St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition - Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.

Auraan

Arizona

4.11/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured a cloudy orange with a thin white head that left no lacing. Scents of brett funk, barnyard like scents and some slight fruit. Flavor begins with sour notes reminiscent of lemon, there's also a dry white wine like flavor underneath the sour. It finishes on a dry note with a very grainy flavor that carries into the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is light bodied with high carbonation. It's a good geuze, though not as complex as the other I've tried. Worth trying, but not what I'd call my favorite for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 05:48:13 | More by Auraan

EthenWithAnE

California

3.69/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

This came in a green bottle, however I didn't notice any particular light struck aromas/flavors with this sample. Some sediment at the bottom, I poured gently to avoid (my preference).

Aroma - Moderately high malt sweetness, smells of cherries. No hop aroma detected which is ok for style. Malt balanced well with a moderately low musty, barnyard aroma. No alcohol, dms or diacetyl detected.

Appearance - Golden hue. Excellent clarity. Intense frothy white foam upon pour but recedes quickly, unfortunately uncharacteristic of the style. Possibly due to the amount of acidity.

Flavor - Moderately low malt sweetness characterized by cherries; no hop bitterness or flavor (ok for style). Malt balanced instead with moderately high lactic acid yeast character. Finishes very dry. No dms or diacetyl detected; no alcohol presence. Lacks a bit of the barnyard, horse blanket character typical of the style.

Mouthfeel - Medium light bodied with high, very spritzy carbonation. Scrubs the palate nicely. Not warm, nor creamy, but sharp with a high tartness and puckering sensation without being harsh or astringent.

Overall - A very complex and refreshing beer. The balance between malt character and yeast derived aroma/flavor works wonderfully and gives the beer dual purpose as both an afternoon thirst quencher and a mealtime accompaniment. RE: lack of musty, barnyard character - Possibly blend with more of the older, more developed lambic to pronounce the earthy character of the Senne River Valley. Otherwise, a wonderful gueuze.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 14:40:52 | More by EthenWithAnE

kylehay2004

Florida

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Small head but excellent lacing on my out on a slightly hazy golden with orange hue body. Flavor is very fruity, somewhat spicey with hints if grain and club soda. Flavor has a nice tart and sour citrus throughout with a wild and funky presence and nice yeast flavoring. Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. Definitely sharper and more flavorful than others I have had in the style. Excellent wild and sour presence.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2013 21:16:01 | More by kylehay2004

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 4/26/12. Poured into a chalice

A - Poured a dark gold/amber, slightly cloudy (cause I poured the sediment) with a white rocky half-finger head which quickly disipates. Well carbonated. Minimal lacing.

S - Yeasty, slightly sour, lemon, some sweetness.

T - Medium citric sour and lactic

MF - Bright, fizzy, a little fiz into my nose.

O - Refreshing in the only way a sour can, a little like a shanty.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:33:34 | More by Sludgeman

Gibonow

California

3.29/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

This was crisp and tart, and had the perfect amount of carbonation. I noticed a high amount of floating yeast but this does not bother me- it is unfiltered after all. Enjoyed super cold from a tulip glass. Overall, this is an above average sour at a reasonable price. Paid $9.00 for 12.7 oz.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 22:42:32 | More by Gibonow

blackie

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

draft at Busy Bee

a: served in a branded st. louis flute, the gueuze is a hazy golden-straw in color, with a light, wispy bone-white head

s: clean malt body, some yeasty aromas with lots of funky wild stuff - wet hay and barnyard, dried grass, lemon peel, very nice

m: carbonation lively but delicate, lighter in body

t: a simple malt base - pils maybe - sets a structure for the bacterial tartness to push through, really shines after the swallow with lots of rustic wild flavors and a pungent refreshing sour, lemony

o: a very nice gueuze, complex bacterial character really makes this one

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2013 03:06:45 | More by blackie

chinchill

South Carolina

3.51/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2012 green bottle poured clear, pale amber with an excellent, modest-size, off-white head.
The aromas was funky and not appealing but did smell more or less as expected for style.
Taste; nicely tart; a pucking sour, fruity taste that's lightly bitter and leaves an aftertaste that's wuite sour.
M: medium-light body with good medium-light carbonation; tart.
O: extra tart and dry with limited funk (excepting the nose).

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 21:50:24 | More by chinchill

Beerandboards

New Mexico

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottle to a pint glass

A - rose color with a small amount if white head that dissipates slowly

S - mainly a rich vinegar sour and grape-y smell. Not complex, but certainly not bad.

T - largely follows the smell. Nice medium sour hit with some grape sour. Again, not hugely interesting, but not bad in any way.

M - medium to high crab, a little syrupy.

