Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze - Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.31/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml C&C bottle.

poured into tulip glass.

bottled on date of March 5, 2012.

moderate pop when the cork is removed from the bottle.

Appearance: Glowing golden bodied beer with huge almost 3 fingers of head that drops quickly to a thin cap.

Smell: Sweaty, dusty, musty, yeasty, funky smelling beer. Touch of vinegar and lemon / citrus tartness.

Taste: very lemony and sour with a touch of bright orangish citrus notes and wheat notes. Hint of musty and sweaty funk. Oaky and earthy. Little bit of yeasty notes in there for good measure too. Really pleasant Gueuze!

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Crisp, clean, bright, acidic, tart, refreshing. Semi-dry finish. Very lively carbonation that isnt to prickly or ticklish; its just well done.

Overall: Probably my favorite gueuze that I have tried recently. Havent drank too many beers from this style, but I have been drinking my fair share of this beer style lately and this beer is the most memorable so far! I am becoming more of a fan of this style with every beer that I try.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 06:55:58 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

RoninTK3

Rhode Island

4.7/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 11/18/10 375ml bottle into a Warsteiner flute glass.

A - Gold with quite a bit of head that settled into some lasting lacing. Nothing wrong here.

S - Sour, citrus fruits, acidic. A little bit of grape. Not overly strong.

T - Very sour with some bitter aftertastes. Hints of fruit, especially lemons and apricots. Very acidic. This is a very nice geuze.

M - Very carbonated and acidic, but the taste doesn't linger. Mild lemon rind aftertaste.

This is an excellent beer. I love sours and this is one of the better ones I've had. Thanks again to Douglasjamjak for this awesome extra!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 03:42:59 | More by RoninTK3

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.74/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

375 ml bottle dated 23 Feb. 2012. Poured into a Founders snifter.

A- Pours a dull, hazy gold. Deep, wheat-like color in the glass. A medium, 2 finger head forms and stick around for a little bit before being reduced to a thin film on the top. Constant carbonation rising to the top. Lacing is very good.

S- Acidic and pungent on the nose. Slightly musty with hints of grain underneath. Not overpowering as far as gueuzes go. Hints of fruit flavors, most notably lemon and citrus.

T- Starts with a sour bang. Bigger than every other gueuze I've had, the sour flavors is big in this one. Very prominent lemon-like flavor in this one. After the main sour note, wheat is detectable for a short bit before a second round of sour flavor. This sour flavor is more lactic. The brew ends with a slight hops bite. Not bitter by any means, but sort of a dulled bitterness that is present but not strong.

M- Light and very carbonated on the palate. Drinks more like a champagne because of the carbonation. Fair level of sour acidity makes this more of a sipper, but still won't last long in my glass.

Overall, it is clear why 3F and Cantillon are the heavyweights of the Belgian sour category. This is a terrific example of the style. I had this one fairly fresh and have another in the cellar. I'm very interested to see how this develops over the next decade or so.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 00:25:31 | More by boilermakerbrew

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

4.29/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to a buddy for picking this up for me. 12 oz bottle pours a hazy golden orange with lots of head. Taste isn't overpowering sour, but just the right amount. Some lemon and apple go with the tart finish. Every mouthful, my tongue screams for me. So easy to drink. A delicious beer. Wish I had more access to these style of beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 00:15:48 | More by WeedKing4

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.63/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Kriek Belle-Vue tulip.

Appearance- Slightly hazy copper/orange color with a nice fluffy white head that dissipated quickly leaving a nice ring around the glass.

Smell- Lemon and lemon rind, young sour grape, vinegar, funky yeast, earth.

Taste- Nicely bitter and sour with lemon rind flavors. Yeasty. Bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- A lot of small bubbles explode in my mouth. Lighter bodied carbonation. Very smooth on the way down.

Overall- Damn good gueze, but I like Tilquin better.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 03:42:46 | More by Seanniek91

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 375ml bottle into a Fullers snifter glass.

Pours a pale orange colour, slightly cloudy with a thick head.

