Lambic - Rivertown Brewing Co.

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #62 (Mar 2012):

LOOK: Bright golden, thin lacing

SMELL: Musty, lemon zest, medicinal, bay leaf, pepper, tart, yeast, oak, faintly vinous

TASTE: Fresh sourness, oak, musty cellar, goaty, yeast, bready, lemon, faint cider, mint, strawberries, mineral

Most brewers steer clear of naming their beer a “Lambic” due to the Senne Valley indigenous affiliation and expectations that come with it. Rivertown is obviously paying homage to the originals with their own twist. From the pop of the cork and an amazing aroma, to the freshness of sourness and oak of the wine barrels, this one is here to impress. Top notch.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 03:50:39 | More by BeerAdvocate

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4/5  rDev +1%

05-18-2013 21:27:24 | More by Photekut

MSandahl23

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

05-14-2013 17:09:31 | More by MSandahl23

bstyle

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

05-14-2013 06:33:20 | More by bstyle

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Why is it that I overpay for Belgian-syle beer (especially sour ales) that are made by American breweries, even when I anticipate that they will sorely disappoint me? Answer- because every now and then, I am rewarded with excellence. That happened today.

Rivertown's Belgian sour experiments leads them to this 1-year Lambic, released in 2012 and has developed young taste and then given time to finish its fermentation in the bottle and building carbonation and foam character- dying out diligently along the way.

As the beer pours, it decants with light carbonation,yielding a soft creamy head and lacing delicately on the glass. Underneath, the rusty-orange elixir settles with a dense yeasty haze and diffused glow.

As the mouth reaches the rim of the snifter, the pungent tartness ensues. Aromatic with cider, under ripened berries and orchard fruit- soon to follow are the more earthy tones of cellar-like must, cork wood, sea air, horse hair and mild saddle leather. Sour limes, bitter citrus pith and light white wine vinegar come to live in taste and carry through to a finish of sharp acidity and soft wheat bread.

Where the ale is sour to taste, the flavors are very controlled- not to allow the texture to become astringent or bitey. Mild warmth and tartness finish the ale but with a short thin and watery stint in between. Clean, palate-stripping and refreshing - the ale is dry and wine-ish in aftertaste.

I'm happy to say that the ale is spot-on Senne Valley. If the glass blindly arrives at my table and if told it was an authentic Belgian Lambic, then I would have agreed. With few years under their belt, the Rivertown brewers have figured out the sour puzzle in masterful display.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 06:12:10 | More by BEERchitect

Boilerfood

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

05-10-2013 01:22:10 | More by Boilerfood

Magery

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

05-10-2013 01:04:49 | More by Magery

zrab11

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1%

04-25-2013 13:00:34 | More by zrab11

merc7186

New York

3.96/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bomber into snifter glass.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Hay, Apricots

T: Apricots, Hay, Mild Bitter Peach

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter

Overall, A nice mildly bitter lambic with a nice balanced flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:56:35 | More by merc7186

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy golden-orange with a finger of frothy white head. Fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Sweet wheat, tart green fruits, oak, wine, vanilla, lemon zest, funky Brett, lactic acid, pepper.

T - Very tart green fruits, sweet wheat, lemon zest, oak, wine, funky Brett, mild pepper and vanilla, lactic acid.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a tart and dry finish.

D - Very nice lambic. Great overall balance and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 02:25:41 | More by ngeunit1

gratefulbeerhead

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

04-01-2013 03:23:13 | More by gratefulbeerhead

sendsilk

Florida

4/5  rDev +1%

03-22-2013 23:31:58 | More by sendsilk

alexknuckles

Ohio

2/5  rDev -49.5%

03-16-2013 20:23:21 | More by alexknuckles

MADPolo

Florida

4/5  rDev +1%

03-10-2013 18:32:39 | More by MADPolo

kjkinsey

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

02-26-2013 00:31:28 | More by kjkinsey

Texasfan549

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

02-26-2013 00:31:00 | More by Texasfan549

duceswild

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

02-19-2013 01:01:02 | More by duceswild

oline73

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

02-16-2013 20:21:29 | More by oline73

kbuzz

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

02-16-2013 05:07:43 | More by kbuzz

dtx00

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

02-16-2013 01:16:53 | More by dtx00

rcjennings

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

02-07-2013 01:59:52 | More by rcjennings

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1%

01-23-2013 02:24:57 | More by JAHMUR

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour for New Brew Thursday's 3rd Anniversary event held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with malt and fruity aromas. Taste is much the same with a fruity flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with solid aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:11:48 | More by UCLABrewN84

acurtis

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1%

01-20-2013 14:17:33 | More by acurtis

FosterJM

California

3.64/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

1684th Review on BA
Bottle to Flute
750ml

Shared with JohnBoots and JCDenver

App- A still looking buttery orangey yellow. No bubbles. Just sat in the glass. Pretty standard "lambic"

Smell- So I really feel bad for opening this after L'Brett. There was nothing exciting about this. Still, oaky and a bit of butter behind it. Slightly dry and malty.

Taste- Its a bit better than I thought it would be. Although after the L'Brett. This fell a bit short. Slightly oaky, a little lemon and butter. A small amount of oak but generally we all felt it was good, above average but not the best lambic.

Mouth- A slightly sweet and lighter medium with a medium carbonation. The residual oak and butter is a little small.

Drink- Its better than average, but not the best beer in the world. Pretty solid.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 23:26:36 | More by FosterJM