O - overal , a medium sour. Liked it.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 01:24:00 | More by Beerandboards

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours like liquid copper with a nice white head that sits as a half finger’s width above the glass. The beer’s body is murky like swamp water with a great torrent of carbonation constantly flowing to replenish the head. It’s not the most beautiful thing to look at in the glass, but it isn’t the ugliest either. The beer’s lacing is light and splotchy on the sides of the glass. On the nose, the beer smells properly funky with a big sweet cherry fruit leather and a touch of musty barnyard. The wheat malts are light here, but surprisingly I can pick up a bit of a cereal breadiness in the nose. On the tongue, the beer tastes properly acidic with big interplay of sweet funk and sweet cereal malt on the back. The beer begins with acidic sweet water which opens quickly into cherry fruit leather with touches of barnyard before rushing into a finish of thick wheat cereal malts that start syrupy, blending with the cherry flavors before turning dry and powdery. The aftertaste is long, ringing lightly with funk and acid. On the mouth the beer feels medium light in body, and leaves the tongue tingling and a little dry. The beer’s carbonation is high, prickling the tongue nicely, though not as strongly as some gueuze. Overall, this is a tasty beer with some nice complexity, but a bit short of a full gueuze flavor for me. It’s delicious and quite easy to drink, but really mellow on the back of the palate, and the taste of wheat in such strength is surprising for the style. I like this beer, I just don’t think it is quite a gueuze. This beer is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 22:04:37 | More by Maxwell

bashiba

Iowa

3.09/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a very clean and clear light amber, had a nice creamy off white head with nice retention and some light lacing.

The smell is oddly spicy with a definite bit of nutmeg and a touch of sweetness.

The flavor is tart and slightly sour, but has a very traditional wheat beer type of malt quality sneaking through more than most Gueuze's do. More regular beer like and a bit less Gueuze like. Is much sweeter than most as well and I'm also getting the nutmeg in the flavor as well as a bit of oak.

The mouthfeel is light and almost a touch syrupy, not the dry quality that I would expect.

Overall this one is one is just ok.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 00:04:33 | More by bashiba

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.26/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - translucent and hay-colored with shades of apricot. Fleeting but effervescent head that dissipates into a thin, cream-colored rim around the top of the beer. The thin line of head remains for the rest of my enjoyment of the glass, but very little lacing.

Smell - aroma is reminiscent of chardonnay but less buttery, tart, notes of the wild yeast that makes it distinct. Maybe a hint of wet grass clippings or alfalfa.

Taste - an explosion of citrus fruits, hints of fresh-squeezed lemon, starfruit, even granny smith apple; barnyard funk is subtle. Sourness is pungent and at the forefront, but rounds out into a dry finish. Perhaps some essence of brett as well.

Mouthfeel - pleasant, similar to a nice dry sparkling wine. Lingers just long enough to entice the next sip.

Overall, this is a good representative of the gueuze style and a good substitute for the classic Cantillon gueuze (best of the style, imho), which is much harder to get, at least here in Kansas City. It's also very reasonably priced. I think I'll need to buy a bottle to age and see how it develops. It's very good fresh.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 04:14:32 | More by LambicPentameter

patre_tim

China

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Medium Honey or maple syrup, slight cloudiness when bottle not agitated, high carbonation, almost no head just an off white fizz of half a finger.

S: Funk, must, sour, fermented apple cider, vinegar. Fermented fruit.

T: Sour!!! Then some funk, fermeted fruit, a pause with a malty yeasty interlude with still sour in the back, then more funk and sour. Sour linger in the mouth.

M: Light to medium body, heavy carbonation.

O: Love it. Would go well with sharp cheese. After first sip I thought I wouldn’t want the whole bottle but its complex, and leaves me wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 03:53:34 | More by patre_tim

babayaga

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a bottle into a small tulip.

Appearance- Slightly hazy amber body with short white head.

Aroma-Interesting. Pear, light honey, banana. Bread.

Flavor-Slightly tart, some sweet apple, then huge bread notes as the acidity goes away.

Mouthfeel- Relatively crisp. Medium carbonation.

My first gueuze, and I am very interested in trying more following this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:26:56 | More by babayaga

mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Form 12/18/12 notes. Sampled this on tap at Beer Authority in NYC; have passed up bottled of this on the shelf before so glad to try it on tap.

a - Pours a hazy yellow color with one inch of bright white head and moderate carbonation evident. Looks pretty good.

s - Smells of sweet fruits, apples, bready malts, light yeast, spice, and lightly sour fruits. Nice nose; no real funk but the light sourness is nice.

t - Tastes of sweet fruits, apples, fruity malts, light funk, spices, Belgian yeast, pepper, bready malts. Little bit of funk unlike the nose, but the taste is also sweeter than nose. I like the nose a touch better.

m - Medium body and moderate to high carbonation. Pretty nice for a gueuze.

o - Overall a decent gueuze. Not my favorite as the sourness and funk is very light, and it is a little too sweet for me, but better than no gueuze on tap. Could see someone trying to get into the style liking this one as a gateway gueuze. Would have it again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2012 16:40:54 | More by mdfb79

flayedandskinned

California

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on 4/26/12

Poured into a Duvel Tulip.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy burnt orange. A 2 finger white head shoots up immediately which quickly recedes to a half finger leaving little to no lacing. Standard for the style.

