Lambrucha - Vanberg & DeWulf

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a slightly dark amber with heavy carbonation that fades quickly into a razor thin blanketing. There is obvious sediment and negligible lacing. The nose is excellent and far from expected. There is a far more pronounced bitterness... almost like a floral hoppiness which blends so well with the underlying fruity yeast sweetness. The taste is as expected from experience consuming these two beverages. They blend very well together and the mouthfeel is less sour/dry/intense than a cantillon gueuze and far more drinkable than a raw kombucha.
Obviously there is heavy carbonation, but the aftertaste is a slightly bitter ginger and only semi-drying.
It cleans off the palate during a meal and provides cultures to help you digest...perfect for eating with.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 01:34:23 | More by ThePorterSorter

Proteus93

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A beer that blends two of my favourite beverages... I suppose I go into this a little biased.

A: Poured a somewhat hazy straw hue into a Delirium Tremens snifter. A half finger of head formed just above the plimsoll line, more robust than a typical kombucha, yet a little more fizzy and quick to recede than most beers.

S + T: I picked up a bottle of this from two different locations and tried them on separate occasions. I picked up on an almost 'meaty' quality in both, something of an element in the funkiness. It's got a pretty notable barnyard scent, perhaps some hints of lemon spritzer, modest hay and some white-fleshed fruits. The flavour is very similar, with an additional leathery taste.

M + D: Crisp, with an assertive and lightly sparkling carbonation. Like most sour styled beers, it has a very refreshing finish, with a nice hint of dryness, yet not as puckering as some. I found this to be a fantastic beer, and I hope to see other breweries experimenting with this style. In the meantime, I'll be happy with this.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 00:49:12 | More by Proteus93

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle from Binny's in Schaumburg, IL
No bottled on date
Poured into a New Belgium globe glass

Lambrucha is an interesting idea that, in practice, seems to fail. While some kombucha I've had is like "gueuze light," the kombucha that is blended here seems to be flavored with ginger or some other herbs. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of tart or sour character, either being drowned out by the sweetened ginger kombucha or young lambic; not sure which. While this was interesting to try, I don't think I'd partake of this more than once. There are much better lambics out there, even if they aren't merged with anything else.

Pours a tall, fizzy head that has fairly good retention, gradually declining to a perpetual white cap. The head leaves minimal lacing as it descends. Body is a pale golden orange, somewhat hazy, with visibly active carbonation supporting the head.

Aroma is somewhere between a lime margarita and a sage with ginger drink. No apparent tartness, lemon citrus, or oak character.

Taste is of ginger and sage with very mild lambic-style tartness. There is a slight edge of lime. Very minimal to nonexistent Brettanomyces character, or they somehow co-opted the yeast to produce the ginger and sage characters instead of the usual. Again, very mild tartness, no lemon citrus, or oak character.

Beer is medium light with a fairly high carbonation level that settles as the beer ages in the glass. The result is a somewhat prickly feel that transitions to a smooth, light beer running across the palate. No puckering or tartness on the tongue or other parts of mouth.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 18:59:26 | More by falloutsnow

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Lambrucha
Vanberg & DeWulf (courtesy of Brewery De Troch)
Style: Lambic - Unblended
ABV: 3.50 %

LOOK: Hazed light golden color. Bone white head forms and stays the duration. Active carbonation rising to the top. Minimal yeast sediment in the 25oz bottle.

SMELL: Sour, barnyard, oak, and a big whiff of a flowery exotic tea of which I must admit I am unfamiliar. The herbal tea aroma is very present and sticks out above the funk.

TASTE: Very nice sour upfront, lemon peel, musty basement, wet oak. Then the tea comes in, some tasters have detected lavender, heather, mint, wood, earth. A bit like a Chai tea. Then more lactic sour, bitter, intense flavor paired with herbs and ginger.

FEEL: Finishes dry with a clean herbal note and lingering tartness. Light bodied feel, aggressive carbonation. Pretty spot on.

