1-1-24 Advent 20 Churchkey MCM 3.9 SAM 4.1

Medium, rather stable white head over lively carbonated orange-ochre beer. Horseblanket, saddlesoap, sunflower seed, grease, dried appleskins, buckskin. Almost sweetish, again (green) apple, medium dry cider, horseblanket, lemon/peel. Very good carbonation, spritzy, slight acidthinning and -burn, long aftertaste. Very good geuze... but why the 'sporty'? It's certainly no NABLAB. Txs to Stef!

bomber - shared with friends during dart night. Outstanding lambic - one of the best I've had. Funky, pretty color - so drinkable

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.

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.