Oude Geuze Boon VAT 109 - Brew Review

Oude Geuze Boon VAT 109

Background

Brouwerij Boon makes lambic beer. Lambic beers—whether straight lambic, faro, geuze (also spelled gueuze) or fruit based—are indigenous to Brussels and to the rural Zenne (or Senne) River Valley in Belgium. The beer is made through open, spontaneous fermentation and relies upon the unique microorganisms from this region. Of course, spontaneous fermentation can take place anywhere with the proper conditions but lambic is unique to an area of Belgium through which the Zenne River passes.

Entrance to Brouwerij Boon

To many craft beer lovers, the unique complexity and funky flavors of lambic offer an unparalleled drinking experience. And to properly shepherd this spontaneously fermented beverage from infancy to a delicious work of drinkable art requires tremendous skill. At the peak of this artful skill is the making of geuze. Geuze (pronounced with a hard ‘g’ and rhymes with ‘firs’) is typically made by blending one, two and three year old lambic that has aged in oak barrels or large vats known as foeders (pronounced food-ors).

Moving a foeder to the warehouse at Brouwerij Boon. Image courtesy of Brouwerij Boon.

Oude Geuze (an EU protected term) specifies that the geuze was made using traditional methods – 1) a blending of young and old lambic beers, averaging a minimum of 18 months worth of aging and must contain at least a portion of 3 year old beer; 2) young lambic used to spark secondary fermentation in the bottle; and 3) the geuze remains unsweetened, unfiltered and unpasteurized. The secondary bottle fermentation results in a beer with a finer texture of carbonation, superior foam retention, more complex flavors, longer shelf life, and better aging ability than beers that are “force carbonated.”

Description

Oude Geuze Boon VAT 109 consists of a “monoblend”. That is to say, the geuze was blended from 90% lambic out of foeder number 109 and 10% young lambic. An oak cask of 9000 liters, foeder number 109 is over 100 years old. It was built in Germany around the year 1910 by the company Drexler as part of a series of four foeders to be used as ‘beer foeders’. However, the cask stocked Cognac since 1935. Brouwerij Boon put the cask into service for their lambic beer in 2009 after shaving it on the inside.

Oude Geuze Boon VAT 109 – image courtesy of Brouwerij Boon

The cask still gives a special cognac character to the lambic aged on it. As a result, Brouwerij Boon selected the cask for their VAT-series release specifically for the cognac character. VAT 109 was also the first geuze in the continuing VAT series made from 100% lambic brewed in Boon’s modernized brewhouse. The lambic for Oude Geuze Boon VAT 109 aged in foeder number 109 for 2 years – brewed on 16 April 2014 and bottled on 18 April 2016.

Review

My 4 year old Oude Geuze Boon VAT 109 poured clear with a beautiful copper gold color, creamy off white foam and the tiny bubbles of visibly active carbonation. An initial aroma of cognac coupled with a subtly wonderful peat smoke exuded from the glass. As the beer slightly warmed, aromas of oak, vanilla, dried peach, leather and cinnamon joined the bouquet.

My first sips brought flavors of cognac, oak and a little apricot wrapped in a tart, earthy and dry mantle of delight. Further sips unveiled additional flavors of citrus, vanilla, and grapes followed by pepper at the end. Supported by an alcohol strength of 8.25% ABV, the beer presented a medium body on the tongue with a mild and persistent carbonation.

I was struck by how young and vibrant my 4 year old bottle tasted. Although it will be difficult, I hope to find another bottle to age in my cellar and revisit this beer after several more years have passed. Well-balanced and complex, I really enjoyed Oude Geuze Boon VAT 109 and think this beer is a true tribute to the skill and artistry of its creators.

Out of production since 2016, finding Oude Geuze Boon VAT 109 presents a difficult challenge. However, you can still find the Boon Geuze Discovery Box that features a single lambic brew aged in four different vats – VATs 91, 92, 108 and 110. The Oude Geuze Boon VAT 108 won the Gold Medal at the 2018 World Beer Cup. These extraordinary beers provide the opportunity to experience the differences that foeders can make. The discovery boxes are fading fast so don’t miss out.