Struise Aardmonnik / Earthmonk

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

11.2oz bottle from Sparky27 - thanks, Eric!!! Man alive, did this one ever live up to the hype. Dark red pour, with dusky brown murk at the edges and some mysterious amber gleams. Very minimal carbonation, but a mouthfeel that’s smooth and silky, quite full. The nose is oak, leather, musky funk, and dried cherry pits. The flavor is amazingly complex, with one of the most superbly subtle uses of oak I’ve ever encountered, giving the funk an oh-so-delicate vanilla complement (absolutely nothing confectionary about it, just earthy and inviting). Dried fruit and vinous characteristics come on in the finish particularly, with a nice tart smack in the chops. Beautiful interplay of sweet and sour, a tremendous, tremendous beer.

[33cl bottle, consumed in a Red Roof Inn, Danville PA] Pours a dark brown/red color. Very little foam upon pouring. Aroma is sugary, raisins and maybe cola? No real acetic character to be found in the aroma- interesting. Flavors are initially quite malty and moderately sweet, turning potently acetic, with lots of funk and fruit esters towards the end. Thick, dense mouthfeel but a very dry finish make this beer supremely drinkable. Outstanding!

Stone Sourfest courtesy of a generous soul. Cloudy brown in the glass. Rich dark tartness in the mouth. Vinegar and cherries. Remarkably complex.

Pours out a dark brown with some bubbles. Smells sweet and sour with some vinegar. Taste is tart fruity some sweetness with a nice funkyness. Flavors of cherries, dark fruit, funk and wood. No alcohol. Some carbonation. Dryish finish. Great balance. One of the best. Yum

330ml Bottle: Aroma of tart fruit, funk, acid, wood, cherry, and some vinegar. Poured dark brown in color with a tiny beige head that lasted around the edges. Cloudy. Not sparkling. Flavor is lightly tart and lightly sweet. Tastes of tart fruit, tart cherries, slight malt, and a hint of smoked meat. Flavor is very well balanced. Medium body. Average texture. Soft carbonation. Sour, cherry, slight smoked meat, finish is slightly chalky. Very nice sour ale. Incredibly well balanced. 8%ABV is undetectable.

Courtesy of BBB63

Bottle: The aroma has light-moderate sweet vinegar notes with mild fruity tartness. It pours a dark brown with no transparency and a small beige head that quickly fades to a thin film. The flavor starts sweet cherry and faint vinegar. The finish turns to a moderate tart cherry with a hint of oak. Medium bodied with minimal carbonation. A solid brew, but I’m not the biggest fan of the sweet and sour combination.

33cl bottle Best Before 07/10 7/21/09 (Courtesy of ygtbsm94)-Pours a hazy brown with a small tan head for a covering. Aroma of sour, oak, malt, sweetness, and fruits. Taste is of cherry, sour, slight chocolate, and sweetness. This medium bodied brew is very well balanced and quite refreshing. The sour does not overpower the brew at all. One of the best sours I have had and I am not a big fan of this style. Great brew.

33cL bottle from my Secret Santa, notched Best Before 07/10. Clear dark brown with a few moderate tan bubbles for head. Apple cider vinegar, sour cherries, and lemons up front in the aroma with some underlying tobacco and old caramel notes. The flavor has some acetone, sweet cherries and stronger and seemingly sweet tobacco--otherwise the flavor follows the aroma. Sourness peaked around a 5 in the semi-dry, slightly woody finish. The alcohol is undetectable. Medium full body with only a hint of carbonation. I also have a rating somewhere from a 75cL bottle from henrikb that I need to enter someday. From what I remember, I didn’t like that bottle (drank Dec. 2007) as much as this one.