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Toer de Geuze 2017 is May 6-7

Chuck Cook

April 27, 2017

Brouwerij Mort Subite, our first stop at Toer de Geuze 2015.

Wooden foeders and stainless fermenters at Mort Subite.

At Brouwerij Mort Subite in Kobbegem, the brewery is named after a game of chance played in a Brussels pub beginning around 1910. The pub bears the same name as the brewery and sells the Mort Subite beers. While Mort Subite has a reputation of offering a lot of sweetened brews to the public, the fact is that the brewery crafts fine straight lambics. They also offer traditional, unsweetened Oude Gueuze and Oude Kriek beers that are both worth seeking out. These beers are not often seen outside their home market, which is unfortunate. The brewery is owned by Alken-Maes, a larger Belgian brewery, which is in turn owned by Dutch giant Heineken. This corporate ownership may explain why the brewery, while open for Toer de Geuze 2017, did not contribute any lambic to the 2017 HORAL Mega Blend (or the 2015.)

From the brewery: “After the tour you can participate in a tasting. In the tent in the courtyard you can enjoy delicious local sausages with Geuze, a music band in the background. There is also children’s entertainment.”

The brewhouse at Mort Subite is inside this building. You can see through the glass wiindows.

Inside the copper brewhouse at Brouwerij Mort Subite.

The brewery itself, which was formerly called Brouwerij De Keersmaeker, is an old gem. It’s beautiful, shining copper brewhouse can be seen from the street, and it’s rows of huge foeders in cavernous barrel rooms are impressive.

Jonge Platte Lambic from Mort Subite. Translation: young lambic.

The sign says the foeders are used for aging for lambic up to 5 years.

Site manager Bruno Reynders pulling a sample of lambic from a foeder.

Bruno Reynders of Mort Subite with a glass of lambic from a foeder.

During the 2015 tour, I started with the Jonge Platte Lambic (young lambic) which was very good. There was also a Witte Lambic that was also good, as well as the Oude Gueuze and Oude Kriek. I assume this year they will have straight lambic as well as possibly some new beers.