Oude Gueuze - Hanssens Artisanaal bvba

Axnjxn

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

350 ML bottle poured into a snifter. 11/2012 bottling date.

Pours a dark golden color with a moderate/heavy white, fizzy head that dissipates quickly. a massive amount of bubbles shoot up from the bottom towards the top. smell is extremely strong and sour. vinegar and sour apples. taste is quite intense. extremely sour flavor with a very apparent green apple taste that lingers on the back of tongue. LOVE the taste of this one. possibly too intense for novices of the style but for me, it's incredible. high carbonation with a medium body, very drinkable.

Overall one of the best sours I've ever had. I slightly prefer drie fonteinen but this one is right up there.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 02:13:21 | More by Axnjxn

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

The beer pours a clear golden color with a white head that fades quickly without lacing. The nose is a tad skunky at first, but mellows out and becomes a slightly sweet, funky, tartly gueuzey. The taste is quite potent with great grain, yeast, bacteria, and a touch of sweetness. Is definitely a gueuze that packs it in flavor and exceeds expectations. The mouthfeel is sweet and sour upfront with a lingering dryness that's slowly washed away by my quickly responding saliva (I wouldn't want tooth decay with all this acidity). This is a great beer with excellent price and availability.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 03:01:55 | More by ThePorterSorter

Oxymoron

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 2.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5

Pours a very cloudy straw colored yellow. A fizzy pour that lasted a bit but not through the tasting. No lacing really to speak of.

Sour as it should be. Takes awhile to pick out the undertones but once you get really in there you start to pick out the other notes. Some white wine vinegar and tart green apples. A light lemon or apricot. A noticeable funk with a minor horsey note. Some minor buytric as well.

The taste has a nice tartness but they yeast comes out more vs the nose. A light lactic note with more buytric undertones. The fruity notes come out with tart apple and light mango apricot note. Some lighter rose peddles and minor meiangue-esk character. A bit yeasty in to the finish.

The body is bone dry allowing the sourness to come out. Some yeast into the finish cuts the finish. Some off yeast notes linger into the finish. Would have liked a bit more carbonation. Overall a pretty good beer. Love the big sour notes.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 04:51:30 | More by Oxymoron

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.01/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Cork and cage bottle not sure on vintage

A - pours a rosey apple cider color. Pour produces a good 2.5 inches of loose white foam, dissipates pretty quickly. Little to no lacing.

S - sour, apple cider vinegar, with some funkiness, white wine champagne notes.

T - pretty good punch of sour. Sour apple and dark berry up front, rich citrus, oily lemon, then just a little funkiness on the edge at the end.

M - effervescent carbonation, crisp, with just a little bit a syrupy-ness after a while, but not off putting.

O - I like it. A little more apple cider than I really like, but certainly enjoyable. Tasty sour.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 03:16:26 | More by Beerandboards

dogfishandi

New York

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Split with BryanK.

12.7 oz caged and corked green bottle a little above fridge temp poured into a tulip. Bottled June 2012 (almost 1 year of age)

Pours a nice golden color with a light cloudiness, a spotty white head that lasts maybe 1/2 the glass, no lacing.

That nice classic gueze smell, some horsey Brett, a bit of lactic funk, rotted wood, musty basement, some slight cheese funk as it warms and just a hint of citrus comes through. Doesn't smell quite as sour as it is, but still not really sour as most.

Really coats the mouth with sour lemon citrus and lactic funk. Complexities of horsey Brett, rotted wood. Changes as it warms bringing forth maybe some old cheese?

Kind of a lighter carbonation for the style, coats the mouth, sour for sure.

A solid gueze, maybe not as good as 3fon or cantillion but pretty close. Buy this if you can.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 02:00:46 | More by dogfishandi

mnphish

Minnesota

4.51/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12.7 fl oz. bottle into a snifter.
a fairly murky light amber-gold body with a small head that lasts a while.
Smells very tart like sour apples, lemon, vinegar, and funk.
Tastes extremely sour and I absolutely love it. Lemon, sour apple, white grape, and earthy funk. No metallic taste.
Mouthfeel is medium and is carbonated perfectly with lots of fizz. It's got that bubbly champagne mouthfeel.
I would really like to drink this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 05:40:01 | More by mnphish

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled October 2012

A: Pours a very slightly hazy medium to dark golden yellow in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and just a touch of orange highlights. The beer has a quarter finger tall sudsy but slightly fizzy off-white head that quickly reduces to a mottled extremely thin film covering about half of the surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong sour aromas with some barnyard funkiness and just a touch of yeast.

T: Moderate amounts of sourness upfront with some light to moderate flavors of vinegar, white wine, white grapes, apple, lemon/citrus, and oak. There is also a light presence of yeast + funkiness in the taste and relatively little bitterness.

M: Just heavier than light bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth and viscous with some light to moderate amounts of acidic prickliness in the finish.

