8.9

Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 9

Bottle at Lambic o Droom. Very lively pour. Yoghurt, wet dank funk, grassy, caramel, oak, lots of dried fruits. Medium sweet and sour. Also some bitterness. Shows some age, but still pleasant. Good.

9.4

Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 9.5 | Flavor - 9.5 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9

The last of these ‘season’ geuzes that escaped me back at the time when they were released (2011), fortunately 3 Fonteinen’s Lambik-O-Droom offers the opportunity to taste them again as vintage beers, at eleven years of age now. It seemed only fitting to drink this one ‘in situ’ last weekend as 3 Fonteinen’s former manager and great inspirer, Armand Debelder, who took over the ‘geuzestekerij’ from his equally legendary father Gaston, passed away two weeks ago; I had the honour to be able to speak with him on several occasions and I can only confirm that this man was, as it were, a “gentle giant” in the world of lambic, with a legacy that can hardly be underestimated and will likely, hopefully, continue to thrive for generations to come. In a time when traditional lambic beers balanced on the verge of extinction, having been overflown by so many sweetened interpretations which hardly convey the lambic spirit (and sweet beers in general), 3 Fonteinen was one of only a handful of producers stubbornly and passionately trying to stick to the traditions, and very justly refused to make any compromises. This alone is enough reason to praise Armand, even regardless of the continuous high quality of his products and the fact that he was the founding father of HORAL among other things; I will cherish my memories of the private tour he gave me in his (then newly built) Lambik-O-Droom and other encounters with him for the rest of my lifetime. So, onto the beer then: dusty bottle from the cellar, opening with a bang and a lot of gunsmoke (but fortunately no gushing – which did happen with the same bottles on other occasions, according to the bartender); very thick, dense, frothy, egg-white and stable head, leaving shreds of lacing over a warm orangey amber coloured beer with copper- to rust brown tinge (a result of oxidation) and a fiery ‘storm’ of fine-bubbled sparking rushing through the beer. Aroma of a very noble, gracefully aged, profound geuze all around: dried peaches, very old orange peel, dry autumn leaves, grass silage, old dry sherry, old wooden furniture, tea bags, dry hay, funky notes of goat stable and cracked leather, oxidized white wine, dust. Spritzy onset, sharpish carbonation in a cava-like way but spot on for the style, lots of dried fruit aspects in a dry, non-sweet way, old dried apricots and peaches, orange peel sourishness at the edges merging with a ‘deep’, serene lactic tartness piercing through a bread-crusty core and reviving fruitiness near the end but this time in a brighter, more sour and crisp way (redcurrant, sour apple, even some sour grape) positioned against a background of noble woodiness, hints of old tea and tree leaves, mild funkiness and oxidized old sherry. The sourness keeps things refreshing in spite of the mature, noble, deeply textured character – this is as solid as oude geuze gets, like the other three in this series. Very close to the summer edition which I had last year so an equally fantastic drinking experience – Armand was deservedly ‘fier’ (proud) of this series, but now it is our turn to be proud of him. Cheers Armand, rest in peace. And thank you for so many beautiful beery moments.

8

Happeline, tammine, sidrun, puuviljane, natuke vesine, greip, veits oksüdeerunud. Hea.

9

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9

Bottle @ Koelschip, Copenhagen shared by Tyler. Thanks buddy. Been wanting to try this one for a good while. Pours golden copper with a big white head. Aroma is herbal, light tart, sweet orange, floral, grapefruit, mouldy woody, sweet stone fruits. Taste is tart, lemony, herbal, stone fruits, oaky, earthy, mouldy, citrussy, lots of tannins. Damn, this is good! So complex and delicious.

7.6

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Wineglass showing pale amber with sparse white foam. The nose shows intense clean notes of brett, moss, and oak barrel with light notes of mint. The palate is light body and moderately carbonated. Light flavors of brett, lemon, and biscuit with light citrus.

8.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

Corked bottle. Orange color. Oak, honey and lemon in the aroma. Oaky lemon flavor with leather and honey. Rounded sours. Very drinkable. Complex enough, but there is room for more. Excellent, but not the very best Armand can offer.

8.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9.5

0,75l from bottle at Akkurat. Amber hazy color, small white head. Smells wood, Funk, peppery, spices, bit genaherbal. Very nice smell. Medium body, soft carbonation, slick mouthfeel. Tastes of funk, bit cheesy, hints of oxidation, wood, earthy, bit marzipan, spices. Finishes lightly dry and very lightly sour with notes of of cheese, spices and earthy notes. Very very nice one, so smooth 9, 4, 9, 5, 19 rerate: 0,75l bottle at home. redish / amber clear color, small white head. smells cheesy, funky, grassy, hay, earthy. very nice smell. very mellow. full body, pearly carbonation. tastes citric, grassy, earthy, spices, peppery, bit herbal, lightly flowery, hay, some wood. finishes lightly dry and lightly sour with notes of cheesy, hay and earthy notes. very very nice one, super good to drink, still strong carbonation 8, 4, 9, 4, 18

8.6

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

9

Duzo owocow jasnych, siana, troche sera, ma cialo o dziwo, kwasnosc pod kontrola, bardzo pijalne, wywazone, eleganckie. Dlugie posmaki. 4.4