De Bascule is a pub in Pepingen (Pajottenland) specializing in lambic beers and has now revived the 19th-century tradition of pubs blending their own geuze – if this becomes a trend again, I do not know what we are into in terms of future geuze ‘ticks’… Blended with the still new and largely unknown Sako lambic (not coincidentally, as Sako is in the same village), this is the first serious attempt at doing something enduring with this lambic; the pub owner even aged it in the cellars of his pub himself (but got assistance from veteran Willem Van Herreweghe for the blending). Needless to say, the total number of bottles produced is very limited and this geuze, combining a still-to-explore but authentic lambic with the lost tradition of blending by pubs rather than lambic breweries, has already drawn considerable attention in the lambic world. Anyway, on to the bottle: off-white, membrane-like lacing, moussy, slowly opening head over a hazy ochre-tinged apricot blonde robe. Aroma of white yoghurt, halfripe apricot and unripe yellow plum, sourdough, oxidized dry rosé wine, green pear, light buttermilk, young green tree leaves, soft wet wood, cheese spread, kombucha, bitter garden weeds, goat cheese. Crisp onset, lemony at first but quickly softening, shifting over green apple to a more purple gooseberry- and halfripe apricot-like fruitiness – even a touch of sweetness, a bit more so than is custom in this style. Lively prickling effervescence, soft and ‘mals’ core, sourdoughy with continuing gooseberry and stonefruit aspects; strong yoghurty lactic tartness, in this case almost buttermilk-like and adding a certain creamy factor which enhances the sweet element I mentioned above. Bready, tart, dry finish, drying more and more in fact, but never becoming harsh; light wood and a deep earthy hop bitterish note complete the picture. Relatively young still for a style best aged significantly, this geuze proved better than expected if I have to be honest (I did not have much trust in that Sako lambic but apparently things went better as it matured); very ‘mals’ too, to the point where there is a certain degree of sweetishness which I do not expect in a geuze. Other than that, it needs more depth and complexity for me, more Bretty funkiness and dryness too, but I am convinced this will only improve with further ageing and I cannot but conclude that in this most unforgiving of classic beer styles, De Bascule did an impressively fine job at blending a decent geuze. One to revisit within a few years from now.

Light hazy golden colour, white foam. Nose of citrus, wheat, sweet malts, a bit herbal.

Sampled @ Zythos Beer Festival 2022. A clear yellow golden beer with a white lacing. Aroma of pale malt, some sweet fruits. Taste of sweet and mild herbal pale malt, some honey.

Frischer, hefig-alkoholischer Beginn. Leicht erhöhte Karbonisierung, leichte Bitterkeit, rund. Zunehmend trocken, mittellanger Abgang. Gut. 9/7/9/8//8

--Keg at Akkurat, Stockholm. -- Clear golden, rich head. Aroma of coriander and hay. Mid sweet with medium body and rounded mouthfeel. Coriander, white bread, notes of marzipan and elderflowers. Peppery mid bitter finish.