Oude Geuze De Cam - De Cam Geuzestekerij

GuzzLah

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml - bottled a year ago

A - pours a hazy orange with an ephemeral white head. No lace. Bubbly.

S - softer aroma than its peers. Green apple, toasty malt, soft cider vinegar, leather and faint oak. Not much in the way of funk beyond a soft lactic note.

T - tart green apple, lemon, oak, a dash of black pepper. Lactic and acetic, but less than some of its peers.

M - light body. Dry and tart, but not quite sour. Lively carbonation with a mild peppery zing. Crisp.

O - this Gueuze is less extreme than Cantillon or 3F. Similar to Tilquin, but with less lacto. Not complaints. Easy to drink with moderate acidity for the style. It tastes different than the three mentioned. More reserved, less funky, has a maltier aroma and has a nicely balanced, elegant flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 18:06:29 | More by GuzzLah

Beerenauslese

California

4.55/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Deep amber gold, clear as a whistle. Poured at cellar temperature into a Lost Abbey tulip, produced a half inch head of foam. Some small curtains of sticky lacing.

Light, airy, well integrated notes of fresh apple and citrus, light funk, old wood, touch of mint.

Lovely taste of green apple and lemon, oak, grassy hops. Good acidity balanced by malt/sugar sweetness. Finishes clean with a light citrus peel/tannic bitterness.

Light body with fizzy carbonation, has a crisp and refreshing mouthfeel.

Overall, a really pleasant Oude Geuze to drink, light and airy, yet subtly complex. The whole beer is so well integrated in taste, body, and carbonation--nothing is out of place and the flavors sit on a mousse of carbonation, another example of a geuze as good as some fine champagne.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:30:30 | More by Beerenauslese

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.46/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Liam

Bright orange colour, fairly generous white head, good lace as well. Smell is sour and funky, earthy and grassy, tart lemony citrus, a bit of balsamic but very vibrant, lots of tart fruity notes, green apple, quite nice. Taste is sour and quite tart, cider and apple, fruity with some lemon, drying finish and well executed. Med-high drying carbonation, medium bodied. Awesome stuff here, drinks like a dream would welcome this gladly anytime.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 14:03:54 | More by peensteen

jibbyvonjibb

California

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Orange. Slightly hazy. Low effervescence. Tiny head of small bubbles
S: More yeasty than a lot of other geuzes. Juicyfruit.
T: Medium soft acidity, making it a bit thin. Low carbonation. Subtle tea-like bitterness with a dash of lemon.
O: A pleasant, drinkable lambic. However, it isn't of the best in its category. Its balance is hampered by not enough acidity and too much yeastiness. Comparable to Lindemands.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:40:55 | More by jibbyvonjibb

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.54/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Bottle from Etre Gourmet, 375ml into a tulip. 2009 vintage.

Translucent golden yellow with a white head, good retention and light lace. Nose of light sour citrus, wet hay/grass, some earthy tones, and horse manure in the peripheral. All that I want in a gueuze is found here. Taste has more hay, grass and light tart lemon. Earthy and dirt-y. Medium body, light/medium tartness. Hella refreshing, an amazing gueuze.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 14:50:03 | More by liamt07

Etan

Illinois

4.36/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

375ml into a Cantillon tulip. 2009 bottle. The cork shot out of the neck when I loosened the cage a bit, so be careful.

A: Pours a glowing orange with large, spongy white head.

S: Lactic acidity along with a hint of acetic vinegar character, mineral notes, floral, a bit of sweet unmalted wheat, slight oak. Soft and balanced nose.

T: Opens on the palate with a very dry, moderately sour wave of earthy acidity. Smooths out with lactic notes, light mineral character, relatively strong pale malt sweetness, leafy, a bit of tannic vanilla.

M: Light-bodied and frothy with very high carbonation.

O: The mineral character and and the presence of some pleasant malt sweetness make this geuze unique, and it's eminently drinkable. I would have liked a bit more funk but besides that this is a delicious geuze. I wish we had better access to this in the US.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 22:42:25 | More by Etan

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

09 bottle

Holy pop Batman. And a gusher. Voluminous head sizzled down quickly to a finger on a hazy golden body.

