Lambic Discussion Thread

[pjl44]

Do you think it'd taste better from a wooden tote?

I think what you're looking for is St. Wahhhhmvinus with locally sourced sour grapes.

 

[SeaWatchman]

I think what you're looking for is St. Wahhhhmvinus with locally sourced sour grapes.

I don't get it?

 

[Dunt1]

So are we thinking this new Zwanze is a faro then?

 

[stupac2]

So are we thinking this new Zwanze is a faro then?

Apparently. I wonder if that means they won't be shipping it? Though I guess if it's kegged it'll be fine.

 

[matedog]

So are we thinking this new Zwanze is a faro then?

I don't think I've ever had faro. Basic research shows it probably wouldn't rock my world like other lambic, but are there any really solid ones?

 

[drgarage1]

So are we thinking this new Zwanze is a faro then?

I thought we knew that this year's Zwanze was the new Cuvee de Florian (3-year-old Iris with cherries and dry-hopped)?

 

[stupac2]

I don't think I've ever had faro. Basic research shows it probably wouldn't rock my world like other lambic, but are there any really solid ones?

Not that I've had, but I'm not a big fan of unblended lambic in general.

 

[Dunt1]

I thought we knew that this year's Zwanze was the new Cuvee de Florian (3-year-old Iris with cherries and dry-hopped)?

At first it was a spontaneously fermented stout, then there were some murmurs that it would be the new Florian after Quintessence, now it's suppose to be a faro. So who knows.

I don't think I've ever had faro. Basic research shows it probably wouldn't rock my world like other lambic, but are there any really solid ones?

While I'm in the minority, I actually think Cantillon's faro is quite good.

 

[bramsdell]

I heard that Jean has become so bitter over the whole secondary market cutting-of-throats for his bottles that he is going to send Lindemand's Cuvee Renee just to troll the n00bs.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

I for one actually enjoy Lindemans cuvée Rene quite a bit, especially with a few years in the bottle. It's readily available and a pretty darn good gueuze. It's also dirt cheap in comparison seeing as I can get a 750 for the price of a 375 of almost everything else.

 

[bramsdell]

I for one actually enjoy Lindemans cuvée Rene quite a bit, especially with a few years in the bottle. It's readily available and a pretty darn good gueuze. It's also dirt cheap in comparison seeing as I can get a 750 for the price of a 375 of almost everything else.

I don't have anything against it and often pick it up in a pinch. Not a much lambic at all in NH, so sometimes it's literally my only option. I've known plenty to turn their noses up at it though.

It's just that it's so much simpler and less exciting (taste-wise) than most loons/3F/Hanssens, it would be a great troll move to see the great unwashed praising a beer that they would otherwise look down upon.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

It's just that it's so much simpler and less exciting (taste-wise) than most loons/3F/Hanssens, it would be a great troll move to see the great unwashed praising a beer that they would otherwise look down upon.

I kind of did this at a whale tasting we had a few months back. I took a 4 year old Lindemans, and put it into a brown bag and served it to everyone. Some people asked if it Cantillon or Tilquin. When I revealed it everyone was surprised by how much they loved it. We then started opening the whales, and personally the Cuvee Rene beat out Blauw, Blabaer and Framboos both from 2011 (I know apples and oranges) as well the De Cam lambiek that had recently come to the states. Makes me wonder about the storage conditions of that Blauw though. Would love to try it again to know if I just got a horrible bottle though.

 

[stupac2]

I kind of did this at a whale tasting we had a few months back. I took a 4 year old Lindemans, and put it into a brown bag and served it to everyone. Some people asked if it Cantillon or Tilquin. When I revealed it everyone was surprised by how much they loved it. We then started opening the whales, and personally the Cuvee Rene beat out Blauw, Blabaer and Framboos both from 2011 (I know apples and oranges) as well the De Cam lambiek that had recently come to the states. Makes me wonder about the storage conditions of that Blauw though. Would love to try it again to know if I just got a horrible bottle though.

If aged Cuvee Renee can beat out Blauw then I need to start getting cases of it. Every time I've had Blauw it's been really ******* good. (And I've never had aged Renee.)

 

[kscaldef]

If aged Cuvee Renee can beat out Blauw then I need to start getting cases of it. Every time I've had Blauw it's been really ******* good. (And I've never had aged Renee.)

It's amazing how much things change when you don't know what you're drinking.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

It's amazing how much things change when you don't know what you're drinking.

Seriously, I want to do a blind gueuze tasting sometime soon and just see what peoples thoughts are on beers when they don't know which they are drinking. Maybe Ill even throw some American Gueuze in there... what do you think SeaWatchman?

 

[tehzachatak]

Seriously, I want to do a blind gueuze tasting sometime soon and just see what peoples thoughts are on beers when they don't know which they are drinking. Maybe Ill even throw some American Gueuze in there... what do you think SeaWatchman?

who did that fairly comprehensive blind gueuze tasting earlier in this thread? stupac2? too lazy to go look. i remember Resurgam did quite well.

EDIT: it was Sage

 

[kscaldef]

Seriously, I want to do a blind gueuze tasting sometime soon and just see what peoples thoughts are on beers when they don't know which they are drinking. Maybe Ill even throw some American Gueuze in there... what do you think SeaWatchman?