Smells musky and yeasty.

Tastes very sour, more like lemon than vinegar, like apple juice with the sweetness removed, quite yeasty and dry. Quite fizzy yet reasonably thick.

Overall a nice beer, better as it warms up.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 20:29:02 | More by CwrwAmByth

merc7186

New York

4.08/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip.

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

S: Apricot, Hay

T: Apricots, Hay, Mild Sour Mash

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter, Mildly Drying

Overall, a pretty solid well balance gueuze....super good

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 04:05:29 | More by merc7186

macrosmatic

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked a couple of these up at the Root Cellar on a recent trip. Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12.7 oz. bottle into a Peg's snifter glass.

A: Orangish-yellow in color, and glows hazy under the light. Forms a big white foamy head that recedes fairly quickly.

S: Big funk, barnyard/horse blanket, a bit fruity, a bit yeasty, and a little vinegary.

T: Follows the nose, with a a lemony apple funky fruit being my dominant impression. Tasty.

M: Medium body, with lots of champagne-like carbonation. Moderate alcohol presence.

O: Definitely very tasty, but this is a big, funky, sour beer. And not for the faint on heart or palate. Glad I have another one waiting.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 04:42:26 | More by macrosmatic

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.53/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12.7oz corked and caged February 23, 2012 bottle into a Lindeman's tumbler. The pour is clear and gold with only a finger of white whispy head, but some decent retention and some nice bubbles streaming up from the bottom. Nose has very pleasant sour horse-blanket notes as well as white wine and apple cider vinegar.

The beer has a light-medium body with a feel that is just on the thin side of firm. The taste is outstanding. Very intense acidity, but not the least bit unpleasant. No funky unpleasant cheese-like flavors at all. Just sharp sour fruity notes of sour apples, pears, white grapes, and saltine crackers. The finish is mouth-drying and leaves you salivating for more. The only negative comment I can make about this beer is that I feel it is undercarbonated. Some more bubbles would open the palate, boost the feel, and brighten the flavor.

I still feel as if this is a new style to me. I have been sitting on several bottles of this particular beer from 3 different bottlings but, given its reputation, I wanted to try a few others first in order to educate my palate. I can see why this one is so highly regarded. The way the brewer makes such a sour beer so pleasant to drink is something of a magic trick.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:59:49 | More by deadonhisfeet

dgilks

Australia

4.43/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear golden colour with a small white head. Fair head retention given the style.

Wonderful citrus aroma with the lemon notes being vibrant but some stonefruit and lime leaf coming out as well. Nice funk which is in balance with the acid.

Moderately tart with a nice lemon-lime sourness. Good funk note which is earthy, barnyardy and well balanced. Nice bitterness too.

Moderate body with high carbonation. A crisp, refreshing gueuze.

3F is at the top of the game. I know some prefer the intense sourness of Cantillon but this stuff is really, really good and nicely balanced on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 07:06:11 | More by dgilks

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Momar42 for all three gueuzes (and the kriek surprise afterwards!) This was part of the gueuze showdown, pitting Tilquin's gueuze against the juggernaut duo known as Cantillon Gueuze and Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze. Part of a 750mL bottle poured into a Cantillon tulip. Notes from last night's Skins/Cowboys game.

A: Pours a hazy copper color, with a dinky half finger white head. Meh.

S: Now this is more like it. I'd surmise this is the funkiest of the three, coming across almost like a moldy, stank-ass cheese (in a good way). Sourness is subdued compared to the others, but the grape presence comes across more brightly.

T: The opening flavor is a subtle, pleasant sourness. Afterwards comes lots of earthy, hay-like funk (and stank-ass cheese) to finish the flavor profile off. There's a real complexity here that's hard to place, but still keeps the palate guessing brilliantly.

M: The delicacy and softness of the palate feel are simply to die for. Everything - from the dry finish to the carbonation - is perfectly measured. Super drinkable, period.

