Made popular by Cantillon and 3 Fonteinen the Gueuze genre of Lambics has become one of the most sought after styles in Sour beer. Very few breweries even make Gueuzes -- reason being it takes years of work barrel-aging to produce a Lambic with the delicate complexities worthy of the Gueuze title.

Brouwerij Boon’s Geuze Mariage Parfait stands out for nailing the intricacies of the style while wielding an 8% ABV (almost twice as high as the average Gueuze). That’s quite an impressive feat to be able to balance booziness at this level without overpowering its subtle juicy honeydew and tart pineapple essence.

The soft, mildly sour raspberry and green grape taste, harmonises with woody aromas from oak barrels’ in which Geuze Mariage Parfait ripens. It graces the palate with a vanilla bean sweetness and spiced oak followed by herbal nuances of green tea discovered in the finish.

95% Lambic, aged at least three years and specially reserved for Gueuzing (I just invented that word), and 5% young Lambic. matures at low temperatures for at least 6 months. “Want to know the bottling date?,” - asked the brewers. “Simply subtract 20 years from the “best before” date!” It’s an awe-inspiring process that produces admirably fruity and cellar-worthy results.

4.13 on BeerAdvocate