Oude Lambiek De Cam - De Cam Geuzestekerij

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle an Monk's Cafe, 2003 vintage, served in a gueuze glass.

A- Pours a nice, slightly hazy golden color with a thin white head that quickly fizzles to a collar.

S- Lots of lactic acidity, a ton of great oaky barrel character, and a very interesting earthy, musty funkiness.

T- Has a nice amount of lactic acidity, although it's still only moderately tart for a lambic, definitely less than I was expecting after a decade in the bottle. Oak flavors are pretty prominent, which lends a bit of mild vanilla flavor and a lot of tannins. There's a nice earthy funk as well. Finishes with a very dry, oaky, tannic finish.

M- Light-bodied, smooth, dry feel. Carbonation is on the lower side, but still very good.

O- I really enjoyed this beer, my first from De Cam. This is a really well-made, delicious beer that has aged very nicely, I would love to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 06:57:44 | More by WillCarrera

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Light head. Color is a pale gold.

Flavors of sour and light acidity. Lemon and tart flavors. Very funky. Cherry tartness.
Barnyard funk.

Mouthfeel is tart and dry. Lighter bodied.

Overall, this was a nice lambic. Pretty easy to drink, but one glass was enough.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 02:37:32 | More by mothman

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.35/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cheers to farundrpar for bringing bottles of this stuff over for the party. Good times man!

From a 37,5cl corked and caged bottle into a tasting glass
Vintage: 2009

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, medium looking, white head with good retention. Gamboge in color, slightly hazy, with no carbonation evident. Head fades to a thin wisp. A ring remains but leaves no real lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Tart lemon notes, green apples and pears, some grapes and white wine hints, as well as some light musty and vinegar aromas. Bold and interesting.

TASTE: Milder flavors of tart lemon, green apples and sour grapes. White wine, with slightly musty notes as well. A bold finish of tart lemon sourness, lime notes, some lightly acidic qualities and touches of floral bitteness. Pretty decent.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Enought weight on the palate, creamy as well, goes down smooth and finishes slightly dry. Not puckering nor acidic per se. Good feel.

OVERALL: A solid lambic that I was glad to try. Lots of good tart, fruity elements with just a touch of acidity to give it the kick it needs. Pretty impressed with De Cam so far, so hopefully this trend continues. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 20:11:41 | More by Jeffo

Etan

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml into a tulip. 2009 bottle.

A: Pours a clear light gold with some coarse white bubbles.

S: Pungent oak, lemon rind, wet hay, soft cheese, overripe berries, light acidity. Smells great.

T: Opens somewhat watery. Light wheat, plenty of oak, woody sourness builds and then falls off with some herbal notes. Very tannic in the finish.

M: Obviously flat, light-bodied.

O: This smells great, but is tasting very young and a bit too watery.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 04:35:32 | More by Etan

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle, poured into a lambic glass

A bright golden orange, near amber color with a thin yellowish cap made up of various sized bubbles. The nose is of spoiled fruits and musty, old wood. Some notes of aged cheese, saddle leather, wet hay, and citrus fruits. Amazingly musty/funky. On the palate, fruity notes seem to emerge up front before a rush of barn, old wood, salt, cheese, and sweaty saddle leather. A good sized dose of lacto and vinegar in the finish. Good and sour. Medium body, dry and tart in the finish. Low carbonation. This is a pretty amazing unblended lambic. A good amount of wood comes through in the finished product, I wasn't quite expecting that, but it really adds this wild dimension. Sour and funky in all the right spots.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 20:19:23 | More by ColForbinBC

tewaris

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to the gent who shared this. 2003 vintage I believe.

Mustard brown colored with a rapidly disappearing fizzy head. Loads of funk but limited acidity in the aroma. Very welcoming tartness with notes of hay, must and some phenolic bitterness at the end. Very lactic. Dry and sharp mouthfeel. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 08:18:41 | More by tewaris

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Split a 750 into my Russian River glass while enjoying a nice evening on the patio.

Pours murky orange/red with a small white foam cap that recedes after a few seconds and a touch of lacing.

Lots of funk in the aroma. Green apple skin, lemon and some hay. Some brett and vinegar in the background.

Lots of classic apple and lemon flavor as well. Deep earthy funkiness with hay and grass. Vinegar sourness takes over along with perhaps a touch of brett. Finishes oaky and dry.

Body is fairly light with medium to low carbonation. Pretty solid.

Very approachable and enjoyable moderately sour beer. Doesn't have quite the intenseness of a 3F or Cantillon, but still pleasant. My only nitpick is the vinegar was a little strong at times.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 14:23:22 | More by jmarsh123

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to mrbubbler for sharing this one at NoSignsOfPain's birthday bottleshare hosted at his place.

2009 vintage.

