Oude Tart - The Bruery

BPRichar

1.15/5  rDev -73.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Upon pouring the beer, it looks like you might expect from the description. It has a dark amber color, without much carbonation, which leads you to an initial thought of, "this might be an OK beer."

Then you smell it. It smells a little old and stale, like a leftover solo cup from the night before. It has hints of sulfur (closest smell I could think of would be a sewage plant), and astringency (like a really tart green apple). Now I'm thinking, this had better at least taste OK.

The taste is not good. It has a very sharp bite up front and finishes very flat. It reminds me of cranberries and crab apples. There were four of us tasting it, and none of us could even finish 3 or 4 oz. WE POURED IT OUT!

If this had been a $5 bottle I wouldn't have minded so much, but this is a $20 bottle of beer! Do not waste your money! It is definitely not worth it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 23:12:36 | More by BPRichar

YogiBeer

Illinois

1.5/5  rDev -64.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Appearance: Amber color, looks like hundreds of other beers.

Smell: Vinegar. I'm a chef, I don't smoke, I drink tons of different fantastic beers make and eat lots and lots of great food... and drink lots of sour beers. This beer smells astringent, vinegary, and... wrong.

Taste: 5 of us drank this together out of different glasses, passing them around. None of us made it past five sips, we all poured it down the toilet. more than half the bottle is left. The worst. If you pay $20 dollars for this, you WILL be mad... unless you're delusional.

Overall: Please, PLEASE don't buy this beer. I'm not trolling in any way.

Also, I really like sour beers.

How can I be constructive if a product makes me this sad?

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 01:39:16 | More by YogiBeer

The_Kings_Quart

Bhutan

1.95/5  rDev -54.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

I need to preface this by saying that I think this is the beer that convinced me I'm just not a fan of the Flanders style. Apologies if I come off as intentionally scathing or uninformed.

A: Thick and muddy reddish brown. Just barely opaque with some delicate lacing on the glass.

S: Funky as hell. Worcester sauce, anise, charcoal, and cough syrup. A lot of my least favorite things swirling in here...

T: Meaty and disjointed. Overpowering citrus and bitters. Black licorice is pretty strong.

MF: Fizzy and thin. Honestly, I couldn't keep it in my mouth for long.

O: I taste a lot of elements in this beer that clamor for my attention (the bitterness, the acidity, etc), and the result is a bitter mess that's really difficult to enjoy. Fans of the brewing style might taste something that I just don't understand, but Oude Tart and I don't have a common ground.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2012 05:25:38 | More by The_Kings_Quart

ArrogantB

Colorado

2.35/5  rDev -45%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

This is the 2011 batch thanks to Janderson91, appreciate it. I was hopeful about this beer and was completely disappointed. Dark red-brown color, no head, almost completely flat. Smells like it might be a good sour flanders red, not bad but nothign that makes me say yum either. The taste was so disappointing, I almost want to say bland, Muted flavors, just the hint of what a flanders red tastes like. Wow, I really expected more since I know the Bruery can make a good beer, I hope it was just an off bottle because this was pathetic.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 03:20:22 | More by ArrogantB

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

2.98/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

750ml bottle into a wide flute, 2012 vintage

A: Pours a muddy brown with not quite a finger of head that quickly recedes to a ring. Certainly not the prettiest beer I've ever seen.

S: Intense and complex. The beer starts out with sour cherries up front balanced by caramel and bourbon. I get lots of dark fruit - plum and raisin as well as leather.

T: Lactic and acetic acid are followed quickly by plum, leather, and tobacco. Sour cherries are there, but not nearly as strong as in the aroma. The acetic nature of this beer is a bit strong for me. I get some spicy oak in the finish as well.

M: A bit thin and undercarbonated.

O: This beer smells amazing - so complex. The flavor does not quite live up to the aroma, though. I remember this tasting better in past years, too.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:19:23 | More by coreyfmcdonald

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.03/5  rDev -29%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks, John for sharing this... Poured into tasting snifter

A- Pours a very deep ruby brown color with a finger of pale cream head. The head dies almost instantaneously, leaving a still liquid, lurking in the glass.

S- Lemon zest is the main component here with a backing of grassy aromas. Finishes with acidic oak/young wood in the nose. Not incredibly complex or pronounced, but decent.

T/M- Not very sour at all as the nose prepped me for. This is more of a slightly tart (which is a potential overstatement in itself) flavor with hints of citrus fruits. It transitions into a funky, barn yard, hay-like finish on the palate. Moderate body with the acidity to keep it from coming off heavy, but the almost nonexistent carbonation doesn't help.

O- It is safe to say that all 4 of us that tasted this were greatly underwhelmed. It was a decent beer, but we felt this was not close to deserving of the hype. Maybe some age would help this develop, as that may be the only circumstance in which I would look forward to trying this again...

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 19:27:43 | More by TheGordianKnot

mactrail

California

3.03/5  rDev -29%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A cloudy amber brown with some pink highlights. Nice enough foam and plenty of lacing in the wine glass. Modest foam but sudsy on the tongue. Really tart.

