Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage - Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.64/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

375mL brought back from Belgium. 15-4-2003 bottle date.

A: Cloudy orange with a thin fizz of white head. Leaves some gunk and yeast on the glass.

N: Green apple, lemon zest, barnyard hay smells, and loads of oak. Lots of funk - reminds me of being in an attic space. There's some lavender and coriander here. Incredibly nice.

T: A very balanced sournesss. Has a touch of bitterness and there's plenty of cheesy funkiness and yeast. The age has done some wonderful things to this.

M: Well carbonated with a touch of sharpenss. Lighter body - very quaffable.

O: One of the best beers I've ever had. Can't wait to see what another 5 years does to this. Get it.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 17:17:07 | More by writerLJBerg

Etan

Illinois

4.41/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

375ml into a 3F taster glass. 2008 bottle. This is review #500 for me!

A: Pours a clear straw-gold color with a spongy white head. Lacing is all over the place.

S: Pretty intense aroma. Citrus rind, muskiness, soft cheese, overripe raspberry, clean lactic acidity, a bit of wheat and malt sweetness underneath.

T: Moderately strong acidity comes through first, followed by faint oak and mineral, lemon, subtle vanilla, some gamey hay. The taste is cleaner than the aroma.

M: Light-bodied, very light carbonation, soft feel.

O: Although this isn't the best geuze from Armand, it certainly has an intensity (especially in the aroma) that not many other blends can match. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 03:24:56 | More by Etan

ThirstyBird

Germany

4.58/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

2003 Vintage - thanks for sharing Eugene! Pours cloudy, bright orange with a nice off white head. The smell twists my nose with funk, sourness and tartness. Taste is Wow! The taste is so well integrated and wonderful - tart, sour and funky. Light bodied with active carbonation. Overall a really great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 06:54:44 | More by ThirstyBird

jsm1289

New York

4.96/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

well the gueze monster is at it again, this time with the oude gueze vintage

I am a big fan of the series, and have had oude gueze and golden blend, so we shall see what is what with it.

appearance is pretty standard, nice orange hazy color, tints of yellow floating around

smell- gosh darnit, armand has done it again ! huge funk, cheese notes and serious gueze/lambic sourness, i'm getting some light citrus acidity and vinegary type of smell. way more pungent than golden blend and regular put together

taste- does not disappoint, extremely sour, mouth feel about as full as I have ever experienced, typical belgian gueze sour notes but to the max, awesome front of the tongue singe and the sour notes ride a gnarly wave across your palate and stick around after the finish for quite some time. impressively coats the mouth with an awesome sour funk flavor

although i certainly lack the vocabulary to better describe this, one this is for certain, this is an amazing gueze. WAYYY better than regular and golden blend, and a close second for me personally ( isabelle proximus barely holding on to the number one slot).

its mean, its a vintage and it should be obtained at all costs. Hide your mothers and daughters when this bad boy comes to town, get ready to ride the sour express.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 23:55:17 | More by jsm1289

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 12/27/07

Pours a slightly hazy gold with a nice white head. Smell is oaky and peppery with a little bit of funk. Flavor is nice, but not as complex as expecting, especially right after the Armand'4s. It's extremely drinkable and refreshing with a nice amount of citrus, oak and black pepper, but isn't all that sour or funky. Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied and super dry. Overall this is a nice gueuze but not really any more impressive than the regular 3F gueuze.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 03:54:34 | More by starrdogg

UCLABrewN84

California

4.38/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to GRG1313 for sharing this one at mrbubbler's "end of the world" tasting.

Bottled 3/5/03.

Pours a murky orange with a foamy tan head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with malt, yeast, and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with quite an earthy flavor and an acidic finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with some great aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:55:10 | More by UCLABrewN84

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottled in 2006.