Aroma: Lots of acidic citrus; Loads of lemon and key lime intermingled with some white wine vinegar. Some freshly sliced granny smith apples with very pleasant, musty barnyard funk layered underneath.

Taste: Huge citric acid punch to your palate! A very acute lemon, lime and granny smith apple presence. A very funk forward malt backbone. Slight note of ashy oak on the dry finish. A sauvignon blanc vibe becomes apparent as the beer warms in the glass.

Mouthfeel: Light and very dry, medium to high carbonation. The sharp tartness makes your mouth pucker and salivate.

Overall: A Great example of a classic gueuze; Not the most complex take on the style, but definitely a fantastic introduction to the diverse world of sours.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 00:55:11 | More by flayedandskinned

Ogre

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Delicious and well balanced. Flavors of lemon, grapefruit and vinegar that linger for a good while.

Beautiful amber color. While I'm relatively new to Gueuzes, this strikes me as a solid offering and a good value for the money (about $6 USD). I'll be back for more.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 02:22:33 | More by Ogre

MarcWP

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured an amber orange with two finger off white head.

Aroma of apple cider, vinegar, lemon, herbs, and green apple.

The taste follows the nose with tart apple, lemon, white vinegar, a pear fruitiness, and fresh herb component.

Gueuze is hard to come by and for this being readily available and at $6 a pop you can't go wrong. Or you can dish out 3 times as much for delicious 3 Fonteinen!

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:30:20 | More by MarcWP

matttttYCE

Arizona

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12.7oz bottle, dated 2012/04/26. Pours with about a finger high, creamy, slightly off-white colored head. Lacing is moderate, head retention is quite good. Deep orange colored beer. The aroma is musty and earthy, grass/hay, plenty of tart citrus, almost lemonade, sour candy sweetness, and light vinegar notes. The taste follows the nose well. Maybe more citric bite, lemonade, and less of the sweetness, but still lemon warhead notes there. Light medium body, medium-high carbonation, light viscous consistency, and a light smooth finish.

Overall, I'd say this is a decent gueuze. Not the best I've had, but still enjoyable. Would have it again if I wasn't able to get my hands on some, say, Lindeman's gueuze cuve rene, and I had a taste for some gueuze. But there are some better options available out there (usually).

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 06:48:04 | More by matttttYCE

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew was served from the tap at Rattle N’ Hum in New York, NY. It arrived in a stemless, narrowed chalice glowing a dark apple cider coloring, with amber hues to the light. It held a crisp, white one finger head, showing okay retention. Light wisps of lacing were left around the glass. There was a chill haze, no sediment, and even carbonation. The aroma showed musty, souring yeast, acidic vinegar, fresh leathers, and alcohol. The malts were quite pale and light, with floral hops on the back against rose florals, and tart sweetness of citrus and candy. Our first impression was that there was hearty tartness to the flavoring, but it was balanced through the finish with a big, but paler, malt backing. As we sipped, sour lactics were quickly balanced by candy sweetness. At the same time, however, the sweetness became tartness, as the sip prolonged. Chalky dryness also factored in, with bittering white wine grape, and further souring oak. The middle peaked with acid of white vinegar, and sour funky yeast. The finish showed sulfur eggshell air, paler malts, steely yeastiness, and a deepening of those same pales into a somewhat leathery, charred malt. The aftertaste breathed of sour grain, majorly funky yeast, big hints of Brett, grass and barnyard funk, lemon bitters, and pale, chalky grain. The body was medium, and the carbonation was medium, with a nice prickle to it. The mouth was wet and coated, but significantly puckered by the end of each sip. There was nice cream and froth, but slower slurp and glug. The abv was appropriate, and the beer was more of a sipper.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the sourness through the nose. It was nicely drying, helping to box out any overt residual sugars, all while retaining the big sourness and tartness so perfect to the style. The taste did follow nicely, with sourdough breadiness, and that same hearty sourness and funk. There was less fruity sweetness than expected, so expect for this one to be a bit more serious on the palate. The grain, too, was a bit chalky and seemed out of place, but things otherwise stayed pretty juicy, despite the wild bitterness of yeast.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 20:19:17 | More by TheBrewo

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle shared by Steve, bottled April 24, 2012. 375ml into a tulip.