OVERALL: This is an interesting blend of flavors, and it makes for a good drink. Being a fan of sours, the tang of the De Troch base beer is better than ever in Lambrucha. For a beer of little ABV (3.5%) it packs a punch in the flavor dept. This could easily be set down in a cellar for years with no ill affect. Purveyors turned blenders Vanberg & Dewulf picked some nice barrels of sours to make this, hopefully there will be more experimentation to come.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 00:02:37 | More by Stinkypuss

brentk56

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a fizzy pale yellow color with a buoyant head that fades like a soda

Smell: I've never had Kombucha so I am only guessing that it is responsible for the herbal tea elements in this brew, which has a lavender character as well

Taste: A hint of lavender, up front, and then the tart, lemon and green apple flavors take over; after the swallow, the Kombucha elements appear and linger in the finish alongside the lavender

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with effervescent carbonation

Overall: Very unusual and glad I tried it but doubt I would seek it out again; a bit bland for my palate

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 22:55:53 | More by brentk56

rtepiak

Poland

4.25/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

i think i sat on this bottle for about 6 months

more so lambic yeast dominanated than kombucha and bone dry. very light in color coming in light yellow orange.. nose is crisp ashtray sour with what smells like tire inter tubes when still. mineral bare bones. palate is dry and hunger inducing. wondrous for such a low abv and of rather high standard. a sour most.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 05:19:33 | More by rtepiak

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

MY 100TH STYLE REVIEWED!

Thanks to Masterski for this one.

Poured from a 750ml. bottle.

Appearance: Pours like ginger ale though the color is more vibrant Small 1-2 finger head but the real show is the hundreds of tiny bubbles racing upwards non-stop.

Smell: Dry tea leaves, minty a bit and mixed with a soapy lemon. Tea really shines.

Taste: Herbal tea right in the middle with a bit of sour citrus. Mint leaves. Some funk but the brewed tea makes itself present.

Mouthfeel: Tiny bit tart at first but ends bone dry. Strong carbonation at first sip.

Overall: Interesting but kind of on the fence. The flavor is mildly one-dimensional but still manages to be good.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 11:18:00 | More by papat444

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear pale yellow in color with light amounts of visible carbonation (though it is cloudy when you get to the yeast in the bottom of the bottle). The beer has a finger tall fizzy white head that dissipates to a thin tiny patch in the center of the glass almost immediately. No lacing is observed.

S: Smells of brett and very similar to plain kombucha - lightly funky and lightly sour. There are also some light floral/citrus hints.

T: Very similar to the aroma though I also get some light hints of ginger ale/ginger beer. I feel like the flavor of the kombucha is pretty dominant in this offering, with the brett coming through though not as strongly. There is a very enjoyable lingering citrus tartness/sourness.

M: Light bodied with significant amounts of carbonation. Crisp and effervescent.

O: I really enjoyed this one but I am a regular drinker of kombucha (something that you can definitely tell is an ingredient in this beer). Very light and refreshing, I could drink this one all day long.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 22:53:03 | More by dbrauneis

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

My buddy (Naugros, featured below) turned me on to this beer. This is another beer that goes toward my goal of reviewing all the styles (still don't know how I will get the Roggen done).

I am always a little wary of green bottles. They don't do a very good job of blocking light, which causes faster aging on the beer. It makes Heineken really funky.

The beer poured with a very light head which had the fastest drop in retention. This foam immediately went away. There was some nice, little bubbles that come up from the bottom.

Lambrucha smells pretty good. You get funkiness from the brett. I like the smell of the tea, as well.

The flavor is really interesting. It is like a soda. I would almost call this like a store brand 7-up soda. The bubbles make it kind of effervescent. There is also sour from presence. It is very light. This is one of the lightest beers I have ever had.

I wish I could buy this beer in about five months to drink on a summer day. It was an interesting experience. I recommend trying Lambrucha.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 02:56:43 | More by ummswimmin

Naugros

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this at the Ginger Man in NYC and watched as the bartender opened the bottle and poured it into a stemmed snifter. The foam rose quickly and disappeared just as quickly. "Live beer", she commented as she handed me the glass and the bottle. I asked for a sample glass, so I could pour some for the writer/artist seated next to me. He had kombrucha before so was really interested in this beer.

