Lambic Discussion Thread

[thefleshlight]

Anyone find Zwanze incredibly lackluster? I was pretty pissed after drinking it.

 

[rodzm]

Anyone find Zwanze incredibly lackluster? I was pretty pissed after drinking it.

Was it similar to Zwet.be

 

[sblank1]

Anyone find Zwanze incredibly lackluster? I was pretty pissed after drinking it.

It was much better than I was expecting but I don't care at all for sour stouts.

 

[GuisseppeFranco]

Anyone find Zwanze incredibly lackluster? I was pretty pissed after drinking it.

I thought it was one of the best sour stouts I've ever had if that means anything.

 

[SeaWatchman]

Anyone find Zwanze incredibly lackluster? I was pretty pissed after drinking it.

I'm hoping you're just a light weight and by pissed you're using tosh speak for drunk and not the idea that after you drank this beer you were actually angry because it seems silly to get mad about having the opportunity to hang out with friends and drink a beer.

 

[SeaWatchman]

Srs though. How are they? Never had the 08 but I only ever really liked for the 11 and 12 beyond that. Thought 09/10 fell out really fast and the 13/14 where meh to begin with (I'm not a fan of iris though).

2008 - Starting to get that 'old' Cantillon feel, becoming more sour, but the rhubarb was surprisingly still there and it was beautifully carbonated.

2009 - An absolute elderflower bomb and everything Mamouche wishes it could be now. The taste was really straightforward and assertive. Definitely didn't expect that, but for the first time I understood what people were saying about a more 'green' taste in that beer and mamouche.

2010 - 1st bottle we had was terrible. Must have been a bad bottle. The backup bottle we brought was only slightly better. The third bottle we opened today (Sunday) was good, but it was showing signs of oxidaton and wasn't nearly as good as when I had it back in February or so.

2011 - Really, really, black peppery nose and taste with a nice amount of grape profile still in it. This was the first (and likely only time) I tasted it so I wasn't really sure what to expect. It was perhaps a bit thin, but from a nose/taste standpoint it was pretty incredible.

2012- This beer was really good and seems to be developing in the exact same way as the 2008. When I first tried the 2008 it was at Zwanze Day 2012, so it was four years old. Revisiting this at three years old shows that rhubarb in lambic has a lot of great potential. Still vibrant, much more assertive in the fruit department than its predecessor, and probably has legs to go a lot further.

2013 - Tasted metallic, slightly burnt, not much sour to it. The body is definitely what it should be. I don't think we had a bad bottle at all, it just wasn't that great. I remember really liking this on tap in 2013 too.

2014 - Perhaps the one I was most looking forward to because I loved it last year. IMO, I thought the Iris Grand Cru part of this beer dominates and the cherries are fading fast. Having had copious amounts of IGC today, I still am of the same opinion but I was left wishing that the cherries had been much more assertive than they were. Perhaps this is in a weird spot in terms of its aging.

2015 - Probably a great beer if you're into dark sours or tart English Porters. Really, really light to me but still creamy with just a hint of funk. I feel like this one may develop fairly well, but it wasn't exactly my favorite of the Zwanzes but that's what experimenting is all about. Happy to have tried it.

Final ranking (first to worst): 09, 11, 12, 08, 14, 15, 13, 10

 

[thefleshlight]

I'm hoping you're just a light weight and by pissed you're using tosh speak for drunk and not the idea that after you drank this beer you were actually angry because it seems silly to get mad about having the opportunity to hang out with friends and drink a beer.

Naw. Just balsamic crap to me. But I'm not a loon fan.

I thought it was one of the best sour stouts I've ever had if that means anything.

Nope doesn't mean anything to me.

 

[SeaWatchman]

For anyone that missed it, Jean Van Roy and Chris Gillard (of Miorge Mihoublon) opened up a legit Jean Chris Nomad from the cellar and a purported faked JCN and... it was fake. It was a bottle of Classic Gueuze.

 

[Dunt1]

I thought the Zwanze this year was fantastic

 

[andrewdrinks]

Speaking of Chris Gillard, his Zwanze event in Arlon was superb - aside from a Beatles cover duo that were pretty decent, and bottles of 2012 St Lam (super-funky and tannic) and Vig, there was a keg of a new batch of Rhubarbe (aka Zwanze 2012) that was kegged on August 31 this year. I've never had it fresh but the rhubarb on this was massive. I guess bottles will be around at the brewery in the next few weeks.

 

[SeaWatchman]

Speaking of Chris Gillard, his Zwanze event in Arlon was superb - aside from a Beatles cover duo that were pretty decent, and bottles of 2012 St Lam (super-funky and tannic) and Vig, there was a keg of a new batch of Rhubarbe (aka Zwanze 2012) that was kegged on August 31 this year. I've never had it fresh but the rhubarb on this was massive. I guess bottles will be around at the brewery in the next few weeks.

Oooooooooo!

 

[owens99]

So what's the general consensus on Prunes de Namur vs Quetsche? Have had Questche and enjoyed it but wasn't wowed. Pretty much the same?

When I had them side-by-side the regular Quetsche just felt so much sweeter (i.e. I agree with those who find Prunes de Namur tarter); both were very good in their own way.

I may not have picked up on the difference if I'd had them at different occasions though.

Hmm interesting. From what I remember the bottle of Quetsche I had was pretty damn tart with little fruit which is why I thought it was good not great. May get one PdN to try it but those reviews don't get me too excited. Maybe I had a weird bottle of Quetsche?