Oh yeah the funk and perceptible tartness get the ol' olfactory a roarin and the mouth watering. Lots of green apple, hay, lemon, earth, and cheese.

Lemon and hay. Musty aftertaste lingers. Not as sour as I was expecting based on the other De Cam I have had. Still a good hit of sour.

Has a crisp tingly carbonation. The light bodied brew washes away fast. Dry. Like a champagne.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 07:39:51 | More by MattSweatshirt

abrethanson

California

4.23/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

purchased at High Times from Trace for 2012 Christmas. Bottle was 37,5cl corked and caged bottle poured into a wine glass. Vintage: January 2009

A: Pours a hazy peach / orange similar to a cider.The head is extra thick on this one (3 fingers) but quickly dissipates. It leaves a hardy coating of white on the glass when swirled.

S: sour, metal, copper. Definitely funky and a little yeasty. The metal copper smell is distracting

T: Dry like an extra brut only lightly carbonated with a heavy dose of sour. Citrus fruit and green apples but not lip puckering tart. A little grape fruit rind tartness vinegar sour at the end. Again the metallic flavors from the smell come into play, especially within the aftertaste. Flavors of bread, yeast and saison funkiness as well. Well balanced flavors overall as nothing is over powering and one flavor flows well into the next.

O: A tasty beer. I like champagne, lambics, sours, and I liked drinking this geuze. The low alcohol makes it fairly session-able and the flavors are approachable. I think this would taste good with a flat bread pizza, fish, chicken, or light pasta dish. Would be good with fruit and cheese plate as well.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 05:22:31 | More by abrethanson

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.13/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Part of the mega gueuze lineup, including nine different gueuze. This one actually came out on top, which was a pleasant surprise. Got this at Geers in Ghent some time ago.

From a 37,5cl corked and caged bottle into a snifter
Vintage: January 2009

APPEARANCE: Pours a huge, fizzy, loose, rice krispy impersonating, white head with horrible retention. Takes a few pours to actually get any beer into the glass, so in that sense, it was actually a postive thing that the head was a Houdini fan. Slightly hazy amber orange with higher levels of carbonation evident. Monster, fizzy head quickly fades to a small foam cap, and a whisp remains until the end of the glass.

SMELL: Much like the Tilquin gueuze. Funky notes, with lots of lemon and green apple tartness. Light cheese notes, with plenty of green grapes and white wine on the nose. Very acidic as well.

TASTE: Lemon tartness, funky sour notes, as well as green apples, green grapes, white wine flavors, and a light acidic vinegar flavor after the swallow. Plenty sour and acidic, with tart, sour lemon and apples as well. White wine and a hint of floral bitterness tries to balance the tart, acidic aftertaste. This works well, as the acidic vinegar flavors don't overpower the tart sourness. Well balanced, and more up my alley.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Smooth on the palate, goes down fine and finishes slightly dry and puckering.

OVERALL: Definitely on the more acidic and vinegary side of the spectrum, but not as much so as the Tilquin gueuze. This one had lots of tart, fruity esters and white wine notes worked well with the acidic component. This was probably my top choice out of the lineup, and I'd most likely really enoy a bottle myself. I used a little bit of this in my Tilquin - Cantillon blend, which worked out really nicely as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 20:00:12 | More by Jeffo

mdfb79

New York

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 10/13/12 notes. Big thanks to whoever broke this out at the end of the Top Hops tasting; it was awesome.

a - Pours a golden color with one finger of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of a ton of barnyard funk, oak, cheese, light wine, and some fruit. Funk is awesome and super strong; loving it.

t - Tastes of fruit, oak, wine, funk, cheese, earthy notes, light citrus, and some floral notes. Not quite as funky as the nose, though some is still there.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall I thought this was a great gueuze; it's super funky which I love. Tons of funk and cheese to it, especially in the nose...one of the funkiest smelling gueuzes I've had. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 19:01:21 | More by mdfb79

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.65/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

375ml corked and caged bottle from Jan 2009.

