Jim

Sweet Repute

KBS Spicy Chocolate

50°N - 4°E (Batch 7 - 2020)

Light, delicate carbonation. Big cognac. Subtle, almost creamy acidity is eclipsed by the barrel, hopefully will develop a bit more with time. A little more funk wouldn’t hurt, either. Not my favorite vintage, still good.

Divin Lambic

Complex, light fruit. Big horse blanket finish that fades into the grapes. 4.6

Sophia Lambic

Not bad, but needs more acidity. Fun with the paired wine.

Brabantiae (2018)

A touch more acidity developing over the last 3 years. Still a lovely, funky port flavor dominates. Very light carbonation, dry finish, especially by Cantillon standards. A real gem that is only going to get better with more time.

Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) (2023)

Couple of 4.5s from friends on this had me curious. Maybe a bad bottle, but this sucks hard. Very artificial maple that unpleasantly lingers. Coffee has that green taste you get in overaged coffee stouts. Thank god I just got a single. Drain pour.

Rosé de Gambrinus (2014)

Just shy of 9 years old. Better than the last bottle I opened about a year ago. Lively carbonation, acidity balances more with the funk as it opens up. Fruit is still there. 4.4

KBS Blueberry

I’ve given up on Founders for the most part, but credit where credit is due. Much better as it warms and the blueberry doesn’t dominate so much. Fruit is a little artificial, but solid mouthfeel & a nice mocha flavor lingers. Could use more barrel. 4.1

Vigneronne (2020)

Needs a lot more time. Acidity dominates, funk developing more will help a lot. Much better after some decanting, helps the grapes pop & dissipates the vinegar note that was present right after opening.

Wake Up World Wide Stout

Lots of roasty coffee, hard to tell where it ends and the roast from the base starts. Just a kiss of maple, was hoping for more. It is smooth for the abv, but roast flavor dominates so much more than I’d prefer. Body is on the thin side, too. 3.65

Sang Bleu (2023)

Enjoying more than the last vintage. Acidity does down a lot when it starts to warm/open. Funk pops more. Real good. 4.6

Utopias Barrel-Aged 120 Minute IPA

Finally found a place selling singles. So much smoother than the base. Using fresh barrels gives it a ton of Utopia flavor that dominates. Lingering bitterness reminds you that it’s 120 min. Unique, need another to age.

50°N-4°E (2022)

Subtle barrel. Light acidity. Goes down real well on a hot day. Should age nicely. 4.3

Scarabée

Subtle grape, reminds me of a less acidic Vigneronne. Awesome. 4.6

Geuze Boon Sélection

Wasn’t that long ago that I was so psyched that Trillium was opening a few blocks from Fenway. Now I drink lambic on tap at fucking Yard House rather than drop $15 on 5 oz of stouts or choke down liquid hop burn. What a world.

Tyrnilambic Baie d'Argousier

Unique flavor. Dig it.

Gueuze Loerik (2019)

Solid as is, will be better with time.

Fou’ Foune (2022)

Was hoping for more fruit as in ‘21. Its definitely there, but I prefer the more fruit-forward blends like ‘21 & pre-2015. Funk is young, needs some time to develop. Low acidity for now, too. Should be better with a few more years on it.

Geuze Mariage Parfait (2009)

Not the best vintage. Got better after decanting for a bit. Right out of the bottle, it was almost all funk. Brightened up with a little more acidity coming through over time. 3.9

Rosé de Gambrinus (2014)

So acidic before it opened up. Definitely decant these, if possible. Some time to breathe really made it more balanced with the funk. Still plenty of fruit, too. More of a dry finish than I typically would associate with RdG.

50 Degrees N - 4 Degrees E (Armagnac) (2017)

Has developed a little more acidity with time. Still a lot of barrel, but it’s more balanced now. Glad I have a few more, only going to get better with more time. A little more funk and this is going to be damn near perfect. 4.7

Geuze Mariage Parfait (2014)

Still on the shelves all over. Show me a better $7 lambic.

Ultimate Oktoberfest

Bitter finish is out of place, more like an old ale. Thin bodied for a 10% BA beer. Still, surprisingly not bad. It’s almost like there was a better beer here and it was watered down to bottle more. Wish Avery had BA’d The Kaiser back in the day.

Blushing Padre

Tequila pops more when it warms. Wouldn’t mind a little more. Some carbonation would help, too. Pretty good, all the same.

Drogone Lambic

Not my favorite. Surprisingly enjoying the wine pairing better. Needs a little more acidity, creamy floral note that I am not a huge fan of. Love the label, though. 3.9

Lambic Grenache Blanc (2021)

Sweet for a Cantillon lambic. Like a sweeter Vigneronne. Tasty though. 4.35

Sang Bleu (Camerise)

If you have told me this was wine grape based, I’d believe it. Pretty sharp, lemony acidity up front, but mostly dry finish. Tasty.