Pours a slightly murky honey yellow with a slightly foamy tan head that settles to dots of lace on top of the beer. No lacing on the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour, tart, funky with some woody and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with a woody finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer but I think it smells better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 08:39:04 | More by UCLABrewN84

davey101

Connecticut

4.83/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2003 vintage. 750ml C+C bottle into a tulip glass. 5% abv.

A - Dark amber body. First pour was sediment free but somewhat hazy. Some large bubbles form some edging and there a is a very faint cap. This doesn't stick around for too long. Light lacing after a swirl.

S - Super funky and sour. Lemons, green apple, and some grass and hay. Oaky with some vanilla tannins and light spice. The finish is of vinegar and strong brett notes.

T - Somewhat watery and thin, but still complex and layered. Juicy apples and pears followed by some mouth puckering lemon juice. Smooth oak finished by funk, leather, vinegar, and some very faint but welcomed oxidation.

M - Rating this to style, and its just about perfect. Very still with no carbonation. The body is light to medium. Drinks like a wine, with a very dry finish and lingering tartness.

O - A world class beer. Its just held up so well over the nearly ten years its been in a bottle. Really complex and layered, yet approachable and drinkable. Certainly worth the wait.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 00:29:26 | More by davey101

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled January 2009. Mmm. Juicier and smoother than a gueuze but with all the same notes. There isn't that rough bite or sour jaw-clenching tang. The aroma holds the funky wild barrel character and the flavor is almost a touch juicy. There's nothing new in this beer, it's just a very well built lambic that smoothed with time to showcase the barnyard and farmhouse notes is a more gentle format. Very cool beer. You could use it as an intro to lambics or just enjoy on a summer afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 02:55:38 | More by tempest

shleepy

California

4.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from 750 bottle into wine glasses. 2002 vintage (!). Drank yesterday, so writing from notes.

A: Amber (certainly darker than most lambics), virtually no head.

S: Funky, subtle hints of honey and pears, plums.

T: Great balance of sourness, light funk, oak, and honey/fruit. Quite delicious.

M: Thin, with low carbonation. Good level of acidity (not too high). Very drinkable.

O: A great example of an unblended lambic being better than most geuezes. Simply fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 03:42:25 | More by shleepy

HopHead84

California

4.1/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4/7/2012

2009 vintage. Thanks!

A: Dark gold with a fast fading bubbly head.

S: Lightly sulfuric with cheese and mineral. Horsey and leathery with some vinegar and apple. Lactic notes are strong.

T: Brackish and cheesy with light oak and tannins. Lightly citric with lemon, lots of leather, and a moderate lactic sourness. Dry finish with a citric punch.

M: Lower medium body with no carbonation.

Overall: Pretty nice lambic. We had a 2003 shortly after and aged had improved it.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 19:11:40 | More by HopHead84

pluppykatie

Vermont

2.98/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Drinking out of a mini Duvel glass.

Appearance - Very nice golden color.
Smell - Not too fond of the smell on this one.
Taste - A little weak, but still decent.
Mouthfeel - A hint of bubblyness to it, overall smooth.
Overall - Overall an alright beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 23:44:27 | More by pluppykatie

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1999 vintage. Still pour into in de verzekering tegen de grotto dorst lambic/gueuze glass. Hazy, dark gold body. Aroma of intense vinegar, sour acid, rotted green apple. Taste follows suit. Dry finish, less vinegar/acid aftertaste than expected.  Graceful aging. The kind of beer that makes you want to build a cellar. 

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 23:46:21 | More by KickbacksSteve

claspada

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2003 bottle I believe, sampled with and courtesy of mrand01. Bottle says 5% ABV contrary to the listing here.

Pours a mildly cloudy golden straw color with very little white head that quickly dissipates, a few white soapy bubbles on top. Still fairly new to this style of beer so I am not sure what is exactly appropriate but for such an old bottle, not a much amount of carbonation is definitely acceptable.

Aromas are quite restrained but still very distinguishable. Solid barnyard funk, lactic acidity, hay, mild acetic, but none of these overwhelm any of the other components. Wet oak in the background, more musty and funky as it warms. A nice lemon and citrus rind aroma as well.

The tastes begin lightly sour up front, but finishes with an oak-derived astringency that accentuates the dryness of this beer and, in a complimentary fashion, the tartness. The wood flavor is not harsh or overbearing, but certainly dominant. The lambic is still fairly tart with most of that sourness coming in the form of lemons with perhaps a hint of green apples. As it warms you get more of the funkiness highlighted by underlying hay and wet leather.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a light carbonation and a dry, semi-puckering finish. The finish is quite excellent with a slight sourness and a beautiful dryness. A lot of great mouthfeel for such a low ABV beer, quite impressive.

