3 Fonteinen Cuvée Armand & Gaston
Description
3 Fonteinen Cuvée Armand & Gaston is a geuze blend consisting of lambics brewed only at 3 Fonteinen. It has been bottled in 1.5 L, 750 mL, and 375 mL bottles and is labeled as 6% ABV.
History / Other Notes
Cuvée Armand & Gaston was first released in June of 2016, after being bottled during the fall and winter of 2015. Of each blend of the 2015 bottings, excluding the 1.5 L bottling (released in December 2018 as Cuvée Armand & Gaston Vintage), approximately 10% were put away for extended aging by the brewery, another 10% were kept aside for 3 Fonteinen's new tasting room, 30% are meant for international export, and the remaining 50% were reserved for Belgian distribution including 3 Fonteinen's own shop.
The first release in 2016 consists only of lambic brewed by 3 Fonteinen in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The oldest lambic in the blend is some of the first lambic brewed on the new 40 hl brewing system installed in the same year. It was bottled in 375 mL and 750 mL bottles for distribution. 1.5 L bottles are currently aging with an undetermined release date. It was released with 3 Fonteinen's paper labels.
The batches bottled in the fall of 2016 were released during Toer de Geuze 2017 and bottled in the new screen printed bottles.
Bottle Log
| Bottle Date (mm/dd/yyyy) | Bottle Size | Label / Notes | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/06/2015 | 750 mL | Approximately 5,000 bottles | - |
| 10/07/2015 | 375 mL | Approximately 8,750 bottles | - |
| 10/20/2015 | 750 mL | Approximately 3,800 bottles | 
|
| 12/10/2015 | 375 mL | Approximately 10,500 bottles | 
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| 10/14/2016 | 750 mL | 1st blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended from lambics aged on 4 different barrels, originating from wort of 8 different brews. 5.20% ABV | 
|
| 10/20/2016 | 750 mL | 2nd blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended from lambics aged on 7 different barrels, originating from wort of 10 different brews. 5.40% ABV | - |
| 11/16/2016 | 750 mL | 6th blend of the 2016-17 season | 
|
| 11/21/2016 | 750 mL | 7th blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended from lambics aged on 4 different barrels, originating from wort of 5 different brews. 5.00% ABV | 
|
| 01/25/2017 | 375 mL | 17th blend of the 2016-17 season | - |
| 01/27/2017 | 375 mL | 18th blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended from lambics aged and matured on 4 different barrels, originating from wort of 7 different brews. The old lambic was brewed with slightly darker malts and was destined for another Straffe Winter (but we actually forgot about it...) | 
|
| 02/14/2017 | 375 mL | 19th blend of the 2016-17 season | - |
| 02/27/2017 | 375 mL | 20th blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended from lambics aged and matured
on 4 different barrels, originating from wort of 7 different brews. The old lambic was brewed with slightly darker malts and was destined for another Straffe Winter (but we actually forgot about it...). 5.00% ABV | |
| 02/28/2017 | 375 mL | 21st blend of the 2016-17 season. This specific geuze was blended with lambics that have matured in 8 different barrels coming from 9 different brews. The old lambic contains organic honey that was added to our cooling ship during cooling. 5.5% ABV | 
|
| 03/07/2017 | 1.5 L | 22nd blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended from lambics aged and matured on 6 different barrels, originating from wort of 9 different brews. 5.30% ABV | 
|
| 03/08/2017 | 1.5 L | 23rd blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics aged on 4 different barrels, originating from wort of 6 different brews. 5.10% ABV | 
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| 10/26/2017 | 375 mL | 54th blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics aged on 5 different barrels, originating from wort of 7 different brews. 5.5% ABV | - |
| 11/09/2017 | 375 mL | 56th blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics aged on 7 different barrels, originating from wort of 7 different brews. Just before bottling, lavender and linden honey were added to the blend. 5.0% ABV | - |
| 11/14/2017 | 750 mL | 57th blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics aged on 8 different barrels, originating from wort of 9 different brews. 5.2% ABV | - |
| 11/15/2017 | 750 mL | 58th blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics aged on 9 different barrels, originating from wort of 10 different brews. 5.0% ABV | - |
| 11/21/2017 | 750 mL | 60th blend of the 2016-17 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics agedon 9 different barrels originating from 8 different brews. Some local honey was added to the blend. | - |
| 01/11/2018 | 375 mL | 11th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 8 different barrels originating from 8 different brews. 6.2% ABV. | - |
| 01/16/2018 | 750 mL | 12th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 9 different barrels originating from 11 different brews. 6.1% | - |
| 01/19/2018 | 750 mL | 17th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 8 different barrels originating from 10 different brews. 5.9% | - |
| 01/24/2018 | 750 mL | 19th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 6 different barrels originating from 11 different brews. 6.1% | - |