Lambic Vin Jaune / La Vie Est Belge (2020)

Unique. Barrel is stronger than most other Cantillon lambics. Very distinct grape flavor that I really like. Abigail S.. was right. 4.85

Fou’ Foune (2021)

Ali’s favorite to celebrate the 10th anniversary of buying our house. This makes 2 years in a row of being back to the Fou I remember pre-2015. Not quite as much fruit as last year, nose is straight apricot. Acidity is mostly balanced by the funk.

Saint Lamvinus (2019)

Best fresh-ish St.Lam I have opened in awhile. Subtle acidity, lots of red wine. Big, barnyard funk that dissipated some as it opened into more balance. Definitely one to decant for the best experience. 4.65

Rosé de Gambrinus (2018)

Solid as always, yet this is a pretty funky vintage. Still dig it.

Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) (2019)

Somehow my first go-around at a “pour your own” place. Too nice of a day not to have a beer outside. Way better than I remember it being back in 2019. Still much lighter maple than previous batches. 4.1

Lou Pepe Framboise (2015)

Best LPF vintage I’ve had recently. Older vintages have been way too acidic, this one is balanced nicely with the funk and fruit. 4.65

Vigneronne (2017)

Even better 20 months since I last had it. Soft fruit, balanced funk and acidity. Bit of a creamy finish that I associate with my favorite lambics. Glad I have a few more, but this is a vintage worth seeking out more, too. 4.85

Fou' Foune (2015)

Damn, this aged nicely. Out of the gate, I remember being less than impressed after how good 2014 was. 6 years on, it’s somehow more juicy and the acidity has mostly overtaken the funk. 8/10 acidity, pushing too much, but went well the Turkey.

Geuze Mariage Parfait (2014)

Still stupid underrated.

Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru (2009)

Figured it would be more carbed by now, still mostly still. Tough to argue the flavor, appreciate these much more than I used to. 4.35

Lou Pepe Framboise (2007)

Still tons of fruit, but tongue melting acidity keeps me from rating higher.

Drogone Lambic (2021)

Zwanze 2020 - Brettrave

Had to miss Zwanze the last 2 years, but at least I still managed to grab a pour of this. Big time funky beet nose. Taste isn’t too far off, pleasant acidity amongst the earthy, funky beet flavor. Interesting is an understatement.

Rosé de Gambrinus (2017)

This developed some strong funk, more than typical by quite a bit. Strong barnyard/feet with a little sulfer that overwhelms the fruit & acidity. Was a bottle from a trade, prob not stored the best before I got my hands on it. Bummer.

Fou' Foune (2020)

Still feel like this is the best vintage in years, prob since 2014. Much more fruit to balance the funk. Damn good. 4.8

Saint Lamvinus (2017)

Fun comparison after the 2005. Less acidity, way more funk. Surprisingly less grape, too. Still super drinkable on a beautiful day on the patio with friends.

Saint Lamvinus (2005)

Oops, missed the best by for fruity taste date by a few years. Not quite as good as the previous time around, but damn good. Still a lot of grape, not overly acidic, but tart of sure. Funk lingers nicely.

Rosé de Gambrinus (2018)

18/19 cork, no date on label. Really nice vintage, more funk than acidity. Not a fruit bomb, either. Just nicely balanced all-around. 4.4

Lou Pepe Gueuze (2010)

More funk than other vintages. As it opens up some more acidity balances. Great sipper to cleanse the palate after the stouts. 4.4

Geuze Mariage Parfait (2014)

Still stupid underrated.

50 Degrees N - 4 Degrees E (2020) (Cognac)

Such a soft, delicate carbonation. Lingering cognac mixed with Cantillon funk. Quite dry. Low acidity, wish there was a little more. Very likely get better with more time, but quite nice fresh.

Lou Pepe Framboise (2012)

Surprisingly quite acidic out of the wine fridge, tempered more by the funk that came out as it got closer to room temperature. Still so much fruit. 4.4

Lou Pepe Gueuze (2006)

Thanks, Kevin F. so nice, delicate funk, balanced acidity.

Fou' Foune (2020)

Best vintage in a long time. Finally has that early 2010 really bright fruit again. Delicate funk, lower acidity than recent vintages, too. Posited perfectly with Thanksgiving dinner, think this is going to be a new tradition. 4.8

KBS Maple Mackinac Fudge

Coffee dominates what little barrel there is as I have come to expect from KBS. Body is better than usual, though. Full, yet light mouthfeel. Bitter fudge. Minimal maple, not nearly as much as CBS. Could use more. Solid & enjoyable all the same. 4.05

Fou' Foune (2012)

Thanks, Kevin F. Aging so well. So much fruit, light acidity balanced with the funk.

Kriek Mariage Parfait (2014)

Cherry comes off a bit artificial, otherwise good.