Brouwerij Girardin Gueuze 1882
What the brewers say
“Blend of 12-, 18-, and 24-month-old lambics. The 2-year-old is for complexity, light acidity, and maturity; the year-old version is to spark a refermentation, and the 18-month-old lambic is used to balance the other two.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Sweet fruity character—or- ange and apricot—with lactic tartness and earthy hay-like notes. Moderate sharp Brett aroma, light strawberry and plum.”
Flavor: “The layers in this beer change through the experience. Orange peel bitterness and sweetness give a fruity and tart character to the beer without being too sweet. Brett funk is mostly farm-like and earthy and pairs nicely with the acidity. Nice acidity up front with pineapple, peach, and lemon-zest notes. Light malt character with a bit of rhubarb bite on top of leathery under- tones. Carbonation was just right.”
Overall: “Well-balanced tartness and acidity. Showcases a nice blend of young and old beer to round out the flavor and work in harmony among fruitiness, funk, tartness, and acidity. Grew more inter- esting as it warmed. Carbonation opens this up, would benefit from some age.”