Traditional Belgian-Style Gueuze Lambic Style
- Color: Gold to medium amber
- Clarity: Cloudiness is acceptable, as Gueuze is traditionally bottle conditioned.
- Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Sweet malt character is not present
- Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Not present to very low and can include cheesy, floral or lavender-like attributes.
- Perceived Bitterness: Very low
- Fermentation Characteristics: These unflavored blended and secondary fermented Lambic beers may be very dry or mildly sweet and are characterized by intense fruity ester, sour, and acidic attributes. Diacetyl should not be present. Characteristic horsey, goaty, leathery and phenolic aromas and flavors derived from Brettanomyces yeast are often present at moderate levels. Old Lambic is blended with newly fermenting young Lambic to create this special style of Lambic. Vanillin and other wood-derived flavors should not be present. Carbonation can be none (flat) to medium.
- Body: Very low with dry mouthfeel
- Additional notes: Gueuze Lambics, whose origin is the Brussels area of Belgium, are often simply called Gueuze Lambic. Versions of this beer style made outside of the Brussels area are said to be “Belgian-Style Gueuze Lambics.” The Belgian-style versions are made to resemble many of the beers of true origin. Historically, traditional Gueuze Lambics are dry and completely attenuated, exhibiting no residual sweetness either from malt, sugar or other sweeteners. Traditionally, Gueuze is brewed with unmalted wheat, malted barley, and stale, aged hops.
Traditional Belgian-Style Gueuze Lambic Vital Statistics
- Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.044-1.056 (11-13.8 °Plato)
- Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.000-1.010 (0.0-2.6 °Plato)
- Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 4.0%-7.0% (5.0%-8.9%)
- Bitterness (IBU) 11-23
- Color SRM (EBC) 6-13(12-26 EBC)
2020 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines used with permission of Brewers Association.