O: This was a narrow second place finisher - and a damn close finish at that - but at the same token, this is the only one where I'd attempt to finish an entire large-format bottle solo. Refreshing, easy to drink, and challenging all at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 17:15:03 | More by ThisWangsChung

cbeer88

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted blindly in Blind BIF #7 as 1 of 5 gueuzes. Poured into snifter.

A: Golden, bigger head, minimal lacing, moderate cloudiness

S: More floral than anything, but funk and hay there, along with musk. Really complex and nice.

T: Moderate sour, funky and wheaty. Spiciness is a strong flavor profile here. Definitely more earthy than the rest.

M: Meidum body, super high carb

O: Another very good gueze. Taste is a little different from the mainline, but very interesting and drinkable nonetheless. I think this guy would stand out more on his own, but compared to his peers, he's just another tasty gueuze.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 04:31:19 | More by cbeer88

Immortale25

Florida

2.94/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Saint Somewhere wine-style glass. Label says Bottling Date Nov 18. 2010. Label also says, "Good for at least ten years after bottling date."

A- Pours a slightly hazy gold color with a two finger sparkly white head that quickly fizzles away to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a large tuft of surface foam. Thick, semi-resilient ring of lacing.

S- Phew! Vinegar doesn't even come close to describing the incredibly pungent, wild aroma that bursts from the glass. Rubbery, chemically astringent. It's like when something smells bad but it's so unique and intense that you keep smelling it and going "Oh! God!" Small amount of fruitiness is derived when taking a long whiff.

T- Now I see why the bottle is so small. I can't imagine anyone drinking more than 375 mL of this at a time. For the taste, "sour" isn't an adjective that truly describes what's going on. The highly acidic and, once again, rubbery flavors are almost too much to handle. After a few sips, the palate becomes slightly acclimated but the ascerbic nature of the drink still sends my taste buds into overload.

M- Extremely tart. Makes my tongue pucker and wither with each sip, then immediately re-salivate with the lingering sourness still present. Medium-high carbonation and a very dry feel.

O- My girlfriend described this as a "chemically soaked warhead" and I'm inclined to agree. I've had many sours before that I enjoy such as Rodenbach, Duchesse, Monk's Cafe Flemish and St. Louis Fond Tradition but this is way too much. And I thought Jolly Pumpkin's beers were insane... I understand that these beers are supposed to taste like this but the reason I give it such a low score is because of the ridiculous price tag of $13.99 for a 12.7 oz bottle which I understand to be not uncommon.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:56:27 | More by Immortale25

JudgeRoughneck

Louisiana

4.23/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 3rd of November 2011. Opened November 25 2012.

APP- Cork shoots off the bottles as soon as the cage is loosened. Some gushing. Crystal clear gold with large sudsy head that fades fast.

Aroma - fresh crisp apples, candied pear, only the slightest whisp of acetic twang. floral lilac notes, very soft and restrained. Not super complex but seriously enticing.

Flavor- The first thing that strikes me is the lovely fresh grain flavors that so rarely pop out in these beers. Brisk cracked wheat, doughy, tart, with a nice bright but lightly toasty barley husk note. Possibly this is a character helped along by the oak. Honey suckle and white tea notes just rarely break through a refreshing tartness. Again, not complex, but very nice. Suggestion of nutmeg, again, probably oak-derived.

Mouthfeel- Not searingly acidic nor bone dry. Medium-light body with lively carbonation. Sweet and sour finish. medium-low tannin plays a big role in this beer. Long funky aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 02:59:25 | More by JudgeRoughneck

cnbrown313

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml cork and cage bottle, 2012 vintage

A - Pours a golden straw color with very little head.

S - Not as strong of a smell as I expected. But, I do smell some apple, a little bit of lemon, and a touch of funkiness.

T - As you take a sip, you get a bit of tartness up front, like a sour apple or lemon, but the sourness is much more subdued than many other geuzes. It finishes with a little bit of a wheaty barnyard taste. Overall, this is a very refreshing and well balanced geuze, but it kind of lacked that "wow" factor that I was looking for in a Wold Class beer. Nonetheless, it was quite tasty.