A: Murky red/brownish color, very little carbonation.
S: Very funky. Musty smells, a bit of lemon.
T: Must, lemons, apples, wheat, oak. Tastes better than the smell.
M: Medium body, I would've like more carbonation though.
O: Great gueuze, I haven't tried many but this one was almost at the top of what I've tried (probably second only to Lente).

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 01:46:07 | More by standardcherry

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

375 ml bottle, bottled on March, 10, 2008, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a clear bright gold color, topped with a two-inch fizzy white head, it recedes to about a finger thick and then hangs around really nicely, leaves lots of lacing.

S- Awesome aroma, lot of earthy funk, notes of mushroom and wet wood. Leather oak and vanilla are also noticable. Nice amount of tartness with lemon and fruit. The aroma is really nice and has some of the best earthy funk character that I've had in a while.

T- Very bracing acidity with lemon and sour apple, complex barnyard funk, very earthy with lots of wet wood and hints of chalk, leather, vanilla and oak. Has a bit of fruity and malty sweetness towards the finish.

M- Light-bodied, smooth crisp feel, smooth feel with a dry, tannic finish.

O- A delicious gueuze, the flavors are complex and well-blended. This is a phenomenal beer and another testament to Armand's masterful skill, this beer only falls short of Armand'4 in terms of the best gueuzes I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 07:34:02 | More by WillCarrera

Tnudish

Wisconsin

4.64/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Opened this baby to celebrate my 28th birthday and my engagement to my beautiful girlfriend. One of the oldest gueuzes I’ve had to date, really been looking forward to popping this. This is a red label '02 poured into a Cantillon gueuze tumbler.

A-Pours a murky orangish brown in color with a half fingers worth of tight white head.

S-The nose is straight dirty funk. There is lemon, dirt, manure, wet dog, horse blanket, and must.

T-The flavor mirrors the nose, there is a bunch of lemon rind and must.

M-Light mouthfeel, almost a little watery, light carbonation, gentle acidity, and a long finish.

O-Had this side by side with Armand & Tommy and I thought it blew Armand & Tommy out of the water. The funk has taken a nice, big hold of this and isn’t letting go. Armand is a magician. One of the best gueuzes I've had to date, trailing only Loerik and Blauw in my opinion. I will actively be seeking more bottles of this.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 22:43:49 | More by Tnudish

tarheels86

California

4.65/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750mL 2002 Yellow Label thanks to OldStyleCubFan and later from EricE. Tasted both alongside the 3F "vintage special edition" with the red artwork bottled on the exact same day in 2002! Had three blind samples. One was doubled up. I was able to pair the two that were from the same bottle together. These were more watery and slightly less sour and complex (ended up being the gold foil, yellow label, normal "vintage" label shown here). The yellow label has more carbonation, white pepper, citrus fruits. The nose has amazing moldy white grapefruit and citrus rind. Mouthwatering palate.

750mL 2002 Red Label thanks to OldStyleCubFan and later from MrChopin. The red label alongside the yellow label is slightly better albeit very subtly since they are the same batch but the red label stayed in Armand’s storage for two years or something longer. Proper storage has lent the red label a brighter, fuller nose even with softer carbonation. More cedar, spice, pepper, barn. The taste is still white pepper, grapefruit, mouth watering sour with bright citrus and fruity tangerine. Still excellent and slightly better than the Yellow Label. 1/11/2011 8/4/8/5/16=4.1

750mL 2002 Yellow Label thanks to BrainLayer at Sour Epic Part 2. We had this next to some of the best sours in the world and this one I enjoyed more than J&J Rose and J&J Blauw back to back. This bottle was just on the ball. Juicy nectarine nose, big Brett C tropical notes. Taste is sharp, juicy, dry and dusty with loads of moldy grapefruit and huge citrus zest. Incredible white pepper, orange peel, grapefruit onslaught. Awesome stuff. Probably the best 3F beer I’ve had besides past tastings of J&J Rose. Hot damn. 12/11/2011 9/4/9/5/18=4.5

