Lambic Discussion Thread

[leftofthedial1]

I'm more shocked by the increase in the price of Golden Blend with these recent batches. $60 in the US is pretty crazy compared to what it used to be when it sat on shelves.

The Golden Blends that sat on shelves were 375mls though. I remember seeing them for $21-25. The most recent Golden Blends I’ve got in the US for $53. Not all that big of a difference considering the larger format and how much 3F prices have gone up in general in the past 4 years.

 

[JonathanAmes]

Yet another new Hommage blend on Etre. This is getting crazy.

My local had three different vintages of Hommage on the shelf when I was in a couple weeks. It definitely is getting crazy.

 

[NClambicguy]

The Golden Blends that sat on shelves were 375mls though. I remember seeing them for $21-25. The most recent Golden Blends I’ve got in the US for $53. Not all that big of a difference considering the larger format and how much 3F prices have gone up in general in the past 4 years.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m willing to pay it a couple times especially for the one with my anniversary bottling date. Gonna be a fun one to tick over the years.

 

[JCastle1]

I had no idea the average tilquin was so “young.” Interesting.

Cuvée du patron

The name had me hoping for a tequila barrel gueuze.

 

[reverseapachemaster1]

The name had me hoping for a tequila barrel gueuze.

 

[JCastle1]

Tequila barrels work great with sours.

 

[rrryanc]

Tequila barrels work great with sours.

 

[reverseapachemaster1]

Tequila barrels work great with sours.

That was a look of desire not disgust.

 

[Gaseous Clay]

It’s almost like it isn’t that rare/isn’t that hard to make a raspberry lambic and our perceptions of rarity are being managed to get us to buy more than we otherwise would given that it’s priced two to three times higher than the raspberry lambic from other top blenders, and two to three times higher than 3F kriek (which IMO is a lot better anyway).

I think we’re also forgetting that 3F has much more lambic supply on hand and ability to produce larger amounts of each bottling than they used to. The bottle counts compared to pre 2015 have seen an upward trend that has turned hommage from a rarity into a more frequently released beer.

Pricing has gone up, yes. I don’t want to continue beating that dead horse though. Shrimp Store has probably read enough of that already

 

[Shrimp Store]

Pricing has gone up, yes. I don’t want to continue beating that dead horse though. Shrimp Store has probably read enough of that already

No doubt a liberally covered topic in this thread but is made to look like we are only just scratching the surface when compared to shipping issues.

 

[NClambicguy]

This looks like a fun event. Any Talkbeer people planning on going?

 

[Gaseous Clay]

No doubt a liberally covered topic in this thread but is made to look like we are only just scratching the surface when compared to shipping issues.

Horizontal or vertical shipping issues?

 

[Beerontwowheels]

This looks like a fun event. Any Talkbeer people planning on going?

Going to try and make it.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

This looks like a fun event. Any Talkbeer people planning on going?

While obviously the Cantillon jumps out from that list (and I'm not sure if I've ever heard of Carnigan being poured on draft outside of festivals before, but I'm also not SeaWatchman), don't sleep on Tilquin Groseille and Struise Dark Horse Reserva. Also, while I've never had it, I'm very intriuged by the Struise Black Damnation XXVI: Froggie.

 

[NClambicguy]

While obviously the Cantillon jumps out from that list (and I'm not sure if I've ever heard of Carnigan being poured on draft outside of festivals before, but I'm also not SeaWatchman), don't sleep on Tilquin Groseille and Struise Dark Horse Reserva. Also, while I've never had it, I'm very intriuged by the Struise Black Damnation XXVI: Froggie.

So I may be in the minority here when I say this beer was kinda terrible. The nose on it was peppers. Not green pepper, but almost a cayenne note. The flavor was ok initially, but had a pretty awful aftertaste to it. It was really hard to describe but on one was a fan of this one when I opened it. The ironic thing is that I loved the 375 that I opened a couple months ago. Was an entirely different experience.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

View attachment 5335

So I may be in the minority here when I say this beer was kinda terrible. The nose on it was peppers. Not green pepper, but almost a cayenne note. The flavor was ok initially, but had a pretty awful aftertaste to it. It was really hard to describe but on one was a fan of this one when I opened it. The ironic thing is that I loved the 375 that I opened a couple months ago. Was an entirely different experience.

Well that is fascinating as I really dislike Mamouche (which I find to have that green bell pepper / dill pickle character depending on the bottle / vintage / storage conditions), but I adored this beer.

However, I also drank a couple bottles of the 375ml bottlings, and have yet to have a 750ml bottle.

 

[NClambicguy]

Well that is fascinating as I really dislike Mamouche (which I find to have that green bell pepper / dill pickle character depending on the bottle / vintage / storage conditions), but I adored this beer.

However, I also drank a couple bottles of the 375ml bottlings, and have yet to have a 750ml bottle.

Exactly. This was very very different from the green pepper off flavor I’ve had in beers. My only experience with Mamouche was with wuntrikpony in Decorah but that beer was already 5 years old and was amazing at the time. No green pepper to be found.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Exactly. This was very very different from the green pepper off flavor I’ve had in beers. My only experience with Mamouche was with wuntrikpony in Decorah but that beer was already 5 years old and was amazing at the time. No green pepper to be found.

