75cl bottle (bottled 03/21) from Prik & Tik Dranken Marlou. F: no real. C: deep gold, light hazy. A: funky, banana, bit vanilla, grapes, woody, white wine, pear. T: full body, woody, white wine, banana, vanilla touch, gooseberries, bit bready, warming alcohol yet not disturbing, bit slicky mouthfeel, there is almost no carbonation probably due to BA yet very nice balanced for the style, great beer, fully enjoyed.

75cl bottle (bottled 12/20) from Prik & Tik Dranken Marlou. F: thin, white, not long lasting. C: gold, clear...then light hazy from bottom of the bottle. A: green apples, white grapes, yellow plums, bit mineral, floral. T: white grapes, lemon, green apples, not so ofensively sour, woody, pineapple touch, brett, medium to high carbonation, mineral, bit bready, very nice balanced as I expected, fully enjoyed.

Lambiek Fabriek's latest to date, an impressively strong lambic aged on Gouden Carolus whisky barrels - the famed Gouden Carolus brand in Mechelen has indeed been producing whisky for years, and word went out on the grapevine that they offered their whisky barrels to a select number of fine brewers to age their beer in (Verzet is another one of those). Gunsmoke coming out of the bottle after opening, followed by 'belated' gushing - but nothing too violent. Audibly crackling, beaten egg-white, thickly moussy, large-bubbled but relatively stable head, pale ochre-golden blonde robe, misty with lively sparkling. Aroma of indeed clear Gouden Carolus whisky (I had it some years ago when it first came out), incorporating this banana, candied pineapple and vanilla effect into a lambic context, mingling with peaches soaked in alcohol, wild apple, damp straw, stale lime juice, wood sorrel, dust, unripe nectarine, wet vanilla-like oak wood, peanuts soaked in white wine vinegar, green pear, dry sherry. Lively onset, very estery and mildly tart, yoghurty lactic acidity in a gentle way, lots of sparkling effervescence; impressions of gooseberry, cooked green apple and unripe nectarine, with even hints of ripe white grape and banana coming from the Gouden Carolus whisky. Soft and full, almost 'fluffy' body, lovely brioche-breadiness under drying and notably vinous tartness with a deep oaky woodiness to it - but then the sweetness of this particular whisky gains momentum, with this very memorable yellow fruit effect coming in (banana even), mellowing the overall tartness of the lambic. The Gouden Carolus whisky flavour is all around here, including its soothing alcohol warmth, vanilla scent and sweet yellow fruitiness, but so is Lambiek Fabriek's home lambic quality - and both unexpectedly merge into one whole. Ends warming and almost sweet-sour, but most importantly: ends successfully. I never would have imagined even after having tasted all their previous lambics, but the Lambiek Fabriek crew managed to achieve something I have long considered impossible, despite notorious attempts by Cantillon and 3 Fonteinen: they made me enjoy a lambic with an ABV over 10%. With this achievement in mind, in cannot but grant this Colon-Elle a formidably high score - and the bottle was still young, imagine what this becomes with a few years of cellaring on it...

75cl bottle (bottled 03/21) from Prik & Tik Dranken Marlou. F: medium, light off-pink, average retention. C: reddish, hazy. A: nice sour fruity, funky, blackberries, redcurrants, raspberries, brett, woody, old lemon. T: nice sour fruity, woody, raspberries, strawberries touch, blaccurrants, lemon, brett, funky, medium carbonation, lactic touch, very good balanced for the style as I expected for beer fom this brewery, fully enjoyed.

75cl bottle from Prik & Tik Dranken Marlou. F: medium, pink white, average retention. C: reddisch, hazy. A: a lot of blackbarries, yoghurt, gooseberries, funky, brett, woody. T: rich blackberries, bit lemon, woody, funky, goosebrerries, bit tarty, puckering, higher carbonation, brett, really delicious for the style, fully enjoyed.

75cl bottle (bottled 02/21) from Etre Gourmet web shop as my beer #2900. F: medium, white, quick gone. C: deep gold, light hazy. A: old lemon, woody, funky, green gooseberries, barnyard, brett, white wine touch. T: full malty base, woody, old lemon peels, white wine, barnyard, green apples, bit warming alcohol even, red apples peels, medium carbonation, decent harmonic bitterness, dry on the palate, bit too boozy yet very good for the style, fully enjoyed.