Old 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze - still good to drink?

Found some bottles of 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze that had a bottle date of 2017. These were in a dark cool closet for the past few years. Any thoughts?

Yes. Not old at all.

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[rofl.gif] … about 99% certain this is a magnificent troll job.

On the extremely small chance this is a serious question, I’ll just say this: I wouldn’t start calling 3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze “old” until it’s 30+ years out.

Serious question. I had a “beer” phase a few years ago and started buying and trying different beers, with little knowledge and research. I drank quite a bit but my interest quickly waned. Fast forward a few years and now I have a few bottles that have been with me for 4-6 years. I admit I am a tad lazy so I just thought of asking you guys here at the forum as I know I will get very good advice.

Cool beans, Jo3l.

So, about your 2017 3F: I would recommend cellaring it for at least another 10 years if you want to even begin experiencing what it truly has to offer. If you don’t want to wait that long, it will be delicious now — just like some GC Burgs are delicious less than 5 years post-vintage. I’d also strongly recommend getting it into your wine fridge.

If it’s gotten above cellar temp for extended periods of time in that closet, maybe it would be best to just drink it now — I just now considered storage conditions — I got all hung-up on the fact that you have a super young gueuze and were calling it old, and glossed-over the fact that it hasn’t been properly stored … unless it has?

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Brian,

Unfortunately the closet is probably an average of 68 degrees with peaks as high as 78 during summer. Has a few lows of about 63 in the winter, so yeah it is far from ideal cellar temps.

I guess I’ll let mine sit in the cellar :joy:

I have a few of the rarer ones too, like the Hommage.

I’ve had some Cantillon that was treated a bit roughly, still showed wonderfully after a decade. Because of the high acidity, Gueuze is probably one of the most durable beer styles. Maybe not to the extent of a Madeira, but they’re relatively bulletproof unless you want to go for really extended cellaring, lime the 30 year range Brian was throwing out.

I’d drink the Hommage on the younger side, as the fruit will fall away with time. “younger side” = within 10 years of bottling, if not within 5.

If you’re genuinely curious to see how these beers age, I’d go buy another bottle now. I’ve recently see both 2019 and 2020 on local shelves, so the poor storage conditions haven’t wasted much time. Then, you can do whatever you want with the 2017. If you do choose to age that 2017 further, notwithstanding what Matthew said above, just know that you might not be getting a proper experience whenever you do open it.

If you go to visit the 3F lambik-O-droom in Lot they basically have their bottles in a temperature controlled warehouse kept between 18 and 20 degrees celsius (64 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit). I actually thought it may have not been temperature controlled when I went. Not that far off honestly, though cellar temps are probably better.

That said, in May 2009, a faulty thermostat caused the temp to rise to 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) leading to a couple thousand bottles to explode there and they had to make the rest into an eau de vie called Armand’Spirit. So don’t do that! champagne.gif

I think it was back in 2015 I had a bottle from 2007 that still had a little fruit. We just got a release here from 17/18 on the cork…I’m looking forward to popping one young. We also got an Intens Rood aged in Pedro Ximenez (PX) barrels…I’m stoked to try some of these once the sediment has settled.

I would love to hear what you think of that Px Intens Rood, Kirk. Is that an Intens Rood variant, or is that what that bottling always is? My local has some bottles on the shelf, but they’re not exactly cheap, so I haven’t sprung for one; quite frankly, the Px treatment sounds kind of gross, but I could be surprised …

Yes that Lambic is not old at all. You are good to drink it now but you can hold on to it for a long long time if you want.

Your storing option is fine. I keep all my lambics in a closet as well (apartment living). They will be fine and age well like that based on your temp ranges (basically what mine stays in too). I wouldnt fret too too much. They are robust and able to stand that. Obviously in a cold dark basement would be better, but we all dont have that option.

Now if you just had them sitting in front of the window for a couple years, then I would be worried.

But you are doing fine. Same goes goes for stouts.