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

illidurit

California

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

Pours a hazy goldenrod color with a healthy eggshell head 2 fingers high. As the head reduces, all that's left is a few chunks of lace and a nebulous cap atop the liquid.

Aroma is shiversome in its sourness. Pure lemon juice with an earthy rotting wood character to it. Also a touch of solvent, like a lemon scented all-purpose cleaner.

Flavor is sharp but not as harsh as, say, Beatification or Girardin 1882. At the front of the palate, a high amount of carbonation really sticks the acetic acidity to the tongue. This quickly washes into a more fruity tartness, with sour apple and lemon. The finish is decidedly woody with a little band aid.

This beer is well-carbonated but not roughly so. Finish is pretty dry, leaving just a bit of stickiness as the mouth attempts to recover from the acidity. Drinkability is pretty high but overall it lacks some complexity.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 06:42:17 | More by illidurit

tai4ji2x

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bottle has "best by" date of 09-2017. poured into tulip.

deep honey color with orange hue. almost clear, minimal haze, even on later pours. nice head that hangs around for almost the whole time. some lacing.

aroma of cider vinegar, faint musty and funk note with trace of oak. some earthiness.

tart, on the side of cider vinegar again. champagne peeks in along with oak. some reminiscences of apple. hay grassiness, into tart, weakly dry finish with almost no bitterness.

not too thin. some acidic texture. lively but overall gentle carbonation.

not the most complex, but certainly drinkable. price was cheaper than several of the other gueuzes. overall score bumped up a half point since the taste score should be a tad higher than 3.5.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2008 00:57:45 | More by tai4ji2x

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

33cL green bottle from The Lighthouse in Manchester. Pours an amber-red body with about an inch of off-white head. Smells slightly fruity (banana?) with a fair bit of sour/acidity thrown in. Tastes somewhat fruity (lemon?) balanced with a fair bit of sourness. Not particularly complex, but subtle and balanced. Not a bad beer, but not what I'll be going to for a sour fix.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2008 03:14:44 | More by MrHurmateeowish

AKBelgianBeast

Alaska

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2003 vintage, storage unknown.

Pours a nice slightly cloudy yellow orange with stark white head that lingers around the edges for some time. Nose is geueze, horse blankety funk and some tart. suprise suprise taste follows. A ton of horse blanket and lovely tart flavor. A good unique taste that I can't quite describe through the middle, that I have not found in other geueze. Mouthfeel is excellent, and drinkability is quite good for the style. One I would revisit, but I will take some others before this. Defenitely a good one tho.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2008 04:23:07 | More by AKBelgianBeast

charlzm

California

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

Consumed 05/21/08 at LAX Radisson beer tasting.

A golden, champagne appearance in the glass - sparkling and well carbonated with lots of active bubbles.

The aroma is of tart, sweet fruit.

Flavor is likewise puckering and tart. Yes, that's a nice way of saying "sour". Some white grape flavors segue into a dash of vinegar. A bit of cheese and the horse blanket/barnyard character expected of the style are also present. A refreshingly clean finish wraps things up.

Not a style I have learned to appreciate yet (hence my "average" drinkability rating), but there's no denying that this is a well-crafted beer that probably turned out exactly as intended.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2008 16:37:33 | More by charlzm

brdc

Wisconsin

4.6/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this at the Hopleaf in Chicago.

Small corked and cegd bottle, it pours a hazy light golden brew with a nice off-white head that holds well.
Aroma is typical, very good if not astonishing, funky and leathery, fruity, woody and even somewhat sweet.
Light and easy to drink, it is quite tart and acidicupfront, refreshing, with a hint of sweetness to keep it from being very dry.
This was a suprisingly good gueuze, and it paired my beer mussels amazingly well.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2008 22:59:27 | More by brdc

