Girardin Gueuze 1882 (Black Label) - Brouwerij Girardin

zac16125

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375mL bottle poured into a tulip
No bottled on date but the cork says "REF BX 2013"

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden orange with less than half a fingers width of sea foam white head, which dissipates down fairly quickly to only an outer ring.   Leaves effectively no lacing, but bonus points for the picture of a pregnant lady with a x through it on the label, which made me chuckle.

S: Both tart and sweet white grapes, sour apple, decent amount of wet hay and barnyard like funk, slightly smokey, tart citrus.  

T: Wonderful sour apple and sour cherry tartness right off the bat.  Lemon line citrus and citrus peel.  Not as puckeringly sour as I remembered from the last time I drank it, but it's definitely tart, both upfront and in the finish.  Some Belgium yeast banana flavors on the aftertaste.  Only the slightest funk character noted.  Mild Champagne like flavors as well.  Overall, very tasty.  

M/D: Slightly under carbonated. Medium bodied with a fairly significant,wine like, drying finish.  Drinkability is great.  

O: Overall, very good.  As I said above, not as puckeringly sour as I remember, and that level of sour was what I was hoping for, but very good nonetheless.  Glad I was able to get ahold of a bottle from one of the reportedly only 7 cases to hit the entire state of SC (not sure if it's true but that's the rumor I heard).  Definitely worth seeking out.  

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 23:36:55 | More by zac16125

minnesotaryan

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a New Belgium globe, there was some cork ooze in the opening of the bottle, wiped that up and poured it into my glass. It pours a nice hazy gold, with a decent white head and some nice lacing. Looks excellent.

Smell: A little hard to pin point, but there is some funk, some lemon, some vinnegar.

Taste is tart, vinnegar, funky, getting possible hints of cork as well as oak. There is some nice citrus (lemon and grapefruit) over all, enough to keep it interesting, but not so complex that you spend all night trying to pick apart all the nuances in your glass.

This is an easy to drink, nicely carbonated beer with a very dry finish.

Overall this is very enjoyable, perhaps not as good as some, but definitely a high quality gueuze none the less.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 02:43:05 | More by minnesotaryan

aasher

Indiana

4.68/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

375ml, 2011. This gueuze pours a medium bodied, hazy sunset orange in color with a soapy and bright white one finger head. The nose is mellow and citrusy. It smells more like a Fantome saison than most gueuze out there. It's strange for a gueuze to lack acidity like this does but it has a great nose nonetheless. Uh oh, this is über sessionable. The flavors are light and citrusy. There is a lot of freshly squeezed orange, plenty of rhind, and light acidic tartness. It drinks perfectly. The funk levels in this one are minimal. This drinks perfectly for the style. It is light and very smooth. The drinkability on this one is through the roof! I could drink this by the liter. This instantly jumps into my top few gueuze status. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 02:40:39 | More by aasher

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml (12.7 oz.) bottle poured into a tulip glass

Pours a cloudy pale yellow with a two and half pillowy white head. Apple, pear, citrus,and vinegar with oak accents on the nose. An opening salvo of tartness fills the mouth. Luscious citrus and other fruit tones, sourdough-like yeasty esters and funk dominate the midpalate, finishes tart and dry. Perfect level of carbonation, smooth and clean mouthfeel. This gueze reaches a level most others fall well short of. Among the very best.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 05:03:38 | More by chanokokoro

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml Bottle received in trade from Phyl21a

Appearance – Clear golden yellow colour with a large size fizzy/rocky white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains/wheat, vinegar, grapefruit, herbal notes

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an above average amount of carbonation. I can taste tart citrus (lemons/grapefruit), green grapes, and some vinegar. There is also some wheat/yeast flavour, floral notes and a bit of funk. It end with a tart citrus aftertaste.

Overall – I haven't had much experience with this style of beer, but it seemed to be more complex tasting than some of the others Gueuze's I've had. It wasn't simply just a blast of citric/vinegar.. it had subtle nuances to it. Very good stuff, thanks again Phyl21ca!

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 13:36:57 | More by spinrsx

Auracom

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2009 bottling, another good find of Jeff's. We had a 2010 sitting as well but decided to save it for another day. 4 oz. poured into a FFF Teku on June 9th, 2012.

A - Clear, light golden coloring, with no head, retention, or lacing. Very much like Champagne.

S - A bit of funk here. Light manure, earthy notes, and wet hay. More herbal and citrus/acidic tones.

