Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Style: Sour Ale
Ertvelde, Belgium

Dark brown with a tan quickly disappearing head, orange-red in the light. Vinegar tartness in the nose with sour cherries. The tartness blends with the carbonation. Tartness is very apparent as it bites the sides of the tongue as basement funk and must goes from front to back and finishes with some oakiness. The tart acidity is wincingly refreshing.

Pale yellowish-greenish. Brett aroma, nothing distinct. Not a strong sourness but some nice sweetness to balance, sweetness like of caramel or fruit. Mellow aftertaste, decent development. Overall ok to drink. Good for the price.

(25 cl bottle at Haket, Göteborg)
On July 24, 2008
BB 22/06/10
Clear dark copper color, smallish tan head. acidic to sour scent, also lactic and some red currants mixed with sour cherry. Also smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and metal. Acidic, gooseberry, red currants not quite ripe, metal and some malt taste. Acidic, lactic and red berries aftertaste. Spritzy mouthfeel, but not too much. Low bitterness. Aftertaste is also some marzipan. Perhaps I’m warming up to this style after all? Turns shady with the last of the bottle.

Usually my relationship with sour ales is a love/hate one, but this I thought was just ok. Draft at Monk’s. Pours deep red/brown with a creamy beige head. Musty aroma, like apple cider vinegar with old basement as well. Medium, smooth body. Flavor is a lot less sour then the aroma lets on, it has fruity notes and a bit of a lactic tinge, but results in a beer that’s quite drinkable, even to those who may not be keen to a sour ale.

25 cl bottle. Pours a reddish brown colour with a pale head. The aroma has notes of fruit, vinegar and spicy gingerbread cake. The flavour is sourish - redcurrants, unriped raspberries and some vinegar - also notes of spices and overriped fruit.

The beer poured a very deep brown/red color with a nice head that did not last all that long. There was a lively carbonation. The aroma was complex with chocolate and raisin notes. The flavor was a nice mild sourness that is refreshing with hints of citrus and cherries. This is a nice beer that is refreshing as the label notes and is very easy drinking. I think the complexity of the beer makes it more like a cocktail than a beer, there is just a lot going on with this beer.

Bright beige head, which leaves lacing. Dark reddish color. Aroma is sour fruit. Lots of fruit. Berries methinks. Tart cherries in the flavor. It is pretty sour. Dry finish. Quite interesting.

*****BEER # 1,000*****. Sampled from 11.2 oz bottle at the Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA. Brown-purple body with a large, frothy tan head, pocked bubbles. Smells Worcestershire, cranberries, apple vinegar -- very savory. Taste is full, flush, bursting with cranberry and sweet, acidic vinegar. Very fresh and balanced. Ending is copper pennies though, spicy ginger. Lacing is quite nice, khaki bubbles slung on the walls of my wine glass. Corn malt. Construction gets high points.