Matthew

Connecticut

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

375ml bottle, caged and corked. Poured into a tulip glass a golden orange color with little to no head and very little carbonation.
Sharp acidic aromas characterized by citric lime and grapefruit, light musty hints of chalky yeast and faint unripened white grape and vinegar.
Upon my first sip, a prominent tartness rides over my mouth and begins to be accepted and allows for more citrus rind like flavors to become apparent. The citrus flavor becomes less of a presence as more flowery and traditional undertones of musty and earthy funk become noticeable. The finish is very dry and helps to balance the high level of tartness in this beer.
Light bodied with low levels of prickly carbonation.
This is a sour ass beer, but is a great sipper that begs you to try and decipher its flavor profile, its tough to do though.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 02:36:49 | More by Matthew

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

Best buy date of September 2013, Sampled March 2007
Pours lightly hazy, with a prototypical orangish hue and is topped by a frothy, large bubbled, initially two-finger thick, pale colored head that leaves some lacing. The aroma starts out with a soft woody, mushroom like funkiness and then moves to a tart, grapefruit-like to almost lime like notes. The aroma finishes with a tannic woody character (if you can imagine that in aromatic terms). There is a touch of urea here in the aroma too, though it is fairly light.

The taste is quite tart up front, it is not quite dry, though it is nearly so. A touch of malt fullness keeps this from being bone dry. Just a hint of sweetness seems to add a touch of something like cinnamon (interesting). The tartness leans towards grapefruit like notes, lactic acid with perhaps only a touch of acetic character. It finishes with a woody tannic character that tends to dry out the finish even more than the acidity alone. The acidity does not approach the hardness of some Lambic producers, instead it integrates quite well with the residual malt fullness.

This is actually much better than I was expecting, I was expecting something that was at least leaning towards sweet (it has some residual sweetness (but only a faint hint, when compared to a perhaps more traditional Gueuze) &/or fake. This could certainly use a bit more funkiness as it is a bit on the soft side in this department.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2007 04:13:29 | More by Gueuzedude

arguemaniac

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I haven’t come across any other beer style that has as much lip-puckering sourness as this, but it’s not unwelcome: drinking this one kinda reminds me of squeezing the juice of a lemon into your month, but there is also a sour apple cider quality as well. But, even though it’s almost completely overpowered, there is quite a bit of yeasty, fruity malt sweetness. Brief but tart finish.

Now, I personally actually like beers with this sort of flavor, though I do prefer a little more sweetness and malt character to balance things out. But, any serious beer freak should venture out at least once or twice and give this style a try. Beware though, this stuff is S-O-U-R!!!

Recommended (though I’m told there are much better examples of the style)…

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2007 00:44:57 | More by arguemaniac

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Two guys went crazy with the gueuzes. Those two guys were me and AndoBrew. Let's start things off with a review of St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition!

Acquired back in July at Once Upon a Vine in Richmond, VA.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, dirty gold body with a thin, quickly diminishing white head.

Smell: Tart, musty aroma of apple cider, wheat, and concentrated citrus fruits.

Taste: Light, sparing apple-like sweetness with a sharp, refreshingly citrus snap to it. Hints of oak and even salt. Though quick, the finish is chiefly dry and acidic. Nice, eh?

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Lightly carbonated.

Drinkability: Impressive from the outset! Very distinctive and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2006 20:13:04 | More by ChainGangGuy

ppoitras

Massachusetts

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

375ml bottle obtained via trade with LuckySevens82 awhile back. Corked and caged, cork dated 07-2003. Thanks for the opportunity...

Poured into a Rapscallion glass, formed a 1/2" white head over the slightly cloudy golden amber brew. Head lasts nicely, with heavy coating lacing. Aroma is tart, slight but apparent funk. Taste is dominantly tart, with light fruitiness, and enough undercurrent of malt to cut the sour a bit. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is quite good. Makes a nice palate-cleanser to me as well. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2006 01:44:53 | More by ppoitras

AndoBrew

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

*I liked it would buy again*

smell of a very light sweetness like apricot or peach, mixed with the gueuze nose but very mild with a cider note on the end

taste is good, BANG tart and sharp in the back of the throat, has a slight light ?floral? thing floating on the top of its moderate tart mildly sparkling body

it is lacing some intresting patterns down the sides of the glass

once the initial pucker shock is gone, this is pretty drinkable, medium in trhe acid range

all in all good gueuze, I like it!

