8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
375mL bottle, bonus from Dorwart, thanks man! Consumed on 11/10/06. Unsure of the vintage.
Unfiltered peachy-golden, with some very soft honey and melon tones throughout. Tiny bubbles drift lazily upwards and an off-white head is formed, precariously, and receding to cover. Wispy lace covers the glass, however, quite profusely as it recedes. Medium-high to high clarity, leaving the sediment (not all that much) behind.
A clear shot of acid shoots up the nostrils on first sniff, very lactic in character. This somewhat softens in to a warm, funky mold and cheese note that definitely recalls horse manure and general barnyard activity (some sulphur present too). But a dry, almost autumn leafiness somewhat helps lighten the scene (not that the funk isnt highly enjoyable). Not much, if any of the strawberry in the nose, at most I can pick out a bit of sweet fruit essence. Light vanilla through the middle speaks of not quite fully attenuated pils malt, but then disappears, as brett and lacto redouble their efforts on the finish. Some lime and grapefruit rind acidity is noted, but the barnyard and cheesiness is mostly dominant. Medium to medium-high strength of aroma, very sniffable and quite delightful. Importantly, no flaws noted, not that you would expect them from Hanssens.
Acid washes quickly over the palate, to begin, with funky brett and pediococcus adding tons of barnyard flavors, and lacto delivering that yogurty/cheesiness. Very minimal green apples are covered by limes and a hint of soft honey sweetness. Soft, wheaty texture with very low carbonation. What is there, however, is mostly tight and engaging, clearing the palate well at each sip. The strawberry, which is definitely apparent in the flavor, is most curious. It sits outside the realm of the lambic, more an afterthought and not as woven in to the flavor as your typical tart cherry or raspberry notes. The reason most likely being that it is more sweet, though importantly, not too sweet. Just that strawberries are more naturally soft and sweet than raspberries and sour cherries. This puts it in more contrast to the lambic qualities and makes it quite distinctive, and in my opinion, quite delicious. Nowhere near overdone, and quite authentic. Touch of wateriness, and maybe a bit softer in the acid department than I prefer, but funky per the norm of Hanssens and quite full of unique character.
Unfiltered peachy-golden, with some very soft honey and melon tones throughout. Tiny bubbles drift lazily upwards and an off-white head is formed, precariously, and receding to cover. Wispy lace covers the glass, however, quite profusely as it recedes. Medium-high to high clarity, leaving the sediment (not all that much) behind.
A clear shot of acid shoots up the nostrils on first sniff, very lactic in character. This somewhat softens in to a warm, funky mold and cheese note that definitely recalls horse manure and general barnyard activity (some sulphur present too). But a dry, almost autumn leafiness somewhat helps lighten the scene (not that the funk isnt highly enjoyable). Not much, if any of the strawberry in the nose, at most I can pick out a bit of sweet fruit essence. Light vanilla through the middle speaks of not quite fully attenuated pils malt, but then disappears, as brett and lacto redouble their efforts on the finish. Some lime and grapefruit rind acidity is noted, but the barnyard and cheesiness is mostly dominant. Medium to medium-high strength of aroma, very sniffable and quite delightful. Importantly, no flaws noted, not that you would expect them from Hanssens.
Acid washes quickly over the palate, to begin, with funky brett and pediococcus adding tons of barnyard flavors, and lacto delivering that yogurty/cheesiness. Very minimal green apples are covered by limes and a hint of soft honey sweetness. Soft, wheaty texture with very low carbonation. What is there, however, is mostly tight and engaging, clearing the palate well at each sip. The strawberry, which is definitely apparent in the flavor, is most curious. It sits outside the realm of the lambic, more an afterthought and not as woven in to the flavor as your typical tart cherry or raspberry notes. The reason most likely being that it is more sweet, though importantly, not too sweet. Just that strawberries are more naturally soft and sweet than raspberries and sour cherries. This puts it in more contrast to the lambic qualities and makes it quite distinctive, and in my opinion, quite delicious. Nowhere near overdone, and quite authentic. Touch of wateriness, and maybe a bit softer in the acid department than I prefer, but funky per the norm of Hanssens and quite full of unique character.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Dec 2006
at 13:35
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
(Bottle) Red colour with orange tinges and frothy, white, brief head. Hazy with sediment, clear without. Fruity, sourish nose with distinct cherry aromas, notes of red-currant and stable, a hint of smoke (or rather the aroma of freshly lit matches). Acidity drawing slightly in the vinegar direction. Musty and fresh at the same time. Fresh, sour taste with cherries and red-currant, a hint of raspberries as well. Very dry, but not harsh. Very fresh compared to most traditional krieks, but still with the dryness and acidity that is characteristic for the style. Brilliant!
