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Category Archives: Hanssens Artisanaal

Review of Hanssens Artisanaal Lambic Experimental Raspberry

For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Hanssens Artisanaal Lambic Experimental Raspberry produced by Hanssens Artisanaal bvba located in Dworp, Belgium.

I tried the Oude Gueuze a while back and really like it, so I’m hoping this beer entices my taste buds in much the same way.

The brewery does not have a website that I know of, so I checked on ratebeer.com for some kind of description.

Ale fermented with raspberries and matured in oak barrels.

Simple and to the point.

Let’s pour.

(Sorry about the lighting on the picture.)

The beer poured mostly clear, orange to slightly pink in color with absolutely no head whatsoever. No lace or anything. It looked like champagne. Very disappointing I thought.

The nose was much better. Nice, tart, fruity raspberry with a solid bit of sourness. Hints of funk and “barnyard” along with a decent vinegar relish. Very nice underlying tones of oak and wood. Well balanced, sturdy and good.

The taste let the sourness step forth a touch more. The raspberry seemed a bit more subtle, but it was still sweet and fruity. The funkiness was of medium intensity as was the vinegar redolence. The oak and woodiness hid underneath for added complexity. A nice acidic tickle at the back end. Nicely harmonized and flavorful.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Very little carbonation was to be had. It was dry and smooth, but with a light bite at the back end. It was quite refreshing and crisp along with the fact that a suitable amount of flavor was left on the palate after the sip.

Overall, this beer wasn’t bad. It wasn’t as good as the Oude Gueuze, but it still smelled and tasted just fine. The appearance and the mouthfeel were a bit subpar, but the drinkability was very high and made up for any lack of aesthetic appeal. I definitely think the Experimental Raspberry is worth a try if you can find it. Especially if you favor the Lambic/Sour style. Be sure to let me know what you thought of it if you happen to sample it also.

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

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.6 out of 5

Grade: B

Review of Hanssens Artisanaal Oude Gueuze Lambic

07 Dec

Hi guys. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Hanssens Artisanaal Oude Gueuze Lambic produced by Hanssens Artisanaal bvba located in Dworp, Belgium.

I happened to be in the mood for something sour and thought that this beer might do the trick.

I couldn’t find a website for the brewery, so I’m going to head on over to ratebeer.com and see if I can find some sort of commercial description for this beer.

As with all Gueuzes, Hanssens is a mixture of several vintages to produce a lambic which is refreshingly fruity.

This is the result of blending different lambics of different ages. The second fermentation takes place inside the bottles and therefore they are stored for minimum six months in constant temperature kept cellars.

Well….. it’s time to drink.

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

The brew poured a semi-clear, pale orange to dull gold color with a barely off white head that was compact, sturdy and of average size. The retention was only “so-so”, but the lacing was adequate. After a few minutes however, the cap dissipated and left no trace of its existence.

The nose had a VERY pungent sourness and tartness to it. Hints of green apples and very stout, white grapes along with a profound bit of the funk and “barnyard” persona. A slight vinegar redolence was noticed and as the brew warmed some subtle spices came forth to add even more intricacy.

The flavor was more of the same. Lip puckering bitterness, tartness and sourness. Very funky and musty with tons of that “barnyard/horse blanket” type of attribute. It was tremendously acidic due to a tart lemon and very sour green apple savor. The spiciness seemed a little more subtle in the taste, however that could have been because I was so taken aback the sourness. No matter, it still had a tremendous flavor I must say. It definitely woke up the taste buds that’s for sure.

The mouthfeel was a palate killer. Medium bodied, very sharp and very biting. It left a copious amount of flavor behind on the roof of the mouth and the tongue. It would be, most likely, nearly impossible to taste anything immediately after having one of these.

Man this is a very, very good Gueuze. It’s super pungent and aromatic. It does take awhile for the palate to adjust to the explosion of flavor, but once it does, it becomes very enjoyable. It has all of the proper “goodness” of a Gueuze Lambic. Tremendous amounts of soured and tart fruit along with that nice acidic punch. If you favor this style of beer, don’t pass it up. However, if you are interested in getting started with this type of beer…. it may not be the one for you. It’s pretty potent. For me, it’s not an everyday drinker, although I do find myself craving a “Sour” way more often than I used to. I will definitely give this another go round sometime in the near future.

Have you guys had any offerings from Hanssens Artisanaal? If so, what did you have and what did you think? Feel free to leave a comment if you wish.

Thanks for reading guys. I hope you are finding the reviews enjoyable. I have many more to come. Until next time.

Cheers.

Score: 4.25 out of 5
Grade: A-