Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 8
Geuze blended from lambics that have aged on casks formerly containing Gouden Carolus' own whisky - like the 2021 edition, which oddly contained a full three percent more alcohol by volume; given this significant difference, it is indeed correct to give this follow-up its own entry, and one can wonder if remaking it at a lower ABV was intentional or not... Medium sized, irregularly but consistently lacing, egg-white, tightly moussy head, slowly showing gaps here and there; misty orangey peach blonde robe with amberish tinge and strings of enthusiastic sparkling rushing through. Aroma of sour oranges, lime peel, dusty attic, that oaky vanilla effect which is so strong in the used whisky still piercing through, granadilla, dandelion leaf, dried grapefruit peel, sumac, freshly cut reed sweetgrass, unripe mandarin, sour grapes, cucumber, wet leather, a barnyard in late summer. Crisp, tart onset, sour oranges, green gooseberries, raw rhubarb and yellow plums, with this touch of unripe peach sweetishness hidden within bringing balance and elegance; lemony edges, though not overly puckering. Crystalline carbonation as befits a good geuze, with supple yet full body; bread-crusty underbuilt supporting growing lactic acidity in a colourful, juicy way, carrying the green, yellow and orange fruitiness further into a near-exotic combo reminiscent of sour tropical (citrus and other fruits) but then bringing everything back to a satisfying closure, in which the vanilla-like touch of Gouden Carolus whisky can still be felt (though faintly so) and general oakiness dries the mouth - while the acids and fruity esters keep things juicy for balance. Some light alcohol warmth at the back, but obviously much less so than in the stronger first batch; sour peaches, sour grapes and sour oranges pop up again too at that point, with all their lovely fruitiness and juiciness. Just like in the first batch, the finish is utterly colourful and 'summery' with all that fruitiness - so despite this blend not containing any actual fruit, it manages to make the natural estery fruitiness of the lambic stand out in a pure, vibrant and radiant way, with that Gouden Carolus whisky probably contributing to this effect. On a par with the first batch for me, though the mellowing sweetness and soothing warmth of the whisky is clearly pushed back here - in this one, the lambic itself gets to shine even brighter. Beautiful.
EvNa (6056) reviewed Sporty Geuze - Origin-Elle from Lambiek Fabriek 2 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle. Color: Hazy orange amber, white head. Aroma: Funky, fruity, tart. Taste: Moderate to over moderate tart, still some sweetness too, fruity lemon, white grape, some tangerine, subtle horse-blanket funk and hints of rural funk, oak wood notes, mineral hints. Very smooth mouthfeel. Dry-ish finish. Medium body, just below average carbonation. Very well balanced. Smooth entry-level Geuze, easy drinkable but also a nice go-to Geuze for more experienced Geuze lovers. I like it. Curious about its ageing potential.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
New version 9%. Almost copper in colour. Aroma and flavour have obvious touches of vanilla from the whisky barrels. Dry finish. Light tang. Well rounded.
tderoeck (22711) reviewed Pale & Wild Caram-Elle from Lambiek Fabriek 2 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
20/XII/23 - 75cl bottle from Geers (Oostakker), shared @ post exam drink Zytho class (Syntra Gent), BB: +5Y, bottled: IX/2022 (2023-1182)
Clear amber beer, small creamy off-white head, pretty stable, a bit adhesive. Aroma: nice and funky, brett, wood notes, dry impression, a bit malty. MF: lively carbon, medium body. Taste: nice, very acidic, fruity, funky, a little bitter. Aftertaste: lovely, funky, wood notes, bitter, fruity, dry, citrus, lovely, slightly sweet impression.
