8.3

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 7.5

Limited edition series of geuzes by Oud Beersel aged in barrels which originally contained other alcoholic beverages – in this case ruby port, the others being whisky and madera. Bottle bought at the brewery during Toer de Geuze. Highly pressurized with lots of gunsmoke upon opening, but no gushing. Medium thick, moussy, pale greyish white, slowly opening and eventually dissolving head on a cognac-tinged dark orange blonde robe with deep rosy glow – very odd for a geuze and in fact looking more like some sort of fruit lambic, but I see no other explanation than the leftover port from the barrel being responsible for this unique colour. Aroma of sour crabapples, old oak furniture, bitter honey, green tree leaves, unripe plums, very dry and old rosé wine, furniture wax, nectarine peel, oxidized old dry sherry and a very vague smoky accent somewhere in the background – but no real port sweetness. Crisp, tart onset, green unripe plums, sharp redcurrant and sour apple, lively ‘champenoise’ sparkling; full, even somewhat vinous body. Bready core hidden under lots of tannic woodiness, unripe stonefruit and grape skin astringency, lactic sourness and that oxidized dry sherry effect, which is probably linked to the port; dry, but refreshing and complex, tart, vinous finish with lingering fruity esters and a late, deep old hops bitter note – but again, no actual port taste. Fascinating: the lambic yeasts have done their own ‘thing’ again here, eating the residual sugars in the port, annihilating its sweetness, but keeping a sherry-like, ‘portorized’ aroma intact – the port is thus ‘distorted’ by the lambic treatment in a most interesting way. An oddity among geuzes for sure, certainly in looks (taking on a rosy hue from the port), but complex, nicely fruity, appetizing and interesting, so deserving of a high score in my book; the only thing I regret, is not having had the patience to let it mature in my cellar a bit longer, because I suspect it would benefit from that. I still have those whisky and madera versions to age further, though, and maybe I will…