Liefmans Goudenband

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

0.375l bottle at the Hopdevil in Zagreb
Poured a murky, dark. opaque red-brown colour with only a small dirty white ring of head. A distinct red wine-like nose, berries, a bit acidic, a touch of malt and yeast. Fresh and likable. The taste is very pleasant and the mouthfeel is superb. Berries, wood, yeast (funky), weak notes of prickly pear and/or bubblegum. A nice, "medium" (for a FSA) acidity, that carries loooong in the aftertaste. Not a tremendous variety of notes and flavours, but what little it has merges perfectly to create a harmonious taste, and no off tastes like in some other FSAs. All in all, a fine, very fine FSA.

Flemish sours are becoming one of my favorite styles and this one is one of the reasons why. Pours dark bronze with a soapy light tan head. The aroma is sour and musty with dark cherries, toasted malt and vanilla. Medium body that is sharp and crisp while having a grainy feel and some light semi-soft carbonation. Starts with more malt than expected that is quite toasty. There is also sharp spice, grainy malt, cherries and light wood. The finish has a pleasing sharp citric bite and a rush of peppery spice. Thumbs up for this well crafted Flemish Sour ale. (original rating - 7/4/8/3/15 - 3.7)

Rerate notes: Mainly bumping up numbers from my original rating. The only aspect I see missing from the original notes is the noticeable presence of alcohol that is not customary to the style ~ although it is a pleasing warmth. Excellent beer.

bottle from total wine. dark amber brown, decently carbonated. aroma is mild sourness, some malt in the back. medium body, the flavor is a long-sitting caramel/fruit maltiness that immediately mixes with a tart fruit element that finishes a delightful shade of tart. perfectly balanced. this is a gem. Notes from the big bottle of ’87 we had at ’t Brugse Beertje. clear on the edges, opaque red in the center, tan head (surprisingly carbonated). Flavor is up front tart cherries, some caramel, woodsy, and then any initial sweetness is obliterated by a bone-dry, vinegar/sherry finish. Hazelnuts, and a bit of oxidization. For 20 years, brilliant. Probably better at 10 years, though.

12oz bottle- A dark brown body with floaties and a very small ring for a head. Aroma of tartness and sourness. Taste of sourness and tartness. A nice sour ale.

Pours a lovely dark caramel colour with a small, brown head. Has a fruity aroma with a hint of vinegar. The flavour, oh wow, is rich, malty, and tart.

Acetic. Dryer than expected. Tan head. Deep brown. Soft, but relatively big carbonation. A nice beer I almost never order ... but probably should more often!

Bottle, 8% at Kafe Belgie in Utrecht. Sour vinegar aroma. Semi-stable light brown head. The flavour is a little sweet with a distinct sourness to balance. The sourness is like vinegar and fresh lemon. Good mouthfeel. Very drinkable in spite of the acid flavours, not puckering, but burns my throat a bit. Very flavourful and good. I do not really taste the alcohol much.

Have had this a couple times and this is not a good now as the great brown ale MJ says it was. Page 282 of Michael Jackson’s Great Beer Guide and only 337 out of 500 Classic Brews to go.