Liefmans Goudenband

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

bottle, 1992 vintage, thanks to slander for the heads up on where to find this. Pours a deep coppery brown, almost mahagany with a very thin head that fades but leaves some lacing. Aroma is very nice- lots of oxidation, plum, raisin, lightly sour, acedic, and very wine-like. Kind areminded me a bit of sherry. I was surprised at how- unsour this beer was overall given its old age. The cork gave some slight hiss as it opened so the carbonation was ok but jsut a bit lower than I had expected. Flavor also tastes oxidized with some cardboard, sherry, and some ripe fruits, some caramel malts, light acidity, acedic acid, and some cherry cough syrup. This was similar overall to the alexander but obviously older and much more oxidized. Not nearly as much pediococcus or brett. brux. giving all those cherry pie flavors as alexander but its still there. Wierd oxidized and astringent finish, lightly bitter, and slightly tart. Pretty good overall especially considering its age. Good find.

On tap at Minneapolis Town Hall. Mud brown color with a medium head that quickly fades to a thin film. Awesome aroma of dark, sour cherries. The taste, however, went awry. The cherry tasted more like cough medicine. Very syrupy and sticky. Bitter as heck, but not from any souring or cherries, just bad hops or malt. Slight metallic tang on the finish. I have a bottle to rate in the future; I’m hoping it was just a bad keg.

Dark red with a beige head. Sweet, figgy, liquorice aroma. Gentle sour taste with cherry and citrus fruits as well as a pleasant bitter aftertaste. Excellent.

"Poured a brown with red highlights, with tiny head. Lots of sediment, large chunks in this. Aroma was sweet and malty. Taste was good, not the typical flemish sour malty spices. Overall good beer. "

Pours a dark brownish red with minimal head. Good sour but weak aroma of apple cider, vinegar, cherries, red wine, grapes. Not as sour as I was expecting. The first taste is of apple juice and it has the same level of sweetness. There is also a hint of cherries and a BIG oak flavor. It finishes with a gentle dry sour aftertaste. I wouldn’t really categorize this as a sour ale - it is refreshingly tart instead. Has a slightly soapy mouthfeel however. This is a unique beer that goes very well with food.

No label on the bottle but packed in paper cover.Tastes a lot like a dubbel but an oud bruin. Cherry, red wine taste.

After my marvelous first experiences with the Flemish Reds tempting the Old Browns seemed a natural step. In appearance alone the difference was clear - or rather, a little more murky. The muddy ruby brown body seems ominously dark in a trappist glass, but lifting it up to the light, the faceted liquid bears more of a coagulated blood color. Above, a fizzy beige head gradually diminishes to a thin cap. Deep brown sugar is immediately obvious in the nose but after a second whiff, caramel and apples join for the chorus. Light cherries and wild strawberries appear quickly thereafter. Pepper, white grapes and Champagne become evident in the flavor with a slight sourness and alcohol bite that seemed slightly deterring in comparison to the aroma. Gentle soap and yeast emerge before the short and dry, sour aftertaste. As the beer warms up, spices develop uncomfortably so I would suggest serving it around 6-7°C.

Thanks to Eric/Indra for this contribution to the KC holiday party. I got the last glass out of the bottle. Red color, hazy head, floaties. Aroma is red wine vinegar, wood, yeast, vanilla. The taste is oak, red wine, red wine vinegar, lemon, orange, and tangerine. I find myself liking the sour beers more and more.