Filtered orange, with a white head. Light lace and medium retention. Nose is earthy, tart lemon, light mushroom and some herbal character. Taste is tart upfront, lemon, light earth, with a grainy/cereally pale malt. Neutral, not notably sour in the end. Light bite to the carbonation, medium high carb. OK, but the malt finish was off-putting.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 19:33:42 | More by liamt07

brystmar

New York

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 07/06/2011.

Straw-colored body, fizzy white head commands decent retention.

Aroma is full of cloves and other misc spices. Funky yeast is subdued, yielding to these non-traditional scents, and that's unfortunate.

On the upside, none of these missteps seem to affect the flavor profile. This tastes like a tradiional gueuze (albeit less funky) from an established blender: funky, cheesy, citric. Light years ahead of every other St Louis "sour" I've had (all of which are awful).

Happy to discover a $6.50/375mL gueuze that's actually reasonably good.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 04:26:42 | More by brystmar

magictacosinus

California

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out of a 350ml green bottle into a tulip glass. Bottle states it was packed on "4/26/2012," so nearly 6 months old!

Produces a cloudy, dark amber and yellowish color, with a decent half finger of head (even with help from the Duvel tulip glass). Carbonation seems decent, yet not too excessive overall. Head quickly dissipates, but the yeast continues to gently glide across the glass, as well as provide a thick and full body overall.

As expected, there's a sourish, tarty, fully funky aroma that I'm used to finding in gueuzes whenever I have the privilege to try them. I'm picking up overall extreme notes of lemon rind, fruits I'm having trouble placing (maybe apricots or sour pineapple?), as well as a an everlasting woodiness. Underneath all this, there's a backbone that resembles thick, slightly roasted bread, as well as some zestiness which is no doubt aided by the hops and yeast. Pretty balanced overall, yet quite complex.

Upon a first gulp, there is an immediate explosion of sourness and yeastiness that I hoped to find. The citrus flavors are immense here, but it's really the woody and excessive yeasty notes that truly shine. Upon every gulp I find myself adjusting my tongue and licking my lips, particularly during the aftertaste, in which the sour flavors descend and an acidic, hoppy rises. While there's not much carbonation, the delicious roasted malts and thickened yeastiness provide a full-bodied experience. If anything, this should be tried simply for the experience in which the soured yeast lingers on the tongue for several minutes at a time in a rather dazzling and smooth manner.

A excellent gueuze here, and definitely good to find around these parts while I still wait for Cantillon to show up someday. Definitely not as exaggerated as their Lambics though, and this is a really good one for beginners getting into the gueuze style. This balanced enough, which makes it easy to drink, yet complex enough to attract wowed reactions from beer fans of all kinds, particularly sours. Hoorah!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 04:37:41 | More by magictacosinus

Immortale25

Florida

4.06/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a Saint Somewhere wine-style glass. Label says 2012/04/26.

A- Pours a medium amber color with a 1/2 inch white head that doesn't retain very well before becoming a thin ring around the edge of the glass and bubbly strands of surface foam. Slippery, non-resilient lacing.

S- Rush of sweet/sour aroma with mild vinegar notes. Barnyard funk at the heart of it all but the sweetness remains the strength of the smell.

T- Staggering rush of sour that smacks the palate with notes of granny smith apple and warheads. But wait, what's this? The tartness immediately draws back halfway through the sip and reveals a prominent biscuity, wheat-like malt finish. The sourness certainly stays powerful all the way through the drink but it's that nice, clean finish that cuts it away which makes the flavor profile so unique. It's also not so sour that it becomes unmanageable.

M- Quite dry and sticky. Medium-low carbonation and a body that's surprisingly somewhat full.

O- Never tasted anything like this before. Then again, this is only the second true gueuze I've ever had and the first (Lindeman's Cuvee Rene) was too sour for me. I like this one's balance and restrained tartness. I picked it out because I love St. Louis framboise and figured I'd try something else by them. So glad I did, even if it was a little steep at $8 for a 12.7 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:30:02 | More by Immortale25

Tone

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, orange color/maize color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Smells of a hint of pale malt, hint of alcohol, strong tartness, strong sourness, and a hint of citrus. Fits the style of a Gueuze. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of tartness, strong sour notes, slight pale malt, and slight citrus. Overall, good appearance, aroma, and blend.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 10:41:59 | More by Tone

yamar68

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Amber gold body filled with tiny beading, finger of tight white head that retains throughout, decent lacing.

Smells nice... sour wheat, fresh lemonade, sweet acidity, orange pulp, not invasive with sourness but approachable, tart.

Fresh, citrus like tart qualities... grapefruit, more lemonade notes, fresh cut grass, sweet and sour finish - dry but absolutely thirst-quenching.

Another tasty gueuze that I hope evades the attention of Minnesotans for years to come.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 23:02:37 | More by yamar68