Interesting as I've never had a bottle of Mamouche I've enjoyed, but I've also never had a fairly aged bottle. Could be similar to Grand Cru which (in this nerds opinion) doesn't start getting good until it's at least 5+ years old, and much better after 7-8+ years.

As I didn't run into myself locally / online, I'll have to taste bottles that friends have in the future. I am curious to see if the 375ml vs. 750ml differences are picked up by anyone else though.

 

[primebeer]

View attachment 5335

So I may be in the minority here when I say this beer was kinda terrible. The nose on it was peppers. Not green pepper, but almost a cayenne note. The flavor was ok initially, but had a pretty awful aftertaste to it. It was really hard to describe but on one was a fan of this one when I opened it. The ironic thing is that I loved the 375 that I opened a couple months ago. Was an entirely different experience.

I'm too lazy to find my post in this thread, but I also do not particularly like this beer, and I've had multiple 375s and 750s of it and have a bunch more left. Hoping it takes a positive turn sometime down the road.

 

[macpete]

View attachment 5335

The ironic thing is that I loved the 375 that I opened a couple months ago. Was an entirely different experience.

In this interview, Tilquin noted that the small bottles turned out remarkably better, saying: "There was an issue with this beer that somehow caused the 37.5 cl bottles to be superior in fruit character and color than those in the 75 cl size. We used one blending tank for the 37.5 cl bottles, and another for the 75 cl bottles. For some reason the fruit extraction was better in the tank used to fill the smaller bottles.”

 

[Maakun]

Tilquin added: “In the typical Tilquin gueuze blend (which is comprised of ten 400 liter barrels of lambic) I use four barrels of Lindemans, three barrels of Boon, two barrels of Girardin, and one barrel of Cantillon. I feel these four different lambics each add something unique to the blend, and together, they make for a very accessible, complex, drinkable Oude Gueuze.”

It's interesting that for this special blend they even tasted the lambics, it's usually like you quoted above a standard recipe and he just blends the barrels he has.

 

[bramsdell]

This looks like a fun event. Any Talkbeer people planning on going?

Strong possibility.

 

[stakem1]

), don't sleep on Struise Dark Horse Reserva. Also, while I've never had it, I'm very intriuged by the Struise Black Damnation XXVI: Froggie.

Dark Horse Reserva was not a good drink when I had it on draft. I have a bottle that I was contemplating giving away because I disliked it that much. Drinking straight vinegar is not my idea of a good time but maybe the bottle is a different experience?

I had black damnation froggie, also on tap and it was kinda disappointing. Please keep in mind I havent really had any of the black damnations since they were releases in small format bottles so maybe my opinion/memory of what this series use to be like is flawed. Froggie is not what I was expecting - quite green tasting, almost bell peppery and the barrel character was like raw/virgin oak.

Back on topic: Soverign event April 6, its something I would probably attend if I wasnt already planning on going there 2 weeks later for the Fantome event. Would be neat to put some faces to names but I imagine the place is gonna be ass cheeks to elbows.

 

[jbdpsu82]

This looks like a fun event. Any Talkbeer people planning on going?

I'm going to try to make it as well.

 

[BadJustin]

Dark Horse Reserva was not a good drink when I had it on draft. I have a bottle that I was contemplating giving away because I disliked it that much. Drinking straight vinegar is not my idea of a good time but maybe the bottle is a different experience?

I had black damnation froggie, also on tap and it was kinda disappointing. Please keep in mind I havent really had any of the black damnations since they were releases in small format bottles so maybe my opinion/memory of what this series use to be like is flawed. Froggie is not what I was expecting - quite green tasting, almost bell peppery and the barrel character was like raw/virgin oak.

Back on topic: Soverign event April 6, its something I would probably attend if I wasnt already planning on going there 2 weeks later for the Fantome event. Would be neat to put some faces to names but I imagine the place is gonna be ass cheeks to elbows.

I have had 3 bottles so far and they were all amazing. Nothing acetic about it in any of them man. Srs.

 

[stupac2]

View attachment 5335

So I may be in the minority here when I say this beer was kinda terrible. The nose on it was peppers. Not green pepper, but almost a cayenne note. The flavor was ok initially, but had a pretty awful aftertaste to it. It was really hard to describe but on one was a fan of this one when I opened it. The ironic thing is that I loved the 375 that I opened a couple months ago. Was an entirely different experience.

I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm not all that fond of any of the fruited Tilquins. For how expensive they are they're just never worth it.

 

[Dbijnagte]

I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm not all that fond of any of the fruited Tilquins. For how expensive they are they're just never worth it.

Aside from Pinot Gris I agree.

 

[Lamnic]

Aside from Pinot Gris I agree.

Pinot Gris is the truth

 

[stupac2]

Aside from Pinot Gris I agree.

Haven't had that one! I guess I should look out for it (or, more accurately, hope that one of my friends who actually goes to beer stores grabs it.)

 

[bostonvert]

I'm more shocked by the increase in the price of Golden Blend with these recent batches. $60 in the US is pretty crazy compared to what it used to be when it sat on shelves.

Last 2016 batch with the old label was 15/16 euro and sat on the shelves for quite a while locally because of the price and the new one is 25 euro