Vinegar aroma with a touch of fruit in the nose. The first sip has an appealing hint of sour cherries. Scratchy bitterness fills the rest of the taste. Authentic apparently to the style. Pleasant tangy and spritzy mouthfeel. You could say this is actually close to drinkable.

On tap at Bottleworks in San Diego.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 06:58:17 | More by mactrail

brystmar

New York

3.28/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Blind Tiger for VSK.

Fruity notes seem to jump out at random points, leading to an incoherent flavor profile. Slightly medicinal with an unrefined overall structure.

I've given Oude Tart a number of chances from various bottled batches, and having it on tap again at Blind Tiger the other day confirms: I'm not a fan of this beer.

This is a very tough style to nail -- even moreso than fruit lambics IMO. Oude Tart is a great example of a brewery with a well-regarded sour program struggling with the Oude Bruin style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2012 16:09:37 | More by brystmar

CenCalMario

California

3.3/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review is for a bottle of 2011.

Appearance is good. My bottle had decent carbonation, bottle had slight pop when opened. Small head on beer, probably 1/2 inch. Head retention was low, evaporated in less than 1 minute. The low head retention is to style.

Smell is ok. Light tartness, sour qualities. Smells like a small Flanders Red. Get some black licorice and maybe some anise.

Taste is ok as well. Not as complex as last vintage. This bottle needs age. Expecting more acid and sourness. Lacks depth like the Marron Acidifie.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall this is a good beer, but nothing to salivate about. This vintage needs a lot more time in the bottle. The prior release is much better, but this bottle might just need more time. Will have to review again.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 04:45:47 | More by CenCalMario

phichifiji00

California

3.33/5  rDev -22%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 2011 vintage bottle into Bruery tulip glass.

Appearance: Mahogony in color, cloudy, nearly no head, minimal lacing, very flat.

Smell: Tart, slightly funky, oak, vinous, red/dark berries, cherries.

Taste: Cherries very prevalent, oak, honey, mead like in the middle, tart finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, tart, very flat, next to no carbonation.

Overall: Good flavor. Good balance sweet, tart, & oak flavors. Lack of carbonation kills it though. Overall, I was pretty disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 01:38:38 | More by phichifiji00

blakelive784

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -22%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1 pt 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle served in a tulip, reviewed live:

A - Pours a deep, non transparent mahogany color with a thin half finger off white head. Retention is terrible though it's got lively carbonation and visible yeast.

S - Tart pie cherries, hints of oak, lacto, sour funk, light spice, caramel and biscuity yeast. Moderate strength. Incredibly inviting.

T - Toasted malt and light oak open to an overwhelming lacto sourness. Missing the fruit component I found on the nose. Well balanced, though. Suffers from simplicity.

M - Prickly and wet. Medium bodied.

D - It's alright as far as sours go, though I wouldn't seek it out again (nor pay the high price). There are much better examples of the style. Entirely too simple.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:08:18 | More by blakelive784

tewaris

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks Frank!

Clear chestnut brown with a bubbly head forced by pour. The head disappears as soon as it forms.

Aroma is soft oak, sewage funk, tart fruit (cherries?). Tastes pleasantly tart, notes of balsamic vinegar, hints of funk, with a slightly bitter woody finish. Slightly alcoholic at times.

Feels unsubstantial... either the carbonation needs to go up, or malts should be present to carry the beer. Rather watery. Not bad but nothing that good either.

Drinks easier than Duchesse though, but I would take Rodenbach Grand Cru over it.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 23:45:15 | More by tewaris

zhanson88

Montana

3.41/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights. Pretty cloudy. About 1" of head forms which has nice retention and okay lacing.

Smell: Mostly smells of lemon tartness, along with some slightly sweet as well as sour cherries in the background.

Taste: Surprisingly sweet up front, followed by lemony tartness and maybe a bit of sour cherries. Finish is a mixture of sweetness and tartness.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Mouthfeel is light without a ton of carbonation. Decent. Overall, not a bad sour. A little sweeter than I was expecting and kind of one dimensional. Worth a try, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:01:33 | More by zhanson88

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

2011 bottle poured into multiple tulips. Thanks to Scott for sending a couple my way!

A: Opened with almost no sound and poured the same. Absolutely no head, even with a vigorous pour. Murky body, brown and ruby colored, no lace and no retention (obviously). Bleak, sad looking beer to be honest.

S: Oak, vanilla, cherry, dark grapes, tart fruits. A certain acidic quality comes through in the end which I expected to be here. It's actually a very good smelling beer despite how things started out.

T: Cherry and dark fruit tartness is immediate, followed by the barrel aging flavors of vanilla and oak. It's slightly acidic towards the end of the palate. Some faint citrus notes are in the finish, leaving a bit of a dryness on the mouth into the linger.

M: Seriously under carbonated, this is the absolute pitfall of this beer. If I move the beer in my mouth enough, I do get some bubbles. A touch dry in the linger, expected.