I picked up my glass and saw a pale straw-colored beer with a lot of carbonation rising up, but not in support of any type of head. The look and feel almost approximated champagne, but not the smell...not in the slightest. This stuff is extremely interesting in aroma and is hard to nail it down in words. A lambic sour comes off with some Brett funk. Some earthy tones appear paired with a citrus/floral scent.

The taste follows the smell and the citrus turns to 7-Up, but not in a bad way at all. You just get it out of the flavor. The major flavor component is the sour. It's a dry sour, but not an over-the-top dry, like Duchess de Bourgogne or Rodenbach Grand Cru. Some sour apple strives to be noticed as a flavor that is at once both floral and earthy is content to sit in back. That must be the tea.

This is one of the most interesting beers I've ever tasted and very satisfying to drink. The whole 22 ounce bottle didn't even give me a buzz, so this one is eminently sessionable and refreshing enough to quench the thirst I built up walking from Penn Station over to East 36th...well worth the walk!

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 01:11:59 | More by Naugros

billshmeinke

California

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Slightly hazy pale Holden body with virtually no head/lacing.

Smells super funky. A bit minty. Fermented pineapple.

Tons of tart and funky notes. A bit minty. Lemony citrus notes and a bit of mineral water.

Well carbonated, low in body. Quite spritzy feeling.

Weird, interesting, tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 00:29:51 | More by billshmeinke

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle thanks to Mikeymikee

Cloudy cider gold. Finger of white head. Nice tart nose. Lemons and mild musty funk. Flavors are like lemon lime soda with some sweet tarts crushed in it. Hint of the tea in the finish. Light bubbly body. Super easy drinker. Maybe not a true sour heads delight. However I could see crushing an entire 750 on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 18:18:19 | More by beerwolf77

voteforgoat

California

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - crisp, clear pale champagne color with an explosive, white bubbly head that dissipates quickly. Highly carbonated/spritzy.
The beer takes on the appearance of a bubbly cider on following pours as sediment mixes in.

S- herbal medicine and flowery notes with some wet hay funk behind it. Smells a bit like chamomille/ herbal tea, and very, very faintly of echinecea or anise. These smells are faint and balanced - the opposite of overdone or overpowering.

T- tart, lemony upfront and some light funk flavors, very refreshing. Quite dry. Unique. Really does taste like a lambic mixed with kombucha with a bit of herbs thrown in, whether or not herbs are used. Is the Kombucha added to the lambic for carbonation? Very low-alcohol but quite a lot of flavor, which I appreciate. Improves as it warms.

M- thin, light, fairly crisp. highly carbonated. The tartness is mouth-puckering and refreshing.

O- The smell is probably the most intriguing part of the beer. The herbal notes are well-done and subtle. Overall, it's unique, delicate and hard to place. Still, it's not exactly my cup of tea. For the price I paid, I wish I was drinking a regular, funkier gueuze instead. Still, I'm very glad I tried this experiment. I have blended beer and kombucha in my brewing - mostly not very successfully - so I wanted to try this for a long time. I would be happy to brew something like this for refreshment ( with less herbal notes) and I would go through a keg easily over a few weeks. However at $14+tax a bottle, I don't think I can justify the cost very often. Also, I've not seen this beer very often.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 06:30:46 | More by voteforgoat

ixodus

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hazy pale gold in color with a huge white head that dissolves quickly into a small white cap that remains for the entirety of the beer. Leaves not one bit of lacing.

S: Has a nice lactic sourness mixed with orange peel,lemon,tea,pepper,apple cider vinegar, and a bit of fungusy funkiness.

T: Moderately sour and mildly earthy funky with tart lemon upfront and some floral tea in the background. Also picking up a touch of vinegar and pepper.

M: Crisp, light bodied, spritzy, effervescent, finishes dry.

O: What a refreshing beer! Great concept, great delivery, great price. What's not to like?

