★ Review: 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze 1998 (50th Anniversary)

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 17/20

Bottle @ Mikkeller Bar in San Francisco. One of the last few bottled 3F beer I have yet to track down. Flipped my crap when i saw this on the shelf. $180 for a 75CL bottles split 1 way with me, myself and I and like all good Lambic, savored for 3 hours. Delicious. I believe it was around 50F temp when served.

A – First pour was a burnt dark orange / gold appearance. The cork had a HUGE pop exploding but not gushing. GREAT SIGN! First pour was a 5 finger solid white huge bubbly head. Subsequent pours got more cloudy obviously. Dregs were dark brown w/ hints of red.

S – Nose is a mix of blue cheese, cardboard basement musk and funk with a lot of wood, mold and more cheese the 3F funk with lemon nose is there but super subdued. Reminds of the same funky moldy basement funk that I got from Blauw.

T – a know what….taste is pretty freaking awesome. Yes a lot of cardboard and shoe polish. A lot of leather and wood and moldy grapes. But it’s incredibly tart and well done. Lots of lemon, cloth aged old cheddar and funk classic 3 F. Tart overall.

M – Bursting classic 3F mouthfeel. Bubbly, filling and huge.

O – Great beer. Like all 10+ year old Gueuze, it’s not wonderful as super fresh stuff but it’s still fantastic. I’m happy having had the chance to try this delicious beer.