M - The carbonation is nice and this beer has a good mouth feel, but I enjoy the finer, more champagne-like carbonation that other geuzes offer.

O - I had a Cantillon Geuze side-by-side with this beer, and in my opinion, the Cantillion blew it away. I wish this beer was a bit more sour, funky, and carbonated. But, I would certainly like to get another to cellar.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 15:16:36 | More by cnbrown313

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.48/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Green 37.5cl bottle: best before 9th Dec 2019. Poured carefully into two old 'Home Ales' half-pint countryman tankards on 3rd Nov 2012.

Almost clear old gold to new golden in colour, no real head to talk about.

The smell and taste reminded me of good quality scrumpy, cooking apples, baking powder and Bicarbonate of Soda: very acidic. I actually thought this was OK and drinkable compared to others in this style.

Try as I might, this style of brewing/bottling and blending still leaves me unimpressed somewhat. I want to embrace the idea of Lambic beers and Geuze but struggle to feel the wonderous excitment other 'beer geeks' get from having beers from this stable or other Lambic breweries.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 10:54:23 | More by BlackHaddock

Etan

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle, green label. Bottled 4/2010, so about two and a half years old at this point. Into a Cantillon tulip.

A: Pours a clear gold with a nice white head.

S: Floral, some wheat, sweet bretty aroma (slightly gamey), honey, some acidic sourness. Perfumy and fragrant.

T: Mineral character, slightly sweet esters and wheat, burst of bright yet balanced acidity, tannic vanilla, oak and tart apple.

M: Light-bodied with active carbonation.

O: Such a great, balanced gueuze. The acidity is very mellow (at least in this vintage) compared to beers like Cantillon Classic or Tilquin, but it lets some great mineral and wheat character out.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 00:24:15 | More by Etan

sitarist

Ohio

4.95/5  rDev +13%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Blind review (blind bif 7).

Cork shoots out of bottle while removing the cage, it does not gush though. This beer pours hazy, sunset orange in color. Three fingers of foamy eggshell white head. You can hear this beer, sounds like rice krispies. The head is slow to fall, it leaves a thick top-coating that leave sheets of foam that slide back into the drink.

Wow, what an amazing aroma! Even with the glass sitting a couple feet away from me, I still smell ripe apples. Upon closer inspection I smell the whole cider mill. Apples, (both tart, and sweet), "barnyard funk," hints of vinegar, as it warms the funk comes to life.

The tart, & sweet apples carry over into the flavor along with tart cherries, the faintest hint of lime, a slight mineral character, its funky too...and oh so sexy!

Medium body, lots of scrubbing carbonation, just slightly tart, with a long lasting finish.

One of the most unique beers that Ive ever had. I can get lost in this!

Its a Fonteinen-Geuze. My first Geuze, I believe. Ive often contemplated picking a bottle of this up, glad I finally got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 01:38:59 | More by sitarist

gtermi

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: This beer pours a cloudy orange body with a super thick head that slowly fades. There is hardly any lacing either.

S: TONS of funk, and that's EXACTLY what I want. I am getting a strong bit of sour candy, a bit of grass and earthiness and some fruity yeast.

T: Very sour and tart. There is also a good amount of fruit and grass. The sour bubble gum flavor is for sure my favorite part of this beer.

M: The beer has a thick body with a strong amount of crisp on the tip of the tongue and the back of the throat.

O: This is just an amazing beer. Pretty pricey for how small the bottle is, but the flavor really makes up for that. Very delicious

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 23:14:20 | More by gtermi

Kmccabe33

Georgia

4.93/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Beautiful goldish hazy color, maybe a faint reddish pink hue to it as well. Could be the lighting but I see some of it in the color.

S- Smell is amazing, tart funk, fruitiness, bitterness in the nose, lots of fruit flavors.

T- Bitter fruits, tart apple, funk and lots of it. Amazing flavors. Perfectly blended lambic.

M- Great mouthfeel, drying on the tongue, almost tannic reaction and dryness. Great great mouthfeel for a lambic.

