Struise Aardmonnik / Earthmonk

Formerly brewed at De Struise Brouwers
Style: Sour Ale
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Murky brown, tan bubbles playing around on the surface. The nose is out of this world, effortlessly juggling: tart, dry wine; luscious berries; sugary chocolate malts; dusty, acidic sour qualities; faint balsamic notes. Flavor balances chocolate and caramel, sugary berries, plum, tart sour apple, alcohol and wood. Moderate finish in lots of fruit, and smooth to go with the malt yet carbonated just enough to accent the sour elements.

Several more tastes and I’m dropping it slightly. The palate becomes a little too dense and could use some lift, detracting from the complexity of the flavor and almost making it seem oppressive.. Still high quality.

Pours a tar-like dark brown hue with almost no head. The aroma is of alcohol, apricots, lots of bourbon, and grapes - which gives it the sour smell. The flavor is sour straight through, with a somewhat of a metallic finish. Alcohol is present strongly in the flavor. Medium body, no carbonation. Has acidity like wine.

Bottle in a trade. Pours a cloudy brown body with a tan head. Woody vinous, balsamic vinegar, tart and very drinkable. Not as funky as i would have thought but still very enjoyable dispite the acidity.

Bottle from Liquid Solutions in Portland, OR. Slightly murky, reddish brown color with a few bubbles for head. Aroma is darkly vinous. Wood, dark cherry and stuff. Near medium body with very mild carbonation. Flavor is medium sour with lots of oak. The oak tends to dominate the cherry and fruit. It’s very kind, and not at all harshly sour. Funk is not in it. Delightful. Arguably the best sour I have had. Which may not be saying much. Finish tends to blend all the stuff together. Tart and pleasant may sum this up. Makes me think of a very well aged zinfandel - ?

Bottled 0.7 liter. Muddy dark brown coloured, almost no head. Aroma of balsamic vinegar, fruit, wood. Very sour flavour, woody, fruity, tart. After the explosion of flavours the finish is relatively short and easy-going. I like sour ales to be a bit more easy to drink, but this one is still highly recommended.

Aroma is vinegar, caramel, lots of sourness and funk. Pours with almost no head and a deep, muddy brown consistency of color. The beer looks pretty, but yet scary. The tart, caramel aroma gives way to some dull cereal in the taste, a touch of alcohol and a sweet, subdued sourness. This is not the most sour beer, but is well-integrated, complex, and enjoyable. I like this very much.

I’m pretty new to sours, but here goes. I poured straight down the center of a snifter and got a few wine like bubbles for the head. Color is dark brown, similar in appearance to a porter. Aroma, to me, smells like a red wine, with major oak notes. The flavor changes about 5 times every time you take a sip. It starts out mildly sweet, then moves to a wine-like flavor and once it hits the back of your tongue slaps you with a big sour note. Not much in the way of hops that I could detect. Palate finishes sour and lingers for a moment, but ultimately is very easy to drink. Overall this was very reminiscent of a wine in my opinion with a huge sour note.

#1300. I have been waiting a long time for this brew. The pour yields an extremely dark and inky violet or prune color. Easily the darkest Flemish sour I have ever seen. Despite a vigorous pour, only a small, glassy, fat-bubbled gathering forms at the edges. There is absolutely no lacing, but dense, viscous legs skate down the glass.

The aroma is simply intoxicating. Sour cherries and reduced grape juice lead the sweet-tart, fruity charge. Notes of tannic, dark fruit skins lend a vinous quality reminiscent of an Oregon Pinot Noir. Earthy, mineral notes resemble that of a clean, wet stone, while old, worn leather and pipe tobacco lend deep, sweetly pungent elements. Soft, melted chocolate and subtle vanilla show as well, while the oaken barrel imparts just a smidge of the requisite Struise Farm funk.

Despite the seemingly endless complexity, the flavor is supremely integrated. The chocolate element emerges as a major player, soothing and caressing the tongue after the fruity, balsamic tartness strikes. Sour cherries, ripe figs, and a hint of ground cinnamon are enhanced by the soft, old, funky oak. The supreme balance between sweet, sour, and savory is incredible.

Round, slick, and viscous in the mouth, the body is almost completely void of carbonation, and that is perfect in this brew. It literally feels like liquid velvet as it rolls across the tongue.

This beer is nearly perfect. It represents the ultimate bridge between the wine and beer worlds. Sure to please lovers of both, my only wish is that this was an every day luxury. Simply breathtaking.