3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage (2002-)

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

750 ml "champagne" bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). ABV is 6%. Bottle date: 14-02-2007, the "best before" date also reads 02-2007, which obviously must be a misprint. Hazy golden colour, big white head. Lovely aroma of lemons and other sour fruits, with strong notes of farmhouse and horse stable. The flavour is very sour and tart, with lemony notes and a dry and astringent finish with noticeable hops.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

2002 vintage bottle drank in 2008: Poured a slightly hazy orangey color lambic with a medium white bubbly head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of green apple with some acid and sour notes and some mild barnyard notes. Taste is less acidic then the aroma was suggesting with some sour notes and a barnyard feel which is quite interesting. There was some distinctive green apple notes which are similar to the Girardin gueuze. Full body with some good carbonation but slightly lower then I was expecting. I can’t say that I see a huge difference form the regular geueze but IO as impressed nonetheless.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

April 16, 2002 Vintage Bottle, Sampled October 2007
Pours with a lightly hazy, cherry tinged, light amber color (quite dark for a Gueuze / Lambic) and is crowned by an initially two-finger thick, light tan colored head that is a mix of large and tightly beaded froth that leaves some lacing patterns on the sides of the glass as it recedes. Ah yes, the aroma is just want I need; funky, woody, tart and fruity, it smells oh so good. Aromatic notes of cured leather, ripe plastic (in the process of curing), urea, dried mushrooms and a touch of farmhouse cheese are all noticeable. The aromatic tart notes run the gamut from hints of lactic, acetic, definitely citric, with notes of tart apples, sour grapes and even some touches of tart, exotic fruit. Other aromas of rotting wood, cedar, spicy oak, damp cellars made of stone and thick-amply-aged wood structure add more complexity to the aroma.

Soft and almost creamy up front before the acidity kicks in. The acidity is never hard or overbearing though (which I sometimes like and even crave in a Lambic) and in fact melds quite well with a substantial (for a Lambic) texture & body. The acid is most notably lactic in character, but has touches of citric flavors at times. Notes of crab-apple, un-ripe star-fruit, touches of grapefruit (and even more than that at times) and a green, un-ripened, sauvignon blanc grape flavor add to the fruit component of this beer. Despite the supple texture and heft of this beer it seems quite bone dry. The carbonation, though light for a Gueuze, adds a zesty textured touch of froth to each sip. The flavor is not quite as funky as the aroma was, but this is still quite funk driven. Flavors of woody mushrooms, damp leather in the finish, cherry pits, most definitely musty and even a bit moldy at times. Touches of ephemeral vanilla, butter cream flavors (or is that just evoked from the texture), uriatic acid (cat pee to the layman) and wild flower petals add to the subtle backdrop of this beer. Quite tannic at times, almost coating the mouth, though not the teeth like a very tannic green tea, in light astringency.

I could wish for a bit more carbonation here as I like my Gueuzes to be very effervescent, but this is a damn fine example of the art. Very well blended, very well integrated, there is nothing that is dominant here. I do love a good Lambic, Gueuze especially, and I wish that I had the ability to drink more of these on a regular basis. Almost a bit too refined for my tastes; still rustic though and definitely a finely crafted product, but I think I prefer the regular non-vintage, and the 1995 vintage that I had in 2001.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Firstly, the cork flew in the wooden roof, and almost broke it, so beware of high pressure. A bit hazy golden colour, mediumsized head. Aroma is sourness and fruits. Flavour is dry and sour oak. Extremely smooth to drink. Long sour fruitish aftertaste. Just superb!