent is raw, more funky boon. Lots of oak, but in an almost vanilla-kinda way (no bourbon aspects) rather than new make tannins or mushroomy 'old oak'. It does have that very fresh vibe to it - making me think about new make, or at least young - even though I don't get said tannic bite I associate with NM.
Taste is full, outspoken Boon profile, with their typical fruityness being present, but slightly less outspoken. This one's specifics is more about the oak, it seems - which I guess is one of the aspects that can shine beautifully for this series. However, hard to actually pinpoint the exactness here - it might just be a wonderfull lambic from a specific barrel, rather than the barrel being something unique (like a spiritted barrel). If so, i very much agree with this being a particularly good Oude Geuze. No doubt the best of the 3 from the pack, perhaps one of the best of the series even - still no match for Vat 77 though. Reading the booklet, it shows that this one is all about the acidity (its not specifically more sour to me, but sure) . Barrels are explained to be EX red wine barrels (10 y lambic, so they too say not nearly all wine influence is gone) . Well, for most part I really agree with their text (they even name the vanilla!) the barrels 'taste' younger than they turn out to be. Conclusion of the text is actually the same as my tasting conclusion, it's not about the barrels history, it's what came out of it for this bottling that makes it special.
Nice, truly nice geuze that I wish I could buy more of. To all those who are still doubtfull about Boon being underestimated by most 'geeks', this might be one of those to change your mind.
Tried
on 23 Aug 2025
at 21:06
8/10
Strong carbonation, sour and a bit tart, dry. Woody with some lime, funk and stone fruit. Very nice.
Tried
on 22 Aug 2025
at 15:46
8.1/10
ā
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Poured from 375mL bottle (bb 28/11/2038). Clear amber gold with small white head and decent amount of yeasty sediment. Soft funky horseblanket, very easy drinking and balanced. Enjoyable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Aug 2025
at 02:21
7.9/10
ā
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
375ml from Ukraine @ Ryan's.
Aroma: a lot of funk and minerals, horse blanket.
Taste: along the same lines.
Overall: balanced, refreshing, nice one.
Aroma: a lot of funk and minerals, horse blanket.
Taste: along the same lines.
Overall: balanced, refreshing, nice one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Aug 2025
at 02:20