Liefmans Goudenband

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

1987 Vintage. Poured a brown color with a thin white head that fully diminished. There was a slightly musty wine aroma which may be mostly due to being 18 years old. Very light with a rather sweet flavor.

Cork says 1998--I wasn’t expecting this to be quite such a vintage ale, and I’ll want to try a mroe recent vintage. Brown color, little head after the pour but there was a good pop on the bottle. Lots of floaties--I actually filtered half of the bottle through a strainer because the level was beyond my tolerance. Vintage character, with raisins and dates, smooth but not thick, and a little bit flat. Slighty sour, low yeast character, low level of fresh fruit, with most of it overcome by vintage character and the high maltiness. Good vintage beer but not as great as a fresh Flemish sour. I was surprised by the high alcohol content.

Poured hazy amber brown with a fluffy light brown head. Aromas of cherry and vanilla with some dark fruit. Yeasty goodness! Medium bodied, starts off sweet but finishes with a slight sour note. A bit sweeter than expected, but may do well with age.

Wigan hosting Arsenal. What a great game...if you’re an Arsenal fan..well Wigan too, they hold out ok. Figured i’d sip this for 90+ minutes. Good smooth and mild choice for such a game. Nice amber brown/purple pour...careful now..lots of sedi sitting at the bottom. Sweet and Sour nose with a little tingle. Taste is a mild sweet sour cherry and vinegar in a smooth oak finish, but nothing really outstanding. Fine with me.:)

Bottled. Cloudy orange brown coloured with a yellow head. Light acidic aroma with notes of caramel, fruits and wood. Light acidic flavour with notes of fruits and wood. Dry woody finish. Good flemish sour ale.

Pours oily murky brown/dark red to liht. No head. Huge amounts of sediment. Aroma is very sour vinegar, woodsy, dark sour cherries. Flavor is all sour cherry and vinegar with some wood notes in the finish. Very nice brew.

Pours dark brown with a large tan head. Very fruity aroma, like a Wild Cherry Capri Sun with added green apple and grapes. Also fresh bread and a hint of alcohol. Flavor of dark fruits, cherries, cola, wood, earth. The finish is light sour grapes and coppery blood (or bloody copper). Not as good as the Duchesse de Bourgogne, but I like it.

2003 bottle with Poperinge. Borwon. No head. Small floaties. Alcohol aroma with background sourness. Flavour is more sweetness than sour with some woody notes. Interesting lemon and cherry flavour. Tasty and introspective.