Okay, I put it in the fridge for about an hour and when I removed the cage, the cork shot out like a rocket. Thankfully, I didn't lose much of the beer.

It pours a huge head of foam..I can see a cloudy straw yellow brew underneath. As the foam shrinks, it leaves some nice lacing behind.

The smell is both very sour and a bit bitter. Lots of apple like tartness dominate but there's also a barnyard kind of smell there. It smells so good. I wonder if the taste can match it.

Green apple tartness is up front, slight hint of funk, a bit of hop bitterness, more sourness...this is a grand brew to drink if you really dig sours. I'm smacking my mouth drinking this. I just don't want the sourness of this brew to leave my palate!

On the low end of medium bodied with a lively level of carbonation, the mouthfeel is just fine.

This IS one hell of a Gueuze! De Cam beers are awesome!

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 23:53:53 | More by Bitterbill

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A huge thank you to Jeffo for the awesome and most generous box this past summer.
375ml, Botteldatum: Jan. 2009, poured into a Cantillon gueuze tumbler.

Appearance. Pours a beautiful yellow gold with a little haze and 3+ fingers of white head.

Smell. Sour lemon juice, green grapes, lightly grassy with some dry, earthy funk.

Taste. Sour lemons, green apples and under-ripe green grapes, light bitter wood and some dry funk.

Mouthfeel. Below medium body with medium+, lively and bubbly carbonation.

Overall. A very nice gueuze with some nice acidity. I wish this kind of thing was available locally and cheap, I'd drink it every day!!

Thanks again, Jeffo.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 02:31:42 | More by Rutager

aasher

Indiana

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2001 courtesy of claaark13, thanks Sean!

Tis one pours a light bodied bright polished gold in color with no head but visible carbonation. The nose is super funky, with a bunch of hay, horse piss, sharp a acidity, and wet grass. It has some stank. The flavors are very sour, acidic, earthy, with loads of barnyard and horse blanket. The mouthfeel is light, probably mostly due to age, which makes this drink like an unblinded or draft lambic. Great flavor and far too easy to drink. This one was a gem.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 00:44:32 | More by aasher

spicelab

Australia

4.05/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375mL bottle dated Jan 09. Had this in a tasting a while back and was very impressed. Expectations..

Violent pop of the cork foreshadows fierce carbonation which recedes just as aggressively to a near-clear golden orange body and, unsurprisingly, a very vigorous bead.

Bright and punchy nose, led by huge green capsicum, plenty of bitter citrus peel, peppery cut grass and an assertive phenolic sweetness underneath it all. Mild dusky Brett character lingers nicely in the background. Not amazing, but close.

Flavours also display that big, earthy jalapeno character, but it merges with thick lemon pith and bitter herbs into a hulking tart beast.

Moderately oily initially, before quickly giving way to a stripping tartness that makes the saliva glands go a little nuts, and leaves the mid-palate rattled.

Classy gueuze with a near perfect nose and a much more raw flavour profile. The green capsicum character virtually imprints itself on the cerebral cortex. Similar to, but better than Mamouche in my view.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 07:01:58 | More by spicelab

mdaschaf

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 Vintage.

A: Pours with a massive white, fizzy head that dissipated slowly leaving a nice white cap on top. Random bits of lacing form on the sides. Color is a hazy golden/orange.

S: Nice musty/barn/hay aroma upfront mixed with some lemony citrus. A little bit of oak and faint green apple.

T: Great level of sour/tartness, very balanced. Less musty than the aroma with more of a citrus presence. Some lemon and more green apple. Some oak hits in the middle. Slight sweetness on the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation, slightly fizzy with a dry finish.

O: Really nice gueuze, had no problem downing this bottle. Great level of tartness, not overly sour (even though I love them sour), but very balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 02:27:40 | More by mdaschaf

Sean9689

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2001 750ml shared at Fountainhead.

A - Pours golden yellow in color, white head, thin collar.

