Beer Review: 3 Fonteinen Cuvée Miel (Season 20/21) Blend No. 67
Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen (Beersel, Belgium)
Style: Honeyed Oude Geuze
ABV: 7.9% | Bottled: July 28, 2021
3 Fonteinen is the high church of Lambic, and Cuvée Miel is one of their most intriguing experiments. While “honey beer” often implies a cloying sweetness, this is a 3F production, meaning the honey is treated as a fermentable and an aromatic component, not a syrup. Blend No. 67 is a specific assemblage of one-, two-, three-, and even four-year-old lambics, with an average age of 24 months at bottling.
The Process: “Hop Honey”
What makes Blend 67 special is the technique. Honey from the brewery’s own beehives was infused directly on the coolship (the open vessel where the wort is inoculated with wild yeast). During the blending process, additional local honey was added, then refermented in the bottle to provide unique carbonation and a complex floral backbone.
Appearance
It pours a brilliant, glowing orange-gold with a dense, mousse-like white head. The carbonation is vigorous—typical for a honey-refermented geuze—creating a lively, sparkling appearance that holds a thin cap throughout the session.
Aroma
The nose is a wild contrast of sharp funk and delicate blossoms.
Primary: Classic 3F “barnyard” funk, damp hay, and dusty cellar.
Secondary: A distinct floral honey note (think wildflower or linden) that softens the acetic edges.
Fruit: Green apple skin, lemon zest, and a hint of white peach.
Tasting Notes
The Lead: Intense, bright lactic acidity. It’s a sharp “zip” that wakes up the palate immediately.
The Mid-Palate: This is where the honey shines. It isn’t sweet, but it provides a silky, round mouthfeel that balances the tartness. You’ll find notes of beeswax, honeycomb, and dried herbs.
The Finish: Bone-dry. The honey sugars have been completely eaten by the Brettanomyces, leaving behind a subtle earthy bitterness and a lingering floral perfume.
Cuvée Miel Blend No. 67 is a masterwork of “balance through tension.” It takes the aggressive, acidic profile of a four-year-old lambic and polishes it with the soft, ethereal qualities of honey. It is more delicate than a standard Armand & Gaston but carries a deeper, more resonant complexity.
Cellar Note:
While this is drinking beautifully now, the honey aromatics in these blends tend to evolve into fascinating “petrol” and deep floral notes over 5–10 years.