Let's talk about geuzes (gur-zes). It's a type of lambic sour beer, hailing from the Pajottenland region of Belgium southwest of Brussels and in Brussels itself. lambic brewing in this region dates back to the 13th century, making it a truly historic style.

Now, what makes geuze and other lambics so special? It's all about those wild yeasts. Unlike most beers that use carefully cultivated strains of brewer's yeast, lambics are fermented through exposure to the wild yeasts floating around in the air – this happens as the hot wort (the sugary liquid made from grains before it’s turned into beer) is cooled in a “coolship”, a shallow, open-top vessel where lambic brewers would use to introduce wild yeasts from the environment. This spontaneous fermentation process is a bit of a gamble, but it's what gives lambics their distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, cidery and often with a funky tart aftertaste.

Spontaneous fermentation isn't always pretty.

Geuze stands apart from other lambics in a few key ways. First, it's traditionally dry and unsweetened. No sugar, no fruit, just a pure, unadulterated lambic. Second, it's a blend of young (usually one-year-old) and old (typically two- to three-year-old) lambics to give it complexity and depth of flavour. Similar to how Champagne is made, the young component, still full of life, continues to ferment in the bottle, producing carbon dioxide. A geuze is given at least a year to carbonate in the bottle, but can be aged for an additional 10–20 years. These aged geuzes are the epitome of dryness, completely attenuated, with no residual sweetness from malt, sugar, or artificial sweeteners.

They tend to be very dry and completely attenuated, exhibiting no residual sweetness either from malt, sugar or artificial sweeteners. It is this original unsweetened version that is referred to as Oude Geuze or "Old Geuze"

In the world of Belgian lambics, a new wave of craft breweries is emerging, dedicated to these time-honored brewing methods. One such brewery is Lambiek Fabriek.

The story of Lambiek Fabriek began in the early 2000s. A group of friends led by Jozef Van Bosstraeten, Jo Panneels and Jo Van Aert, fueled by a night of Oude Geuze in their local pub, made a bold declaration: they too could brew Oude Geuze themselves. Childhood friends, Van Bosstraeten and Panneels had decided to do a stint in France’s Burgundy region, and after hearing about the intriguing lambic project of the young men’s, the winemakers offered the duo several large oak barrels to be used for brewing. With youthful enthusiasm and perhaps a bit of liquid courage, they embarked on their lambic brewing journey. A two-storey garage in Fabriekstraat (where the brewery got its name) was transformed into a warehose for Jo and Jozef to produce their first lambic.

Their early days were filled with experimentation and, let's be honest, a few mishaps. They started small, with carboys (a large container), a few liters of lambic, and some sour cherries. Their first carboy exploded because they didn’t use an airlock – a valuable lesson learned by the team! But they persevered, gradually expanding their operation and investing in their dream. At some point, the friends produced more lambic than they could consume themselves. But rather than throwing an outdoor BBQ party to finish all the beer, they decided to invest further in the idea of making their own beer and set up a beer blendery in Belgium.

What is a beer blender? Interestingly, it was common for small-scale lambic makers in Belgium to purchase wort from larger brewers to make their own unconventional blends of lambic. However, as demand for lambics went up, so was the price of sourcing wort from other parties. Eventually, they decided to also brew their own lambic from scratch when sourcing wort from breweries became impractical. They installed their own coolship and barrel room, and Lambiek Fabriek brewery was thus officially founded in 2016.

A coolship is a type of brewing vessel traditionally used in the production of lambic beers. It is an open-top vessel in which wort cools.

Lambiek Fabriek's production process follows a classic lambic recipe, using a blend of wheat and malted barley, and aged pellet hops. Their stainless steel coolship, is where the magic happens. The wort is exposed to the air, allowing natural inoculation by the wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Payottenland region. This spontaneous fermentation process is at the heart of lambic brewing and can only occur under specific conditions. The average temperature needs to be around 15°C, which is why lambic fermentation is only possible from mid-October to mid-May. Summer conditions bring unwanted bacteria that can spoil the lambic.

Driven by their passion and dedication, Lambiek Fabriek has quickly made a name for itself in the Belgian beer scene. In 2020, Lambiek Fabriek achieved a significant milestone by becoming a member of HORAL (Hoge Raad voor Ambachtelijke Lambikbieren), the High Council for Traditional lambic Beers – the Council is dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional lambic beers in Belgium.

Today, Lambiek Fabriek produces a range of lambic beers, from their flagship Oude Geuze Brett-Elle to a Kriek (cherry lambic) and a range of fruit lambics. Their commitment to organic and sustainable practices is evident in their Biologisch gecertificeerde Oude Geuze, which received organic certification in April 2020.

At this year's Brewlander Brewnanza festival, I had the pleasure of sampling Lambiek Fabriek’s most iconic Oude Geuze Brett-Elle, a blend of 1- and 2-year old lambics with 4 year old lambic from another lambic producer.

The Brett-Elle expression derives its name from the famous Brettanomyces yeast that plays a crucial role in the fermentation of certain spontaneously fermented beers. "Elle" is a reference to the location of the brewery in Bruxelles (Brussels), the capital of Belgium.

Let’s give this wild stuff a taste.

Lambiek Fabriek Oude Geuze “Brett-Elle”, 6.3% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: A classic lambic character greets the nose, with a firm sourness taking centre stage. Green Granny Smith apples add a tart sweetness, along with an earthy, barnyard-like character that indicate Brettanomyces influence. There’s a bit more malty depths than expected, with deeper notes of roasted malt intertwining with molasses, Chinese sea coconut and Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa syrup.

Palate: The lactic sourness expected of a lambic is present, yet it's remarkably mellow and balanced. The texture is buoyed by a fine, soft effervescence that carries flavours of green apple and apple cider vinegar, met with dry astringency that gently puckers the tongue without venturing into extreme funk. A mild hop aroma and bitterness add a nice fresh dimension and counterpoint to the sourness.

Finish: Clean and dry, with the sour notes gradually fading, and the slightest hint of sweetness and tartness in some overripe peaches.

My Thoughts

This is a great example of a traditional Oude Geuze. It's a refreshing, appetising and strikes a balance between the expected intensity of the style and a solid drinkability. The intensity is there, as expected, but it avoids the extreme sourness that some lambics can sometimes exhibit.

Flavour wise, I did find nose particularly rich and complex, though this didn't seem to fully translate onto the palate. Yet, despite its relative youth, it already displays some complexity with green apple fruitiness and a touch of barnyard funk that I find enjoyable. I imagine more years of bottle aging will only enhance these tertiary notes. As it stands, this is a classic dry geuze that showcases the influence of spontaneous fermentation in an unadulterated state.

@CharsiuCharlie