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Dec 2006
at 15:33
7.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Opened like a bottle of champagne (luckily I was warned by SoLan and didn’t spiil a drop). Strong musty lambic aroma with noticeable honey and white pepper notes. Golden yellow with gigantic head. Sour musty cracker flavor with just a hint of the mead. HIgh carbonation. More traditional gueuze flavor - expected it to be sweeter but it’s very dry - a bit like Cantillon’s Faro with higher carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Nov 2006
at 17:03
7.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
[Bottle] Red, slightly hazy colour. Very little head. Sourish grapefruit aroma. Very sour taste of grapefruit and lingonberries.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Oct 2006
at 14:17
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle from Utobeer, I think. I keptthis for ages waiting for the right moment. I love gueuze but know that it will normally fall into the 3.8-4.2 range for me as the sourness makes it too extreme for me. Beautiful amber colour, with thin ring of off white head. Sour funky aroma. Really funky actualy. Sharp in mouth. Lemon juice and more funkiness in mouth. Sharp funky lemon finish. Pretty extreme to be honest, very acidic. I prefer Girardin and Boon to this. Still a lovely example of this limited beer style.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Oct 2006
at 16:55
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle, 37,5 cl champagne-cork. Orange colour with a white head. Aroma is sour, oak, fruit, yeast. Flavour is yeast, fruit, sour, green apple, citrus.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Oct 2006
at 01:54
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottled (9% ABV, thanks to joergen & co). Hazy orange colour, small white head. Aroma is a mix of mead (the honey) and gueuze. Flavour is honey and sourness. Strange mix, a lovely idea, which works quite well, atleast for me.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Oct 2006
at 11:42
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottled, courtesy of joergen @Akkurat. Hazy yellow color, small white head. Sour grapefruit aroma - very Cantillon like. Grassy, sour, fruity, notes of mead (honey), earthy.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Oct 2006
at 14:07
9.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 10
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 10
First ratingInitial Rating Date: 10/1/200637.5 cl bottle from Swedish Systembolaget.Brownish color, white head. Strong sour scent, some horse droppings. Very sour taste. No bitterness. Acid, but nice, aftertaste. Unusually high level of CO2 for this type of beer.6/3/7/3/14=3.3Second ratingBottle at The Rover, Göteborg.Shady copper color, small white head. Extreme acidic scent with some sweet cherries. Acidic and marzipan taste, sour aftertaste. Spritzy mouthfeel, low bitterness.7/3/6/3/13=3.2Rerate37.5 cl bottle at Akkurat Stockholm. 1998 vintage, sampled on August 6, 2010.Hazy copper color, small white head. Phenolic, smoke, acidic, red currants scent. Sour, acidic, marvelous taste! Mouthpuckering sour mouthfeel. Very low bitterness. Un-ripe red currants, when green in color, aftertaste.6/4/9/4/16=3.9Rerate375 ml bottle on January 8, 2011. BB 07/08/2030.Thanks to Nisse666.Hazy deep ruby red color, pretty much no head. Almost overpowering cherry pip scent. Acidic to sour taste, sour finish. Puckering sour mouthfeel, low bitterness.8/2/7/3/14=3.4Rerate75 cl bottle, thanks to Dunbar72! Sampled on Feb 22, 2014.Hazy dark red color, smallish off-white head. Acidic to sour, cherry scent, also cherry pips. Acidic to sour taste. Puckering mouthfeel, very very low bitterness.8/3/9/3/18=4.1RerateBottle 37.5 cl on March 14, 2014. BB 2024.Clear dark red color, small off-white head. Very acidic and sour scent, a bit of berries. Acidic to sour taste, some Salubrin aftertaste. Medium to smooth mouthfeel, no bitterness.10/4/9/4/19=4.6Rerate75 cl bottle from Etre Gourmet, sampled on September 23, 2014 in Ludvika.Clear to light hazy reddish brown color, white head. Acidic, light sweet, sulphuric, gunpowder, vinegar scent. Vinegar, dry taste. Vinegar aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel, no bitterness.4/3/5/3/10=2.5
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Oct 2006
at 13:49
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
(Bottle) Colour is pale amber with a big, frothy, white head, disappearing after a while. Surprisingly clear. Nose is wineous and acidic with notes of citrus, grapefruit, green apples, stable, sweaty horse and hints of vinegar and even some smoke. Musty, acidic taste with grapefruit, apricots, barn yard, horse blanket. Harsh but very well balanced. Absolutely magnificent, one of the best gueuzes I’ve tried.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Sep 2006
at 15:33