3 Fonteinen ‘Hommage’ Fruited Lambic

Rating:

“Made with 30% raspberries from the Payottenland, and 5% sour cherries. In commemoration of the late Gaston Debelder, founder of 3 Fonteinen.”

Glassware: Teku

Appearance: Murky, light claret with a wispy head which quickly retreats to the rim. Minimal lace as it subsides.

Aroma: Smells absolutely incredible. Sour cherry eat your heart out! Pronounced raspberry tartness, strong vinegar and acetic lemon/lime juice, medicinal berry notes, damp oak, peach skins and earthy apricot. There’s a bit of a tannic quality coming through as well. Dead set that is world class. Phenomenal aroma.

Flavour: Hot damn she’s sour! The young Lambic base is throwing up some decent sweetness to counteract it though. Tonnes of sour cherry and raspberry (among other berries), red wine vinegar, tannins, zesty lemon/lime, subtle wheat grains and hay/straw. Not a whole lot of barrel character as it finishes with lots of old fruit and plenty of funk!

Mouthfeel: Quite sharp and acetic. Fairly light on. The pucker rating gets a well deserved 4/5. Mineraly texture. Co2 is bang on target.

Overall: Very impressive. We’ve come to the realization that 3F are as good (if not better than) Cantillon. Maybe because it’s much more readily available it doesn’t enjoy the rarity factor that Cantillon has. Anywho, this is a bloody corker.