T - Fairly sour, a bit puckering, big lemon-lime note with a touch of oak barrel.

M - Light body, high carbonation, semi-dry finish.

D - Sort of a dark horse that I really knew nothing of beforehand. I like the lightness of the funk with the cleanliness of the drink. Makes for something easily drinkable for just one person.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 16:37:37 | More by Auracom

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

375 ml bottle, no bottled on date, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a deep, clear golden color with a couple fingers of fluffy, bubbly white head, good retention, leaves tons of delicate lacing.

S- Light, crispy pear and apple, some acidic vinegar tartness, yeasty funk, also getting some oak and grape.

T- Burst of citric, lemon and apple tartness up front, which fades into a center of fruit, hay funk and cheesiness before a very dry, oak wood finish.

M- Light-bodied, has a smooth feel, extremely dry finish.

O- A pretty damn good gueuze, very tasty and incredibly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 08:39:38 | More by WillCarrera

UCLABrewN84

California

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to jmgrub for sharing this one at his tasting.

Pours a murky orange with a beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. No lacing on this one. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with some lemon-like aromas. Taste is much the same with some sour apple peel flavors. There is an acidic finish with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good gueuze with some great aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 00:38:13 | More by UCLABrewN84

homebrew311

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours pale yellow, minimal lacing, somewhat cloudy

S: holy funk! lots of oak, vinegar, grapes, and a decent amount of horseblanket funkiness

T: the front is incredibly tart with waves of fruit, lemon zest, oak, sourdough, and funk. The finish is even more sour than the start.

MF: high carbonation, medium body

O: this is an incredibly refreshing gueuze with tons of character and complexity. It does a great job balancing palate numbing tartness with a bit of funk.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 03:31:27 | More by homebrew311

goosewhisperer

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a-golden and light in color. Nice fluffy head that disappears fairly quickly. Lively carbonation--there was quite a pop from the cork on this one.

s-good sour, and some funk to it. As it warms, there are some lemongrass notes and some more funkiness.

t-well balanced, good amount of tart (wish there was a little more ), and some good underlying flavors. There is some lemon, and other fresh tart flavors in the mix.

m-medium on the feel, right for the flavor.

o-quality beer, that I would buy more of. Good presentation of the style to a buddy of mine that shared this beer with me.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 02:18:28 | More by goosewhisperer

oline73

Maryland

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

Poured from the bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber with a golden hue. There if a finger and a half of fluffy, off white head that fades to a small layer on top of the pour.

Smell: This is a nice light smelling gueuze. Funky and tart, getting some lemon along with the yeast funk.

Taste: Follows closely from the smell. Fairly light and funky with some tart lemon like notes mixed in. While the funk is apparent, it doesn't completely take over.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tons of fluffy, tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I'm a fan of this beer. I would have been alright if the tart levels were a tad higher, but I still enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 01:59:06 | More by oline73

mdaschaf

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes. Part of a blind gueuze tasting.

A: Pours a hazy orange color with a small white head on top. Eventually reduces to a thin cap on top. No lacing.

S: Slight tart/funky aroma, light citrus fruits, some lemon and a little apricot. Nice balance of funky/farmhouse and tart.

T: Again, nice combination of funk and tart flavors. more citrus fruits with lemon and lemon rind. Slightly acidic.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: A nice gueuze. Was pleasantly surprised when it was revealed that this was 1882. Would certainly get this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 20:19:42 | More by mdaschaf

51mmz0rz

New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 37.5cl bottle into an Orval chalice. Cork date is 2012.

A: Great golden hue, opaque body. Loose head, fades fast. High carbonation from the appearance

S: Amazing sour fruit aromas, just delicious smelling yeast.

T: Nicely sour, and fruity (citrus), as you'd expect from the aroma. Fairly sweet on the finish (because it's young?). Would like to taste an older bottle to see if it develops more complexity, but it is very, very good now.

M: Highly carbonated, fits the style.

O: Awesome beer, I will look for an older one.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 01:03:10 | More by 51mmz0rz

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with light visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall off-white head that reduces by about 50% but never completely goes away. Significant lacing is observed.

S: This beer has a strong pungent smell of funkiness (from the yeast) combined with tart fruits, light citrus, and mild earthiness. There are some very subtle vinous hints as well. Well balanced and a nice amount of complexity.

T: Very well balanced and complex flavors to this beer. There is a heavy dose of funkiness (from the yeast), along with some tartness, and even little hints of sweetness. There is definitely a tart fruit, candi sugar, and slightly acidic flavor.