| 01/31/2018 | 750 mL | 22nd blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 9 different barrels originating from 12 different brews. 6.2% | - |
| 02/07/2018 | 375 mL | 23rd blend of the 2017-18 season. 6.4% ABV. | - |
| 03/08/2018 | 375 mL | 26th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics from 6 different barrels originating from 5 different brews. The oldest portion of lambic was brewed in the first days of 2015 and accounts for almost one third of the blend. | - |
| 03/12/2018 | 750 mL | 29th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics from 6 different barrels originating from 5 different brews. The oldest portion of lambic was brewed in the first days of 2015. This is a perfect Oude Geuze for long term cellaring! | - |
| 03/14/2018 | 750 mL | 27th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics from 7 different barrels and originating from 10 different brews. The oldest portion of lambic was brewed on October 22nd, 2014. This is a perfect Oude Geuze for long term cellaring! | - |
| 03/21/2018 | 1.5 L | 25th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 6 different barrels and originating from 5 different brews. The oldest portion in this blend was brewed around January 2015. There are 8 different back labels for this geuze, each having a different quote from Armand. | - |
| 05/04/2018 | - | 55th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvé Armand and Gaston has been blended with lambics from 5 different barrels and originating from 6 different brews. The oldest portion was brewed on May 9th, 2014 and about 17% of the lambic was around four years old when bottled. | 
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| 05/08/2018 | 1.5 L | 56th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand and Gaston has been blended with lambics from 6 different barrels and originating from 8 different brews. This blend was finished with local linden honey. | 
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| 05/22/2018 | 375 mL | 57th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 7 different barrels originating from 9 different brews. The oldest portion of lambic was brewed on 21 October 2014. Local honey was also added. | 
|
| 06/26/2018 | 375 mL | 66th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand and Gaston has been blended with lambic from 7 different barrels originating from 11 different brews. The oldest portion of lambic was brewed on the 28th of November 2014. While blending, we added spring honey from our own bee(hives). | 
|
| 07/24/2018 | 750 mL | 69th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand and Gaston has been blended with lambics from 8 different barrels and originating from 8 different brews. The oldest portion was brewed on November 28th 2014 and about 15% of the lambic was destined for a Straffe Winter... | 
|
| 09/20/2018 | 1.5 L | 76th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 7 different barrels and origiatning from 7 brews. The oldest portion in this lend was brewed mid November 2015. This is the exact same blend as number 77 (which has been bottled on 750ml) | 
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| 9/21/2018 | 750 mL | 77th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 7 different barrels and origiatning from 7 brews. The oldest portion in this lend was brewed mid November 2015. This is the exact same blend as number 76 (bottled on magnum) | 
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| 9/26/2018 | 375 mL | 79th blend of the 2017-18 season. This specific Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic from 5 different barrels coming from 9 brews. This blend is 48% young and oud lambic from 5 diffrent brews. | 
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| 9/27/2018 | 375 mL | 80th blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 7 different barrels and originating from 13 brews. This blend contains 48% matured and old lambics from 8 different brews. | 
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| 10/03/2018 | 375 mL | 81st blend of the 2017-18 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 8 different barrels and originating from 9 brews. This blend contains 47% matured and old lambics from 6 different brews. | 
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| 11/16/2018 | 750 mL | 2nd blend of the 2018-19 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 9 different barrels and originating from 6 brews. This blend contains 50% young and 50% old lambic. | 
|
| 12/11/2018 | 375 mL | 13th blend of the 2018-19 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 6 different barrels origiating from 12 different brews. This blend consists of 45% two- and three-year old lambmics, originating from 6 brews. | 
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| 12/13/2018 | 750 mL | 14th blend of the 2018-19 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 6 different barrels originating from 9 different brews and contains 40% old lambic, of which a portion was brewed on the first brewday of 2016. | 
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| 01/28/2019 | 750 mL | 36th blend of the 2018-19 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 8 different barrels and originating from 8 different brews. At the moment of bottling, the average age of the blend was 18 months = 55% young + 30% 2-year old + 15% 3-year old lambic. | 
