9.8

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

Time for one of Belgium's most legendary beers: the iconic Millennium Geuze. In late 1998, inspired by champagne makers preparing millennium champagne to celebrate the upcoming turn of the millennium, De Cam joined forces with 3 Fonteinen to select the most superior of their respective lambics and blend them in this one-off, about 8000 bottles of which were made. The late Armand Debelder stated in 2010 that this was a creation he was most proud of, so by the time the lambic revival (surfing on the global craft beer revolution) arrived, the remaining vintage bottles began to rise in value, with prices of 500 to even upwards of 1000 euros (or dollars) circulating on the black market. This renewed interest in vintage geuze prompted me too to go out and search for one of these a few years later; I eventually, after long negotiations with a local collector in Halle, managed to get my hands on one which still resides in my cellar, but imagine my surprise when last week at the Lambik-o-Droom these bottles were suddenly (and once-only) for sale, due to the fact that a new collab geuze of 3 Fonteinen and De Cam was released at that time. I cannot thank Dennis Vansant and Bart Aesaert enough for sharing their respective bottles during that event - allowing me to compare between not one, but two different twenty-five year old bottles of this legend. Out of respect for this iconic beer and for the way such old geuze bottles need to be served, I will ignore the final part of the bottles and judge this by the first two glasses, which turned out almost miraculously unscathed by time. Pale off-white, medium sized (after all those years!), shred-lacing, only slowly opening and diminishing head on an initially misty peachy golden blonde robe with still visible sparkling, turning darker further into the bottle and ending up cloudy and almost brown. Aroma of moist old wooden boards, very old Parmigiano cheese, green plum, peach kernels, old dry sherry, unripe apricot, wet hay, cheese rind, dusty attic, damp cellar (an effect becoming stronger towards the end of the bottles but much more in the first bottle than in the second), volatile whiff of tomato peel, hints of dry earth, paprika powder, old copper wires, grapefruit pith and a touch of tobacco somewhere. Still very crisp onset (remarkably so) with notes of sour grape, lime, unripe apricot, hard nectarine, tamarillo and green apple, much more lively and fruity than I had imagined, moderate carbonation but still actively sparkling and sustaining the head for quite a while, with vinous, full body; unripe stonefruit, grape skin and tamarillo notes accompanied a deep lactic tartness on its journey through a deep bready core and tannic woodiness, the latter matching with an unexpectedly 'deep' lingering bitterness of old hops in the end; meanwhile, retronasal effects of dusty attic, very old oloroso sherry and damp cellar point clearly at oxidation but in such a way that it adds an extra layer of finesse and flavour - the kind of 'flattering' oxidation in old beers only the very best can display. This beer, dug up from 3 Fonteinen's catacombs where it was undoubtedly perfectly aged, is not just a beer: it is sheer nobility, up there with the great wines, whiskys or other 'aristocratic' alcoholic beverages of the western world. It turned out much more powerful, complex and firmly structured than I had hoped for - a beverage of pure beauty and class. I am still in doubt about what I am going to do with the bottle I have left now that I had the chance to thoroughly taste it - with one bottle oddly being a tad more 'fresh' and lively than the other - but now that I know this world famous geuze can withstand time like few others, I am in no hurry to open it. This is truly a beer for the Millennium: a legend in its time, and probably much more so today, but very much alive to this day as well. I left that wonderful Lambic-o-Droom dreaming of lambic indeed - this kind of experiences is why I have been pursuing all these beers in all those years. Majestic.

8.5

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

Bottle shared at Himmeriget, Copenhagen. Pours a hazy golden with a big white head. Aroma is extremely funky, barnyard, earthy dusty cellar, cobwebs, tart lemony, citrussy, sweet orange, forrest floor, minty, spice. Taste is citrussy, funky, barnyard, tannic, sweet orange, tart lemony, minty, subtle oxidation.

8

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Corked bottle. Oak, grapefruit and bubblegum in the aroma. Oak, lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, honey and bubblegum in the still quite complex flavor. Rubber and plums in the aftertaste. Millennium shows signs of old age and tiredness, but nevertheless remains a great beer.

8.5

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

Bottle, many thanks Koelschtrinker! Hazy golden color with white head. Aroma is light böckser, peach, lemon rind, moldy basement. Taste is moldy basement, lime, horseblanket, peach, oxidized indeed. Silky mouthfeel with high carbonation. Already quite old, but it is still good.

8.3

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

This bottle has been sitting in my closet for over 16 years, so it was about time...As promised long ago, shared with de Rooie Dop crew (NoiZe, Caesar & Skortila) & Bierkonijn. Cork comes out easily with a good pop. Pour a hazy golden yellow color. As good as white head, firm, a bit frothy. Delicate geuze aroma’s: sourness, ripe apples, wood, a hint of sweetness even, light cork and fortunately not much brett funkiness. Flavor is moderate to full sour, but soft, not sharp at all. Light to medium bodied. Long finish, sourness remains, along with some wood. Like I expected, nothing but a good, nice tasting geuze.

8.8

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

Bottle thx to Potjebier, small sample. Slight hazy golden color, medium frothy head. Aroma of mellowed horseblanket and barnyard, soft funky notes, bit cork, soft aging notes. We put a fresh 3F oude geuze next to it, which had far more green and leafy hops in the nose and was sharper and more sour in taste. Millennium was soft in flavor, smooth sourness, slight citric and slight lactic. Well balanced, and kept good for more than 16 years. Ofc extra points for lambic rarity. Thx to Potjebier for this whale!

8.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

750 ml bottle at Himmeriget, Copenhagen. Unclear yellow golden color with small off white head. Yeasty aroma, barnyard, funky, wood, some tart citrus notes. Sweet and acidic like aroma. Light to medium oily body with soft carbonation.

9

Massive bottle share at Chris O's house. Back in the day.

8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Thanks Joost for helping me rate a very hard to find beer. You and your wife make great food and are extremely generous even to us American beer geeks. Enjoyed @ DHVL for 125 Euros split 2 ways. Actually, I poured a half glass for some Americans sitting beside me to also try...they also got my dregs which is great..this is an old beer and I’m not convinced the dregs would be any good.

A - Great color. A bronze color with a 2 finger dense cream-like head. fully carbed!!!

S - Smells pretty good for a bottle that’s so old. Aroma is blue cheese, lemon skin, a mild oak and light acidity.

T - Taste is good. Acidity and sour is very well balanced. Peach. Kiwi, tropical fruits and a solid lemon presence. For sure a 3F Geuze with a great overall balance despite its age.

M - Very sticky on the teeth. Really coats the mouth.

O - Very enjoyable! I was given the option to take this home and drink there and honestly, if you are going to rate a beer of this age, enjoy it at the cellar it was bought and stored in and kept for the life of the bottle. To take this away , ship it home and store @ my cellar and drink in a year might have significantly changed things. It was nice to have on-site with some good stew and cheese and frites. Prost.

9.5

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

Bottle thanks to Minh. Pours a cloudy orange with small frothy white head that lasts. The aroma is strong funk, orange peel, hemp. Thick mouthfeel, nice funk, sweet orange grove, and good punch of sour, complex, amazing.