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 15:36:53 | More by ixodus

DrewShal9

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: golden almost orange with as quickly as the white head rises, it falls.
S: barnyard funk, lemon, sour tart apple, and should be no surprise - kombucha tea.
T: most unique beer I've ever tasted! Lemon, apple, kombucha tea, pepper, as mentioned in previous reviews- like a berliner weisse
M: thin body with little to no carbonation and just like a geuze,leaves your mouth watering for more
O: very interesting beer and at 3.5% very sessionable. The drinkability is exceptionally easy. Could drink this all day!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 04:49:29 | More by DrewShal9

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours with a big, white, foamy-soapy head that doesn't last long at all, leaving a slightly cloudy golden, light amber liquid.

Tart aroma. Some spices dance around a light malt/biscuit backbone. A bit funky

This beer reminds me of a berlinerweiss, but not quite. A light breadiness underneath. Spices and tartness are dominant, but they don't overpower the beer. Barnyard, yeasty characteristics. The sourness is complemented by some tannin from the tea, I'm guessing. It has a sharpness to it that is welcomed by a guy who doesn't really like sours.

This is a very drinkable beer. The 3.5% helps, but the tame tartness is quenching

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 20:01:15 | More by Mebuzzard

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a pale gold with a slight hint of haze and a thin white head. Once the beer settles in the glass, a tremendous amount of effervescence can clearly be seen. Very active and lively.

S: Interesting to say the least. Aromas of tea, ginger, pepper, lemon, must, and barnyard funk are present on the nose. Smells like no other beer of which I can think.

T: Tart and funky with notes of lemon, unripened grapes, gooseberries, must, salty brine, tea, pepper, minerals, and ginger. The finish is spicy and salty with tea notes blending with citrus and lactic, funky yeast flavors.

M: Light bodied, spritzy, and very dry. Almost chalky on the palate. It feels odd, but is very drinkable.

O: I'm not really certain how to rate this beer. It's unlike anything I've had before. That being said, it is an intriguing and mostly enjoyable brew that is obviously crafted with care. I'd have no problem buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 02:42:57 | More by mrfrancis

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared with a few friends on a Friday night. Pours a fairly clear pale golden color with a decent white head that shows moderate retention. Smells of tart and funk, no really. Lemons and yellow mustard mixed with truffles and barnyard. This is quite an odd aroma, but it kind of works. Taste is tart funk with a nice puckering of lemons dominating the flavor. Earthy barnyard mixed with fungi round out the flavor. Medium body, spirited level of carbonation and a puckering tart mouthfeel. I enjoyed trying this, but I couldn't see me drinking more than the 6 or so ounces I had in one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 00:53:08 | More by johnnnniee

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Unkown vintage bought at Wilbur's in Fort Collins, CO. (They had a bunch left). Poured into a snifter. I never thought I would see this in Colorado.

This beer is a very light golden yellow full of lively bubbles rising to keep a thin head alive and strong.

Smells of noble hops and pilsner malt with overtones of lactic sourness and a bit of funk. Much less to this aroma than I expected. The usual depth of brett seems to be (at this time) lacking from what I expected.

My first sip amounted to surprising sourness and huge carbonation. I never really tasted much because the carbonation barely let it touch my tongue. Lets swirl this a bit and re-visit. After 5 minutes of swirling I can taste this beer, and it proves to be something different from anything I have ever tasted before (beer or otherwise). I have never had the tea that this lambic is blended with, so I can't say for sure that it is what I am tasting. However this specific class of flavors isn't quite like anything I have encountered before, so i assume it is the tea. It seems to amount to an interesting mixture of ginger, lemon, lemongrass, slightly funky sourness and a great deal of carbonation. Nearly like ginger-ale, the spicy synthetic flavor of diet ginger-ale. How odd and interesting.

The mouthfeel is very light and as previously stated; highly carbonated.

Conclusion: I don't even know how to rate this beer. It feels a bit like it is in a class of its own, and I don't have anything to compare it too. Lambic is such a crazily broad style that I can't say that this beer fits or doesn't fit. I like beer like this, that just "is". I don't personally love the flavor of this beer, but I enjoy it enough to drink the rest of the bottle with pleasure. If only it were less carbonated...