750mL 2002 yellow label thanks to BrainLayer. Okay. Let’s crack this bad boy once again. Is it really the best beer of all time? Cork pops off with aggression. Pours is hazy, deep orange with beige mousse. Thicker. Quickly settling. Nose is perfect. Mild celery seed gets demolished by overripe peach and red grapfruit which yield to overwhelming fresh birch and cedar with hay and horsey dry funk. Cobwebby old character is juxtaposed with fresh and fleshy overripe peach. An insane experience. Taste is ultra quenching white grapefruit peel with sharper wood shavings. So much old dried citrus peel plays with wood and hay. Palate is perfection. Effervescent and juicy with briny saltwater demanding this be drunk in large, quenching gulps. It’s disappears so quickly from the glass. What can you say? Is the best beer that which demands a slow savor, or that which demands its consumption with boundless temptation and seduction? This is probably the best beer ever made. Like the big brother to Beatification which passed on its power but will never yield the throne. 1/22/2012 10/4/9/5/19=4.7

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 15:28:43 | More by tarheels86

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled 12/27/2007. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Deep orange with a small head. Clings nicely. Maybe it's just this bottle, but it lacks a bit of the impressive stature of regular Oude Geuze.

Smell - Awesome peppery funk. Heavy hay. Tang citrus that hints towards its sourness. Pepper above all. I love the way 3F gueuzes smell.

Taste - Citrus is more prominent. Orange. Wheat graininess. Pepper in the finish with less funk and a touch of oak.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. A bit heavy for the style and lowish carbonation. Not as effervescent as I'd like.

Overall - I don't know if this is better than regular Oude Geuze. I guess I'd need to try them side by side. Armand blends the best gueuzes and this is no exception. Phenomenal.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 20:29:55 | More by Alieniloquium

tiong

Finland

4.23/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle @ Pikkulintu, Helsinki. Originally rated on 14.8.2012.

2004 vintage, Bottled on 09.04.2004 - Pours cloudy orange with a tiny head. Aroma of tart fruits, peach, some earthy notes and yeast. Taste is quite tart with some fruity notes, hints of peach and some dry earthy notes. Sourness is quite soft and smooth compared to a fresh bottle. Finish is smooth and dry with a lot of tart fruity notes. Well balanced, well aged geuze. Soft and not as aggressive as a fresh bottle, still extremely tasty.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 15:56:14 | More by tiong

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to funkydelic for sharing this one during a recent tasting! Another brew that has long evaded me to try at a tasting! 2007 Vintage! Served from bottle into a Boulevard tulip. Poured yellow-orange with a one finger subtle off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount very slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, lemon rine, funk, sour, tart, fruit, and citrus. The flavor was of sweet malt, lemon rine, funk, sour, tart, and citrus. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. A beer that I have been wanting to try for quite some time that has been at MANY tastings, but never gotten opened. It finally happened! I am a huge fan of the regular version, but this one takes it to a new level with a more citrus and lemon rine aspect going on than the regular. It was quite drinkable and extremely enjoyable. While being very sour and tart it didn’t make me feel like my teeth were melting which was a nice welcomed change. Definitely worth seeking out and I would love to see how this one ages over the years in a proper cellar.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 10:48:14 | More by thagr81us

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2008 vintage into Russian River tulip

Pours clear deep gold with a massive creamy white head leaving good retention and lacing.

Lots of funk in the aroma. A lot of wet hay, citrus and apples with a bit of spice too.

Really deep layer of funk in the flavor as well. Very musty, sweaty gym sock funk. Also some pear, light citrus with a subtle spice.

Excellent creamy mouthfeel with medium carbonation levels.

Obviously with 3F on the label, it's going to be good, but it's not one of the best in style I've ever had. Will still have again

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 20:19:06 | More by jmarsh123

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. This is my official "end of first year of med school celebrating beer." 2007 vintage, bottled 12/27/2007 and given a 10 year lifespan.

