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 1,5L, 750ml, and 375ml bottles and is labeled as 6% ABV.
History / Other Notes
Cuvée Armand & Gaston was first released in June of 2016 after being bottled the fall and winter of 2015. Of each blend of the 2015 bottings, excluding the 1.5L 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-hectoliter brewing system installed in the same year. It was bottled in 375ml and 750ml bottles for distribution. 1.5L 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 were bottled in the new screen printed bottles.
Bottle Log
| Bottle Date (mm/dd/yyyy) | Bottle Size | Label / Notes | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/06/2015 | 750ml | Approximately 5,000 bottles | - |
| 10/07/2015 | 375ml | Approximately 8,750 bottles | - |
| 10/20/2015 | 750ml | Approximately 3,800 bottles | 
|
| 12/10/2015 | 375ml | Approximately 10,500 bottles | 
|
| 10/14/2016 | 750ml | 1st blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 750ml | 2nd blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 750ml | 6th blend of the 2016-2017 season | 
|
| 11/21/2016 | 750ml | 7th blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 375ml | 17th blend of the 2016-2017 season | - |
| 01/27/2017 | 375ml | 18th blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 375ml | 19th blend of the 2016-2017 season | - |
| 02/27/2017 | 375ml | 20th blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 375ml | 21st blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 1.5L | 22nd blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 1.5L | 23rd blend of the 2016-2017 season. This particular geuze is blended with lambics aged on 4 different barrels, originating from wort of 6 different brews. 5.10% ABV | 
|
| 10/26/2017 | 375ml | 54th blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 375ml | 56th blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 750ml | 57th blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 750ml | 58th blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 750ml | 60th blend of the 2016-2017 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 | 375ml | 11th blend of the 2017-2018 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 | 750ml | 12th blend of the 2017-2018 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 | 750ml | 17th blend of the 2017-2018 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 | 750ml | 19th blend of the 2017-2018 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 | 750ml | 22nd blend of the 2017-2018 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 | 375ml | 23rd blend of the 2017-2018 season. 6.4% ABV. | - |
| 03/08/2018 | 375ml | 26th blend of the 2017-2018 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 | 750ml | 29th blend of the 2017-2018 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 | 750ml | 27th blend of the 2017-2018 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 | 1.5L | 25th blend of the 2017-2018 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. | - |
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.