Lambic Discussion Thread

[kscaldef]

I can buy Tilquin most of the time, and pick up 3F off the shelf fairly regularly.

 

[LukeAleTime]

Tilquin, 3F, Linedmans Cuvee, Boon, Oude Beersel and De Ranke Kriek all sit on shelves here for a while/indefinitely.

Cantillon sits on shelves for a lot longer than expected still - Less trafficked inner city stores will have them for a couple of weeks (like wine specialty shops who don't attract a big beer geek crowd) and stores out of the way/out of the city have them for a few months. I generally keep them to myself and can usually get some whenever I want to top up the cellar.

 

[bramsdell]

What are most people paying for 375/750s of 3F OG? When it was still around in Boston, it was ~$11/$20.

 

[OnryAndMean]

In my area, I can't get any 3F or Cantillon, ever. They both are gone the same day they arrive (usually within a couple of hours). I have to go to a shop over an hour away for 3F, but luckily they will hold cases for me and give me 15% off for every 6 bottles I buy.

Tilquin may last a week after delivery. Quetsche was gone in a day. Hanssens is usually turding around, along with Boon (not Mariage Parfait).

 

[OnryAndMean]

What are most people paying for 375/750s of 3F OG? When it was still around in Boston, it was ~$11/$20.

I pay $24 for 3F OG 750's, but get that 15% off because I buy 6/12 bottles at a time.

Usually I just order abroad to avoid the steep cost.

 

[jarrgal]

3F OG Golden Blend sat on the shelves here in ND for 2 months. I want to say they were $26/bottle.

Fargo received two cases of Cantillon Classic Gueuze and it was all gone the same day it arrived. One case went to a bar and that was all gone in a few days.

 

[Envelopes]

I have yet to see any Cantillon in the two years I've been in Columbus. I've seen a few pictures and heard a few things but I've never run into any and I used to go to a shop or two every delivery day. Tilquin used to sit for months and I could always pick it up when I wanted but that ended this year. 3F OG dried up this year, though it was never around long ($18/750). For whatever reason we don't get Girardin at all. I can usually count on Cuvee Renee/Mariage Parfait/Oude Boon to be somewhere, though.

It's getting rough out there. I blame all the badly written food-mag articles about "Sour Beer". We just need to wait for American brewers to start year-round/distributed ******** wilds so everyone will go back to leaving lambic on the shelf with all the other great Belgian beer that collects dust.

Fingers crossed for Dogfish Head Broccoli Lambic sixpacks.

 

[Brandon2]

It was the 11/12 batch.

 

[Aaron from the Wood]

Tilquin sits for a little while here at certain places - usually when it's $12.50/375 and $25/750. Quetsche sits for quite a while probably because I've never seen it under $37.

I haven't seen regular 3F OG for a good part of a year now. $23 was the last price I came across.

 

[Gestalten]

Not sure if this is the thread for it, but anyone have any info on blending/bottling specifics? I assume most blend into stainless tanks for bottling, though I've only ever seen them at Tilquin and Boon. I know Cantillon uses a modern bottling line, and even some kind of primitive filtration. Tilquin also has a modern bottling line. I wonder if there's automated corking or if it's done by hand. The bottling lines could just be for purging and filling bottles.
Overall though I'm more interested in the specifics of what constitutes a blend. Is there a golden ratio they start with? Do they always use a similar portion of each year for gueuze? There could probably be a whole book on just that subject.

 

[stevefinny]

This might be a stupid question but has Cantillion done anything with peaches before?

 

[islandboi8204]

This might be a stupid question but has Cantillion done anything with peaches before?

yamar68 Kwad4Me

 

[Dunt1]

Figured I would throw this out there, but had a '13 Fou over the weekend and it had seemingly turned a corner. Wondering if any of the other fruit lambics from 2013 are rounding out right now? Scientific studies are in order for the weekend.

 

[Rowingbrewer1]

About a week ago I steamed some mussels in cuvee rene and the result was unreal.

Ingredients
1 large yellow onion sliced into thin rings and cut in half
6 cloves of garlic crushed
1 stick of butter
1 750 of cuvee rene
4 pounds of mussels scrubbed clean (I used P.E.I. blue mussels)
1 tomato diced with as much of the seeds and goo removed as possible
2 baguettes cut think on a diagonal made into crustinis

in a large pan melt the butter add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and tomato and just before the garlic burns add in between 1/3 and 1/2 the bottle of cuvee rene (save the rest to drink with the mussels). the cuvee rene will foam as it loses carbonation. once the foam is gone and the broth is simmering add your mussels (I had to do 2 pounds at a time because the pan was a little to small). cover the pan and let cook for about 5-6 minutes or until all the mussels have opened +1 minute. scoop the mussels and broth into several serving bowls and enjoy. use the crustinis to sop up the extra broth.

2 golden rules of dealing with mussels
1. if when washing the mussels before cooking they do not close on their own throw them away they are already dead.
2. if after cooking they have not opened on their own throw them away they were dead before cooking.

of the 4 pounds of P.E.I. mussles there were only 6 bad ones of which 5 were caught before cooking.

 

[Dsal891]

Heck yes. Building up my gueuze and lambic cellar slowly hit surely. Marriage parfait and hanssens added. Both of which I love.

Cheers fellas

 

[LukeAleTime]

2. if after cooking they have not opened on their own throw them away they were dead before cooking.

That's a myth:
http://theedibleocean.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/wrestling-mussel-myth.html

 

[stupac2]

Heck yes. Building up my gueuze and lambic cellar slowly hit surely. Marriage parfait and hanssens added. Both of which I love.

