3 Fonteinen Straffe Winter

Technically this is not traditional lambic nor faro, but is kept under lambic faro style for legacy reasons.

The process of the 2019/2020 blend (which has the same recipe) is explained in the following way:
On January 19th 2018, we brewed a full barley malt beer wort, with pilsner, amber and munich malt (but no raw wheat). Whilst on the coolship, we added brown candi sugar. We left this beer to age for over two years on both barrels and small foeders. Prior to bottling, we blended the beer with some young 3 Fonteinen lambic and added a tad more candi sugar. This beer is brewed to Armand’s original recipe!

Note: previous ABV was 8%

3.9

326 reviews

Beersel, Belgium

Community reviews

3.8 Bottle, many thanks for sharing to Werckmeister! Rather clear deep amber color with no head. Aroma is candied sugar, berries, fruity, light funk, a bit sherry. Taste is the same, not too oxidized, nice tartness, lots of caramel and candied sugar, but not too sweet either. Oily mouthfeel, almost flat. Works!

3.9 Pours murky rosehip with minimal off white head. Aromas tart and funky off canned cherries, over ripe apples, oak, acidic fruits, vinegar. Taste has tart and funky notes of over ripe apples apples, oak, brown sugar, apple peel, earth, garden leaves

4.1 Pours a dark brown with a low off white head. Aromas of cherries, bitter almond, oak, ripe fruit. Taste is fruity and oakey with light caramel notes. Mouthfeel is light bodied with moderate carbonation.

3.6 Pours murky brown with low light tan head. Aroma of red and black fruit, oak, light grapes. Taste is medium tart, very oud bruin, light and crisp sour finish. Light and smooth body with average carbonation.

3.2 Bottle thanks to Klimaet? 2008 vintage. Aroma of dark fruits, caramel, vinegar, moldy cellar. Murky brown amber. Taste is dry, vinegar, cellar, paper, oxidation, metal. Light body, dry feel.

3.4 Bottle shared. Pours hazy muddy brown with a small bubbly white head. Aromas of oxidized lambic, caramel, cardboard, orange, vinegar, cellar, dark fruits. Taste has caramel, bright acidity, light vinegar, dark sugar, orange peel, nutty, oxidized malt.

4.2 Bottle shared at the Crooked Stave tasting at Beerlovers Bar, Antwerp. Thank you very much kraddel for bringing this!! Light hazy dark amber copper color with off white to beige head. Malty and light yeasty aroma, caramel, bread, honey notes, light dark and citrus fruits, some funky notes. Sweet and acidic taste. Medium oily body with soft to flat carbonation.

4.1 Thanks to Kraddels. Aroma is musty, sweet honey and a tad cavaillon melon. Taste is caramel, port. A tad oxidised and cardboard, but this is not a problem as it is absorbed by the lambiek. Still funk there. Nice suave palate.

3.4 Bottle shared at Warszawski Festiwal Piwa tasting panel, thanks to Korcz. Light funky and flowery aroma. Taste is medium sweet, light sour. Flavor of red and dry fruits, caramel, light lemon note. Pretty oxidized.

3.8 Rami Rami is drinking a Straffe Winter by Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen at Warszawski Festiwal Piwa 2017 Mega slodziutki zapach, nawet figi kandyzowane sie pokazuja, zboze. Ale jest tez troche kiszonki i octu. Smak mocno kwasny i dziwny.

3.1 Poured from a 750 ml bottle. Aroma is very oxidized with lots of sherry character. Light funk and acidity. The cord on this was warped and slid right out with almost no friction. Pours a copper reddish color with a faint, forced head. Flavor has moderate acidity with hints of citrus and quite a bit of sweetness. Some red apple and tons of sherry notes. Faint funk, but it’s really not super present. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with no carbonation. Low astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall, a bad beer; well, a bad bottle. Both of the previous bottles I have opened have been way better. The cork in this one looks like it was pushed out and then resettled. So much oxidation.

4.2 Hazed amber with a decent haze. Light balsamic and musty aroma. Like a balsamic acidic lollipop with a duller acidic finish. Notes: Bottled in 08 drank in ’16. I bought this bottle at the 3 Fonteinen while living in Belgium in ’09-’11 and brought it back with me. It was aging ~6 more years before opening for a bottle share at Eric’s, Dec ’16.

3.2 Sampled from 2008 750ml bottle and shared by thomas hall. Pours a hazy caramel yellow brown colored brew with a fast dissipating off-white head that leaves behind a film top. Aroma of brown sugar, caramel malt, a hint of dark pitted fruits and oak. Taste is medium bodied, no carbonation with flavors of powdered caramel malt, brown sugar and dark pitted fruits. Finish is neutral with some oxidation and light brown sugar aftertaste.

3.5 Carbonation is gone from this bottle. Brown color. A little sugar and some yeast. Rather than a faro, it is like a we’ll balanced Belgian ale. Even though the palate suffers, it still Has good flavo.