S - Citrus, fruity sweetness, funk, tart lemon, light grass. The age has really smoothed this one out...drinks like a funky tart lemonade minus the sugar.

T - Light bitterness, smooth tart & sour citrus funk, oak. Again, I think this is De Cam perfection right here. The age on this bottle is just about perfect for my palate. Finish is tart citrus and oak.

M - Light body, refreshing, good carbonation, dry finish.

O - I have to say, very impressive. Being over 10 years old, this is drinking perfectly at the moment. If anyone has a bottle with this kind of age on it, I'd suggest drinking it now. Recommend.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 14:37:12 | More by Sean9689

kscaldef

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle, 2009 bottling date

A: Cork extracts easily. Pours golden, slightly hazy. Probably could have coaxed out more head, but I was worried about overflowing my glass, so kept it minimal. Copious bubble trains in the liquid.

S: Apples, peaches, cloves and nutmeg

T: Apples and cheese. Definitely the cheesiest gueze I've encountered, but it's not unpleasant. Not very sour at all.

M: Medium carbonation. Quite dry, but low astringency. Light body.

O: Very interesting to try a gueuze so different from the other's I've encountered. Personally, I'd place it above Cantillon and below 3F.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 15:55:39 | More by kscaldef

jethrodium

California

3.78/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 ml bottle. 2009 Vintage. The cork shot out as soon as the cage was released. Pours a hazy golden amber with a small white head that has good retention and leaves a decent amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma has a strong mineral note. There is also quite a bit of funk, lemon, light apricot, and some pear. The taste is apricot, pear, some light lemon, a bit mineral, and a light tartness. The finish has a distinct mineral note. Light bodied with medium-high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 22:16:01 | More by jethrodium

spdyfire83

Ireland

3.83/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

210th Review
37.5cl bottle
Poured in a 3F Geuze glass
Bottled: January 2009

A: Cork shot off as soon as the cage was twisted far enough. Murky straw. 5+ (white) fingernail head on gentle pour - head filled the glass top to bottom.

S: Cheese, funk, straw, lemon, and earthy floral overtones with touch of grapefruit.

T: Strong earthiness with loads of citrus, yeast, and funk. Sourness is soft. Weird after taste that is somewhat unpleasant. I've had better.

M: Light bodied with loads of prickly carbonation.

O: Smells better than it tastes. Maybe it needs age, but just average at this point.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 13:08:10 | More by spdyfire83

UCLABrewN84

California

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to dazedandconfused for sending me this one!

Bottled 1/2009.

This has been the first bottle I have opened so far where the cork shoots out with the cage intact after I only have loosened the cage itself. Pours a clear golden yellow with a massive 4 inch fizzy bone colored head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Lots of tiny bubbles are active in the beer itself after the pour. Small dots and chunks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. When I stick my nose into the glass and take a whiff I am met with an intense blast of funk that tingled and burned my nose and made the hair on my face stand on end. I am also getting very sour, tart, woody, and earthy aromas. Definitely one of the funkiest gueuzes I have ever smelled. Taste is of funk, lemony sourness/tartness, grain, and some slightly woody flavors. There is an acidic tingle on the palate with each sip. This beer has a very high level of carbonation with an extremely crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a great gueuze and probably the best one I have tried thus far in my beer tasting journey.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 05:46:42 | More by UCLABrewN84

warnerry

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle says "Exclusief Oude Geuze" and lists the abv at 6%, but I don't see a separate listing; bottled Jan 2009.

After reading a few other reviews that mentioned corks flying across the room from this batch, I hold onto the cork while untwisting the cage. And a good thing too, as the cork comes shooting out as soon as the cage is loosened. No liquid or foam comes out.

A - An initial attempt at a pour into a wine glass yields three fingers of foam and a thin pool of liquid. Yep, it's carbonated. Eventually, a hazy golden brown liquid emerges beneath one finger of dense white foam. Great retention.

S - Huge funky aroma, more earthy than musty, though some must is present as well. Faint notes of lemon.

