Oudbeitje Lambic - Hanssens Artisanaal bvba

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a light red/brown color lambic with no head or carbonation. Aroma of funk and horse blanket is quite strong with some very subtle strawberry in the back. Taste is mix of sour and funky lambic with an extra dose of horse blanket with some faint strawberry also noticeable. Not sure if this lack some aging or if the balance is wrong but definitely not one the best lambic fruit that I have tasted.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2006 19:42:44 | More by Phyl21ca

SolomonGrundy

California

3/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Tum tum te tum tum...

Pours a golden honey color. No head at all, which worries me some. The carbonation, what there is of it, doesn't really rise - the bubbles cling to the side of the glass...Obviously no lacing...

Aromas are barnyard, which is slightly typical for the style. I get horse stall, some sour funk, and a lot of citrus. A hint of sweetness...

Almost forgot the basics: $8.99/12 oz. bottle and 6% ABV..Very expensive...

Unbelievable sour...This is the most sour I've ever tasted. It's like eating an unripe grapefruit. Almost too one dimensional..I hardly can get to any of the other flavors or nuances in this. This is the Clubber Lang of ales. One trick, but it's powerful. If it were a woman, it would be Linda Lovelace...There is some good stuff unbderneath the sour, but it's almost impossible to reach. My tongue is starting to pucker. Crikey...It even tingles my nose...No carbonation in the glass, so nothing to take the edge off...Too bad, if this were fresh I'd bet it'd be much better. As it is, it's novelty only.

What I like most: The nice funky aroma profile.

What I like least: The unbelievably overpowering sour..

Verdict: Too expensive to drink when it's not fresh. Look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 03:45:35 | More by SolomonGrundy

SourBatchKid

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

375 ml bottle share with oglmcdgl, thanks for the company.

A- Extremely flat pour with little to no head or lacing, but the color of a great big sunflower pedal.

S- Funk, Funk, Funky, Just like I like it. Sour with bits of fruit like lemons and green apples. Defiantly barn yard and hay with a bid of vinegar in the mix.

T- Sour like deluded vinegar water that I clean my window with at home. Then the lemonyness hits you and then at the end, at the very end you can taste unripeness strawberries.

M- The body is really missing here, I keep trying to find the carbonation, but it just not there. I even out of desperation do my best to aerate what's in my mouth and still nothing. I feel as if i might just be drinking the vinegar water that i clean my window with.

D- I like it enough, not enough to buy this same year again, I just wish that there was more to the mouth feel here.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 23:07:09 | More by SourBatchKid

GClarkage

California

3.1/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

07/31/05- Purchased at Beltramo's in Menlo Park, CA

Presentation- 375ml caged and corked bottle. Year 2000 bottle. Poured into my Lindemann's Lambic flute.

Appearance- Opened with no pop, not even a fizz or anything. Pours a bright orange with no head whatsoever. Lacing is pretty much non existant as well. Did I wait to long on this one?

Smell- Barnyard stench. Leather, rotted fruit, horse dung, you name it. If you really sniff hard you can detect a nice scent of strawberry.

Taste- Ultra sour at first, with a mixture of sweet strawberry. This beer calms down towards the middle and becomes much less tart and overbearing. The starwberry flavor just didn't do it for me though.

Mouthfeel- Almost like drinking a weak lambic sryup. No carbonation whatsoever. A very dead beer. No life in it at all.

Drinkability- Still very new to the lambic scene. Hopefully I will come across the better ones than this.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2005 17:08:59 | More by GClarkage

UnionMade

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Pours a clear copper color with no head at all.
Aroma is strawberry, some kind of wierd dirt smell, and a pervasive tart sourness, like moldy lemons.
Flavor is strange. Fruity, with a moldy sharpness all the way through, finishing very very dry. I'm not really sure I like this stuff. A still beer, with an odd semi-effervescence in the middle. I've never had carbonation like this before. It's so interesting that it keeps asking for another sip.
The beer started to irritate my stomach about half way through, and i couldn't finish it. It felt too acidic. I got my girlfriend to drink as much of it as I could pawn off, and we had to pour the rest. I felt terrible, considering that it's such a hard to find (expensive) beer, but I don't think I'm ready for stuff like this, and neither is my digestive system.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2003 03:52:01 | More by UnionMade

nickd717

California

3.13/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

375ml bottle thanks to Sandstone. Vintage 2000.

