Tasting Notes: Lindemans: Gueuze Lambic: Curvee Rene

Lindemans: Gueuze Lambic: Curvee Rene (Belgium: Lambic Gueuze: 5.5% ABV)

Visual: Grain gold. Large loose bubbled white head.

Nose: Horse blankets. Walnuts. Apricot skin. Lightly sweet.

Body: Tart. Apricot. Apple sours. Peanuts. Dry feeling.

Finish: Sour apples. Dry and acidic. Squeezed lemon. Moderate nuttiness and white wine.

Conclusion: Getting used to lambics can be hard to do, but is definitely worth it. It’s nice that once you get used to the more hardcore beers in the style then beers like this seem so much open than they did at first. This is a very dry example of the style and particularly wine like.  It does bring a few twists of its own to the table though.

The tart and dryness comes along with the usual horse blankets aroma and dry nuttiness. What’s good is that it adds an apricot sweetness that it hints at beneath the main flavours. It is not a powerful part of the character, but its the component that stands out the most from the pack. When mixed with the lemon freshness it keeps the beer at a very drinkable balance without inducing mouth puckering.

It isn’t on the sweeter end of the lambics, nor Cantillon sharp. It keeps a place to either help acclimatise someone who has got past the first baby steps into lambics, or a place to relax for those who have faced the full range.  At that point the wine like character is very graceful.

It is fresh and drinkable despite its very dry character. It shows the range of the style well and keeps itself smooth despite it’s natural tartness. Very well balanced.

A well defined and moderately punching lambic of good character.

Background: One of Michael Jackson’s 500 great beers. Drunk on a very warm day, just slightly chilled down.  After Cantillon tasting I think I’ve managed to get used to the lambic sourness and have been happily enjoying the others of the style.