Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne

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

I had this from the tap at Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia under the name of Monk’s Flemish sour ale. My friends hated it, but I loved it. Good looking, with strong colour and thick head. Vaguely fruity aroma. With the first sip comes a sharp and confident tang, followed meekly by apples, nuts, and some sort of vague berry flavour. Clean aftertaste, lacks syrupy quality usually found in beers with flavour this pronounces. Would probably overpower any food it was paired with. I would highly recommend this beer; if at all possible, come to Philadelphia and try it off the tap.

(350ml bottle) Purchased from Whole Foods in Seattle for $2.99. Pours a large foamy almond-head with a red-brown body. Nose is very malt vinegar. Flavour of rotten apples, vinegar and rose water. Pretty plain as far as sour ales go.

Bottle - Labeled Monks Cafe. Ruby pour with mahogany highlights. Thin skin of off white bubbles. Aroma of cherries and wood with a promising sharp tang. First impression is the zesty carbonation and green apple & cherries. Has a very soft sour tang that quickly fades into fruity sweetness. Too sweet and lacking in the sour.

11.2 oz. bottle labeled with Monk’s Flemish Ale name from Joey @ southbay drugs and liquor via mailorder. Smells like fruit, dominantly berries. Poured with a decent head. Slightly sour, but taste rapidly fades away to an almost vinegar like cidery taste.........but not quite vinegar this is a nice fade actually quite nice. Mouthfeel is a bit lacking but the aftertaste is quite cidery with the earlier (near vinegary fruity) note that I talked about earlier... now that I think about it it’s like a softer pear raspberry lambic cider if that makes any sense at all, except with a more malty less acidicy feeling in the stomach, hence i could drink a few. I think this beer is under-rated and would reccomend at least giving it a try if you can get a hold of some. Unique in itself, but not in a bad way. :D

11.2 oz. glass bottle- color of mahogany, with a thick tan head - nose is floral, sour, earthy, and green apples – taste of sour, crisp, cidery, and light- body is medium, and with medium high carbonation – aftertaste of crisp, short, and clean

Bottle. Pours a rubyish crimson with a small white head. Aroma of wood, lactic acid, malts, mild fruitiness. Flavor has a metallic twinge which I really did not like. Only slightly sour with none of the sharp acidity I love from the my favorite sour ales. Not very complex at all and actually tastes kinda watery. Blah.

Aroma of sour cherries and doughy. Color is a highly carbonated ruby red with a matching thin head. Flavor is very tart and has a "biting" quality on the back of the toungue. Medium bodied, somewhat salty aftertaste.

Looks like nothing special. Both malty and sour. Not particularly fruity, more like a darker ale with a good amount of tartness to it. Quite refreshing, would be a good summer alternative to a pilsener or lighter beer. Goes down easy and tastes pretty good.