- Belgium
- Mixed Ferm
- ABV = 5.0 – 8.0% (Normal to elevated)^
- IBU = 0-10
- SRM = 5-6
A pleasantly sour, but balanced, wild Belgian wheat beer with a complex character from spontaneous fermentation.
More complex and carbonated than lambic.
Appearance:
- Colour^ = Light gold to gold
- Clarity = Excellent
Key Aromas & Flavours:
Aroma
- Malt = None to low; lightly bready, grainy, honey, or wheat-like, if present
- Hops = None
- Yeast + Bacteria = Low to moderate; fruity esters (citrus fruit, citrus rind, pome fruit, rhubarb) / Moderate to high; barnyard, leather, earthy, goaty, hay, horsey or horse blanket “funk” / Moderate; acidity
- Other = (Optional: a light oak aroma is considered acceptable)
Flavour
- Malt = Low; bready, grainy
- Hops = None
- Yeast + Bacteria = Low to moderate; fruity esters (citrus fruit, citrus rind, pome fruit, rhubarb) / Moderate to high; barnyard, leather, earthy, goaty, hay, horsey or horse blanket “funk” / Moderate; acidity
- Perceived Bitterness^ = Low
- Other = (Optional: light oak, vanilla and honey notes acceptable)
- Balance = Even; a balanced, moderately sour presentation is expected, with fruity and funky notes providing complexity (acidity provides most of the balance, not bitterness)
Aftertaste/Finish
Crisp, dry finish with a tart and funky aftertaste
Mouthfeel:
- Body = Light
- Carbonation = High
- Astringency = Has a low to high tart, puckering quality without being sharply astringent
- Alcohol warmth = Some versions have a very light warming character
Characteristic Ingredients/Processes:
- Malt = Pilsner malt, plus unmalted wheat
- Hops = Aged continental hop varietals (3+ years); for preservation, not bitterness
- Yeast + Bacteria = Spontaneously fermented
- Process = Spontaneously fermented with naturally occurring yeast and bacteria in well-used, neutral oak barrels. Gueuze is traditionally produced by blending and cellaring one, two, and three-year old lambic. Blending may be performed outside the brewery.
Historical Development:
Spontaneously fermented beer from the area in and around Brussels (the Senne Valley and Pajottenland) stemming from a farmhouse brewing and blending tradition several centuries old.
Some modern producers are sweetening their products post-fermentation to make them more palatable to a wider audience. These guidelines describe the traditional dry product. Products marked “oude” or “vieille” are considered most traditional.
Commercial Examples:
Boon Oude Gueuze, 3 Fonteinen Oud Gueuze, Girardin Gueuze 1882 (Black label)
^Sourced from the Cicerone Certification Program’s International Certified Beer Server Syllabus (Version 5.0)
All other information is sourced from the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines.
Discovering Beer is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Cicerone® Certification Program.
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