Struise Aardmonnik / Earthmonk

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

Bottle. Pours a murky dark brown body with a small white head. Smells of butterscotch, toffee, and tart fruits (cherry). Nice balance of sweet and sour here with some apricot, apple, and cherry interplay. Seedy and aciditic towards the finish. Quite good and interesting though I’d like to revisit it with a large(r) sample.

Pours a deep red/black with no head. A few bubbles make their way to the outside of the glass. Aroma is a stiff slap of balsamic vinegar. As the temperature rises, a more balance bouquet of dark fruits, leather, and hints of teriyaki and soy come to play. Flavor is slightly metallic, with dark fruits, earthy/nutty characteristics, and subtle oak notes. Very complex, but definitely a brew that goes a long way.

courtesy of Papsoe - cloudy dark brown colour with a persistent firm beige head, nice lace; licorice and gingerbread; some acidity; quite low but very subtle carbonation; solid malt body with a fair but not overwhelming sourness; long sourish, fruity finish - deeply complex and really impressive

Thank you Holdenn for sharing this with me after running around to pre-wedding errands, you were right not stopping at Goose Island. 750ml bottle. Very dark brown color with large bubbled thin head, actually no head, just bubbles, but looks beautiful none the less. Cab wine qualities in the nose with some alc, dark fruits, oak, vanilla and lots of earthiness. The flavor is something special, having the most interesting sourness I’ve tasted in a sour. Also flavors of (sounds strange but you’ll have to believe me it was good) dirty mud that adds some nuttiness, smoke, dark fruit, alc. Body is hard to frame exactly because the huge sourness that almost makes you pucker, but I’m going with appropiate med-light body and indescernable carb. An amazying beer overall, one of those beers that is special to pull out every once in a while but you wish you could have all of the time. It is more complex and interesting than most stuff out there.

Thanx DSnowden. Great choice Dan.Pours dark brown with sweet and sour on the nose with some spices. flavor had the right balance of sourness to sweetness. Finish was clean and easy to drink.

33cl thanks hopdog. Side by side comparison with La Folie, Rodenbach Grand Cru and NG Enigma. Cellar Temp. Hazy deep ruby red color.Sour tart aroma similar to the Rodenbach. Taste sour with some vinous qualities. very creamy. More Oud Bruin than Flemish Red. Excellent full bodied. Not quite as good as the Speciaal Brouwsel 20 but that was years ago.Just as good as Supplication. Somewhat better than the La Folie, Rodenbach Grand Cru and the Panil Barrique and much better than the Enigma, Monks Ale, and Petrus. A great beer I hope I can get some more. Now if only I could try Cuvee de Castleton. Sighhhhhh.......

Tosa gathering and bottle provided by Sliffy: Reddish brown with a small head and some lace. The aroma has notes of funky yeast, cherry pits, fig newtons, with an earthy and woody character. The taste has a twangy fruit sharp sourness over a biscuity and earthy base. A dry mineral and woody finish. There is a funk component throughout which ties the flavor profile together wonderfully. The mouth feel is sharp and biting yet very refreshing. This is really nice and Mikey Likey approved.

750ml. Dark brown pour, not much head. Aroma is typical Flemish Sour though very nice. Sour, vinegar, a little bit of chocolate. Appetizing and complex. Taste is tart, sour, complex, chocolate. Very tasty. This is a very impressive example of the style and just about everything you’d want. Very good.