Overall this is by far the best example of an unblended lambic I have ever had, not too puckering or overly tart or unpleasant in any manor. Just really complex with many different light flavors of hay, wet oak, must, but all balanced quite well together. Definitely recommended and worth seeking out for fans of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 13:59:20 | More by claspada

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

4.53/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle from Liquor Max in Loveland, CO. $37. Into an unbranded tulip. 2003 bottling.

A: The first pour yields a crystal clear orange beer, an aggressive head coaxes a few small white bubbles to rise to the top and create a thin layer of bubbles, with a large collection around the outside edge of the glass. A few bubbles lazily meander to the surface. Excellent looking beer.

S: The initial smell is not at all what I expected, there's a nice slightly rotten orange peal smell mixed with the typical lacto sourness and a bit of barnyard funk. The brett note isn't dominant and in your face, more of a funky sour cherry thing than a straight up pig manure smell, which is nice. Some notes of crude oil/creosote as well. Overall smells like an intense sour.

T: Definitely hits more of the straight up lacto/pedio type sour with the brett characteristics taking a bit of a back seat. Lots of sour lemon like flavors, slightly acetic but doesn't reach a full on acetone like some framboise can. The funk starts to show its sour cherry/musty barn flavor on the finish. I get some definite creosote notes from this like in the nose as well, not in an overwhelming way, just another noticeable nuance. This is a very sour beer at this point in its life, but isn't quite on the harshly acidic side. Incredibly tasty.

M: Light in the mouth, carbonation is minimal to say the least. Really thickens the spit and leaves a lot of saliva in my mouth. My saliva glands somewhat cringe each time I lift the glass to my lips. This right here is what a sour beer should be about.

O: Very impressed with this now 8-9 year old beer, I can see why these things age with grace. Lots of flavors, and an intense sourness, that isn't harshly acidic. A very fine, yet very expensive beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 02:37:51 | More by pokesbeerdude

Gobzilla

California

4.3/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured a golden yellow in color with straw pale yellow highlights and had a very little amount of head that left virtually no lacing sticking to the glass.

S: lots of the barnyard horse blanket funk was busting out on the aroma with citrusy lemon notes hints of acidity and nice oakiness was coming through as well.

T: the funky barnyard horse blanket character was very potent on the flavor alongside lemon citrusy, oaky, and acidic notes but with a nice sour punch and a touch of vanilla.

M: the brew was light to medium in body with a low amount of carbonation which had a citrusy, funky, oaky, sour and mild dry finish.

O: have to say it was one of the best lambics I've ever had and was drinking fabulous, definitely wish I could get my hands of more of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 18:56:28 | More by Gobzilla

Khazadum

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great appearance. Good stickiness. . Simple thin collar. Good retention.

Nice low Brett nose. Some low phenolic high wood tannic power. Very well done. Enjoyable.

Flavor of an umblended perfect. Great body, great sticky flavors. Some white grape ad kind. Tannin bitters and oak bittering. Phenomenal.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 04:08:31 | More by Khazadum

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750ml caged and corked bottle from 2003, courtesy of forgetfu. Thanks Bill!

It pours a cloudy orange with a small, maybe a 1/2 inch of foam. The lacing for such a small head of foam is impressive.

The smell is amazingly sour. Fruity sourness, some vinegar, very yeasty and it has a pretty big character of Brett. The nose is outrageously good.

The taste is, imho, as sour as it can get without the drinker considering it to be a drain pour. Acidic as hell, vinegar like flavour that is there but doesn't dominate, lovely yeast, light, no, very light hint of some Brett. Marvelous. 5%abv doesn't hurt either. Okay, my mouth is starting to pucker now but that's not a bad thing at all since I've acquired a taste for these sour devils. My gawd, this is a treat.

Light bodied, lightish carbonation, nice mouthfeel. So damn drinkable. This is a crazy good and, at the same time, scary brew. Well worth the time and trouble to seek out.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 19:57:32 | More by Bitterbill

scottfrie

California

4.05/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks goes to the ever generous largadeer for bring this one out during a tasting. Bottled 2000.

A: Pours a near flat cloudy dark tea color with a thin collar of a head.
S: Super crazy dry funk, sweat and light tartness fill my nose. Very dry and mouthwatering.
T: Not very mouth puckering but very very dry. Flavors are earthy and straw-like, with good dose of oak, light fruits and citrus rind.
M: Very dry but not overly tart or sour. Very drinkable. Almost no carbonation is present in the medium body.
O: Great flavors, low acidity, very dry, and super easy to drink. A few more bubbles and this would have been perfect. Thanks again for sharing, Chris.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 21:12:31 | More by scottfrie

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.22/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2003 Vintage. Poured from a corked and caged bottle into a Cantillon flute. Shared with schen9303.

Pours near flat. No head, no lacing. Beer is a clear pastel orange. Expected from the style.

Nose is cheese, wet straw, apricot, citrus puree, and rotting wood. Really delicious as far as lambic goes. Super funky and very aromatic.