O- Best Geuze I have ever had. Have never had a Cantillon but I got one aging so who knows. But this is by far the best I have had to date.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 23:53:33 | More by Kmccabe33

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

everything a gueuze should be. it pours a pale pale straw color, hazy, with an average white head with decent retention. the nose is stright lemon juice from concentrate, like the little green bottle in the fridge that i sometimes put on steamed spinach. it is acidic and tart, and light in both malt and hops. it taste equally fruity as the nose, with lemon being the predominant flavor. lots of acid, this is pretty puckery. no sweetness at all, like a raw lemonade or something. the feel is great, dry in the mouth, effervescent carbonation, and a lighter body. this is a sharing bottle though because of the acid content. its through the roof. still, a brilliant example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:56:04 | More by StonedTrippin

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours honeyed cloudy orange with a white head. No true lace.

Big funk in the nose. Yeast, musty grain, some tart notes, apple skin.

Big sour up front. Leads to grainy bitterness and some sour fruit. Finishes bitter and oddly clean. Nice beer with multiple transitions as the palate clears.

Lighter bodied, but mostly because of the carbonation, which is abundant. Easy to drink

Overall, wonderful beer. Nice qualities all around and a good example of the style. Enjoyed this immensely.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:24:24 | More by OtherShoe2

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-slightly hazy yellow orange color with frothy white head and little lacing

S-citrus, yeasty funk, earthy, grass

T-lemon, tart apple, earthy funk, grassy

F-light body with moderate carbonation, puckering and crisp, acidic

O-a nice gueuze with great flavor and body

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 19:38:39 | More by MDDMD

zac16125

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375mL bottle into a tulip
bottled on: 23 FEV. 2012

A: Pours a mildly hazy golden orange with 1.5 fingers width of slightly off white colored head, which dissipates down fairly quickly to a whispy center and bubbly outer ring. Some carbonation bubbles can be seen rising to the top of the glass, but they are generally masked by the haziness. Leaves no lacing.

S: Tart lemon, sour apple and white pepper are the first aromas noted. Accompanied by a fair degree of sweetness, reminiscent of peaches. There is a mineral-type aroma that I cant quite place. A swirl of the glass brings out the oak characters. Very nice.

T: Quite tart with sour apple and lemon, along with a good degree of sweetness. Sweet white grapes, reminiscent of sparkling grape juice, like the fake champagne I used to drink as a kid on NYE. I also get oak, rock salt, and belgium yeast banana on the back end.

M/D: Carbonation is low for the style. Medium bodied, wet finish as I salivate after each sip. Drinkability is good.

O: Overall, good but not great. Its not as sour as some other gueuze's I have had, it also didn't have the degree of flavor complexity that others do. I think the lack of carbonation hurt this one. That being said, I still really enjoyed it. I just wouldnt rush to purchase it again. One more thing, I really didnt get any of the funk/barnyard characters that others have said were so prominent in this beer. I am not docking it points on that though, as I tend to prefer the sour notes to the funk ones, just thought Id mention it though.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 00:16:44 | More by zac16125

Tnudish

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 vintage picked up at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago. I was surprised to see a few of these 750’s sitting on the shelve. If nobody else wants them, I would be happy to dispose of them. Sampled in a Piraat tulip.

A-The beer pours a light yellow-orange/peach in color with about a finger and a half worth of frothy white head.

S-Nose is a beautiful melange of lemon, apricot, must, horse blanket, and some urine.

T-Flavor is lemon rind, peach, must, oak, some faint bitterness, and is still moderately sweet. Once the funk takes over a bit more, the sweetness will disappear, but this blend is still a little young so it needs to sit awhile.

M-Spritzy carbonation, almost overcarbonated honestly, gentle acidity, medium bodied, and a long finish.

O-This has served as my favorite standard gueuze for awhile now. It is the perfect balance between bright lactic acidity and funk. Cant wait to let these 750’s sit in a dark corner of the cellar for a couple years.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 20:18:59 | More by Tnudish