Oudbeitje Lambic - Hanssens Artisanaal bvba

UCLABrewN84

California

1.25/5  rDev -66.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Pours a hazy light red color with absolutely zero head or lacing. Random floating sediment can be seen in the glass. Very suspicious. Smells strongly of skunk spray, funk/must, vinegar. Hmm alright, lambics can smell this way somewhat, but I am even more suspicious. The taste confirms everything I was wary about. Very skunky, very sour, very musty, very funky, very salty - all in a horrible and disgusting way. This is one of the worst tasting beers I have ever had. Just layer upon layer of awful. Beer is absolutely flat, which makes the taste that much worse. It's like a big glass of flat vinegar soda mixed with fermented strawberry mold. Overall, this is an abomination of a beer. I don't know if this is a bad bottle but I hope to all that is good that it is. I am pissed that I spent $10 on this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 04:18:00 | More by UCLABrewN84

chefpeet

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%

05-23-2013 18:49:45 | More by chefpeet

Goldfishman

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +7%

05-21-2013 23:10:18 | More by Goldfishman

yankeepride

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a cloudy yellow/gold with absolutely no head at all. Smells like a lambic, but much more faintly so than some of the notorious cherry versions. Taste is light, mildly sour, and has a mellowness to it that I have not had in this style before. I'm not sure I would have identified strawberry if it weren't noted on the label, as it is not a strong, powerful flavor. However, knowing they were in the mix, you get a sense of "oh yeah, I can get a taste of them" as the sour element fades away into just a light, barely-present sour coating on your tongue and teeth. Overall, a really refreshing beer, but in its style, there are others that have a bit more of a 'wow' factor.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 21:38:46 | More by yankeepride

MrVonzipper

California

4.25/5  rDev +13.6%

05-05-2013 08:50:23 | More by MrVonzipper

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

3.76/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served from a corked and caged 375ml bottle into a Hill Farmstead stemmed tulip. Served at cellar temps.

Appearance- Beautiful golden/orange with zero head and no bubbles bouncing around the glass. Absolutely beautiful color.

Smell- So funky. Asparagus, fresh cut wet grass, some fruit, but I can't determine if its strawberries or not. Lemon acidity takes over the rest of the lingering funky smell. Truly the funkiest beer I've smelled to date.

Taste- Herbaceous, piney, vanilla oak flavors, lemon rind, and very light strawberry at the end. Lingering vinegar acidic flavors. Much more earthy than fruity. Would be better with some carbonation.

Mouthfeel- Still with no carbonation. Moderate body. Sour puckering mouthfeel and lingering mild acidity. Mouth cleansing.

Overall- I can't get into the sours without carbonation. This is the second I've had and I doubt I'll try anymore. Taste was great, but it needs bubbles.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 16:18:17 | More by Seanniek91

jpaulsen

California

3/5  rDev -19.8%

04-07-2013 21:24:11 | More by jpaulsen

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -33.2%

03-24-2013 04:53:03 | More by onix1agr

Em30

Pennsylvania

1/5  rDev -73.3%

03-22-2013 00:06:45 | More by Em30

mmsimmons

Pennsylvania

1.5/5  rDev -59.9%

03-22-2013 00:05:25 | More by mmsimmons

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From: The Corkscrew, Urbana, IL
Date: None, lot D marked on label
Glass: Drie Fonteinen gueuze glass

The cork is removed with no pop, and the beer pours with no head, as is correct for all true unblended lambics. The strawberries apparently did not provide enough sugar, or the sugars were consumed already before being blended and bottled, for carbonation to form in the bottle. There are a few large bubbles from a vigorous pour, but these soon fall. There is also no lacing, as to be expected from the lack of foam. The body is a rich, warm, golden orange color with yellow highlights; light brings out a brighter, not paler, golden orange hue. Beer is transparent, but there is no carbonation to be observed.

