Liefmans Goudenband

375ml caged and corked bottle, served in a Duvel tulip. Pours a murky reddish brown with no head. Smells of cherries, bananas, candy, malt vinegar. Flavor is not nearly as tart as the smell indicates. Somewhat sweet actually, very fruity with some wood and oxidized wine notes. Alcohol is slightly noticeable but not bad for 8%. I think this would go very nicely with a seafood dinner.

75cl. It pours a hazy nut brown beer with a beautiful beige head. The nose is mainly of vinegar, cork and rhubarb. Sweet taste with hints of cherries accompanied by a huge amount of vinegar. Beautiful lacework. Woody. Some plums showing up. The alcohol is well hidden. Dry finish with hints of mince pies, cork and lemon. Sour ale is not my favourite style.

Yeasty acidic nose with prunish sherry tagging along. This impression is only strengthened after sampling: definitely a sherry-beer, or perhaps even more reminiscent of the Chinese Shao-Hsing (Shaoxing) wine known from many lesser Chinese establishments. Not bad, but quite odd.

On tap. Dark brownish purple colour, thick head. Vinous aroma of red fruits, tart, yeast. Oh man, where to start, there’s so much going on in the flavours of this beer. It’s ping-pong on your tongue between sour, tart, red fruits, red wine, some sweetness, with a rich and dry finish. After the first shock of the sourness all the fine flavours come out. Prickly mouthfeel, refreshing. One hell of a tasting beer!

Bottled. Dark brown pour, with a dense tan head. Nose was raisins, canned brown bread, molasses. Flavor was sweet malt balanced by a sour wine. Slight hint of alcohol. The mouthfeel was nicely carbonated and added to the richness of the offering. The finish was slightly sweet, but ended dry. The flavor was very complex. A wonderful taste experience!