Oude Riesling Tilquin a L'Ancienne 750ML

Oude Riesling Tilquin à L'Ancienne 750ML is a Belgian spontaneous-fermentation lambic macerated with Riesling grapes, bottled at 7.7% ABV. As the only independent lambic blendery sourcing wort from multiple traditional producers — including Boon, Lindemans, Girardin, and Cantillon — Tilquin occupies a singular position in the lambic world, and this Riesling expression is among its most distinctive releases.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.7%  |  Origin: Bierghes, Walloon Brabant, Belgium  |  Style: Fruit Lambic (Riesling Grape)  |  Blendery: Gueuzerie Tilquin

Production & Heritage

Gueuzerie Tilquin was founded by Pierre Tilquin, who honed his craft working at both Cantillon and 3 Fonteinen before establishing his own blendery in Bierghes, near Brussels. The Oude Riesling is produced by macerating 270 grams of Riesling grapes per liter of lambic, using a blend of one-, two-, and three-year-old lambics sourced from four traditional breweries. The final product is unfiltered and unpasteurized, with refermentation in the bottle creating natural carbonation and preserving the raw, living character of the beer.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Green grape skin and stone fruit — peach and nectarine — lead the nose, layered over a rustic, barnyard funk characteristic of traditional lambic. Oak and lemon peel emerge as the beer warms, with a faint petrichor quality that hints at the mineral dimension ahead.

Taste: The palate opens bright and fruity, with ripe melon, soured white grape, and underripe orange arriving first. A piquant lactic acidity sharpens the mid-palate alongside grapefruit zest and green apple, while a subtle vinous quality from the Riesling grapes adds depth. Light yogurt-like lactic notes give way to a minerally backbone that carries the fruit forward without overwhelming it.

Finish: Drying and snappy, with gentle tannins from both oak and grape skin creating a textured close. Lingering lemon peel, mineral, and a whisper of pear persist as the acidity slowly fades.

How to Drink Oude Riesling Tilquin

Serve chilled between 6–10°C (43–50°F) in a tulip glass or wine goblet to concentrate the aromatic complexity. This is a beer best enjoyed on its own or alongside food — its acidity and fruit character make it a natural companion at the table rather than a base for mixing.

Best For

• Gifting a lambic enthusiast or serious beer collector
• Pairing with a charcuterie or cheese course at a dinner party
• Introducing wine drinkers to the world of spontaneous fermentation
• Cellaring for 3–10 years to develop additional complexity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Oude Riesling Tilquin taste like? It delivers bright, tart fruit — melon, green grape, lemon peel, and green apple — over a funky lambic base, with a minerally backbone and gentle tannic dryness from the Riesling grape skins.

How does Oude Riesling Tilquin compare to Cantillon fruit lambics? While Cantillon brews and blends its own lambic in-house, Tilquin sources wort from multiple traditional producers including Cantillon itself, resulting in a more layered base beer; the Riesling grape maceration also gives this expression a distinctly vinous, mineral-driven character compared to Cantillon's cherry- or grape-focused offerings.

Is Oude Riesling Tilquin good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — the complexity of the spontaneous fermentation, combined with the Riesling grape character, rewards slow, contemplative drinking, especially as the beer warms slightly in the glass.

Where is Oude Riesling Tilquin made? Gueuzerie Tilquin is located in Bierghes, a village in Walloon Brabant, Belgium, situated within the Pajottenland region — the traditional heartland of lambic production near Brussels.

What foods pair well with Oude Riesling Tilquin? Aged goat cheese or bloomy-rind cheeses like Camembert complement its acidity. Fresh oysters or raw-bar shellfish echo its mineral notes. Seared scallops with citrus butter mirror the melon and lemon peel flavors. A charcuterie board with country pâté balances the tartness with fat. Lemon tart or fruit-forward pastries work as a dessert pairing without clashing with the sourness.

What sizes does Oude Riesling Tilquin come in? The standard release is available in a 750ml bottle, which is the traditional format for gueuze and fruit lambic.

Is Oude Riesling Tilquin worth the price? It positions as a premium craft lambic, reflecting the labor-intensive process of sourcing wort from four separate traditional breweries, extended maceration with Riesling grapes, and bottle refermentation — placing it in line with other top-tier fruit lambics from producers like 3 Fonteinen and Cantillon.

Why Oude Riesling Tilquin?

Gueuzerie Tilquin stands alone as the only lambic blendery permitted to work with wort from Boon, Lindemans, Girardin, and Cantillon simultaneously — a distinction no other producer in Belgium holds. Pierre Tilquin's apprenticeships at both Cantillon and 3 Fonteinen gave him rare insight into two of lambic's most revered houses, and that expertise shows in the precision of this blend. The Riesling grape maceration pushes the beer into territory that bridges lambic tradition and winemaking sensibility, delivering a mineral-driven, vinous complexity that separates it from more conventional fruit lambics. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and refermented in the bottle, this is spontaneous fermentation in one of its most expressive forms.