5.0 A: Mildly hazed light orange color. Three fingers of frothy white head. Retention is very good and thick, glass covering lacing is left behind.

4.5 S: Really nice nose on this as well. The funk is amazing. This might be the most powerful and complex funk I've ever encountered. Tons of hay and horse. Decaying fruit, stinky sweaty feet, apple orchard, dry rotted sweat socks, old wood. Like most other 3F gueuzes, this is insanely complex with the funk, but not all that sour. Nearly no acetic acid and only mild amounts of lactic acid. Borderline 5.0.

4.0 T: Taste is good, but it's not as complex or as overall good as the nose. There's more sourness, but it's a strange dry sourness, which is something I've never experienced before. Other than that, the funk is still crazy strong, but not quite as complex. Lots of hay, dry earthy woodiness, dry rotted sweat socks, musty basement. Lightly horsey. Mild lemony fruitiness.

3.5 M: Lighter body. Good spritzy gueuzy carbonation. Could use more creaminess though.

4.0 D: This is good and I appreciate the funk, but it's a tad bit disappointing, especially given how impressive the nose is. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great gueuze, but I expect a lot from 3F when it comes to them.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 01:41:29 | More by DavoleBomb

brystmar

New York

4.58/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Red label 2003 bottle shared by Denise for our Memorial Day sour tasting. Thanks!

Incredible aroma: sour, funky, tart, acidic, citrusy. Each freely billowed up from the glass to massage my nasal cavities. Taste balances everything well with a crisp, clean citrusy finish. Tons of depth that I'd never really experienced in a gueuze before.

I enjoyed this more than any of the Armand'4 bottles we opened immediately prior. This one aged quite well; wish we had another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 17:17:04 | More by brystmar

afksports

New York

4.28/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Memorial day weekend brought out a red label 2003 bottle generously shared by Denise. Thanks!

Balanced and delicate. Tamed by age, but even at what... 10 years?... this blend was still fantastic. It was more funk than acid, which was a bit surprising, but welcome. There was a lovely citrus sour & sweet combination going on in the middle, and the funk up front led to a clean finish. Definitely not as cloying as "fresh" Oude Geuze from Drie Fonteinen.

Probably not the most complex brew of the day, but its balance rivaled Lou Pepe Gueuze, and promised good things from aging this style of beer. Happy to try it, thanks again!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 14:16:26 | More by afksports

oline73

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was a 2005 bottle that I had at Brugs Beertje. Poured into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden amber color with a half finger of white carbonation that fades to a ring around the edge of the pour.

Smell: There is a strong tartness full of citrus and funk. The funk reminds me of the chalk caves from when we went champagne tasting. I'm getting a mild vinegar note as well.

Taste: This beer is quite sour. The mineral funk shows up along with the lemon juice sourness. The finish is sour along with an aged hop bitterness. While this beer is quite sour, there isn't a lot of bite, I assume that is due to the age.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: Not too biting, which was nice. I thought this was a fantastic gueuze. I haven't had this new, but the age seems to have done it well.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 21:31:06 | More by oline73

spdyfire83

Ireland

4.83/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Updated Review:

From 5 May 2012
Served in a 3F Geuze glass (as it should be)
Bottled: 15/4/2003
Best before: 15/4/2020

I don't usually re-review beers, but the 2003 vintage is absolutely amazing. Give this beer some age and you will not be disappointed.

A: Cork burst forth with happiness. Murky straw. 1+ (frothy white) fingernail head on gentle pour.

S: Barnyard funk, lemon rind, hay, cheese. So inviting and tasting. Nice!

T: Pronounced sour, funk, and earthiness. Loads of grapefruit and lemon zest with green apple.

M: Light bodied with soft carbonation.

O: Absolutely fantastic! Hands down, one of the best gueuzes I have enjoyed to-date (Blauw is slightly above). So balanced, smooth, and refreshing. If you have multiple bottles; forget about a few and drink them with 8-10 years age.

