3 Fonteinen Zwet.be

I had a pretty interesting Belgian beer this weekend.

Many, many years ago, we had friends who were really into this local band. The band did mostly 80s/90s pop covers. They weren't great, but it was a way to spend a couple of hours. So occasionally, we would meet our friends when the band played. Once, we went to Stampers in Fairview Park. It was an unremarkable evening, but Aaron recognized the name "Stampers" when he was reading Buzz Bin recently. Turns out, the bar has transformed a bit and is now kind of a mini-gastropub.

We had dinner at Fat Heads, which happens to be down the street from Stampers, so on the way home, we went that way and stopped in for a beer. The beer list isn't huge, but is pretty extensive, with several Belgians included. So of course I had to try the craziest one, the one I'd never heard of: 3 Fonteinen Zwet.be

It's a black beer with some of the characteristics I love from a Belgian (complex flavors), but it also was a little tart/sour - which are the Belgians I tend to stay away from. Turns out, it has lambic yeast! I think that's what I was tasting. It was really neat - roasty and malty and sweet and nicely carbonated - and I would recommend trying it if Belgians are your thing. Don't trust me? See what RateBeer.com has to say. One person described it as a full-bodied lambic, and while I see where the reviewer was coming from, he/she is off-base. It's nowhere near as sweet as lambics - the people I know who drink lambics would hate this beer - and it's not like a porter at all. At all. It was interesting, and I'm glad I tried it, but I probably will not buy one again. Cost: $7/chalice.

I'm looking forward to returning to Stampers to try another beer I've never seen before - doesn't happen often! - and to sample some food.