3 Fonteinen Hommage (Season 19|20) Blend No. 72 375ml

3 Fonteinen Hommage (Season 19|20) Blend No. 72 375ml is a Belgian fruit lambic blending kriekenlambik and frambozenlambik at 6.3% ABV in a 375ml bottle. Distinguished by an extraordinary fruit intensity of 529 grams of whole fruit per litre, this blend layers hand-picked sour cherries and raspberries onto traditional lambic in a forty-sixty kriek-to-framboos proportion.

Quick Facts: ABV: 6.3%  |  Origin: Beersel, Belgium  |  Fruit Lambic  |  Brewery: Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

Production & Heritage

Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen operates as both a traditional lambik brewery and an authentic geuze blendery in Beersel, a town in the Pajottenland region southwest of Brussels — the heartland of spontaneous fermentation. For Blend No. 72, the brewery macerated hand-picked whole raspberries and sour cherries on one- and two-year-old lambik drawn from seven barrels and eleven separate brews. The weighted average maceration time reached five months, and the finished bottles were held for a full year in the brewery's warm room before release. The result is unfiltered and unpasteurised, preserving the wild yeast character and living culture that define traditional lambic production.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Intense ripe raspberry rises first, followed by a darker sour cherry undertone and a faint barnyard funk characteristic of spontaneous fermentation. A subtle vinous quality emerges as the beer warms in the glass.

Taste: The entry is immediately fruit-forward, with raspberry dominating the initial impression before sour cherry takes hold at mid-palate. High acidity drives through the center, balanced by the tannic grip of whole fruit and a dry, wine-like complexity from extended lambic aging. The fruit intensity at 529 grams per litre gives the palate a density rarely found in the style.

Finish: Long and bracingly tart, with lingering cherry skin astringency and a clean, dry close. Raspberry echoes persist alongside a gentle mineral quality that draws you back to the glass.

How to Drink Hommage Blend No. 72

Serve at cellar temperature, around 8–12°C (46–54°F), in a tulip glass or wine glass to concentrate the aromatics. This is a contemplative pour best enjoyed on its own. For cocktail-curious drinkers: use a small measure in a Lambic Spritz with dry sparkling wine and a lemon twist for a bracing aperitif; blend it into a Berliner Sour variation where the fruit intensity replaces syrup-based sweeteners; or try it in a Cherry Lambic Kir alongside a splash of crème de cassis to bridge the tart and sweet divide.

Best For

• Gifting a serious lambic collector or sour beer enthusiast
• Pairing with a curated cheese course at a dinner party
• Celebrating a milestone with a rare, cellar-worthy Belgian bottle
• Introducing wine drinkers to the complexity of traditional fruit lambic

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hommage Blend No. 72 taste like? It delivers a fruit-forward profile dominated by raspberry and sour cherry with pronounced acidity, a tannic grip from whole fruit maceration, and a dry, wine-like finish shaped by spontaneous fermentation.

How does Hommage Blend No. 72 compare to Cantillon Rosé De Gambrinus? Both are benchmark Belgian fruit lambics, but Hommage leans heavier on fruit intensity — 529 grams per litre of both cherries and raspberries — while Rosé De Gambrinus focuses solely on whole raspberries with a generally lighter body. Hommage tends toward greater tannic structure from the cherry component, whereas Cantillon's expression often emphasizes a more delicate, purely tart raspberry character.

Is Hommage Blend No. 72 good for sipping neat? Absolutely — this is designed as a standalone sipper, and the depth of fruit, acidity, and wild yeast complexity reward slow, attentive drinking at cellar temperature.

Where is Hommage Blend No. 72 made? It is produced at Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in Beersel, Belgium, located in the Pajottenland region where the local microflora essential to spontaneous lambic fermentation naturally thrive.

What foods pair well with Hommage Blend No. 72? Aged Gouda or Comté, where the nutty sweetness offsets the beer's acidity; duck liver pâté, which benefits from the tart fruit cut; dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao for a classic sour-bitter combination; roasted beet salad with goat cheese, where earthy sweetness mirrors the cherry notes; and fresh summer berries with crème fraîche for a complementary fruit pairing.

What sizes does Hommage Blend No. 72 come in? This release is available in a 375ml bottle, which is the standard format for 3 Fonteinen's Hommage series.

Is Hommage Blend No. 72 worth the price? Hommage positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier for fruit lambic, justified by the extreme fruit intensity, extended maceration, year-long warm-room conditioning, and the inherent scarcity of each numbered blend from 3 Fonteinen.

Why Hommage Blend No. 72?

What separates this particular blend is the sheer concentration of fruit — 529 grams per litre across both sour cherries and raspberries — combined with the complexity of lambic sourced from seven barrels and eleven distinct brews. The five-month weighted average maceration and subsequent year of warm-room conditioning create a depth and integration that younger or less fruit-intensive lambics simply cannot match. Blend No. 72 from Season 19|20 represents a specific snapshot of 3 Fonteinen's blending philosophy: unfiltered, unpasteurised, and built entirely on patience and wild fermentation. For anyone serious about traditional lambic, this is the kind of bottle that defines why the style endures.