Cheers fellas

I really don't understand why Marriage Parfait seems to be so common on the east coast but is completely absent out here.

 

[Pneill3161]

Not sure if this is the thread for it, but anyone have any info on blending/bottling specifics? I assume most blend into stainless tanks for bottling, though I've only ever seen them at Tilquin and Boon. I know Cantillon uses a modern bottling line, and even some kind of primitive filtration. Tilquin also has a modern bottling line. I wonder if there's automated corking or if it's done by hand. The bottling lines could just be for purging and filling bottles.
Overall though I'm more interested in the specifics of what constitutes a blend. Is there a golden ratio they start with? Do they always use a similar portion of each year for gueuze? There could probably be a whole book on just that subject.

You could always buy a couple of these and try blending yourself;
http://belgiuminabox.com/shop/428-bag-in-box-young-lambic
I blend into food grade plastic buckets, but stainless would work too. Golden ratio is to taste

 

[falc0n26001]

I really don't understand why Marriage Parfait seems to be so common on the east coast but is completely absent out here.

Marriage Parfait is everywhere in Portland! So is Tilquin, Timmermans, and... De Cam! Never seen De Cam before so that is awesome.

 

[PeelBacks]

I really don't understand why Marriage Parfait seems to be so common on the east coast but is completely absent out here.

It's down here in San Diego, & kriek. 2010 & 2011

 

[stupac2]

Marriage Parfait is everywhere in Portland! So is Tilquin, Timmermans, and... De Cam! Never seen De Cam before so that is awesome.

It's down here in San Diego, & kriek. 2010 & 2011

I am literally angry with rage. Or maybe I'm crazy but I've never seen it around. Is this really new?

Also, don't get too excited about the De Cam thing, one of the very few things the owner told me when I visited is that they're not going to be coming to the US any more. My wife says it's something about the guy they worked with dying.

 

[tehzachatak]

I guess I should try Geuze Mariage Parfait again given all the recent kind words. Any particular vintages that are drinking well right now? I think I had 09 and 07 in 2012 and absolutely hated both of them, haven't voluntarily had a Boon bottled lambic since

 

[Gestalten]

I guess I should try Geuze Mariage Parfait again given all the recent kind words. Any particular vintages that are drinking well right now? I think I had 09 and 07 in 2012 and absolutely hated both of them, haven't voluntarily had a Boon bottled lambic since

Just drank an 09 MP, and a 13 Tilquin the other day. The MP is a pretty soft Gueuze overall, but very well balanced to the point of being practically quaffable. Seriously I could drink that **** like soda on a hot day. For what it is, I think it's pretty excellent. Having the Tilquin afterwards highlighted how soft MP is though. For my money I like the harder stuff, but man, MP is so cheap and available.

 

[Gestalten]

You could always buy a couple of these and try blending yourself;
http://belgiuminabox.com/shop/428-bag-in-box-young-lambic
I blend into food grade plastic buckets, but stainless would work too. Golden ratio is to taste

Ha, I have thought of doing that. I did wonder if the microbes in those are viable though...
I actually have done some amateur lambic blending. Three youngish barrels we have going. We just threw them together randomly to get an idea of the overall taste, and the transformation was pretty amazing.
I still want to know how the big boys do it tho...

 

[SeaWatchman]

I am literally angry with rage. Or maybe I'm crazy but I've never seen it around. Is this really new?

Also, don't get too excited about the De Cam thing, one of the very few things the owner told me when I visited is that they're not going to be coming to the US any more. My wife says it's something about the guy they worked with dying.

The guy they (as in De Cam) work with? That would be Vanberg & Dewulf (who started Ommegang with Duvel), but as far as I know no one died. The portfolio/company was recently sold to Total Beverage Solutions and if there is no more De Cam coming to the US then that could be part of the reason.

 

[Pneill3161]

Ha, I have thought of doing that. I did wonder if the microbes in those are viable though...
I actually have done some amateur lambic blending. Three youngish barrels we have going. We just threw them together randomly to get an idea of the overall taste, and the transformation was pretty amazing.
I still want to know how the big boys do it tho...

Very viable, my last gueuze had carbonation after 2 weeks, was worried it would have bombed but 6 months in she's perfect

 

[stupac2]

The guy they (as in De Cam) work with? That would be Vanberg & Dewulf (who started Ommegang with Duvel), but as far as I know no one died. The portfolio/company was recently sold to Total Beverage Solutions and if there is no more De Cam coming to the US then that could be part of the reason.

Right, that was it. I felt like died was wrong but couldn't remember what exactly it was.

 

[SeaWatchman]

Right, that was it. I felt like died was wrong but couldn't remember what exactly it was.

Wives are always wrong.

 

[PeelBacks]

I guess I should try Geuze Mariage Parfait again given all the recent kind words. Any particular vintages that are drinking well right now? I think I had 09 and 07 in 2012 and absolutely hated both of them, haven't voluntarily had a Boon bottled lambic since

the 2010 is what I'm seeing around and was very enjoyable especially for the price but let me know if you can't find it. I've got the kriek going in your next box

 

[PeelBacks]

I am literally angry with rage. Or maybe I'm crazy but I've never seen it around. Is this really new?

Also, don't get too excited about the De Cam thing, one of the very few things the owner told me when I visited is that they're not going to be coming to the US any more. My wife says it's something about the guy they worked with dying.

not sure how new or how long SD has been getting the boon MP but I at least know we received the 2010 gueuze and the 2011 kriek shipments a few months ago. Happy to send you some if you can't find it and would like to tick.