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 01:36:48 | More by allforbetterbeer

Bendurgin

Maine

3.45/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a chalice. This pours a hazy light orange color with about an inch of fluffy white head.

Tart peaches in the aroma with a hint of black tea in the background. Sour with that basement must that we all enjoy so much. Sweet lemonade type flavor with some tart lemon on the finish. A little sweeter than I would really enjoy.

The body is light and the carbonation is sharp. Overall this one isn't bad. I'd preffer it to be a bit less sweet.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 03:19:28 | More by Bendurgin

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Hazy pale straw yellow with a few fingers white head.

S - Earthy aroma, musty funk, lemon and light spice. There is an aroma similar to funky mushrooms but i hate mushrooms and this is actually enjoyable.

T - Earthy and musty with lactic acid, peaches, tart apples, wet oak and that mushroom type thing I was picking up in the aroma.

M - Light body with prickly carbonation.

D - Quite enjoyable. I really like this combo together.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 00:15:59 | More by brewcrew76

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.1/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

An oddly appealing ale of low body and alcohol, but packed full of flavor and complexity. Part beer and part fermented tea, this specialty ale is both refreshing and characterful.

Pouring a murky lemon color and with a pelicle-like foam, the beer has somewhat still look with stark white foam and mild lace.

Lemony and flowery, the nose offers a lot of aroma not found in other beers: lemon and lime, hibiscus, tart candies, cider, and a raw earthy scent of tea-like herbs, corriander, and dried orange peel.

Flavors are an intertwined bit of sweet and tart. Lemond rinds and lime juice is pit up against cidery apples, acetic tones, powdered sugar sweetness, banana, appricot, clove, and a grassy taste in finsih that's not exactly hop derived. Moderate acidity provides balance because of the low lying hop character, this is a sweeter tasting Lambic than I'm used to. The flowery notion in flavor gives an odd yet playful perfume character.

Light because of the acidic fruit character and spritzy in an almost sparkling wine kind of way. But somewhat dull in the way the unresolved sweetness lays on the tongue. Very odd to see this type of weight for a sour ale. Flowery slickness provides a coat of the tongue while allowing for a powdery dryish finish.

A very odd, but not unappealing beer. More dryness is needed to bring the beer closer to balance, to increase drinkability, and to keep the beer from tasting like fruit flavored candies.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 12:40:13 | More by BEERchitect

gueuzer

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Lostcook for sharing this!

App- Straw colored with a slight white head.

Sm- Brett dominates in a medicinal way but get notes of grapefruit and mustiness.

Ta- Much more lactic than I was expecting lemons, limes and a bit of wheat. A medicinal bitterness helps to balance it all.

Ov- Really surprised this came from De Troch lambic. I think the kambucha culture really kicked this one up. Hope to find it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 01:49:54 | More by gueuzer

Cresant

Kentucky

3.05/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served this 750 mL green bottle in a Tripel Karmeliet glass. No date but I've had this in my cellar since 7/10. The beer was champagne colored and despite a hard pour, there was only a small amount of bubbles which evaporated immediately.

The smell was medicinal. SweetTart candy. Not to forward with the aroma.

The taste was tangy and sour. 7-Up and Pixie Stix. Maybe a hint of powder. Floral. Salt? and faint yeastiness. Lots of candy going on here in the aroma and flavor. Lacking something, maybe it's past it's prime. I would try it again.

The mouthfeel was light with minimal carbonation, only a fine scrubbing prickle in the finish. This one is lacking something, maybe it's past it's prime. I would try it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 13:34:09 | More by Cresant

samie85

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A-Pours a slightly hazy, pear juice color with a one and a half finger head that quickly dissipates.

S-Smells slightly peppery with some lemon and with an almost Ben-Gay menthol-ly aroma.

T-Tart lemony with a light, cidery quality and finishes dry with very little acidity or bitterness.

M-Very carbonated and prickly in the mouth with a very light body and slight dryness.

D-Pretty drinkable but it's a little one-note in the taste department, with lemon being that one-note. I was also hoping for some more acidity/sourness than is present in this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 01:13:52 | More by samie85