Timmermans Oude Gueuze

According to the label of the caged and corked 375mL bottles of Timmermans Oude Gueuze, Timmermans is the world’s oldest lambic brewery—established in 1702. They operate out of Itterbeek, Belgium.

 

Timmerman’s Oude Gueuze contains 6.7% alcohol. The bottle I purchased was brewed in 2015 but not bottled until 2018. And, something I’ve rarely seen, it had a best before statement that lists November 2037! That said, I chose to drink my bottle fresh rather than cellar it.

Vibrant orange, the Oude Gueuze poured with a loose eggshell head. It had a powerful aroma, with tart and funky yeast notes playing a dominant role. Wonderfully sour and a little briny, the flavour was reminiscent of unsweetened cranberry juice, with some beery elements by way of wheat and hops textures.

I vividly remember my first gueuze. It was illicitly acquired when I was a high school student, and I thought it was hilariously foul. The better part have two decades have seen both my palate and my sense of humour mature. I now perceive a gueuze as a flavourful yet delicate brew, with intense elements offset by subtle ones. Among the gueuzes I’ve tried, Timmermans Oude Gueuze ranks high—it has both funk and soul. It’s tart and tangy, but also nuanced. And at 6.7% alcohol, it’s not goofing around, either.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

St-Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition

St-Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition is brewed by Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck in Ingelmunser, Belgium. This lambic beer is sold in a foil topped 375mL green bottle and contains 5% alcohol. It's a brownish gold beer that has a quickly thinning layer of eggshell head.

Not surprisingly, the nose is very tart. There is a touch of fruit and some rowdy yeasts. Flavour-wise, this is a considerably sour brew. There are notes of lemon, apple, and, particularly, cranberry. I addition, there's a vaguely salty brine and a hearty yeast streak running through this stuff.

I'm still learning about lambics, gueuzes, and other sour ales, but compared to others that I've tried, Gueuze Fond Tradition rates well, though I'd have liked a bit more body and something different in the finish. If you feel compelled to try a sour beer, this is a pretty fair starting point. It's mouth-puckeringly tart and quite flavourful, without being completely inaccessible.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Mort Subite Kriek Lambic

Mort Subite Kriek Lambic comes in a 375mL corked bottle.  It is brewed by Mort Subite (Alken-Maes), out of Lierput, Belgium. It's a tart, sour beer, a lambic flavoured with cherry and elderberry. A rose-hued brew, this stuff is relatively clear, amply carbonated, and topped with a thick, pinkish head. According to the bottle, this stuff is aged in oak and contains natural flavours, artificial sweetener, and artificial colour.

M.S.K.L. has a tart aroma that screams of sour cherries, and also comes with a dose of yeastiness. the flavour is certainly tart, but it is nowhere near as sour as I was expecting. I recall drinking a kriek in my youth and finding it distressingly sour. This beer features a very pleasant cherry flavour. A sourish lambic base provides the foundation, but it's muted.  The artificial sweetener really seems to take a lot of the bite out of the brew, which is unfortunate.

Mort Subite Kriek Lambic has a lively, fizzy mouthfeel and a low alcohol content that make it a very quaffable beer, but it's really not as tart or as electric as I'd have liked.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Cuvée René

Cuvée René Gueuze Lambic is a tasty sour beer born in Vlezenbeek, Belgium.  Brewed by Lindemans Farm Brewery, it is sold in highly stylish 355mL bottles that have the unusual cap/cork combination beneath gold foil--it takes a while to open.  Good thing it's worth it.

Foil, cap, cork.

Weighing in at 5.5% alcohol, Cuvée René is a cloudy orange gold colour with a fair amount of carbonation and an off-white head. It has a tart, fruity aroma tempered with considerable yeastiness. Not quite sour, but decidedly tart, Cuvée René exhibits notes of fruit, including sour apple, and a mouthfeel not unlike champagne. The aftertaste is quite dry and reasonably quick.

Lambics and gueuze beers are not going to be for everyone. It's about as far from a traditional English ale as a beer can be, and I can see how the sour notes can be off-putting for many drinkers.  Still, I'm a fan.  Cuvée René is a nicely constructed gueuze, a fine exemplar of the style. I wouldn't drink more than one in a sitting, which is good, because it's a bit on the pricey side.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Mort Subite-Gueuze

Mort Subite Gueuze ("Mort Subite" translates into "sudden death") is a Belgian lambic from Brussels. It's a nice sour gueuze. Sold in 500mL bottles, this gueuze checks in at 4.5% alcohol. I enjoyed a bottle at the excellent Thirsty and Miserable beer bar in Kensington Market.

 Mort Subite Gueuze pours a clear chestnut brown colour with a lively eggshell head. It has a briny, seaside aroma. The flavour starts sweet, with fruity, crisp apple notes. Then it veers hard toward sour. It isn't classically refreshing, but it is definitely tasty.

Gueuze is a style that I don't frequently see in Toronto, and one that I love to get my hands on. Mort Subite Gueuze is probably not for everyone, but adventurous beer fans might find this one interesting. It is a solid brew and a great introduction to the gueuze style.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.