Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne

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

Rich dark red color with a very nice red tinted head. Strong aroma or rich sour malt. Flavor is strong but not over the top. A fair amount of malt and a solid dose of sourness. Tones of citrus fruit, cherry and grapefruit. Quite good.

Bottle (Monk’s Cafe) from Wine Warehouse in Charlottesville. Pours reddish brown with a medium and fast-disappearing head. Aroma is sour with a hint of wine. Almost like the aroma of a good Viognier. Taste reminds me of mustard. In a good way. Very sour, but not overly so. Not too complex, but pleasant and drinkable.

July 2006 - This is only my second Flemish Sour, but not nearly as good as the first (Rodenbach Grand Cru). Little head or lacing in my Duvel glass. Cider brown color, aroma of vinegar. The flavor was predominantly sour vinegar (duh). Very little else going on outside a tad of fruity sweetness, which emerged more as it warmed. Kind of watery mouthfeel, though.

11 oz bottle, Monk’s Cafe label. (I think I got it from Bevmo, but its been sitting a while and I’m just not sure anymore.) Pours an impressive red color with a beige head that fades to 1/4 inch and holds. The aroma is strong with plenty of funky sour cherries and some red wine vinegar. I have a cold right now (can’t hardly smell anything) but this stuff just cuts right through the sinus like a hot knife. The flavor was vinegar forward, with sour fruits taking a back-seat role, there is a touch of astringency around the sides. The mouthfeel is light without being thin and watery, and the carbonation is light but effective. Finishes very smooth and clean. Overall: A fairly good sour, it should pair well with my sauerbraten. Recommended.

Flemish Sour Ale. That just might be the sexiest beer description ever. Or not.... Poured into my tulip glass with a fairly menacing looking brownish/amber color that is topped off by a long lasting (albeit extremely thin) cappuccino frothy head. The nose brings out subtle malted vinegar and tart apple aromas that only a Flanders beer can. The taste is so wonderfully complex- sweet malty tones with apple cider trail off into a tart, mildly acidic finish. The mouth feel of this ale, as I’ve been finding out, is indicative of the remarkably refreshing light to medium body these beers all have. A great beer with grilled Steak au Poivre, or with some brie de meaux and crusty French bread. Enjoy.

I enjoyed this beer very much at Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena California. Reddish, beer with a slight brown orange haze colur when lifted towards the light. Slight mustiness, citrusy, and a slight sourness to the drink. IMHO it could have been a bit more sour, but this is still an excellent, and very refreshing beer. Highly recommended!

I have for many years loved this style, however when it saw wide release as Monk’s Cafe, here in the states, I was a bit underwhelmed by it as a whole. Between now and then I’d like to believe my palate has matured a little so I decided to try it again. As I had suspected I do like it better than I once did.... but that’s still not without some reservations. I like the look of the beer it’s very pretty ruby red and very cloudy. It’s got a decent head that sticks around and leaves some lace, which is rare for this style of brew but no less pleasant and welcome indeed. Smell is good as well, oaky and yeasty but a little faint. The palate is very smooth, there are some pleasant things about it but overall it’s nothing to speak of. Flavor is, well a little bland... It’s got everything it is supposed to have its oaky and sour, with some of sweetness, there’s some brett yeast character and some yeasty flavors along with some dry fruit, certainly some cherry. Overall however it’s not very strong tasting, it tastes almost watered down and at times a little sweeter than I’d like. It’s a fine beer and all... just a little too smooth for what I’ve come to expect from the style.

This was just downright weird. Tasted of strong vinegar with bits of sour cherry and a sour apple flavor down the throat. It was interesting, but I wouldn’t have it again