Girardin Gueuze 1882 (Black Label) - Brouwerij Girardin

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.29/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle to Ommegang flute

A:Golden orangey in color slightly yellow at the bottom cloudy and semi opaque (clearer as it warms). There was basically no head but it is tan and leaves a very thin lacing on the top

S: There definitely has some funk in there but it is not super pungent (perhaps I should have aged it for longer).It has that trademark gueuze smell but not much else or much power.

T: The taste is better then the nose is has a straight up sour/tart flavor up front but it isn't really funky at all it is almost clean, dry, and very light/refreshing. Lots of fruit and citrusy flavors like lemon and green apple. The sour flavor is not puckering but it is there and pretty tasty in my opinion

M: This is definitely the best part about this beer. The sour flavor is not overwhelming it is crisp and clean up front. It is watery and thin clearly light at only 5% abv but that makes it extremly drinkable and when the taste is still there the lightness is a positive thing for me.

O: Despite being very light this is still quite a very tasty and sour gueuze. I would like to taste one that has been aged for awhile to see if it developes more but with the low alcohol content I would not expect a whole lot. That being said this beer is definitely worth a try and could be a great starter sour.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 02:37:38 | More by Pinknuggets

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

05-21-2013 18:54:55 | More by Slatetank

HardyGeneraL

Netherlands

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

05-21-2013 12:23:28 | More by HardyGeneraL

Jordantb313

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

05-21-2013 04:15:03 | More by Jordantb313

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.05/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a 2013 bottle in DC

The beer pours a hazy golden yellow-amber with a thin, loose white head that dissipates down into a white halo without lacing. There appears to be ample carbonation without much visible sediment. The nose is mildly sour, non-skunky, with a very slight fruitiness reminiscent of tart cherries. The taste is just as mild mannered and drinkable as the nose packing in an initial malty, grainy sweetness, some back-end funk, and finishes with a semi-dry, tart, bitterness. This is certainly one of the most drinkable gueuzes I've had, and I'm liking how approachable and balanced this is compared to some of the funk-bomb gueuzes I'm used to drinking. Its mouthfeel is initially sweet, well carbonated, slightly funky and bitter in the finish. As the beer warms it packs in a bit more bitterness in the finish, which contributes to the beer's crisp, refreshing mouthfeel. I'm impressed with this $10/375mL shelf-gueuze over Hanssens and Tilquin alternatives and due to its superior drinkability. However, I'm not sure I'll try too hard to acquire more bottles (i.e. trade for more). If it were available in my area I'd gladly indulge.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 00:41:54 | More by ThePorterSorter

nataku00

California

4/5  rDev -7.2%

05-19-2013 18:20:09 | More by nataku00

DStoked

Ohio

5/5  rDev +16%

05-16-2013 17:12:45 | More by DStoked

Texasfan549

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

05-15-2013 22:55:50 | More by Texasfan549

kjkinsey

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

05-15-2013 22:47:27 | More by kjkinsey

hatfulofhollow

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

05-13-2013 16:11:20 | More by hatfulofhollow

MCImes

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%

05-12-2013 19:06:00 | More by MCImes

geedub11

United Kingdom (England)

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

05-12-2013 08:54:07 | More by geedub11

Danny1217

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

05-12-2013 08:47:50 | More by Danny1217

thebouch01

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

05-12-2013 03:38:40 | More by thebouch01

YobroitsJoe

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%

05-11-2013 06:32:32 | More by YobroitsJoe

SStein

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

05-09-2013 09:49:51 | More by SStein

beernads

Florida

4/5  rDev -7.2%

05-08-2013 07:48:07 | More by beernads

ObeMaltKinobee

California

3.75/5  rDev -13%

05-08-2013 07:30:44 | More by ObeMaltKinobee

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%

05-07-2013 23:53:21 | More by cadaugherty

StPaulSuds

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

05-07-2013 16:35:32 | More by StPaulSuds

cnbrown313

Illinois

4/5  rDev -7.2%

05-07-2013 14:09:16 | More by cnbrown313

chippo33

Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -18.8%

05-06-2013 19:07:40 | More by chippo33

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark and hazy copper color with golden yellow highlights. The beer pours with a quarter-of-a-finger’s-width, creamy white head of tiny compact bubbles, and is replenished by a steady stream of bubbles coming from throughout the glass. The beer’s body is a cloudy haze of proteins and such, and the other side of the glass can only just barely be seen. On the nose, the beer smells properly barn-yardy, with touches of cherry fruit leather and salt. The funk is nice and dominant in the nose, and provides a nice spiced feeling to the nose, perhaps briefly suggesting peppers. Beneath the salty funk lies a nice citric smell, somewhere between lemons and grapefruits with a touch of pineapple thrown in. On the tongue, the beer tastes sweet up front, and then quickly dries into bitter and savory flavors with a medium strength acidity washing through the mouth. In flavor, the beer begins as salty fruity, almost like a pineapple. The fruit flavors grow in the mouth and introduce barnyard, cherry fruit leather, and some nice herbal grassy flavors in the finish and aftertaste. The finish moves towards a funky lemon flavor and has a nice long length. The lemon lasts into the aftertaste, blending with the grassy herbal flavors to leave a pleasant taste in the mouth. In the mouth, the beer feels on the light side of medium in body and crisp with a nice snappy and rough carbonation that scrubs the tongue free of any of the more cloying funk flavors. The mouth is left clean except for a nice pool of acid neutralizing saliva. Overall, this is a great gueuze with proper depth and complexity. If anything, I would call it a bit subdued in flavor though. It has all of the right components, but is too muted. The grassy bitters are also a little too strong and hold back some of the other flavors in the beer. This beer is a nice solid gueuze overall, though, and definitely worthy of a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 17:24:16 | More by Maxwell

FliryVorru

Alabama

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%

05-02-2013 20:14:48 | More by FliryVorru

SPRichard

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%

04-26-2013 20:31:18 | More by SPRichard