Pours clear light golden with minimal head.

Aroma is pretty unpleasant. Definitely some fart/diaper in there, along with sweaty gym socks and sweaty horseblanket or elephant coverer. Oh yeah, some tart strawberry in there too.

Flavor is much better, but still not great. Lots of strawberry and even a little sweat malt. Barnyard and ever so slight diaper. Yes I have actually eaten all of these things, so don't doubt me on this. Only mildly tart.

Medium bodied and a little flat on the palate.

Drinkability is above average. Overall, still not the biggest fan of Hanssens.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 04:51:39 | More by nickd717

leschkie

California

3.18/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Slightly modified version of the Lambic on-tap at CBS. This one was aged in baby bourbon barrels. Poured into a small-sized goblet.

Appearance: Like a slightly hazy apple cider with essentially zero carbination to speak of. Any trace of lacing is non-existent.

Smell: Strong vinegar and tart up front followed by the barrel...mostly woodiness with subtle hints of the bourbon. Some fruitiness, probably strawberries, but you really have to go searching for it. Based on smell alone, not sure if aging a lambic in bourbon is the brightest idea.

Taste: And I was right. The combination of bourbon and sour fruity tartness just does not go well together. Perhaps with the properly chosen fruit, but strawberries? Nuh-uh.

Mouthfeel: Actually much better than I expected, considering the zero carbination present in the beer. Glad this one felt thicker than other lambics I've had. Quite refreshing as well.

Overall: I consider Hannsens' original version of the lambic to be average at best from the start. I just thought that perhaps the bourbon might have been its secret weapon to sway me, but I was dead wrong. It actually made it worse. I think that was probably the last straw and won't be returning to Hanssens' offering of a lambic anymore.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2011 23:58:18 | More by leschkie

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

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

No "pop"action at all from the uncorking. A vigorous pour does not form any sort of a head. Only the slightest of bubbly edging. Appearance is light orange with a dash of sunlight. This is one funky smelling beer. Got the horse blanket / barnyard thing going on. And also a little mixture of sweet and sour. Good nose. This beer has got no carbonation at all. Flat to say the least. Like kool aid. The taste is quite acidic and biting. Mouth puckering to a large degree. And tart. Lemon juice in a big way. Grass and hay. Acetic acid. The taste is o.k., but the mouthfeel really drags this beer down for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2004 23:27:59 | More by Bighuge

pentathlete

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Tiny little pop when the cork came out. Old cheese aroma, then some of that wild yeast sourness. This beer is an old urine yellow with no head. Took awhile for bubbles to appear anywhere in the beer, but they finally arrived. Taste is wildly sequential. Starts off with nice fruit notes, probably strawberries (based on the label only, not my tastebuds) and segues into a graceful sourness...and then...bam! the sour comes in heavy and somewhat artificial. It's puckering, but doesn't seem natural. Mouthfeel, especially early on, is medium. The heavy duty puckering keeps this from being an easy quaff.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2005 00:44:59 | More by pentathlete

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle into a flute glass

A: Cork comes out with a very slight pop. And yes, there is really no carbonation. Pours a fairly clear, golden color.

S: I can smell the funk from a foot away when I pop the cork. Very, very funky and fruity sour aroma. I get lots of lemons.

T: Wow - this is a sour beer - crazy sourness. Tons of funk as well - lingering far after the sip. It's a bit extreme with no fruit whatsoever.

M: Really no carbonation and a bit thick. Not very good.

O: Very sour, very funky - just not all that interesting. The lack of carbonation doesn't help, either. I'm not a big fan of this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 23:25:09 | More by coreyfmcdonald

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.35/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Coming in a 375ml green bottle, corked and caged, served lightly chilled in De Dolle Oerbier's long-stemmed goblet.

