Our pal David Ciccolo over at The Publick House in Brookline, MA just
forwarded the bro and I this announcement from Frank Boon (Brouwerij
Boon), including Boon's vessel and tasting notes on each of the
Mariage Parfait casks.

Not only am I drooling over this, but I can't believe that I'm
actually going to get a chance to taste both of these casks next week!
I won't tell you how much the kegs cost David (I'll allow him to post
that), but let's just say that if you're in the Boston area ... you
might want to clear your schedule.

Boon Vintage Lambic Vertical Tasting - May 22 @ The Monk's Cell

http://beeradvocate.com/events/info/13859

(I'm not sure who else will be buying these due to the limited
availability and cost. Contact Vanberg & DeWulf for more info or my
follow-up post below ...)

I've got a Kriek Boon in the fridge. Time to decant, drink, enjoy, and
hopefully get my heart to start beating again.

Proost!

Todd

# -- the following is directly from Frank Boon

3 Year-Old "Oude Lambeiak Boon Mariage Parfait" Single-Cask Kegs

Exclusively for Vertical Tastings in the US Market

As a traditional Brewer and Blender of Lambics it is a strange idea
for me to see the name "Lambic" being used for any beer with fruit or
lactic acidity. But in these days of hyper-marketing we can't be
surprised when non-traditional products are sold with traditional
names and little else.

But I feel passionately that consumers deserve to know first hand the
real thing. Lovers of Lambic in Belgium describe it as drink that
tastes between a chardonnay-wine and fine whisky because it is brewed
like whisky but fermented with the same wild yeasts as chardonnay.
This is the product I want to share with you--real, authentic,
traditional old style Lambic.

Lambic is the oldest Belgian style, brewed with malt and wheat and
spontaneously fermented on oak vats. After 18 months Lambic develops
its typical taste. Aged for more than 3 years, Lambic acquires its
finest qualities. And at this point Lambic has no carbonation (like
wine).

Each year Boon Brewery bottles 240 HL of 3-year old Lambic,
transformed into Geuze Mariage Parfait after another 6 months of re-
fermentation and aging in bottles.

But this year, especially for demanding consumers in America, so they
can experience the sublime product we know and love as Lambic in
Belgium, we made 2 separate keg runs from two single casks of our 3
year old Lambic.

I hope you will take the time to taste them both, compare them both,
and enjoy them both!

Proost!

Frank BOON [signed]

#

Cask 17B - 90.13 Hectos

Description
Cask 17B has 9013 liters of content, was made of winter oak (quercus
petraea) in the 1930-ies and was polished inside before filling. It
was filled with two brews, #O71 and #O72 from February 17th and 18th
2004. The original gravity was 15, 30° Plato and the apparent
fermentation degree reached 100% in November 2006. At the moment of
kegging the alcohol% was 7.9% Vol.

Flavor Notes
The Lambic of this cask has a very nice woody character: cloves,
vanilla and the typical whisky-lactone. The abundant lactic acid from
the young beer was converted at a high degree into esters, forming
together with other ethyl-esters the typical citrus-muscat complex.
Tannins from the oak and beta-bitterness from the aged hops complete
the whisky-bitterness of this wonderful Lambic.

Serving
14°C (57.2°F). If lambic becomes effervescent, serve it with a pitcher
(stir it a little bit) and let it stand for 10 minutes.

#

CASK 52 - 87.6 Hectos

Description
Cask 52 has 8670 liters of content. It is an oval cask, made of winter
oak (quercus petraea) in 1961 and was half polished inside before
filling. It was filled with two brews, #O27 and #O28 from November 5th
and 6th 2003. The original gravity was 16.50° Plato and the apparent
fermentation degree reached 100% in September 2006. At the moment of
kegging the alcohol% was 8.6% Vol.

Flavor Notes
The Lambic of this cask has a nice acidity balance. It has more
volatile acids compared to #17B and is more complex. Lactic acid from
the young beer was also converted at a high degree into esters, but
the typical citrus-muscat complex is enhanced by the volatile acid.
The few tannins from the oak are dominated by beta-bitterness from the
aged hops. The woody whisky-bitterness with a lot of oak-vanilla comes
at the end of the taste and lasts for a long moment.

Serving
14°C (57.2°F). If lambic becomes effervescent, serve it with a pitcher
(stir it a little bit) and let it stand for 10 minutes.

# -- end