Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne

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

Monk’s Cafe version. 11.2oz bottle served in the new style Boulevard Chalice. Poured a reddish brown with a thin tan head. Good lactic aroma of sour cherries. Starts off with nice and tart. A little sweetness and more fruit (cherries). A touch metallic in the finish to start, but this fades. Very refreshing and drinkable. Good price point as well.

Bottle (small sample). Clear brown pour, mild sour fruit nose. Sour cherry taste, but not over the top. A little vinegar in here. Decent sour.

33cL Bottle as Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale -- pours dark mahogany with a rather thick off-white head. Smells sour and acidic, full of sweet and tart fruits and some basement and vegetal notes. Taste is sweet and tart with beets as the predominant flavor. Reminds me of an alcoholic sanbitter.

Gary told me I had this before. Goddam. He was right. Long live the Tampa crew.

11.2oz. Pours a deep red color, clear with an off white small head. Aroma is malt vinegar. Not unpleasant, but really, just malt vinegar for me. Nothing else to speak of really. Perhaps a slight fruitiness if we’re reaching. Some caramel popcorn too. Flavor is more malty and sweet with little tartness. I would prefer a lot more sourness and complexity. Kind of a letdown.

tasty, but a little bit too sweet - the sweet / tart flavor’s nice at first, but I could totally see it getting old. Very fizzy, looks kinda like cola. tastes like apples ( a little banana with some cheesy funk. Smells like must. Pretty complex, actually. Could have more bitter at end.

Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale from Bowery-Whole Foods. Pours dark red with large, rolling head. Smells like sour cherries. Some cheese and other fruity notes. Not as sour as the smell would indicate, but this is blended so I guess that makes sense. I haven’t had many sour beers (gueze, but that’s it) but if this beer is representative, I definitely like the style.