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| 02/14/2019 | 375 mL | 39th blend of the 2018-19 season. This specific Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic from 3 different barrels origiating from 3 different brews. Each barrel was a different age. 45% two-year and three year old lambic. The average age at bottling was 20 months. | 
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| 02/21/2019 | 375 mL | 41st blend of the 2018-19 season. This specific Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic from 4 different barrels coming from 5 differnet brews. The oldest lambic was brewed on 24 April 2015 and the average age at bottling was 23 months. | 
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| 03/01/2019 | 750 mL | 48th blend fo the 2018-19 season. This specific Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic from 5 different barrels coming from 9 different brews. The oldest lambic 4 years old and was brewed in the beginning of 2015. | 
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| 03/04/2019 | 1.5 L | 49th blend of the 2018-19 season. This specific Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic coming from 5 different barrels coming from 10 different brews. The oldest lambic was brewed beginning 2016. This blend contains only young and 3-year-old lambic. | 
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| 03/20/2019 | 750 mL | 54th blend of the 2018-19 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston has been blended with lambics from 8 different barrels and originating from 9 different brews. At the moment of bottling, the average age of the blend was 20 months = 40% young 32% 2-year old 20% 3-year old. | 
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| 03/22/2019 | 375 mL | 55th blend of the 2018-19 season. This specific Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic coming from 5 different barrels coming from 5 differnet brews. The oldest lambic was brewed in the first days of 2016. | 
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| 04/26/2019 | 750 mL | 68th blend of the 2018-19 season. This specific Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic from three different barrels coming from 3 different brews. This blend consists of only 1 & 3-year-old lambic with a weighted average of approximately 18 months. | 
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| 05/08/2019 | 750 mL | 70th blend of the 2018-19 season. This particular Armand and Gaston has been blended with lambics from three different barrels and originating from five different brews, with a weighted aveage age during bottling of 18 months, with 1-year-old and 20% 3-year-old lambic. | 
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| 11/18/2019 | 750 mL | 4th blend of the 2019-20 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic from 8 different barrels and no less than 10 different brews. This blend also has some of our own summer honey added. The olded lamtic was brewed during the beginning of season 16-17, so end of 2016. One of the lambics was also brewed with fresh Coigneau hop, a local lambik variety. | 
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| 11/20/2019 | 750 mL | 5th blend of the 2019-20 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic from 7 different barrels and no less than 11 different brews. This blend was then finished with freshly brewed lambic wort. The oldest lambic was brewed in the begining of season 16/17, so end 2016. More than a third of the blend is with lambic of two and three years. | 
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| 11/20/2019 | 750 mL | New label, non-screen printed bottle. 5th blend of the 2019-20 season. This particular Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambic from 7 different barrels and no less than 11 different brews. This blend was then finished with freshly brewed lambic wort. The oldest lambic was brewed in the begining of season 16/17, so end 2016. More than a third of the blend is with lambic of two and three years. | 
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| 03/04/2020 | 750 mL | 57th blend of the 2019-2020 season, non screen-printed bottle. This specific Cuvée Armand & Gaston was blended with lambics originating from four different barrels and brews. Technically, this is not an "Oude" geuze as we only used 1 and 2-year-old lambics, still this blend has a weighted average of fifteen months. We could not hold ourselves as this is the very first time that we used lambic with Pajottenland grown wheat! This is a first step forward after three years of preparation. As of season 20-21, we will exclusively brew with Pajot grown barley and wheat! | 
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Label
Label Text (Dutch):
Assemblage van jonge, halfoude en oude lambieken, gebrouwen door 3 Fonteinen. Honderd ten honderd natuurlijk en authentiek, spontaan en ietwat koppig, maar steeds elegant en karaktervol. Pure Passie zoals Armand en Gaston het altijd hebben gedaan.
Label Text (French):
Assemblage de jeunes, mi-vieux et vieux lambic, brassés par 3 Fonteinen. Cent pour cent naturel, authentique, spontané et un peu têtu, mais toujours élégant et plein de caractère. La Pure Passion, comme Armand et Gaston l’ont toujours fait.
Label Text (English translation):
Blend of young, middle-aged, and old lambics, brewed by 3 Fonteinen. One hundred percent natural, authentic, spontaneous, and a bit stubborn, but always elegant and full of character. The Pure Passion, as Armand and Gaston have always done.
