How’s it going folks?  Thanks for checking back in on another craft beer review.  For today’s tasting session I’m going to be trying the Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Golden Blend (2011) produced by the Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen located in Beersel, Belgium.

Without a doubt, Drie Fonteinen products are some of the best in the world, so to get the opportunity to try the Golden Blend version of the Oude Geuze is really a treat.

I would encourage you to check out the website, 3fonteinen.be, for some insightful information of their products, although I couldn’t find anything specific about the Golden Blend.  I did find this little snippet on ratebeer.com however.

The Golden Blend is made with 4 year old Lambic that accounts for 25 % of it’s contents, the rest of the blend is made up by a “secret” combination of 1, 2 and 3 year old Lambic. 

The exact mixture is only known by the master-blender Armand himself. 

The name “Golden Blend” is not far away from the truth, in fact, the 4 years of maturation in oak-wooden barrels is making this particular Lambic very expensive. 

Due to the “evaporation” through the barrels, only a small percentage of the lambic is left over after 4 years of maturing.

I can’t wait.  Let’s pour.

This brew came in a 12.7 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 6.0%.

It poured a clear, pristine, deep golden to orange color.  A wonderfully sized white head was formed from a fairly easy pour.  The texture was fizzy, soapy, fluffy and kind of rocky.  The retention time was excellent and it left behind some attractive, patchy lacing.  I could see a good deal of bubbles streaming to the top from the bottom.  It did become a little bit hazy as I poured in the “bugs” toward the end.

The aroma was musty, woody, oaky, funky and sour.  Awesome.  It developed hints of lemon citrus, a bit of grape and soured green apple.  Some vinegar and acidity were noticed as well as some freshly cut hay, earthy goodness and a light “tree bark” kind of fragrance. This brew smelled great and very well balanced.

The flavor was beautifully tart, sour and funky.  Lip puckering lemon citrus and apple followed by a superbly well blended woody oak, which helped tone down and mellow the sourness.  I gathered more of the hay, barnyard funk and earthiness as it warmed and began to settle.  It had an almost peppery spice kind of savor too.  Very nice.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied.  Very dry, sharp and bitey.  It did seem to become a little more smooth as the palate adjusted.  A very lively and strong carbonation was prevalent and a little bit of warmth and heat was discovered.  An outstanding dose of flavor was left behind long after each sip.

What a spectacular beer.  Possibly the best Geuze I’ve had to date.  The transition from start to finish was very intriguing and very well received.  The drinkability was exceptional and I believe I could drink it at anytime of year.  It’s very complex, but that in no way deters from the enjoyment of just “kicking back” with it on a lazy afternoon. I’d highly recommend picking up the Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze Golden Blend if you run across one in the back room of the bottle shop.  If you appreciate Geuze’s, I doubt that you will be disappointed with this one.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  4.55 out of 5
Grade:  A+