O: There is a decent amount of complexity to the smell and the taste of this beer that only increases as the beer warms up. This beer is not too sour for the style so is pretty approachable even for folks new to the style. Just enough funkiness to keep it interesting. Relatively easy to drink, especially for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 22:53:46 | More by dbrauneis

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.23/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

330ml corked bottle served in a flute glass.

A: Poursva yellow to orange golden color. Clear. Forms a medium fizzy and small bubbled white yo yellow head. Medium to low retention and only few lacings left in the glass

S: Very fruity and tart in the nose. Apple cider, sweet grains and Lambic yeasts, mainly. Some notes of oak

T: Slightly sweet grains upfront. Very fruity with strong notes of apples. Vinegar. Strong notes of oak. Slightly metallic. Strong earthy notes of Lambic yeasts

M: Light body. High carbonation. Tart and fruity aftertaste

O: Easydrinking beer. Great Gueuze specimen. Recommended

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 21:09:26 | More by eduardolinhalis

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.76/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Served from a 12.7oz bottle into an Allagash coolship glass.

Appearance- Golden/orange with a quick bubbly white head. Lots of carbonation.

Smell- I don't even have to stick my nose up to it to smell the funkiness. Meyer lemon. Vinegar. Some vanilla oakiness. Sweet grapefruit.

Taste- Oh wow thats tart. Getting goosebumps. Lots of lemon and grapefruit. Not vinegary tasting. Some oakiness. Very earthy funkiness.

Mouthfeel- Very carbonated, but not as much as certain other geuzes I've had. Super crisp with an awesome mouth-cleansing finish.

Overall- This is a damn fine geuze. I would get it more often, but it is slightly more expensive than Tilquin or even 3 Fontenine. This will be a nice treat every now and then.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 17:29:48 | More by Seanniek91

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

4.56/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is almost a perfect beer. It's so clean and bright. It is not particularly carbonated, but right away comes that wonderful barnyard smell. The acid is great! It's like drinking a funky lemon, but with a bitter kick at the end.

I could drink this every day.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 04:52:13 | More by DaveAnderson

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.56/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

What a wonderful beer. The exuberance of the appearance starts at the bottle, but of course we are interested in the beer itself - it is a semi-shiny amber, with a well-defined white neck and strong visible carbonation.

The aroma makes clear the presence of the fruity aroma of many nuances that blend together. The taste is of strong presence, highly carbonated and sour. Exactly what I would expect from it.

What a good experience!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 23:06:57 | More by HabiMendes

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

No apparent freshness date on the bottle.

Beer is clear golden, with a large white head. Lots of carbonation evident.

Smell is funky, hay and a bit of barnyard. Tart lemon, green apple, pear.

Taste is quite sour, lots of funk and hay. Very dry. Muted green apple, lemon. Quite intense, moreso than other gueuzes I have had. First sip is a bit too much, but as the tastebuds get acclimatized it becomes quite enjoyable.

Light bodied, moderately carbonated, incredibly mouth drying. Really strips the mouth of all moisture.

Overall. very good but not one of the best gueuzes I have had.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 21:38:34 | More by jrenihan

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle, no bottle dating but it has a notch on it for Lot E, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a clear golden color with a finger of white head, leaves little lacing.

S- Really excellent aroma, very earthy and musty, some wood, also has nice tart notes of fruit and lactic acid.

T- The fruitiness is a bit more prominent in the flavor, lots of apple and pear skin, lemon and lactic acidity, wood flavors and a solid layer of musty funk round everything out.

M- Light-bodied, smooth with nice carbonation and a dry finish.

O- A very nice gueuze, the flavors and especially the aroma are really great, this is probably one of the better readily-available gueuzes that we get here in the US.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 05:50:20 | More by WillCarrera

inlimbo77

Delaware

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml, Lotnr H
Bruery tulip

A: Pours a golden yellow orange. Slightly hazy. Initially about a finger of white head. Lingers for a whole. Some lacing gets left on the glass during swirls, but certainly not a lot.

S: Funk. White grape juice. Bitterness. Tart green apples. Doesn't smell as tart as a Cantillon or Drie Font, but good.

T: Tart acidic bite on tip of the tongue. Not as puckering as the Kriek (Cantillon) I just drank. Dry finish. Champagne like with the close. Slightly tannic dryness.

