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Des de Moor
Best beer and travel writing award 2015, 2011 -- British Guild of Beer Writers Awards
Accredited Beer Sommelier
Writer of "Probably the best book about beer in London" - Londonist
"A necessity if you're a beer geek travelling to London town" - Beer Advocate
"A joy to read" - Roger Protz
"Very authoritative" - Tim Webb.
"One of the top beer writers in the UK" - Mark Dredge.
"A beer guru" - Popbitch.
Des de Moor

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Boon Oude Lambik 3 jaar oud

Toer de Geuze 2011,

ABV: 6%
Origin: Lembeek, Vlaams-Brabant, Vlaanderen
Website: www.boon.be

Traditional lambic crocks and samples at Boon, Lembeek

On very rare occasions I taste a beer that’s so extraordinary it sends my rating system off the scale, and this, sampled direct from one of the gigantic oak casks at the brewery during the Toer De Geuze, was one of them. Thanks to his deal with Palm, Frank Boon’s guezes and fruit lambics are now produced on a relatively significant scale and are the most often seen of the authentic “oude” style, which makes them a little too commonplace for the snobbier beer geeks, but for some time now they’ve been consistently good. Their quality reflects that of the base beers maturing in massive casks at the Lembeek brewery, and some of these, if my experiences are anything to go by, are on another plane altogether.

The previous day I’d tasted an old beer matured at another blender which had already rocketed into my top tastings of the year, but this one seriously realigned my scale of beer appreciation. So singular, so breathtakingly complex and sophisticated and yet so beautifully integrated, it was one of the most sublime taste experiences of my life.

As often with old lambics, it had matured into a foxy red-amber colour and was completely flat, with a perfumed, slightly spirity aroma of sherry, dried fruit and nuts. The palate was slightly syrupy, sourish and very, very complex, with mellow vanilla, dried fruit, coconut, vinous fruit, tannins and petrol. A souring but still kind, satisfying and long lingering finish had oily peel that developed fuller, fruitier tones, reminiscent of apricot pastry with a scattering of nuts.

And yet clearly not for everyone – some of my fellow brewery tourists were looking uncertain and leaving half-finished glasses. Lambic is indeed an acquired taste, but after sampling this, I had no doubt I’d finally got it.

Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/-oude-lambik/23579/

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