3.0 Hazy dark amber pour with no head. No carbonation at all. Really nice nose a hint of funk and malty sweetness. Taste is nice but you must wonder what it would have been like when carbonated. Malty toffee and some funk.

3.4 Bomber shared by Tom - thanks! 2008 bottle shared in 2017. No pop on opening, yes, this went flat. Damn shame. Nice aroma, but the palate is thin and flat. Darn, wound love to try this in its prime.

3.6 75cl bottle shared at tasting. Caramel brown pour. Aroma is sugar and tart. Taste is flat, lost carbonation unfortunately. Wish I could try a good bottle of this. Bummer.

4.0 750ml bottle. 2008 Vintage. Poured a cloudy amber color with an off white head. Some sour fruits, spices, a bit funky, and citrus.

4.3 BB backlog, Bottle in 2013, think it was a 2008 vintage. Pours amber with small sized head. Notes of wet oak, lactic lemon, horse blanket, blackberry, sherry and light caramel. Pretty sour but also has some more belgian fruit notes. Body and carbonation were light to medium. Glad I was able to try this one but prefer gueuze. re-rate in 2020 with simon. Old 3f cedary goodness, Arnold Palmer, Oude bruin, berries, lemons, and light caramel, but it’s so bright and tart at 12 years old. Light carb. Lovely

3.5 Shared by Andy. No head, brown. So, guess it’s a good faro. Not to sweet and I guess there is Lambic. I like the Lambic but the sweetness is still weird. Sugar sour.

3.7 750 mL bottle. Originally reviewed 9/20/2014. Deep hazy orange. No head. Smells kinda funky. Orange. Dry grass. A little lemony acidity. Taste much more sour than I expected. Lemon. A bit of vinegar. Woody. Some deep brown sugar. A bit of oxidation. Medium body. Medium carbonation. I thought this would be terrible, but it’s pretty good. Very sour.

4.0 Köpt på Bishop Örebro. Brun- orange grumlig färg. Kryddig doft av jordkällare, cider och lagrad äppelmos. Mustig och kraftfull kropp. Lite kolsyra. Smak av syltade och torkade äpplen, sultanrussin, calvados, knäck, ekfat och vinäger. Kryddig och funky.

3.9 Flaska bishops 75 cl. Orangebrun vätska. Mustig doft av övermogna äpplen, russin och stall. Sötsyrlig smak av torkad frukt, kryddor, trä, citron och funk. Låg kolsyrehalt.

3.9 Bottle shared at DHVL. Hazy amber brown with a bubbly light tan head. Aroma is oxidized with big sherry notes, toffee, tart fruits and a light funk. Flavour is moderate sweet and sour, with very citric acidity in the finish. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

3.7 Sample at the Heren van Liedekercke courtesy of Kermis. Vintage 2010 Thin white head. Cloudy amber pour. Tart sugary oxidised aftertaste.

3.7 Amber pour with VERY minimal off-white head. Thank you, Adam, for sharing this! Smells like a fake sweet cherry lollipop. Not loving this aroma. Mouthfeel is weak. But the flavor is good for what this is. While there’s some sediment in this pour, this tastes like moldy cherry pie. Oxidation has definitely kicked in. It’s still drinkable and pretty solid, overall. Given that this is a faro, I’m going to be a bit more lenient with my rating...

3.8 (750ml 2008 bottle @ Delirium Cafe, July 27th 2015) Pours fairly clear iced tea colour with a small head of big bubbles and no lace. Aroma is like a hybrid of Flanders bruin and barley wine, sweet and tart with lots of dried fruit, especially prunes and figs and sweet grapes, fortified wine notes (moscatel or tawny port) give a vinous feel, fairly oxidized, oak and a slightly sulphurous funk in the background. On the palate, not nearly as sweet, with a big component of acetic acid for a lambic. Oxidized, moderately funky, crabapple and golden raisins, hints of caramel. Funk towards the finish, some sulphur, hint of mint, oaky. Light bodied with carb almost all gone. I think this had got a little past it (and perhaps not the best venue for handling...), nose promised more but the oxidation had got to the palate. Still quite interesting, would have been even better in slightly nicer condition.

3.8 Bottle thanks to Rick, pours a cloudy orange with small off white head. Aroma is bandaids,feet, and funk. Medium mouth with tart fruit and light funk, very good.

4.4 75cl bottle from 2008, pours red brown to amber, a little hazey. Small white head, quickly dissipating. This is a specialty lambic, closest to a faro since dark candi sugar was added, though the Lambic portion was untraditional using some amber and Munich malts. Wheat is its main ingredient. 8ABV, one time brew. Great sweet-sour balance, oak, lactic acid, earthy notes, lambic and dark candi. Also whiskey notes. Beautiful!

4.0 Bottle at S&G Tasting. Many many thanks to Mathieu87 for this bottle. Rating #2000. APPEARANCE: clouded blond beer, small unstable white head. NOSE: caramel, little sour. TASTE: rather sweet, but very sour, some carbonation, very very nice faro! Aged quite amazing actually!