M: Medium bodied with moderate to high amounts of carbonation. Slightly dry in the finish (though it could be a little more dry and I would not have complained).

O: Very enjoyable and refreshing in a funky sort of way. I really found this one to be easy to drink and definitely one to enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 00:29:49 | More by dbrauneis

brystmar

New York

4.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml into my Russian River tulip. Orange, active body with good retention on its white head. Pungent nose with tart fruit, tons of funky yeast, mild earthiness, and faint hops. Aroma is very is strong and balances nicely.

Sour citrus fruits kick things off; mostly lemons & oranges here. Lots of funk, and quite acidic. Carbonation tickles my tongue. A surprising hoppy backbone shows up at the end, leaving a mild bitterness that lingers. Unique for sure, but the bitter aftertaste isn't really my thing.

A different take on the gueuze style that I'd happily give a small role in my regular rotation.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 04:33:26 | More by brystmar

cavedave

New York

4.13/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Girardin 1882 gueuze

Nearly clear and golden, it has a nice topper of lively suds that only grudgingly gives ground, and some leggy lacicles hang in there, framing a lasting white cap. Pretty.

Unripe apple and pear are light leaders of a host of aromas which include citrus, tart and sharp, vinous, even a touch of vinegar and funkified floral candy in there. One sniff contained brief hint of skunk. Overall, though, fantastic bouquet.

Like any gueuze worth its difficulty of obtenance, this baby has Full Flavor. Varying degrees and tastes of tart start things off, some candy comes in, odd, but nice here, just a touch really that contrasts without too much sweetart, some citrus and sour grape, hints of funk but nothing hormonal to it, just a bit of that odd delectability for which this flavor profile was designed. End of sip isn't what one would call drying, but it's not quite juicy.

Mouthfeel is nicely carb'ed to style, could use a bit of a drier finish, and cleaner cling to it. Those nitpicky items all that keep this from being world class even here.

Excellent gueuze, it has made me forgive its less than dry finish and less than desired funk with a brisk tartness and bold taste. I recommend it, enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 23:56:06 | More by cavedave

Kshock

California

4.83/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

oh, its been a long time since i laid eyes on one of these babies...

A- Hazy orange/golden color. thin white lace sits on top of the beer leaving little bits of sticky lace on the glass.

S- Funky yeast, good acidic characteristics, grapefruit. Aroma is incredible.

T- Funky, sour, tart, dry, and fucking awesome! This is a beautiful blend of flavors.

M- Dry and very clean. Doesnt get better than this.

O- One of the best of my favorite style :)

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 20:53:28 | More by Kshock

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Binny's in Des Plaines, IL
Cork reads 2011
Poured into a US pint glass

Girardin's gueuze is a very enjoyable gueuze that hits appropriate targets for sourness (lemons, vinegar, tart apples) and mixes it with small amounts of residual sweetness and just a bit of Brettanomyces funk. Delicious, one that I wish was more widely available.

Pours a tall, off-white head composed of fine and medium-sized bubbles. Lasts a few minutes, descending to a 0.3cm cap atop the beer and leaves some lacing along the sides of the glass. Beer's body is a hazy, light orange-brown color; in light the beer is orangish with yellow highlights. No carbonation is visible, but something is supporting the cap atop the beer.

Delicious aroma of graham cracker meets lemon tartness, slight apple cider vinegar, tart apples.

Taste opens with candy sweetness on the tip of the tongue, quickly transitioning to sour, strong, lemon and sour apple-like flavor. Back of tongue picks up slight barnyard funk. Aftertaste is gently acidic and tart, with some residual sweetness.

Medium to medium-light bodied with perfectly suited, moderately noticeable carbonation that generates a rather smooth and flowing mouthfeel. Finish is quite dry.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 19:05:07 | More by falloutsnow

quirkzoo

Colorado

4/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first non-American "wild". Cork says, "2011". Pours a bright orange with a touch of pink. Thick fluffy white head that recedes to a solid ring. Smell is definite brett funk, woody, musty, moldy but in a "clean" way if that makes sense. I also get an aroma like that of the closet that holds the bin that holds my daughter's diapers, not in a bad way, but kind of in the way that you like to smell your own fart. Some bright citric fruits behind the funk, lemon, lime, sour apple. Taste is sour, but not overpoweringly so, a nice soft lactic sourness...which is starting to turn a bit more acetic as it warms up. Just a touch of bitterness to balance it out. The funk on the palate is somewhat subdued as compared to the nose but it is still good. The mouthfeel is light and refreshing, exactly what I would expect. Overall this is a complex brew that evolves in the glass, nothing absolutely blows my mind but a great beer, worth seeking out and not too difficult to find.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 08:32:50 | More by quirkzoo