4.5, 5.0, 5.0, 4.5, 4.5

From 19 December 2011
67th Review
Bottle to tulip
Vintage 2007

Shared with farundrpar during a beautiful prepared dinner by our wives on a recent visit to Amsterdam.

A: Golden hay. 2+ (pure white) fingernail head on medium pour.

S: Lemon zest, hay, must, white pepper. Not as much “funk” as I was expecting or had hoped for, but it still smells quite good!

T: Grapefruit/zesty citrus fruit with green apple. Hint of funk/sour, but not terribly pronounced. Quite nice, but I think it will grow and develop with age.

M: Medium bodied with high carbonation.

O: Better than good, but not great YET! A very crisp and refreshing beer (especially when paired with a wonderful salmon dinner), but I think this vintage can stand to age for quite some time. I’m thinking the 2007 vintage should be enjoyed no earlier than 2014, but that’s my €0.02.

4.5, 4.5, 4.0, 4.0, 4.5

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 14:01:23 | More by spdyfire83

auroracrisis

Kentucky

4.6/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2007 vintage 750ml poured into a Cantillon gueuze tumbler.

Hazy marmalade with a half finger off white head. Tons of tiny bubbles dance to the top. The beer gets more and more hazy as the sediment is slowly introduced into the glass.

Horse blanket and citrus. Old cheese and gym socks, with a little bit of grapefruit and lemon zest. Fills the room with it's aroma.

Opens up with tart citrus zest, then moves quickly into the funk. Horse blanket, hay stacks, moldy cheese and gym socks all come together. Awesome, lactic sourness in this blend too. Pretty balanced and enjoyable as well.

Medium bodied with a soft, fluffy mouth feel and effervescent carbonation. A tad sticky on the lips, and drying on the palate.

Great balance of funk and citrus. A stellar example of a proper blend of gueuze, in the same ballpark as Lente if you ask me. I hope to encounter this one again, but the price and way it's acquired deters me a bit.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 07:39:25 | More by auroracrisis

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

5/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750ml bottle from Belgium. 2007 Vintage. Into a Rodenbach Grand Cru Tulip. 27 Dec 2007 bottling.

A: A beautiful hazy apricot in color with a dense white head that foams up to about an inch, quickly receding to a cap of foam. Big gobs of lacing are left behind on the edge of the glass. Beautiful beer.

S: Funky and incredibly sour. I love Armand's blends, there are just so many notes in the nose. Barnyard funk, strong sour notes, lemons, cherries, and funk, but also there are these crazy notes of creosote, and aromatic heavy crude oil. It sounds like the absolute strangest mix of things, but it smells so wonderful that I want to bury my nose in it all night.

T: Follows the nose quite nicely, huge sour note with a ton of funk. Strong notes of lemons, but there are also some notes of peaches and apricots in here, quite fruity actually. Surprisingly enough there is even a touch of sweetness that finds its way into the last lingering seconds before I swallow. Absolutely incredible stuff.

M: Slightly thick with enough carbonation to break it up. Dry and puckering. Spot on.

O: Absolutely wonderful, hands down the best Gueuze that I have ever had. I really have nothing else to say about it. Simply perfect.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 01:33:09 | More by pokesbeerdude

warnerry

Michigan

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

Bottled April 9, 2004; Enjoyed at 3F with BA woosterbill and others. Cheers Will!

A - Pours a clear copper with two fingers of white head. Head has nice retention before fading to a cap.

S - Rich musty aroma that seems to be a 3F signature, with hints of citrus. Also a faint musty cheese aroma. Very nice.

T - Initially tart but not bracingly so. Very earthy, with building bitterness and tartness midway through with a considerable grapefruit bite. Very tasty.

M - Medium mouthfeel that is quite up front and finishes with substantial bitterness that lingers for awhile.

