{"id":3268,"date":"2016-02-12T14:52:12","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T18:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adamchandler.beer\/?p=3268"},"modified":"2016-02-12T14:52:12","modified_gmt":"2016-02-12T18:52:12","slug":"how-is-3-fonteinen-straffe-winter-holding-up-in-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adamchandler.me\/blog\/2016\/02\/12\/how-is-3-fonteinen-straffe-winter-holding-up-in-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2605 How is 3 Fonteinen Straffe Winter Holding up in 2016?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"3<\/a><\/p>\n

The last time I had this beer was in August of 2013 with Fuj. I don\u2019t think he was a huge fan but I certainly loved it. I think Faro is an under appreciated style and in America, real-Faro is impossible to acquire. It\u2019s young lambiek with added sugar that\u2019s served cask-only because in a bottle, it would surely explode. It\u2019s a way to sell young Lambiek and that means it\u2019s very cheap!<\/p>\n

3F Straffe Winter is a Faro that was somehow bottled and conditioned and you could still find bottles quite easily a year or two ago. I traded for 2 bottles in 2013, drank one in August and kept my other. While the bottle says best by 2012, it\u2019s Lambic! cmon! As it\u2019s a 2008 bottling, this beer was 1-2 year Lambiek with added candi sugar so one would assume a 2006 season brew and it was released in 2010. The fact that I\u2019m enjoying this in 2016, exactly 8 years and 5-10 days after bottling means it is basically a 10 year old Lambiek \/ Faro at this point. Kind of crazy!<\/p>\n

The only reason I opened it was because in my bi-yearly inspection of my bottles in my cellars, I noticed the fill line had dropped. The cork was covered in black wet mold and about 6 of the 26 ounces of beer were missing from the bottle. It was stored side-ways and while none of my other bottles are leaking, this one had to be cracked open. I was afraid of how the beer would taste\u2026upon twisting the cage holding the cork in, the bottle immediately pushed the cork out which sent moldy crap everywhere. I poured the bottle into 2 glasses carefully and allowed it to decant for 30 minutes. The smell and taste at first was bad but after it was allowed to breathe, it really opened up.<\/p>\n

Sweetened Lambiek with a great wheat presence, sour grape, even spices were present. Really delicious and although there was a lot of cork pressure, the beer was essentially flat.<\/p>\n

However, I loved it! Heather didn\u2019t finish her glass but I gladly finished hers. Just a sign that Lambic knows no bounds. A moldy cork, a best by date 4 years earlier and 15% volume leakage and it\u2019s still a beautiful beer. I love this style so much!<\/p>\n

Sadly, no more Straffe Winter in my cellar. Oh well.<\/p>\n

\"3<\/a>