This beer was completely flat, a medium caramel brown in color with a tart, rich, cherry-like aroma. It was surprisingly sweet, and at first taste we were convinced we'd been given a kriek. Our host explained to us that in some cases gueuze can get sweeter with age (!), and that, no, there were no cherries in this beer.
The initial flavor was quite full, tart, slightly caramel- and cherry-like, a bit like Rodenbach Grand Cru or Alexander but with more of the lambic funkiness, less acidity, and no oakiness.
The consensus at the table was that the beer had reached a state of maturity, or peak flavor and character.
As with older wines, exposure to oxygen produced some interesting effects. We drank our glasses over a 20-30 minute period, and different tastes and flavors would come forward and then retreat again. Most notable was a banana-like flavor that only lasted a few minutes.
The Wets brewery no longer exists. A line of gueuze products is still available under that name, but our host said these are made by the Brasserie Girardin. Later comparison showed that modern Wets and Girardin bottles are identical.
Here the effects of exposure to oxygen were very dramatic. Following the initial pour the beer was well carbonated, quite similar to the current Goudenband in body, but slightly darker and with brown tints in the head. Then there was the flavor and aroma. As beer snobs we had a hard time coming to agreement--did it taste more like a washcloth that's been laying around wet for three days, or just a really bad pair of smelly socks?
However, within ten minutes all the washcloth smell and flavor had vented off, leaving the beer with a rather convincing flavor of cabernet sauvignon. Slightly fruity, slightly tannic, very wine-like. Fortunately it stayed that way, at least until we were finished with our glasses. A remarkable performance.
Our host introduced this beer by saying it was the same style and type as the one we'd previously had, though obviously the year of production (and therefore some of the microflora used in the brewing) were different. In fact, the two beers could hardly have been more different.
This beer was also flat, with the color of dark milk chocolate. The aroma and flavor were very pronounced, and featured bitter chocolate, coffee, and strong caramel. A lot like drinking strong coffee flavored with cocoa powder and butterscotch, rather bitter but not overpoweringly so. In fact, a lot like Mexican mole sauce.
Our surprise was evident, and we asked how two ostensibly similar beers could turn out so differently. The reply was that, well, after ten years the development gets unpredictable. I can't say I'd drink a beer like this very often, but it was not objectionable and certainly an interesting experience.
Unfortunately no aged Trappist beers like Westvleteren Abt or Chimay Bleu were available, but a stock of Orval had been retained. At the time this bottle was produced Orval as 5.6% ABV; now it's 5.2%.
Despite the crown cap it had retained plenty of carbonation. In fact, it tasted a lot like Orval, particularly with regard to the "hair tonic" yeast flavors. If anything, it had just softened a little, possibly due to the decline in hop flavors. Any reasonably experienced beer drinker could have pegged this as Orval blindfolded. Was it really bottled in 1968? I had to wonder.
Last Updated: 16 August, 1995
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