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

After Cantillon pioneered the idea for their first Zwanze (initially still without the whole event around it) in 2008, rhubarb lambic had no following for years to come – until 2018, when both Tilquin and 3 Fonteinen started experimenting with the same idea. Four years later, traditional lambic producers seem to consider it as natural an ingredient as sour cherries or raspberries and many of these new rhubarb lambics are beautiful creations. For a newcomer like Vermeersch, a blender in East-Flemish Maldegem active since at least 2018 (and only more recently ‘officialized’) and founded by a former Ratebeerian if I am not mistaken, it seems logical to step right into the idea. Named after a family member like most of the Vermeersch blends (an idea they seem to have ‘borrowed’ from Hill Farmstead), this second edition of ‘Jan’ contains rhubarb from Veurne and various lambics from established producers. Bottle at Station 1280 in Antwerp, actually the first bar where I see this Vermeersch brand being up for sale (at prices comparable with Antidoot, Bofkont or Cantillon bottles), shared with Steve. Moussy, snow white, medium thick, opening and slowly thinning head, lightly hazed peach blonde robe with pale orangey tinge and enthusiastic sparkling. Aroma of grass silage and dried bitter weeds – the thumbprint of De Troch lambic, next to indeed raw rhubarb stems, lemonbalm, chives, wet oak wood, green apple, wood sorrel, dusty attic, gooseberry, dried lemon peel, sulfuric touch (yeast autolysis, possibly, but fitting in well), hint of freshly fermented farmland in the background. Crisp, green-fruity onset, lemony in a ‘malse’ way with lots of the expected oxalic acid from the rhubarb, adding juiciness; green apple, gooseberry and lemongrass accents accompany a rounded, slick bready-grainy core steeped in yoghurty lactic aciditiy and tannic woodiness, but always remaining ‘mals’ and juicy, with the rhubarb upfront. De Troch’s bitter plant-like effect shines through very clearly in the end, where things slowly come to a dry, quenching, ‘yellow-green’, elegant halt. A bit as expected really, decent rhubarb lambic with De Troch written all over it; not the single most refined rhubarb lambic I had to date (as with Bokke, Bofkont and others one can wonder if it is all worth the hype), but for a lambichead like me, certainly interesting enough to try more of these Vermeersch blends – if given the chance.

wild festival 2022

wild festival 2022

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

0,75l from bottle at Malz, Leuven. Amber murky color, almost no head. smells funky, peaches, stone fruits, earthy. Nice to very nice smell. Full body, soft carbonation. tastes peaches, earthy, grassy, peppery. Finishes rather dry and lightly to medium sour with notes peaches, grassy and earthy notes. Nice to very nice stuff

8, 7.5, 7.5, 7, 7.5

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

0,75l from bottle. Amber murky color, small white head. Smells Abrikoos, earthy, bit jammy, grassy. Nice to very nice smell. Full body, soft carbonation. Tastes peppery, grassy, earthy, bit jammy, light Abrikoos, spices. Finishes almost lightly sweet with notes of apricots and jammy notes. Almost sweet, not much funk, unique, I like it. Very good one

7, 7.5, 7.5, 7, 8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

0,75l from bottle at hops n more. Yellow hazy color, small white head. smells funky, Sulphur, berry, peppery notes, bit fishy. Decent to nice smell. Full body, soft carbonation. tastes funky, earthy, grassy, berry notes, stone fruits. Finishes dry and lightly to medium sour with notes is stone fruits, earthy and grassy notes. Very good one, did not care so much about the smell, but taste is very good, lovely balance

8, 6.5, 8, 8, 8.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

0,75l from bottle at hops n more. Amber hazy color, small white head. smells of intense elder flowers, grassy, earthy, flowery, plants. Full body, soft carbonation. tastes of elder flowers, grassy, earthy, bit funky, citric, herbal. Finishes dry and lightly to medium sour with notes of elder flowers, herbal and grassy notes. Lovely, great balance very good stuff

8, 8, 8.5, 8, 8.5

Hapu, kuiv, funky, veits vesine, kuiv, puuviljane. Hea.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

0,75l from bottle at Night Shop, Brussels. Yellow murky color, small white head. Smells citric, funky, cheesy, wood, earthy. lovely smell. Full body, soft carbonation. Tastes funky, earthy, peppery, spices, herbal, cheesy. Finishes dry and lightly sour with notes of pepper, funky and herbal notes. Good stuff, very funky, taste not as good as the taste, but apparently this didn't have time to settle

8, 8.5, 7.5, 7, 7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

1 of only 35 bottles. pours unclear, warm blonde to orange. Scent is full, citrussy, strong funk and wood. Uli style ! Bit velpon character. Taste is full, very funky, raw, green aspects (unripe apple), full oak, rather high yet complex acidity. Tartness builds up. Quite nice! raw-style geuze. Perhaps a blend of De Troch + lindemans ? 7.8 / 23-08-2022

Rerate december 24. Liked it even (way) more now. Creamy, very malty, apple, surprisingly complex. This evolved magnificently. 8.4 now

Merge to 8.1