Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne

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

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.

Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale bottle from Dilly Deli in Mariemont. Pours a dark ruby brown with a bubbly off-white head. Odd, unique aroma of sour grapes and cherries, vinegar, cola, butter, and brown sugar. I liked the flavor better- sour grapes, tart cherries, wood, toffee, brown sugar, and wine. Light-medium bodied, syrupy, sour, and tart. Cola mouthfeel. This is a really unusual beer, even though it was admittedly my first sour ale and the first of this kind for the group I drank it with. There was something I really liked but also couldn’t figure out about this, which made for an interesting entry in our session. One guy said there was something in it, especially the nose, that reminded him of buffalo sauce. An intriguing gateway to the style for me, and I recommend seeking this out to try something so different and so inexpensive.

Nice sour ale, but it was served a little too cold. You couldn’t feel the tartness so much until it warmed. It was a nice reminder of Brugge.

On tap at Local 44 in Phila, PA. Pours a medium brown with an inch or so of white head that dissipates in a minute or two. Mild to no lacing. Aroma is of tart grapes and other fruit. Taste is of grapes, tart cherries, raspberries and other mild fruit. Don’t let the name fool you, this isn’t too sour a beer. It’s a great mix of sweet and tart and it’s not sugary sweet or citrusy sour. Mouthfeel is very mild and smooth. An excellent beer that I’d happily drink again.

~ Purchased this bottle at Big Z Beverage in Huntington, NY. The appearance is reddish brown with a thick off-white head that lingers around for awhile. Unique sweet and sour aromas graze the nose quite well. Taste is sour but on the mild side. I keep picking out sour cherries from this beer more than anything else. Monk’s Café does not overpower in anyway. It’s clean, light, and very refreshing. ~

Smelled of tomatoes and vinegar. Tasted like a carbonated V8 beer. Very acidic. Felt some stomach discomfort after just a few ounces. Did I get a bad one? Maybe sour ales aren’t for me.

Dark red/brown pour with a solid creamy beige head. Aroma is very sweet and fruity, plum, raisin, brown sugar, grapes, and a bit of marzipan. Flavor is very sweet, with cherry, pear grape juice, but also a touch of tartness. Palate has nice effervescence, but is rather light; more attenuated and less sticky sweet than expected. A pretty good beer overall.

Dark, amber color. Thin off white head that quickly dissappates. Aroma is fruity, bannanas, melon maybe caramel. Flavor is fruity as well initially, with a grape/watermelon flavor. Finishes sour though.