This was exactly my thought, too - that the standard quetsche is already really tart, and I was hoping the Prunes de Namur version would be less so. I've got one in the fridge, so maybe I'll open it this weekend.

Well, opened it this weekend:

Boring conclusion: Without doing a side by side with the regular Quetsche, this basically tasted a lot like the regular Quetsche to me. It wasn't noticeably sweeter or more tart, or better or worse. It was fine, and I started to enjoy it more as it approached room temperature. But I think I'm just not that into Quetsche (at least compared to standard Tilquin Gueuze).

 

[The Red Viper]

Well, opened it this weekend:

Boring conclusion: Without doing a side by side with the regular Quetsche, this basically tasted a lot like the regular Quetsche to me. It wasn't noticeably sweeter or more tart, or better or worse. It was fine, and I started to enjoy it more as it approached room temperature. But I think I'm just not that into Quetsche (at least compared to standard Tilquin Gueuze).

I opened both of this year's Quetsche side by side and Prunes was way more sour. I thought this year's regular Quetsche was less sour and more juicy/fruity than other years but maybe that's just because I had it fresher.

 

[RyanG1]

Fun share with jtmartino, grrrah and @peter getting through the Seasons, A&T, Golden Blend '11 and '14 (not pictured), and Framboos.

All the bottles were great to try, especially dug, A&T (so balanced!), Lente and Zomer. Although I would drink all these every day. Nuanced bottle characteristics escape me because I am a moran

 

[BadJustin]

Had a Mure Friday (too lazy to post a pic) totally meh. Gald I didn't seek out more than a couple bottles.

 

[Snarf1]

Had a Mure Friday (too lazy to post a pic) totally meh. Gald I didn't seek out more than a couple bottles.

Id be happy to take any unwanted bottles off your hands. Let me know what you'd like if interested.

 

[BadJustin]

Id be happy to take any unwanted bottles off your hands. Let me know what you'd like if interested.

Only have a 375 left, buddy fell into some and did a #pickitupbro for me. Going to sit on it and see what happens. Don't get me wrong it was still Tilquin and good but just not what I was expecting although I don't really now what exactly what I was expecting. I love Questche and was hoping this would be more in line with that but it just fell short IMO.

 

[The Red Viper]

Only have a 375 left, buddy fell into some and did a #pickitupbro for me. Going to sit on it and see what happens. Don't get me wrong it was still Tilquin and good but just not what I was expecting although I don't really now what exactly what I was expecting. I love Questche and was hoping this would be more in line with that but it just fell short IMO.

I always find Quetsche really disappointing so maybe I'll have the opposite reaction to yours when I finally open a Mûre...

 

[Snarf1]

Only have a 375 left, buddy fell into some and did a #pickitupbro for me. Going to sit on it and see what happens. Don't get me wrong it was still Tilquin and good but just not what I was expecting although I don't really now what exactly what I was expecting. I love Questche and was hoping this would be more in line with that but it just fell short IMO.

I think it's going to age very well. Had a few glasses at an event and have been trying to find some to lay down since.

 

[kcherney]

Aux Mures was such a disappointment. It needs more time in the bottle. Don't open it fresh expecting a "jam bomb" because you're not going to get it.

 

[tosh1]

Loved this when I opened it last night - exactly what I was expecting, could not be happier I managed to trade for a couple of these.

 

[brentsdodgers]

Loved this when I opened it last night - exactly what I was expecting, could not be happier I managed to trade for a couple of these.

How was the carb on this? I opened one about a month and it was really flat.

 

[tosh1]

How was the carb on this? I opened one about a month and it was really flat.

It certainly was not flat, but it was not that carbed. To be honest not sure it needed anymore really, I was really happy with everything about this beer.

 

[GetchaPull]

I always find Quetsche really disappointing.

O rly? Do tell.

 

[GetchaPull]

To clarify, Quetsche is by no means the best thing I've ever put in my mouth (TWSS), but I honestly can't say I'm let down when I drink it. Is it as good as Tilquin gueuze or draft gueuze? Nope. Cantillon's fruit parade? No. 3F or de Cam frooty tooties? Nope. But I'll take a Q over the vast majority of other beers available in this beer wasteland. Just one man's opinion.

And to be fair, I have yet to crack a Mûre...so there's that.

 

[Friend_of_the_Gueuze]

Well fark to these mixed reviews. One bottle (750mL) of Mure across my drinking group. Now or later?

 

[thefleshlight]

Well fark to these mixed reviews. One bottle of Mure across my drinking group. Now or later?

Had one Saturday. Was expecting more fruit but still damn good. Might be my favorite tilquin ever or maybe tilquin squared.

 

[fiestaplatypus]

While I'm normally a much bigger fan of the funk forward lambics than the acidic forward (ie Boon and 3F over Hansens and Cantillon), I absolutely ******* love the super puckering dry tartness of the Prunes de Namur version. Like blue punch sweettarts...which are awesome...even if all the other flavors are trash.

Had a bottle of Mure last week that was great, but lacked some of the funk I normally expect from Tilquin. I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I'm hoping it will get cheesier in time.

 

[tripsforjoe]

I thought Mure was good, but agreed that it is not as good as most other Tilquin.

 

[BakeBisBife]

latest batch of golden blend arrived with no leakers. hoping the same for the rest of you etre ballers.