Grumpy Troll Flanders Ned Ale

Brewed by Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant and Pizzeria
Style: Sour Ale
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin USA

This one was interesting. GTMW ’08. Brown color with no head. Mostly brown sugar on the aroma with sour cherries but all aroma’s were a bit light. the body was a bit watery with similar flavors. No as sour as I’d hoped.

Pours brown / orange with a tan head. Ther aroma is sour with notes of cherry, oak and acidity. Medium body that is fairly slick with soft carbonation. The taste adds some nuttiness and more maltiness than expected for the style. A good sour ale for an American brewer.

Tap GTMW 2008 Very scant notes as I was unimpressed by this offering. Aroma is cereal, slightly sour, and fruity. Taste is more cereal, dull sourness, a bit of funky brett, Finish is semi-wet and dull.

Great Taste of the Midwest 2008

A rating that I found slipped in my program this was a well made sour ale. More to style than the baltic porter that preceded it I would definitely enjoy a pint of trace. Straddling that fine line between sweetness and sourness it has a refreshing effect even on a palate beaten senseless by many huge aggressive beers. I don’t know how long it will remain on tap but if you find yourself in the Madison area make the drive to Grumpy Troll.

Aroma / Appearance - The red semitransparent body looked like almost flat Cherry 7-UP. A stark white head sat atop it waiting to be removed by thirsty lips. The aroma wasn’t complex but I didn’t expect much more than the sour cherries that I got. In some ways it reminds me of the sweetener that you can put into water to give it some taste.

Flavor / Palate - Refreshing and lighter than I thought it hits the spot between big beers. Bright cherry rests on the tongue then scurries down the throat before removing a bit of moisture. Balanced sweetness makes this a great local stab at a popular Flemish style.

Small sample, on tap at Great Taste of the Midwest. Consumed on 8-9-2008. Pours an opaque, cloudy, reddish brown. Sour, malty aroma of rotting apple and apple crisp. Dry, sour flavor. Different and tasty. Silky texture.

Sampled on draught at the GTMW ’08. Pours a semi-clear brownish amber brew with a fast dissolving fizzy off-white head that dissipates to a thin off-white ring. Aroma of tart cherries, brown malt, a touch of barnyard funk, tart apples and yeast. Taste is mildly sour, some carbonation with flavors of sour caramel malt, tart cherries, white grapes, tart apples and yeast. Finish has a mild fruity sour aftertaste that quickly disappears. Not too bad for an average brown sour ale.

On tap at the Grumpy Troll brewpub. Dark reddish brown with a thin off-white head. Aroma of cherry, apple and light smoke. Grapes, apples, cherries and oak make up the flavor. Smooth body that is very sour and tart and finishes sour. For some odd reason, I really like this style as an occasional brew to have. Probably my favorite of the grumpy troll offerings and the name and logo of Ned Flanders cracked me up a bit too.

This is the first example of this style I’ve ever tried. I have to say it was quite enjoyable, but I don’t know how it stacks up against others of this kind. Anyhoo, on tap of the annual WORT-FM block party, this poured a somewhat cloudy dark brown with ruby highlights. Smallish eggshell head. Nutty aroma with a sharp apple cider overtone. First taste is, well, SOUR--a lot like a crab apple. The tartness quickly subsides, leaving a malty background and some fruitiness thrown in for good measure. Slightly bitter finish, maybe a tad grapefruit-y. I liked it and now I look forward to trying others of this type.