Lindeman's Gueuze Cuvée René

This beer got some great reviews on Beer Advocate. I've always wanted to try a very classic lambic style beer, and this was my first. As such, my review may be a bit skewed.

Appearance:
Nice green bottle with a Euro-style 29mm cap that has a cork hidden beneath it. Crystal clear, golden pour with a puffy, white, large bubbled head.

Aroma:
Quite different, but expected. Smells like a pilsner gone horribly wrong - pungent vinegar-like aroma with a white wine tinge. Once you break through the aggressive sourness, the aroma gives way to a cleanly hopped light beer.

Flavor:
Sour! Holy $hit sour! Biting sour apple and dry white wine up front, then light and malty as your palate "adjusts" to the sourness. Just as you're beginning to enjoy the flavor, it hits you: disgusting, medicinal phenols - the classic "Band Aid flavor." The aftertaste is akin to having a mouthful of Band Aids. Yuck!

Mouthfeel:
Light and well carbonated.

Drinkability:
I'd have loved this beer if it didn't have that phenolic finish. I couldn't even finish the bottle.

Yuri_Rage said:

. Just as you're beginning to enjoy the flavor, it hits you: disgusting, medicinal phenols - the classic "Band Aid flavor." The aftertaste is akin to having a mouthful of Band Aids. Yuck!
Drinkability:
I'd have loved this beer if it didn't have that phenolic finish. I couldn't even finish the bottle.

Click to expand...

This is a shame, I've never had a bottle like this.

PHENOLIC

CHARACTERISTICS: A hospital-medicine chest flavor and aroma, best detected by its aroma components; caused by phenols. Some phenolic tastes are desired depending on the style. Other descriptions include Band-Aid-like, plasticlike, smoky, clovelike.

HIGH LEVELS DUE TO PROCESS: Yeast strain; chlorophenols in the water; improper rinse of chlorine sanitizers; oversparging; sparging above pH 6.0; sparging above 170 degrees; wild yeast contamination.

LOW LEVELS DUE TO PROCESS: Charcoal filtering of tap water; good healthy yeast strain; proper sparging while monitoring temperature and pH, good rinse of sanitizers or use of non-chlorine sanitizers.

EXAMPLES: Wheat beers have a high amount of the phenol 4-vinyl guaiacol that gives the characteristic clove taste.

Its definitely got the item in red but it doesn't usually taste like that.

I had my first experience drinking a Gueuze tonight as well (different brewery, I don't remember the name and the bottle isn't in front of me). I knew to expect sour, but I don't think I was really ready for how sour it was going to be.

I think it could really grow on me, which might be a problem considering how few I can buy around here and how expensive the ones I can get are.