The Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge (Belgium)
The Brew: Monk's Café Flemish Sour Ale (Flanders Oud Bruin)
Availability: Bottles (4-pack), Draft, Cask
ABV: 5.50%
Rating: 8/10
Location: Home
The Story? A left-over from my tasting-themed birthday gathering (always buy more than you need and enjoy whatever's left in the days following), this is my first time with this particular beer.
This Flemish Sour Ale is brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge in Belgium for Philadelphia's Monk's Cafe - the Belgian beer Mecca of the east coast and, if memory serves from hazy conversations with several Philly-brew experts, a launching point for Belgian-brew love in the U.S.
The Beer? Even with a very gentile pour, the head is VERY lively and took several pours to get the image above. Deep cherry notes with mild funk on the nose. The head itself is quite sweet with long, lacy legs.
Very sweet and tart taste while being light on the tongue. Subtle, earthy mix of red and black fruits complimented by mellow nuttiness and sweet malts. Mildly acetic with some funky must in the background with a ghostly, lingering finish. Much lower carbonation in the mouthfeel than expected after all of that head.
Not as juicy as some of my favorite sour browns and isn't aiming for eye-widening tartness, but this is a great starting point for anyone looking to get into sour Belgians ales - without breaking the bank.
Subtle & smooth all the way around with a growing dryness as you reach the end of the glass. Looking forward to trying this one of draft down at Monk's one of these days!
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