We did this with Classic Gueze, 3F Oude Gueze, Tilquin, Boon Oude Gueze and Mariage Parfait, and Beatification. Beatification stuck out like a sore thumb. Tilquin was the general winner.

I could see some batches of Resurgam fitting in better, and I think Colorambic and Block 15 Premiere Annee would be nearly impossible to pick out as not Belgian.

Note that in our tasting, we did all know the set of 6 beers we were tasting, which throws things a bit.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

who did that fairly comprehensive blind gueuze tasting earlier in this thread? stupac2? too lazy to go look. i remember Resurgam did quite well.

EDIT: it was Sage

If I recall correctly the beers were grouped like teams in the world cup, so while resurgam did well in its own group, It may not have otherwise gone anywhere in the elimination stage.

I like resurgam a lot so I am just playing devils advocate, and If I do a blind tasting I would like to have all the bears poured into sample glasses at the same time and be able to skip back and forth between them.

 

[matedog]

who did that fairly comprehensive blind gueuze tasting earlier in this thread? stupac2? too lazy to go look. i remember Resurgam did quite well.

EDIT: it was Sage

Someone else is doing one now under the thread http://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/project-g-u-euze.11746/. I did one as well recently with Beat, Resurgam, Rueuze, Hanssens, 3F, and Cantillon (http://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/official-tasting-pictures-thread.368/page-40#post-248913). We weren't gueuze experts and there were some absolute novices, but Hanssens was the consensus winner. 3F was a close second for me, but Hanssens was just in your face with the funk. Had it again recently and it smelled putrid but in that awful but delicious way that gueuze can small and tasted completely different/wonderful. Naturally during the tasting, me and the other more experienced taster were certain that Hanssens was Cantillon because it was so wild.

I just bought a couple bottles of Hanssens to age and I'm planning on doing a blind framboise tasting in the future.

 

[tehzachatak]

Someone else is doing one now under the thread http://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/project-g-u-euze.11746/. I did one as well recently with Beat, Resurgam, Rueuze, Hanssens, 3F, and Cantillon (http://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/official-tasting-pictures-thread.368/page-40#post-248913). We weren't gueuze experts and there were some absolute novices, but Hanssens was the consensus winner. 3F was a close second for me, but Hanssens was just in your face with the funk. Had it again recently and it smelled putrid but in that awful but delicious way that gueuze can small and tasted completely different/wonderful. Naturally during the tasting, me and the other more experienced taster were certain that Hanssens was Cantillon because it was so wild.

I just bought a couple bottles of Hanssens to age and I'm planning on doing a blind framboise tasting in the future.

I love Hanssens. My issue with it is that usually, in a blind tasting, I would immediately be able to identify it because of carb level... I don't mind it, but it is frequently flat-ish in my experience. The fruit lambics even more so...

 

[stupac2]

It's amazing how much things change when you don't know what you're drinking.

Eh, I've done a number of blind tastings and I've never been all that surprised with the results. Not gueuze, though I do want to do this at some point.

I love Hanssens. My issue with it is that usually, in a blind tasting, I would immediately be able to identify it because of carb level... I don't mind it, but it is frequently flat-ish in my experience. The fruit lambics even more so...

Hanssens is fantastic, especially with age. At Akkurat they have a 375 of like '98 Hanssens for ~$15. If I lived in Sweden those bottles would be gone in a month.

 

[matedog]

What is the general consensus on the fruited Hanssens? Reviews seem to be good, but a full step down from the basic Cantillon and 3F offerings as opposed to the gueuze which is more like half a step down.

 

[tehzachatak]

What is the general consensus on the fruited Hanssens? Reviews seem to be good, but a full step down from the basic Cantillon and 3F offerings as opposed to the gueuze which is more like half a step down.

I love Oudbeitje. I think I am the only person.

 

[drgarage1]

What is the general consensus on the fruited Hanssens? Reviews seem to be good, but a full step down from the basic Cantillon and 3F offerings as opposed to the gueuze which is more like half a step down.

That's about right. Only one of their fruit lambics I loved was the Scarenbecca Kriek, and if I remember correctly, it was like $25 for a 375...

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

Hanssens is fantastic, especially with age. At Akkurat they have a 375 of like '98 Hanssens for ~$15. If I lived in Sweden those bottles would be gone in a month.

a lot better than the $20+ per 375 that fresh bottles are at bars in my area

 

[stupac2]

What is the general consensus on the fruited Hanssens? Reviews seem to be good, but a full step down from the basic Cantillon and 3F offerings as opposed to the gueuze which is more like half a step down.

I don't think Hanssens is a step down. I think 3F, Cantillon, Tilquin, and Hanssens are all about level.

 

[csano]

I don't think Hanssens is a step down. I think 3F, Cantillon, Tilquin, and Hanssens are all about level.

I loved the '10-11 Tilquin, but wasn't at all that impressed with the blends after that. Am I the only one?

 

[stupac2]

I loved the '10-11 Tilquin, but wasn't at all that impressed with the blends after that. Am I the only one?

Hmm, the one I had recently was the 10-11, haven't had the others in a while. It'd be annoying if they were worse...

 

[axeman91821]

Seriously annoyed that regular Cantillon gueuze in max 3/person on etre. I need to restock the cellar.

 

[eyesonsaison]

Seriously annoyed that regular Cantillon gueuze in max 3/person on etre. I need to restock the cellar.

...aaaand it's gone