Lambiek Fabriek Scores Phenomenal Hat-trick at Brussels Beer Challenge 2023
Gold, silver and bronze, all in one category
Just like last year, Lambiek Fabriek is one of the revelations of the Brussels Beer Challenge. The young lambic brewery from Sint-Pieters-Leeuw won no fewer than three medals in the 'Old Style Gueuze-Lambic' category. Gold was for the Organic Geuze Natur-Elle, Young & Wild Fontan-Elle was awarded silver, and the Oude Geuze Brett-Elle took bronze. Lindemans Oude Gueuze Cuvée René shared second place. Gueuzerie Tilquin also got to take home a bronze medal for its Oude Gueuze à l'Ancienne Cuvée Marie-Catherine.
During the previous edition of the Brussels Beer Challenge, Jo Panneels and Jozef Van Bosstraeten of Lambiek Fabriek also surprised many beer enthusiasts. Back then, they won four medals with their beers. With this year's three trophies added, the brewing duo will soon have 11 major awards from this internationally renowned beer competition hanging on the wall.
"The fact that our gueuzes, after a professional jury tasted them blind, were all rewarded a medal exceeds our wildest dreams. Meanwhile, a fortnight ago, we added a fourth gueuze blend to our range: the Sporty Geuze Origin-Elle. It is a gueuze for the real sportsmen, the 'wannabee' sportsmen and those who prefer not to play sports," Jo Panneels laughs.
His fellow brewer Jozef Vanbosstraeten clarifies: "For this gueuze, we looked for very soft and easy-to-drink lambics. It results in a real everyman's friend of 6.5 per cent that is never difficult and has its place nicely alongside its bigger brothers Oude Geuze Brett-Elle, Fontan-Elle and Natur-Elle."
Gold-medal winning Natur-Elle is an organic gueuze that contains 6.2 per cent alcohol. The lambics in this blend are from different vintages and were brewed using only organically grown ingredients. The Young & Wild Fontan-Elle (6.3 per cent vol.) is a blend of about two-year-old lambics, selected based on their aroma. The Oude Geuze Brett-Elle contains the same amount of alcohol as the Fontan-Elle but can carry the European Guaranteed Traditional Speciality logo because it is a traditional blend of home-brewed lambics that have matured in oak barrels. Both Natur-Elle, Fontan-Elle and Brett-Elle are unfiltered and unpasteurised.
Lambiek Fabriek was founded in 2016 and is based in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Jo Panneels and Jozef Vanbosstraeten brew their lambic in-house and then mature it in oak barrels.
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