I long for more bubbles

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2006 17:26:44 | More by AndoBrew

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to doppel07 for this...
Appears a hazy light gold with a small white head that fades out into a tiny collar.
Smell is of sour cherry touched with honey and wild yeast.
Taste is of the same aromas that seems to be a nice mix of citrusy lemon rind.
Mouthfeel is of sour chery, mouthpuckering wildness in a slick medium body.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2006 02:14:36 | More by weeare138

jhu1995

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a clear, pale gold, straw-like color. Thin head with good carbonation. Aroma was mostly sour/tart and acidic with some apple-like fruitiness. Taste followed smell very closely, with tart, acidic flavor upfront with some mild sweetness. Dry and acidic mouthfeel and light-bodied. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2006 04:07:31 | More by jhu1995

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

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

The beer poured into the chalice clear light amber golden straw with a white and wispy head that barely formed and barely stayed for any attempt at all on the glass.

The aroma was acidic and fruity with a slight cherry slant to the fruitiness. The aromas were interesting and while a bit on the sour side notes of oak character came through.

The flavor was sour and acidic and contained quite a charge of tannins. The sourness was puckering and lasting. The flavor contained a fruit impression which was interesting, but the beer on the palate was rather husky and very grainy in flavor.

The finish was dry with a long lasting husk and grainy character that lasted long into the aftertaste. The body was medium light and just a bit water and the carbonation was fairly low. The beer did grown on me just a bit, but that husky, grainy and all the tannins lowered the overall experience.

37.5 cl, corked and bailed bottle. Purchased at OUAV in Richmond for $6.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2006 21:47:00 | More by GCBrewingCo

silenius

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I rather enjoyed this beer at Au Trappiste in Paris. We happened to stumble on the bar on the way to Les Sous Bock.

Re reading my review makes me want to go get a gueze right now!

Pours a cloudy gold color with small white head in the glass with very little lacing.

The smell is a light and pleasant spritzy lemony sour.

Taste is a sharp sourness with a light acidity - a favorable roundess is in the taste as well.

The carbonation is velvety. Highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2005 21:24:09 | More by silenius

saltydog

New York

3.48/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Tried at Oud Arsenal in Antwerp. Appearance: very clear, orange color, big head, which fades rapidly. Aroma: Very sour, not much almondy or bret aromas which are usually present in Gueuze. Flavor: Bret is much more noticeable in flavor, very sweet, but also quite tart. Finish: Finish is very harsh, with lots of bret. Leaves an odd aftertaste, which mars the drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2003 02:44:13 | More by saltydog

marburg

Michigan

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

I was a little disappointed, though not terribly so; I think perhaps the bottle was just a bit subpar. Bottled about 7 years ago, this particular beer may have had a bit of a run of bad luck with its cork. Instead of a hearty "pop," the cork just kind of flopped out of the bottle as I tugged on it. It was a little discolored and malformed.

Regardless, the beer was pretty good -- and showed a lot of potential. Darker, a little clearer, and much deeper in color than many gueze lambics, this one poured with a surprisingly light amount of carbonation, perhaps having escaped via a bad cork? Very powerful aroma, however, bringing the sensation of holding one's nose over vinegar. Hints of grapes as well. Fairly sweet up front moving to a drier, more tart finish that leaves a lightly sour but vaguely candy-ish aftertaste.

If I can find another of these, I'll have to try it again to see if the unusually low carbonation was an anomoly or not.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2003 18:06:07 | More by marburg

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pretty good lambic, sour, tart and dry as they should be, but it is not too overwhelming and is a little less complicated than the better examples. There standard gueuze was way to sweet, this was nicely dry with some traditional lambic stinkyness and grassy citrus and wood flavours, close to the real thing i think, very appetising.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2002 05:09:08 | More by rastaman