M: light and airy.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 18:55:03 | More by inlimbo77

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Into a flute. Half finger of head. Strawberry colored body with lots of bubbles. Looks pretty.
Smells like fresh fruits, mostly apples.
Wow taste. Starts a little sweet, then quickly moves to a dry sour and bitter taste. Quick ending.
Crisp and fizzy texture.
My first of this style so I am not sure what they are supposed to be like. However, I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 01:25:18 | More by Fatehunter

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -38%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Too sour for me. Reminded me of a good quality champagne really with intense flavor, but I must reiterate this is very much like a Belgium Flander and that is way too sour for my taste buds>

Goes good with good music. Recommend saxophonist Mark Whitecage with this brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 08:16:37 | More by frankiepop

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-hazy golden amber color with a decent white head and some lacing

S-sour, fruity, spices, pepper

T-sour grapes, pepper, nice yeasty funk, tart crisp finish

F-medium body with lively carbonation, crisp and dry

O-delicious gueze with great flavor and balance

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 20:31:09 | More by MDDMD

davefromdesign

California

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Color:
Beautiful dark golden color.

Smell:
Very subtle.

Flavor:
Very light, clean and simple. The wonderful light funk of farmyard saison applied to a sour ale with a crisp edge and a clean finish. It reminds me of apple cider vinegar.

Perfect for a nice summer evening.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 03:22:05 | More by davefromdesign

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

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

12.7 oz, LOTNR G
Poured into a Cantillon gueuze glass.

Appearance. Pours a rich yellow-gold with a little haze and a thin bubbly white head that quickly fades to a skim.

Smell. Nice and fruity, pears and apples, sweet and earthy funk with some old wet wood. Smell is strong and very nice.

Taste. Very sour lemon juice (from concentrate, not fresh), some bitter leather and earthy funk, maybe a little lime rind. Very nice.

Mouthfeel. Medium body with medium, lively carbonation.

Overall. A very fine gueuze. Really enjoying this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 02:38:01 | More by Rutager

hellhammermario

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Mother Earth tulip glass.

I've had a sour beer or two in my day, but today I decided to go headlong into a plethora of sours. First beer to tackle, one Hanssens Artisanaal Oude Gueuze. As soon as I cracked open the bottle, the aromas just gushed out of the bottle before it even touched my glass. The beer poured into the glass with a gorgeous setting-sun orange glow, but with little to no head on it. Not much carbonation, overall not too much as far as presentation goes, just a nice hazy orange lambic.

As mentioned previously, the aromas kicked my ass. Lots of lemon, extremely tart aromas, vinegar, and grapefruit. You can't help but wince when putting it to the nose. As for the mouth, you get that extreme tart flavor to match the aroma. Definitely some muscadine grapes, lemon, granny smith apple, and citrus flavors. Very clean and crisp, refreshing, and smooth.

All in all, stop reading this review! Go out and purchase this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 23:21:36 | More by hellhammermario

mdaschaf

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy orange with a billowing white foamy head on top. Great head retention and plenty of thick lacing clings to the glass.

S: Nice tart lemon aroma mixed with some barnyard funk and must. Very sharp tartness in the aroma. Gets a bit funkier as the beer warms.

T: Again, a piercing tartness/sour component right away with some lemon and green apple flavors mixed with a little bit of funk and wood.

M: Medium bodied with a nice level of carbonation, slightly dry finish.

O: A little pricey, but a nice gueuze for sure. Nice blend of fruit/sour/must. Would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 03:17:12 | More by mdaschaf

ccrida

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is darker gold with lots of streaming bubbles forming a fairly large, somewhat loose white head.

Smell is grapefruit citrus, a little overripe fruit, a touch musty.

Taste is pithy and tart, but not overly so. Really nice minerality.

Mouthfeel is dry and crisp, but a touch on the watery side.

Drinkability is high, it's a delicious beer. Classic gueuze, made to be highly drinkable and quenching, yet still offering depth of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 20:59:57 | More by ccrida

mtstatebeer

West Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. Pours a hazy orange-yellow color with a frothy, off-white head, good lacing. Aroma is vinegar, wood, musty and grapefruit. Flavor is sour, acidic, vinegar, wood, earthy and citrus (grapefruit). Mouthfeel is light, sour, flat and a bit watery. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 01:16:54 | More by mtstatebeer

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.73/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 375ml green bottle into a Hanssens Gueuze-Kriek branded gueuze glass

Pours a beautiful golden amber with a one and half finger bright white fizzy head. Superb retention and some splotchy lacing is left behind as the brew is consumed. The aroma has hard cider and champagne notes. Perfect level of tart and sour, fruit notes that resemble apple and pear peel as well very light citrus accents and grassy notes. Finishes dry and lip puckeringly sour. An elite top tier gueuze.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 04:11:02 | More by chanokokoro

fields336

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 mL cork and cage bottle. Notched Lotnr: D

A: Light gold to orange with little head, but a slight off white ring around the glass. bubbles are present

S: barnyard, acetic, tart, funky, huge brett notes, sweat, feet, lactic, vanilla, sweetness, lemon peel, apple skin.

T: Tart acidic, funky, brett, green apple skin, lemon, vanilla, earthy, citrus, slight sweetness, vinegar sourness, a tart funkiness that does not leave your tongue

M: Effervescent and dry as a bone, whets your palate for more

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 01:54:51 | More by fields336