A: the bottle is opened almost without any hissing sound, suggesting a rather flat body; it ends in the glass a dark orangey golden hue, good clarity, with microscopic fizz attached to the sides of the glass all over, without any beer head.
S: very sharp and odorous funkiness (close to the level of Girardin's Black Label that I personally came [next to] sick to smell, but in a surprisingly... surprised way in my very early days in the world of Lambic/Geuze) comes with a faintly sweet oakiness, pungent cider and a thick body of savoury-sweet salted prunes and oxidised Chinese white pears... Strawberries (mixed of overripe-dessert variety & sour-tannic green ones) come closely at the tail of the pungent lambic, but overall quite trivial.
T: this is the most weird fruit-lambic that I've tried, for the fruits have provided neither a "spark" nor a backbone to the overall flavour, almost non-existent are the strawberries... well, never mind... The lambic itself comes very flat, though, that only the high level of savoury funkiness and salted citrus peels quickly develops and settles down equally fast to a really quiet aftertaste of chewy tannins of old wood, spicy hints of dried white olives and all the musty trimmings that an old lambic would demonstrate. Not bad is the taste actually, if disregarding the fruity bits...
M&D: flat-bodied, musty/funky to bits, with a super-light fruitiness from the strawberries that are said to be used in the brew. Perhaps I've never tasted any strawberry-lambic as understated as this one, but something tells me that this bottle is not pretty right, as this level of carbonation (next to none) is not even quite right for a bottled lambic. That said, the lambic base still shows a degree of decency in quality that can't be brushed off that easily. This is "Hanssens", so nothing should go too wrong, I take it?

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2009 19:52:45 | More by wl0307

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.35/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Orange with a hint of amber, paper-thin white head, nearly flat

Smell: Funky (but a bit of the off, gym sock type funk), strawberries, although perhaps moldy

Taste: Funky and musty, week-old strawberries in the background and some stale white bread

Mouthfeel: Thin, could use a hint of carbonation

Drinkability: The odd funkiness of this one slowed down consumption considerably

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 15:49:19 | More by craytonic

santoslhalper

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Appearence: Pours a clear copper with no signs of carbonation. The head is white, and doesn't really stay.

Smell: There is definitly a strawberry smell, but it mixes with an odd smell I can't quite put my finger on.

Taste and Mouthfeel: Wow. It's completely flat. That kinda takes away from the fun of a lambic. The flavor is an almost fake strawberry mixing with a kerosene or gasoline flavor, but somehow that winds up being kinda enjoyable. Really steange. The mouthfeel is flat and not fun.

Drinkability and Overall: An interesting tasting beer, that somehow works. This is not as wonderful or mind-blowing as say a Cantillon or a Lindeman's, but it's still ok. Give it a shot if you're in the mood for something odd.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2005 19:34:11 | More by santoslhalper

jongillin

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This was my first foray into lambics. My father brought back a bottle from Belgium

I understand this is an old style lambic (hence the "oud" in the name) and these tend to be a little more bitter and sour. Though technically a fruit lambic from what I have read, but, this beer actually remains close to the pure lambic style that is an "Unblended lambic is a cloudy, uncarbonated, slightly sour beverage available on tap in only a few locations."

The appeance is good. It is a little cloudy and there is little to no carbonation present. It pours a nice strawberry blond color (hey look at that strawberries are in it!)The smell is rather pungent. A bit leathery and earthy. The aroma has a vague hint of strawberries.

Taste the taste is quite complex with only a vague hint of strawberries. I have to wonder if this beer has gone bad. but since I have not had this style before I am trying to judge it on it's style. The reason I say this is that it has an almost vinegar like taste to it. I am not too fond of it but one can taste the malt and the hops. It finishes nicely with a bit of a dry pucker.
I personally would not drink this particular one very often. It was not really sweet and was very sour. However, I think if you typically enjoy the style this might be a good one to try.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2006 16:12:31 | More by jongillin

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a light blush/ amber color with a very thin, fizzy pinkish-white head that quickly dissapears. Funky aroma with hints of strawbeery and cream as well as an earthy, oak presence. Slightly watered down, with very little carbonation and a slightly funky, earthy oak flavor. Not very acidic and very easy to drink with with a slight puckering strawberry, floral flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 07:38:15 | More by corby112

triptens

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured out of a 750ml bottle into a Bordeaux glass.
2000 Vintage

Appearance: Pours a hazy orange color with hues of red. Very little bubbles, just a small white ring of them around the edge of the glass

Smell: Awesome funky nose. Very earthy, barnyardy, wet horse, and lemon rind.

