Tilquin Oude Quetsche

Tasting Notes

The aroma opens with tart plum skin, dried fruit, and the characteristic musty, barnyard funk of aged lambic. On the palate, the quetsche plums — a small, oval European variety — contribute a jammy, stone-fruit sweetness that's quickly pulled back into shape by sharp lactic acidity and a woody, tannic grip. The body is medium-light, with natural carbonation giving it a gentle prickle. The finish is long and drying, leaving traces of sour cherry, leather, and faint oxidative complexity that lingers well after the glass is empty.

About the Brewery

Tilquin is a Belgian gueuzerie located in Bierghes, in the Walloon Brabant region, founded by Pierre Tilquin in 2009. Unlike traditional lambic producers, Tilquin does not brew its own wort; instead, it sources young lambic from several established Pajottenland breweries — including Girardin, Boon, Cantillon, and Lindemans — then blends, macerates fruit, and ages the beer in its own cellars. The operation has earned serious respect in the spontaneous fermentation world for the consistency and quality of its gueuze and fruit lambics.

Food Pairings

Aged hard cheeses like Comté or Manchego work well here because their nutty, crystalline character bridges the beer's sour and funky notes without being overwhelmed. Duck confit or pork rillettes pair naturally since the acidity cuts through the fat and the plum character echoes the fruit-forward sauces often served alongside game. A simple charcuterie board with cured meats and dried fruits lets the beer's complexity do the talking. For something sweet, a dense almond tart or frangipane plays off the stone-fruit and tannic finish without competing for attention.

Style Guide

Fruit lambic is spontaneously fermented wheat beer — made in the Brussels and Pajottenland regions of Belgium — to which whole fruit or fruit juice is added during secondary fermentation or maceration, driving further wild fermentation and extracting flavor and color. The defining character is high lactic acidity layered over barnyard funk from Brettanomyces and other wild microbes, with the fruit contributing aroma, sweetness, and additional tannic structure rather than simply sweetening the beer. ABVs typically fall in the 5–7% range. It differs from gueuze in that gueuze is a blend of aged and young unfruited lambics, while fruit lambic prioritizes the interplay between wild fermentation character and a specific fruit ingredient.