O - Very enjoyable. I'm loving the 3F musty funk. Good tart/bitter character with a nice earthiness as well. After an amazing tasting day at 3F, I can't help but be a bit sad thinking about how difficult it is to find nice lambic/geuze in the U.S. But what a day it was...

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 03:25:02 | More by warnerry

shawnm213

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2007 vintage 750 ml bottle shared by phaleslu. Thanks peter, really appreciate it! Notes of moderate to heavy lactic acid sourness, bright lemongrass, juicy grapefruit, some cheese and leather laden funk. Great. Excited to try other vintages. Thanks again peter!

2005 vintage 375ml bottle. bright sweaty cheesy funk with a touch of leather and old musty basement. Taste is bright lemons, grapefruit, quite citric. touch of pickle juice. really really good. super dry. awesome citrsuy fruit character. lotta old rustic funk. complex, yet clean. awesome beer :)

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 00:38:52 | More by shawnm213

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to foofaa for opening this 2007 bottle at Imminent Liquidation II for us to try. I have been wanting to try one of these for awhile now.

A - Pours slightly hazy copper orange with a fluffy one finger tall white head leaving small streaks of lace down the glass.

S - Smells of lots of horse blanket funk, damp earth, granny smith apples, lemon, basement must and a good amount of oak. While it possesses quite a bit of funk, it never gets too overpowering.

T - Starts off with a decent sour kick initially quickly being enveloped by the strong barnyard funk, musty earth, fruit and a touch of sweetness. Finish has plenty of oak tannins, combining with a little leftover funk, to leave the pallet dried but craving more.

M - Light body with tart, crisp feel and moderate carbonation. This one has very nice balance, as most drie fonteinen's do, and it was very easy to drink.

O - I have now had nearly all of the gueuze's from drie fonteinen and I can definitely see why people go crazy over them. They are crisp and flavorful while remaining easy to drink. Not my favorite of the bunch but no slouch either.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 18:31:51 | More by orangesol

Damian

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a e37,5 cl corked and caged bottle purchased at De Bier Tempel, Brugge, Belgium
Lotnummer 10/02/2005
Ten minste houdbaar tot: 02/2015
Served in a Drie Fonteinen tumbler

Brassy amber in appearance with crimson tinges. The slightly hazed liquid was topped by a tight, creamy, one-finger crown of eggshell colored foam. Over time, the head faded to a clingy ring of lace.

The aroma had tons of funky, musty barnyard character. Lots of wet hay. Grassy and quite lemony. Tart but not too acidic. Some Brett and critters. Fairly oaky. Mild sour cherry notes. Bit of crackery malts. There was also a touch of sweetness, which complimented the tartness quite well. Overall, quite intense and complex, yet still mellow and smooth.

The flavor profile was also rather impressive. A stiff, crackery malt base came through on the front end. Lots of wet hay and damp earth. Very musty and funky. Grassy in the center. Strong lemon rind notes were also apparent. This beer was definitely more bitter than sour. The finish was surprisingly hoppy, with the hops being earthy, pithy and quite bitter. Tons of oak and slightly acidic, vinegar-like notes came through as well. Very tannic and dry on the palate with some lingering wet hay, lemon and grapefruit rind notes. Overall, very complex. I was amazed by how funky and "old" the beer drank initially, yet how how hoppy and bitter it turned on the finish.

The mouthfeel was exceptionally smooth and creamy for the style. Medium-full bodied with a super fine, zippy effervescence.

Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Vintage is a musty, funky and remarkably complex gueuze. The seven years of aging really seemed to soften any of the rough edges you might find in a younger example of the style. I paired this with some grassy, semi-soft goat cheese and would recommend others to do the same.

On a side note, I had this February 10, 2005 vintage alongside my girlfriend's April 12, 2005 bottle. I found my bottle to be slightly drier up front and much less pithy and bitter on the finish. It also had a much more plush mouthfeel. That said, I definitely preferred my bottle to hers.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 05:31:06 | More by Damian