Taste: Very funky through the palate. Earthy, tangy with a back of ripe red strawberries and raspberries.

Mouthfeel: Sour, acidic, yet flat, with little to no carbonation left.

Drinkability: It was an interesting drink. I enjoyed it but, would definitely have to share a 750 with a friend or 2.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 22:10:04 | More by triptens

billshmeinke

California

3.38/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

As it pours it looks really pale golden with a tinge of pink. No really head to speak of, just a few bubbles. Much more hazy in the glass. Perhaps poured a little too cold. Has an almost glowing look to it. The body is pretty, but the head is no existant (minus points). 2.5
The nose smells like horses… straight horses, and hay. I even get mushrooms, and just such a huge level of funk. Some lemony citrus notes as well. I love a good does of horse blanket in a sour beer, but this is almost too much. There’s also an almost vegetative quality, which is a bummer. 3
Super duper sour. Almost a now and later. Like biting into a lemon. Then a touch of strawberry mid palate, but its overwhelmed by the sourness. Maybe a touch of hay, but I don’t get any funk until the aftertaste which has a ridiculously long lasting finish. In the aftertaste there is a touch of cheese like funk and mushrooms. 4
The mouthfeel is epicly tart. Almost zero carbonation. Needs some carbonation to break up the tartness. 2.5

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 01:38:59 | More by billshmeinke

Realale

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Undated 375 ml bottle. Black and white label with no picture of a strawberry, but with the rather pompus phrase "B.United International's Masters' Collection" at the top. Well, it would be pompous if it wasn't B.United, or Shelton Bros. both of whom instill a great deal of confidence in this beer drinker. Anywho, it appears to be a different, and presumedly newer, bottling of this beer from those previously reviewed.

Pours an interesting slightly hazy gold, with a real blush of pink. The gold is more pronounced at the edges, fading to pinkish in the center of the glass. Slightly pink, raspy, quickly dissipating head. Fine for a lambic in my book.

Nose is promisingly acidic, with a hearty whack of horse blanket, some lemon, and fresh mown hay. Really nice stuff, and not much different (though less complex) from Hannsen's Oude Geueze, which is a good thing in my book.

Disappoints a bit in the mouth, as an initial wave of sour fruitiness dissipates into a surprisingly watery and diffuse mid-palate. There's some malt there, and a bit of grainy crunchiness, but the acidity completely disappears. It pokes back a bit on the finish, which once again takes on some complexity, with the earthy, barnyardy notes making their first appearance on the palate. Unfortunately it ends with a sort of plastic-y bitter note that really distracts.

Relatively low level of carbonation has plusses and minuses for mouthfeel - it gives a lovely softness that lets the malt that is there seep into every crevice of the mouth, but it provides little support for the modest acidity that should be a defining character of the style.

Loses drinkability points in my book for being a big old donut of a beer, and that weird lingering flavor on the finish. Overall a good beer, but not up to Hannson's standard. The Oude Gueuze is their true entry in anyone's "Masters' Collection."

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2005 02:36:54 | More by Realale

WesWes

New York

3.4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a thin white head that quickly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has an earthy, sour scent that boasts of half rotten strawberries and Belgian yeast. The taste is decent as well. It has a musty strawberry flavor that is earthy and quite sour. The fruit is not as pronounced as some lambics I've had. It goes down slow and very tart. Usually, these brews go down like water, but this one is different. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium/full bodied beer with good carbonation. This is an above beer, but just an average lambic. I won't be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2006 00:10:32 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a cloudy, golden yellow color with a small, fizzy, white head that left minimal lace.

S - It smelled a little funky (but not a good funky). Also, a light strawberry aroma.

