Vieux Bois Gueuze by Bozeman Brewing Co. is a Gueuze and is being evaluated as a Gueuze (category 23E in the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Gueuzes are unfruited lambics that are blends of one, two and three-year-old vintages. Gueuzes are traditionally spontaneously fermented leading to a complex wild character with flavors such as horse blanket, leather and barnyard and a pleasant, moderate sourness. This #2 version of the 2019 Gueuze is a blend of one, two and three-year-old “lambic-inspired” ales aged is French and American oak barrels. “Vieux Bois” translates as “old wood” in French.
Vieux Bois Gueuze pours golden in color with a slight haze and a small, quickly fading white head. The aroma is prominent lactic sourness with a light wild note of leather and a hint of tropical fruitiness. The body is medium-light and moderate in carbonation. The flavor has a moderate level of clean, lactic sourness with a tropical fruit note of pineapple. The finish is lightly bittered leaving a dry, sour, thirst-quenching beverage.
This is a pleasant, easy-drinking sour beer, but the wild character is restrained to a simple lactic sourness and a hint of leather; more prominent wild flavors are typical for the style. Seek this one out sour beer fans!