Initially, Goût Américain was presented to me by a friend as scraping the top of her summer wish list. Therefore, it was a no-brainer that we had to share a bottle or two of this Oude Geuze blend of 1, 2 and 3 year-old lambic.
After a quick dash with Mikkeller Running Club Aarhus, we jumped into the bottle shop where, to our surprise, we found them standing almost untouched after a week! Slightly flabbergasted, we asked to have one put in the fridge and while we waited, our swollen, perspiring heads started wondering how it would taste like.
Would it be as characterized by sourness as promised by the brewery as a result of American influence? What about fruitiness? Was there going to be a balance or will it be completely off? One thing we were grateful for was Boon’s down-stepped foot regarding the American idea to make malt vinegar. That was a big, fat no! “No one wants to drink salad dressing (in Belgium at least)” they stated.
After an hour or so, we couldn’t wait any longer. Yanked it out, popped it open and poured a golden color with a small, off-white head. Aroma is grapefruit, oak, funky notes, and barnyard. A near-perfect complex Champagne-like balance of acidity and fruitiness dominates taste. Smooth and not too sour with an acetic sting, just like promised.
Drink it with cheese.