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Kiddwhiz highly recommended this brew. Cork reads 2011. Poured to tulip. The beer pours a slightly hazy rich golden color with orange edges in the light. Nice big 2.5 finger slightly off-white head with excellent retention and lacing. Looks very good.The aroma is a mix of a mild sour note with a pleasant malty sweetness underneath. Hints of fruit, apples, as well. The flavor presents itself with a more acidic note than anticipated based on the nose. Mildly bitter with some biscuity-malt character compliments the slight citrus sour flavor. Mouthfeel is lighter and crisp. Overall, this is a very good Gueze. I appreciate that the sour doesn't just dominate your face, instead it's presence really presents itself well. Enjoyed and recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 14:14:29 | More by hopfacebrew

rangerred

Tennessee

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle poured into a tulip.

Appearance is a hazy medium orange with a fluffy one finger head. Lots of carbonation and great head retention.

Aroma of orange and lemon with really only a slight hint of funk. Some wet hay and barnyard but it is not overpowering. There is a bit of yeastiness as well.

The funk comes through a little more on the taste but once again it is restrained compared to other examples of this style. Lemony lime citrus is much more prominent and there is some pear as well. I think I can even taste a little bit of caramel. Quite a bit of tartness is present leading to an incredibly crisp, dry finish.

This is my new favorite gueuze. It is perfectly balanced with the citrus, funk, and sourness all in balance. While I tend to like extremely funky brews it is nice to experience a good balance. A top notch brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 01:15:09 | More by rangerred

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Maybe a half finger of off white head that quickly disappears. It is orange. Really a soft copper color, but darker than a lot of gueuze.

S - Wonderful. No funk, so just lemon and some orange sour mixed with some sweetness.

T - Now I'm getting a lot of funk. So some lime rind, lemon juice mixed with butter, and orange.

M - Very dry. Strong carbonation and a lighter body.

O - Not my favorite gueuze but still very good. Just not enough sweetness in flavor and too much funk.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 05:34:46 | More by RuckusDu

gford217

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle. Cork labeled Ref A x 2010

This is one of those perfect examples of a beer considered world class that I overlook at the local store every time I walk in. Time to make up for lost time and dive in.

Pour is bright, slightly hazy golden amber with some yeast chunks collecting around the bottom. The white head is fizzy and short-lived with plenty of bubbles streaming to the top.

Aroma is wonderfully complex with all kinds of things going on. There is the slightly tart green apple and pear sweetness but with a musty, wet hay thing going on in addition to some acetic acid.

Taste has an initial mouth-puckering tartness with lemons and green apples but also with a hefty bretty funk thrown in. There is some dry oak in the finish and the tartness and acid linger on the palate for a long time.

The mouthfeel is crisp, clean and dry with lots of tingling tartness on the tongue.

Again, I feel a little ashamed that I walk by these all the time in the search for something new and exotic. In terms of gueuzes, this is excellent, and certainly one of the top few beers regularly on shelf here. Will not be passing by this as frequently....

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 02:24:24 | More by gford217

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-straw yellow with a very big head. Served at about 55 degrees to get full flavor and head off of this one.

S-big grapefruit smell, with a dryness. Funk is up there too.

T-Tart lemons at first that move into a pink grapefruit and ends with a nice clean funk. Very nicely done on this one. Has some hop bitterness too and perhaps orange peel flavors.

M-very nice mouthfeel with a lot of drinkability except may be a bit sour to drink more than one. Nice creamy head.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 21:32:37 | More by danedelman

kayalla

California

4.15/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cork on the bottle says 2011, so I think this is a 2009 bottle? Pours into the glass a clear rust orange color with a fluffy white head. Aroma is farm year, mineral, horse sweat, peach. Not all that funky, and has a touch of something sweet in there, but very crisp and refined. The flavor follows the aroma, peach fruits, pears, not a lot of citrus. A hint of sweet, almost vanilla flavor, and of course alot of horsey, farmy, sour minerals. This one is really nice but not as good as the Drei Fonteinen to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 03:04:27 | More by kayalla