T - Bracingly tart, which I did not expect based on the aroma. Quite acetic and citric. Earthy funk elements are definitely there, but they take awhile emerge from the wall of sour. A bit grassy as well, with some lemon and green apple. Very tasty.

M - Prickly carbonation, maybe a bit too much, but still crisp with an earthy dry bitterness that yields a medium mouthfeel.

O - Very tasty geuze. After the initial sour burst, a nice balance of sour and funky.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 03:55:20 | More by warnerry

HopHead84

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4/7/2012

2009 vintage. Thanks!

A: Pale yellow and slightly hazy with a massive rocky mousse-like head.

S: Strong mineral with bright apricot and lemon character. Interesting flowery note with a pronounced earthy profile. Leather and horse blanket with mustiness.

T: Big horsey and barnyard notes. Leathery, with light oak and a moderate lactic sourness. Firm citric acidity with an upper moderate tartness. Strong lemon profile.

M: Light body with high carbonation. Very dry mouthfeel.

Overall: My first De Cam. Very impressive.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 18:48:21 | More by HopHead84

drink1121

California

4.58/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Easily popped the cork oh of this one with more sound than a Champaigne.
A- pours a typically light straw with a good amount of cloudiness. High amount of head that takes a good amount to dissipate. Good lacing all the way down.
S- holy musty barnyard funk. I dont think I have smelled a beer this musty. After the initial wet horse blanket, I get tart apples and lemon peel. I get some grassiness in the background similiar to a sav bland
T- I don't get the layers as I do in the smell, but the taste is sill good. I think it's just a bit more in unison. Lemon, sour apple and other citrus flavors that are hard to pick out. I don't get the back of the tongue/side of the mouth puckering like I do with most gueuzes either, but it's pretty dry. This is different but just as good as other Belgian geuezes. Just different.
M- typical lambic mouthfeel. Spritzy then mellows towards the back of the mouth.
O- what a great gueuze. Different but special. Glad I have 2 more. Excited to age this to see if the taste begins to become layered.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:58:14 | More by drink1121

auroracrisis

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml into a tulip. Bottled January of 2009. Cork shot off while unscrewing the cage with a huge pop.

Hazy pale yellow with a solid white head that sticks around a bit. Lots of bubbles dance to the top of the beverage. So aggressively carbonated that you can see a small mound of bubbles shooting out of the top of the head.

Soft barnyard notes are the most forward, followed by sharp lemon peel. Not much more beyond that, to be honest, but definitely pleasant.

Sharp citric notes up front that quickly moves into a solid funk with flavors of hay and goat cheese. Pretty damn lactic, in fact. Much more than any other gueuze I've had.

Crisp and thin medium body with moderate carbonation of tiny bubbles.

Solid citrus flavor with an interesting, more lactic funk than other gueuzes. Glad I finally got to try this one, had to actually order it from one of the Belgian sites. Might have to get some more of it in my next order, it's pretty different.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 08:05:56 | More by auroracrisis

LambicKing

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled Jan 2009. Purchased this one today at Dranken Geers. This is the first time I've seen De Cam geuze around, so I picked up a 375. After the cork and cage literally shot across the room after untwisting the cage (WTF!), it was poured into a geuze glass.

A: Hazy golden yellow body with 3 fingers of fizzy head that settles to edging only.

S: Tons of horse blanket funk. Probably the most funk I've smelled on a beer since the last time I had Cantillon's unblended lambic at the brewery. The sour hits me next like a freight train. I get pineapple, Granny Smith apple, and a slightly creamy aroma. Not sure how that last one gets there, but it's there for me.

T: I get loads of sour up front, followed swiftly by crazy funk. It starts out as a nice and balanced 1-2 punch within a few minutes of pouring. After a few minutes, the sour takes a more prominent role as I go through it. Lemon zest dominates here.

M: A bit less carbonation than most geuzes I've had (which I like)...nice dry finish and overall light on the palate.

O: I really enjoy this beer. It seems to be a light version of the other geuzes. I wish I could find this beer more often...even in Belgium it's rather spotty to find (at least in the dozen or so shops I've been regularly).

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 17:25:13 | More by LambicKing