T - It had a really light sweetness with good strawberry flavor. There was a subtle acidity.

M - It was crisp and sharp. A light bodied ale.

D - This is an interesting lambic. Not sure I'm a fan of strawberry flavor in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2009 16:54:12 | More by zeff80

boatshoes

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked this up from Total Beverage the other night after having walked by it a number of times. A fan of the other Hanssens offerings, so I thought it was finally worth a try.

Appearance- Pours a pale straw yellow that has maybe the slightest tinge of pink to it as well. Very minimal carbonation off of a very aggressive pour, just enough to put a thin coating of larger bubbles across the surface.

Smell- Hugely funky and acetic on the nose. Smells big of barnyard funk with a touch of wet leather. Lots of sour on the end with a touch of strawberry fruitiness.

Taste- Again, big sour and big funk without a lot more to it than that for me. Big notes of barnyard with a strong sour finish. Not much in the way of fruit for me, perhaps just a faint touch of strawberry on the finish.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is pretty appropriate for the style if just a touch thin for how sour it is. Drinkability is not great given the strong funk and sourness but okay for the style

Overall, not my most favorite offering from Hanssens but alright. I prefer other fruit lambics over this but an interesting use of strawberry.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 04:53:49 | More by boatshoes

uno99

Ontario (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served at around 57 Degrees, poured into a Lucifer goblet. This is the United International's masters collection year 2000. Should there be a separate listing for this? I guess its technically the same beer...

A: Bottle let out a slight whimper of pressure during the uncorking. Beer is sandy orange and pours with no carbonation, or head. Quite murky but not opaque.

S: WOW. Crazy sour and burns the nostrils. very moldy and dusty. suggestions of mushroom, walnut, prunes. Oak and strawberries make an appearance but oak is more dominant. Probably the most sour and funky beer ever. I'm really not sure how to rate this. the Funk is overwhelming.

T: This is quite an experience. Again things are very funky, sour and moldy. Sourness stings the throat occasionally. Similar to other aged lambics I've had but more extreme perhaps. Takes a 5-6 sips for your palate to adjust, and even then it is very funky and sour. Strawberry comes through, but as a sour note as well. almost like unripe strawberries. Sweetness is non-existent

M: quite astringent. Dry finish really squeezes the palate. Carbonation is not present. Could be better with a little lift.

D: If you have one of these 2000 vintages, I suggest you drink it with a friend, or sip slowly.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 00:00:57 | More by uno99

muttyd

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an oversized wine glass yielding a cloudy orange body with no head. Very still looking lambic, no lacing.

Strawberries, lactic sourness, musty/dank basement, and some oaky/vanilla characteristics in the nose. Strawberries come out more as the beer warms up. Flavor gives way to a berry sweetness, slight vinegar, and leather/barnyard/musty funk. Mouthwatering finish with a funky chalky yeast presence. Very sour beer.

Overall a good lambic. I tend to prefer my fruit lambics more carbonated, but this one was still pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 03:20:06 | More by muttyd

julian

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden straw color with some orange highlights. Very little head, actually even an agressive almost vertical pour yielded nothing but big bubbles that burst instantly. Clarity is average as there is still a decent amount of haze. 3.5

S: Aroma is pretty dominant with sweet strawberries. When I smell the neck of the bottle I get some tartness, but otherwise the glass pour smells predominantly of strawberries, or sweet berry pie. Nice though! 3.5

T&M: Taste is wood/oak, strawberries, acidity and tartness and some mild funk with a kind of medicinal flavor that starts early then fades. Mouthfeel is light, and carbonation is almost non existent. This beer had no head whatsoever and is not surprisingly very poorly carbonated. 3.5 / 2.5

O: Not sure what happened with the carbonation on this one, but it definitely affects the overall experience. The aroma is pretty awesome, if not surprisingly devoid of any funk and kinda sweet, but smelling the bottle did yield some tart funkiness. Also for containing strawberries I’m very surprised with the color. It’s in no way red or pinkish. Looks like a legit, no frills lambic. Overall this is pretty good and I’d probably drink it again. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 16:49:48 | More by julian