Alengrin (11609) reviewed Sporty Geuze - Origin-Elle from Lambiek Fabriek 2 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
New geuze variation by Lambiek Fabriek, oddly associated with sports for some reason and made from specially selected 'ultra-soft' lambics, or 'mals' (low in sharp acids, particularly acetic acid) as this is called in traditional lambic jargon. Opens with a pop and some slow gushing but nothing to be worried about. Dense, thick and frothy, very firm and compact, egg-white head resting remarkably stably on a hazy warm peach blonde robe with pale orangey tinge and lots of tiny-bubbled sparkling. Aroma of oxidized green apple slices, dusty attic, dry haystacks, old dry timber, lots of the classic 'horseblanket' (Brett), plum skin, 'brut' champagne when warming up, subtler background hints of green tomato, tamarillo (leaf), barnyard, sour cream, dandelion, pickled onion. Crisp onset, estery notes of green apple slices, unripe nectarine and green gooseberries, tart but indeed in a soft, almost 'non-lemony' kind of way, with pronounced lactic acid setting in early; very lively, 'champenoise' sparkling with strong minerally effect yet avoiding painful numbing, very fit for an intentionally light-hearted geuze. Rounded, lean mouthfeel, green fruit tartness accompanying a soft bready core, dried by lactic acid but nowhere harshly so, remaining elegant and fruity, with volatile side notes of tomato peel, gherkin and tamarillo joining the ongoing 'green' fruitiness. 'Bretty' funkiness retronasally, classic horseblanket with some light barnyard here and there; the drying effect from the lactic acid is reinforced by woody tannins, while that champagne-like flavour returns at the back - but it is the tamarillo and gooseberry elements that linger the longest. Everything indeed remains soft for this style - which to the non-initiated will probably still be anything but soft - and with very little (though still some) 'end bitterness' from old hops, this geuze manages to retain its elegant, quenching, light-footed and spring-like character from the first sip to the last. Make no mistake, though: apart from outspoken Brett funkiness, there is also more than enough 'bite' left, in spite of the 'malse' lambics chosen, to make this 'sporty' geuze qualify as a full-fledged representative of its demanding style - and that for me makes this an exercise in balance excellently performed. Reminds me a bit of the first batch of Brett-Elle years ago, Lambiek Fabriek's firstborn, but with more tanginess and maturity - a beautiful illustration of how this lambic producer has evolved since then.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Shared @ Belgian Beer Geeks tasting. Thanks a lot! Hazy amber colour, white foam. Fruity, citrussy, tart, lemony and funky. Very nice.
Dandeman (2711) reviewed Jart-Elle Oude Kriek from Lambiek Fabriek 2 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Des cerises sures et légèrement sucrées se combinent à des notes de vieille ferme pour former un olfactif sauvage et fruité. Mousse énorme, rose et pétillante sur un liquide rouge et voilé. Pétillante et bien fruitée en bouche, elle développe toutes les caractéristiques des notes de fermentation spontanée avec un léger ajout de poivre. Les cerises sont bien en évidence mais sont parfaitement en équilibre avec les notes fermières et chevalines de la levure. Réussite technique fabuleuse. Goût balancé et équilibré. Même si ce type de bière n’est pas dans mes cordes, il faut quand même y apprécier une certaine perfection. O:8.85 V:3.12 G:8.74 C:4.9 G:17.75 T:43.36
Doc (2730) reviewed Jart-Elle Oude Kriek from Lambiek Fabriek 2 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3.5
Not usually a fan of lambics but let's try. Bottle sealed with coq and metal cap. Smell-weak sourness, weak cherry. Foam- thin, sour, some cherry. Head is Appearance- cool brewer bottle cap, somewhat nice label. Cloudy red in color, medium to high carbonation. From - tulip Taste - weak sourness, weak cherry, tarty and some more sour cherries.Yea, I am not a fan of lambics and sour ones. Alcohol helps it a bit. Not for me.
Benzai (24515) reviewed Sporty Geuze - Origin-Elle from Lambiek Fabriek 2 years ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Bottle shared at RBBWG 2023. Hazy light orange color, average sized white head. Smell and taste are moderately sour, maybe just lightly, basically like a soda. Very very drinkable, very tasty. Citrusy lemonade. Lovely.
Kraddel (15844) reviewed Sporty Geuze - Origin-Elle from Lambiek Fabriek 2 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Pours unclear blonde, no real head. Scent is funky, very oak-foreward, milder brett. Taste is full, tart, mature, oak, very brett-forward. easy drinkable. Medium body (quite dense for a geuze) with medium - medium high carbo. Enjoyable geuze, perhaps a tad more woody, but not overly specific.