Rare Beer Club 4-Bottle Selections - April 2026
Oude Geuze Vieille 2014
Oud Beersel – Beersel, Belgium
[Oude Geuze – 6% ABV]
The historical Oud Beersel, located about six miles from the city center of Brussels, is one of the last remaining authentic lambic breweries in Belgium. The brewery first started way back in 1882, passing through multiple family generations, and is now currently run by Gert Christianens and his family. Today, the brewery is one of very few to still be employing spontaneous fermentation in this classic brewing region—maturing lambic for up to three years in barrels—which can in turn be blended to go into the brewery’s classic Oude Geuze.
Oud Beersel’s 2014 Oude Geuze is a spontaneously fermented, traditional blended lambic, combining lambic beers from different years aged in wooden barrels, and blends younger and older lambics to create an exceptionally balanced Oude Geuze release. This pours a bright golden color with an amber tinge, offering hugely generous and smooth aromatics, leading with bold lemony citruses and subtle funk, and a very light apparent salinity. Mouthwatering, fruity throughout, with a very subtle impact of herbaceous hops. There’s a firm impact of lemony acidity and tartness on the palate, offering that expected, bold impact of geuze—but this is a nicely aged example that’s just so easy to dig into with that first sip. Still: all the citrusy, salty, funky complexity we’d hoped for. This beer feels like the kind of lambic that an entire village could get into, rather than something for folks who are looking for that jaw-clenching impact of some of the more aggressive lambics. Vibrant carbonation underpins everything, providing an effervescent lift. The spontaneous ferment gives this layers of citrus and complex acidities to unpack, while subtle notes of vanilla and almond from the time spent in wood add additional layers. This is expressive lambic that’s aged beautifully: easy drinking, so endlessly satisfying. For us, it’s geuze at its very best.
Waddle
Bombastic Brewing – Hayden, ID
[Imperial Stout with Maple Syrup & Cold Brew Coffee – 14% ABV]
Bombastic Brewing was founded in Idaho in 2016 by Russell Mann, who was inspired by the scale of Sierra Nevada, the innovative breweryless nomadic model of Mikkeller, and the entrepreneurial spirit of early Sam Adams. When state legal hurdles put his original partner-brewing model on hold, Russell and his two co-founders started Bombastic quite small—essentially as a nanobrewery—brewing on a 30, then 50-gallon system in a garage near the airport. Each Saturday, the garage doors rolled open, welcoming adventurous beer lovers who eagerly bought up every release. After successfully lobbying the state to allow his partner-brewing model in 2019, Bombastic expanded their offerings beyond the garage by working with multiple other breweries to produce Bombastic’s recipes, allowing them to expand their footprint into a handful of western states. In recent years, they’ve garnered numerous brewing awards, including four at the most recent 2024 North American Beer Awards.
Waddle by Bombastic Brewing is a bold imperial stout brewed with maple syrup and cold brew coffee, clocking in at 14% ABV. Built on a rich base of dark malts, it delivers an indulgent, full-bodied profile that balances sweetness and roast. Maple syrup is added during both the boil and fermentation, lending a subtle smoky sweetness that complements the beer’s deep coffee backbone. On the nose and palate, expect layers of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and gentle maple, with hints of cinnamon, dried fruit, and a touch of campfire-like warmth. The sweetness rounds out the bitterness, creating a smooth, lingering finish despite the high ABV. This beer pairs especially well with rich, dessert-style foods like chocolate cake, brownies, or maple-glazed bacon, as well as savory dishes such as smoked meats or barbecue, where its sweetness and roast can complement bold, hearty flavors.
NOTE: Waddle is packaged in 16-oz cans, so instead of two 750-ml bottle, your shipment will include four 16-oz cans.