Liefmans Goudenband

Brewed by Liefmans (Moortgat)
Style: Sour Ale
Oudenaarde, Belgium

In short: A woody/oaky slightly sour fruity ale. Amazingly drinkable.
How: Bottle, 375ml (age unknown). From HogTownHarry, thanks a lot Harry
The look: Cloudy light-brown with lots of little particles. Small off-white ring of foam.
In long: Taste of cherries, oak barrels, red apples skin, more wood, a little caramel, some prunes and some tree bark. Light-medium sourness, just a little acidity in the finish. As far as Sour Ales are concerned this one is way below average on the sourness level. The sourness level might be low but the drinkability level is very high. I had to acquire this bottle through a trade to rate it although five+ years ago this was widely available in quebec. I wish I could go back to year 2000 when it was available in quebec and stack a whole bunch of these in my cellar… and sell my Nortel stocks.

So my rating #300 is this special and famous sour ale, very probably retired. For the opportunity to try it I had to thank Doggythedog so much!
0.375 l bottle, wrapped in a paper as label, its bottle poured reddish-brown body with ocher head. Sourish aroma, yeasty, vinegar with sweet malt. Well, the flavor is definitely not typical, not so sour as would be expected, quite rich, roasted malty, with caramel, brown sugar, chocolate and even a bit of dark fruits could be felt. Still, it was not really full bodied, which leaves empty impression from time to time despite richness of this brew. Finish is unbelievably short, but very nice, following the flavor. A decent milestone beer, unusual and interesting experience.

Bottle shared by emacgee and aubreya. Thanks yall! I like the picture on the label. I wish I had an outfit like that guy (and a bunch of barrels of sour beer!) Anyway, like Ethan, I found this rather mild. Aroma and flavor of cherries, wood, malt, and yeast--very mild tartness. I didn’t think it tasted like a kriek, just a mild flemish sour. Very smooth palate with the alcohol well hidden. Enjoyable, but not necessarily memorable.

Thanks Deniz. Pours a murky reddish brown with a one finger frothy tan head. The aroma had kriek elements, mellow, some bubblegum, a little tart. The flavor tasted like a dark mellow kriek, light spice, barely tart. The palate was smooth and not very acidic. Tasted more like a kriek than a sour ale.

37,5 cl. bottle rapped in paper (great way to label the whole bottle). Pours a nice clear red-brown colour, lots of yeast at the bottom, hardly any head. Bit sweet deep malty and yeasty aroma with some sourbness. The flavour is sweet with pleasant roastish malt, caramel, good bitterness, mould and dark fruits. Dry bit sweet finish.

375ml bottle. Marked as a 2006 vintage. I guess sour ales aren’t my thing. Aroma is strongly young red wine (very tanic wine eat that), alchol with sour grapes, belgian yeast, and some soapyness. Pours with a smallish, frothy, light brown head that disapates. Murky red-tinged-brown body with lots of tiny particles floating about. Taste starts very sweet and then goes really sour with grapes and alcohol. Not bade tasting, but nothing to special, and it doesnt taste very balanced or refined. Watery mouthfeel, a bit of fizzy bubbles. Much more drinkable that their other sour ales that I have tried, but I am not a huge fan.

2004 bottle shared by Marcus. Thanks for the experience. Rich dark fruit aromas, like dark cherry. Dark brown color with a rocky, tan head. Medium body with creamy carbonation. Mild cherry over roasted malt flavor. Very smooth. Very fruity and flavorful. Finish is mildly brown and fruity. A well balanced brew.

375, corked and baled. Has a mini-cork in it, which shot out of the glass after I threw away the bale, before I could turn back around the counter. Pop! Hit the ceiling, bounced back down and skittered across the counter. No geyser, though--just a wisp of vapor and a cartoon moment.
Dense, grainy dark ruddy brown with a biggish tan head. Not much lace, not much stamina on the head. Big sweet and sour nose, that’s for sure. Earthy, berry-like, fruity. Medium body, soft carb. Very drinkable without a doubt. More earth, berries, fruit, and yeast on the mid-palate, with a mild and restrained sweet and sour finish. Well done.