Opens puckering. Apricot puree tartness. Wet and rotting wood. Oaky. Cheesy. Lemon sour and dried straw. End is more tartness. Dry and puckering fruity finish with a tart, sour aftertaste. Tasty!

Light bodied with near no carbonation. Oily and silky in the mouth and dry and puckering going down. Tart finish with a dry, lingering aftertaste. Extra points for the LACK of carbonation. Really enjoy this one.

A real under-the-radar lambic. Smells great and is really funky, sour, and developed overall. Lack of carbonation is a plus for me in this style. Worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 01:55:42 | More by SpeedwayJim

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A pour at Teresa's Next Door (Wine Glass)

De Cam Geuzestekerij Oude Lambiek looks penny bronze in color with some faint brown and yellow spots. Cant see through this baby. Some faint bubbles on top, nothing major but something.

Smell is very brisk and lively and bold and funky with cheese scents and hay, barnyard scents, faded grain, apple before pear, and just that weirdness that comes with these types of beers.

Holy moly, this is top notch stuff, eleven years has done some things to this. Ripe barnyard with wet hay, grain, faint fruit, lactic quality, sharp lemon. It's sour and it's well integrated. Probably my favorite in this particular style, 2 year unblendeds from various breweries have nothing on this.

Feel is pretty light, this thing while being unblended, still has a lively crisp feel to it. The sour just whisks around the mouth, causing sweet damage. A whole bottle of this, you betcha. If I found a bottle if this now after the street date, I would not hesitate.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 07:41:04 | More by onix1agr

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle of the 03 into a goblet. Shared at Delaney's. Reviewed from notes.

A: Still, hazy sawdust-colored body; flat, but leaves spidery legs. Expected, and average.

S: Sour lemon, oak, mustardy spice, and pure, sinus-tingling tartness. Not the most complex aroma out there, but still terrific.

T: Sour, sour, sour up front: lemon, sour apple, and just pure acid. After the initial onslaught subsides, some delicate flavors of grass, mustardseed, grape skin, and lime emerge. Very fruity, sour, and awesome.

M: Flat, slick, and that's it. Not quite watery, but pretty close.

O: At the time I drank this beer, it was the single best unblended Lambic I'd ever tasted; a '96 Cantillon Bruocsella might since have dethroned it, but the De Cam was just magnificently tasty - and I say that as someone who generally prefers an earthier, dirtier funkiness to the kind of pure fruity sourness delivered here. This beer reminded me much more of Cantillon than Drie Fonteinen, and even though I prefer the generally prefer the latter I still loved it.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 02:41:08 | More by woosterbill

julian

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Crystal clear golden yellow with dark highlights if really inspected closely. An aggressive pour yielded ½ inch snow white head, but to be expected from a barrel aged 3 year old Lambic. Head disappears almost completely leaving little to no lacing. Still, for the style this is par for the course. 4

S: Amazing aroma of barnyard funk, vinegar, musty oak, tart almost like dry green apples. LOVE this funky Belgian aroma. It’s like crack for me. 4.5

T&M: Perfectly balanced (for a Lambic). It’s not too tart yet tart enough to tickle your tongue in just the way that only Belgian Lambic/Guezes can. On the palate is a general Lambic tartness, reminiscent mildly of dry green apples, some vinegar sourness, wet oak and citric acidity. So good. Carbonation is a little low as witnessed from the lack of head in the pour, but this is to be expected from an aged Lambic. This is a seriously refreshing and crisp Lambic that goes down WAY too fast. 4.5 / 4

O: At 5%, this drinks WAY too fast. It might be the most expensive beer I’ve drank in terms of how long it lasted. I can’t get enough of that FUNKY, yeasty tartness and general Belgian Lambic aroma. So good. De Cam knows his shit. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 16:43:49 | More by julian

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Right before the Tap & Table closed they were doing a beer of the week special. The description they had on this beer sounded like it would be pretty amazing. So I bit the bullet and bought a bottle to bring home with me. The following day I had gone to a friends place and we split the bottle together. Popped the cork out and gave it a pour, the hazy orange yellow liquid didn't produce much head or lacing. The smell was filling our noses before we even had put the glasses to our faces. The funky smell was very prominent, the deeper you breathe this one in the more aromas that come out. It had a really interesting sour grapefruit aroma in there mixed with earth and wood. The flavor of this beer is acidic at first, tart citrus flavors like grapefruits and some apple in there too. The taste then fades into a much smoother earth flavor. The mouthfeel is almost medium bodied. Overall I found this beer to be pretty good for it's style, I can't see myself ever buying it again because of the cost. I don't enjoy this style enough to drop almost $30 on one bottle. However if you like the style and you have the money do yourself the favor and try this, it's impressive.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 15:37:33 | More by Knapp85