Aroma is of faint fruit esters mixed in with some solid, but weak enough to be palatably enjoyable, lactic and acetic acid. The specific fruit is weak, though strawberry is likely to be discerned by the careful observer. There is also a moderate oaked cheese component if the glass is swirled before inhaling.

As a lambic, this is good: with the strawberries to add a bit of additional character, it is excellent. The fruit, though mild, is there, and cooperates very well with the character and flavors of the lambic as a whole. Front of palate notes acidic tartness with hints of strawberry flavors and a mild note of Brettanomyces. Mid-palate detects subtle strawberry flavors atop a rich palette of lemon and vinegar-like sourness, leaf-like tannins, oak, and not-too-funky cheese. Back of palate is quite sour, with lemon and weak vinegar acidity being most noticeable, but also faint oak. Lingering aftertaste of mildly sour acids, a bit of oak, and faint cheese rind.
Note: adding the dregs decreases the tartness somewhat, while increasing the tannic, oak, and Brettanomyces flavors somewhat.

Beer is medium-bodied with little to no carbonation, as befitting the style. Despite the lack of carbonation, this does not stagnate on the palate: the sourness easily moves this along. Closes semi-dry, with little sweetness or stickiness on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 02:36:44 | More by falloutsnow

BeerThursdays

Delaware

4/5  rDev +7%

03-16-2013 12:33:17 | More by BeerThursdays

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%

03-09-2013 22:37:18 | More by spycow

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.24/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy yellow-orange with no head and no carbonation.

Nice aroma of strawberry, lacto and mild barnyard.

The flavor is like the aroma with a salty sour acidic finish. It has the texture of water.

Overall, I'd like it much better with some bubbles and realize flat is appropriate for the style. It's quite pricey at $15 per 12oz. and not really worth it to me.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:28:15 | More by GuzzLah

acurtis

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%

02-21-2013 00:08:07 | More by acurtis

Blanco

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -33.2%

02-19-2013 04:06:27 | More by Blanco

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +13.6%

02-04-2013 18:47:50 | More by DmanGTR

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%

01-13-2013 20:24:42 | More by AlexFields

westcoastbeerlvr

California

2.75/5  rDev -26.5%

01-10-2013 23:18:34 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.89/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Sam’s in Durham. Served in a Hanssens tumbler. Hazy peach color. Beautiful strawberry nose. Not at all faded. Moderate lactic and strong strawberry. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 03:16:53 | More by Thorpe429

roblund

California

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%

01-05-2013 18:30:51 | More by roblund

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours lightly clouded dark orange with no head or lacing. Vigorous pour generates a handful of bubbles at most. Low carbonation and medium light body; traditional lambic feel.

Strongly acidic aroma; lots of lemon and a good deal of musty funk, as well as some pleasant strawberry notes and hints of oak. The flavor is much the same, dominated by powerful lemon sourness and acidity, tart and fruity strawberries, ample bretty funk and moderate oak. Lightly sweet.

The strawberries in the aroma are lovely but somewhat overshadowed by the assertive lemon juice in the flavor a bit.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:13:30 | More by tobelerone

oldedog

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%

12-18-2012 03:26:25 | More by oldedog

BeerBuddy2122

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7%

12-16-2012 09:30:20 | More by BeerBuddy2122

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Hanssens Oudbeitje Lambic

LOOK: Pours a still looking clear golden peach color.

SMELL: Strawberry is bright and in the forefront.

TASTE: Very tart base beer provides a nice sour edge. The strawberries that dominated the nose are much softer in the taste with just a small unripe green/pink strawberry tartness. Dry wheat base, oaky and full on sour.

FEEL: Light to medium body, a bit syrupy, with micro carbonation. Dries out in the finish with moderate barrel influence and lingering tartness.

OVERALL: Smells incredibly of strawberry, which fades in the taste and stays sour. Drinks like an unblended Lambic, as carbonation is minimal even from Hanssens standards. Still, I found this to be enjoyable. A nice dry sour from Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 21:50:41 | More by Stinkypuss