Look, I understand this is bottle conditioned and that with time it will carbonate more and get more tart. However, it's a complete shock to me that The Bruery would ship these bottles out to consumers like this to enjoy fresh. There is no way this is how the beer is supposed to be. I'll be sitting on my other bottles, and hopefully they'll take a complete 180 in a year or so.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 13:31:08 | More by ShanePB

youradhere

Arkansas

3.45/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bright mahogany with red edges, nice tan head, nice even lacing left behind. Smell is toffee, lemon, slight chocolate, yogurt, Brett fruit. Taste is blue cheese, lemon zest, oak vanilla, cheese popcorn, stale diluted coffee. Mouthfeel is medium light, carries the flavors well, I'm glad this is dry otherwise I would swear this was Rodenbach. Carbonation is low-medium. A lil too cheesy for me, but a decent offering from Cali.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 03:45:20 | More by youradhere

n2185

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a dark orange-brown with half a finger of off white head that completely vanishes with no lacing.

S: sour and tart cherries dominate the aroma with other aour fruits and a little funk.

T: tart and sour cherries dominate here as well with some slight acetic and funky flavors.

M: medium-light body with lowish carbonation, this beer is nice and refreshing.

O: a solid sour overall, though lacking in complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2012 00:18:23 | More by n2185

kojevergas

California

3.48/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into an EKU 28 stem-snifter in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are quite high. 7.5% ABV confirmed.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a half finger head of khaki colour, decent cream and thickness, and terrible (<10 second) retention. Colour is a dark caramel. We'll call it mahogany if we're down with pretension. Yeast particles are plainly visible in spite of the beer's lack of transparency. Non-opaque. Appealing, but not typical of the style. Understated but inviting.

Sm: Sour tart fruit; certainly cherries and other bright fruits. Surprisingly clean. Very pleasant and enjoyable. I can't wait to try it. Hints of underlying caramalt. Lacks the depth of many sours, but it is quite appealing. A bit of subtle barnyard funk, but not enough to disturb the dominant sour tartness. An average strength aroma.

T: Lacto-bomb. Tart but not in the fruity sense. Some nice sweet bright fruits, but they don't contribute tartness in and of themselves. Lactose is dominant, to its detriment. Where's the wild yeast/spontaneity? Underlying oak hardly contributes anything. I'm kind of let down, to be honest. Doesn't bring the sourness like I hoped. Balanced but tame. Feels clinically brewed; lacks the wild nature of good Belgian sours. Disappointing, but decently built. No alcohol comes through, but there's plenty of lacto yeast. Not particularly pucker-worthy.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Good carbonation and thickness. Pretty good palate presence.

Dr: Hides its ABV quite well. I like it, but it's $22.00 price tag is rather steep for its relatively disappointing quality. I'd try it aged, but as it is it just isn't the right build for a good beer in the style. None of the sourness or tartness is fruit induced; it's all yeast. A good offering, but highly priced and not satisfactory given my expectations. I'd buy Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge over this.

High B-

As it warms, its simplicity emerges.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:11:29 | More by kojevergas

Murchmac

California

3.5/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to alfranztel for opening this puppy up.

I was really hoping to like this beer but overall it was a little too tart for me. It had all the great characteristics of an oud Bruin but it was just too tart for me. Hence the name Oude Tart.

I could taste all the vinegar, sweetness, and fruit characters but the aftertaste was a bit too tart.

Glad I got to try it but I wouldnt get it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 04:59:58 | More by Murchmac

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a reddish/brown color ale with a medium size foamy head with average retention and some minimal lacing. Aroma of tart notes with some light cherries and some wood with light vinous feels. Taste is a good mix between some tart cherries notes with clear oak notes and some wood with limited acidity level. Funky notes are clearly distinguishable. Body is about average with medium carbonation. Not bad but still quite a way behind other Flanders Red such as Rodenbach.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 20:00:26 | More by Phyl21ca

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle provided by russwbeck and poured into a Bruery tulip.

A - The appearance is much darker than I was expecting; it's nearly a complete brown void with only faint traces of dark red. About 1.5-fingers of light tan head with good retention and a thick, foamy cap when it fades. The lacing isn't bad, but it's not exactly the most sticky of foam.

S- Not exceptionally tart, but with a good amount of cherries to help mix things up. I'm getting a lot of the darker fruit aspect of it, like pitted fruits, especially the skin and stones. I'm also smelling a bit of that vinegar that is common for the style. Finally, the oak barrels do come through here as well, but not exceptionally so and it is more of a subtle addition.

T - The first thing I realize about the flavor is that it is not very sour at all; there's only a touch of tartness but it seems as more of an afterthought than the focus, especially for a beer proclaiming 'tart' as part of its name. I'm getting a bit more of the cherry and darker fruits, with the whole fruit coming into play. A little bit of oak and a dram of vinegar, before finishing in a silkiness that adds a pinch of leather.

M - Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with nice carbonation. It feels little bit heavy, especially with the bolder flavors and smaller amount of tartness.

D - Drinkability is moderate. This is pretty much a sipper, and I can't help but feel a little more tartness or carbonation could've helped. As it warms, the vinegar comes through even more which adds a different facet. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more out of this, and having it in company of Goose Island's Three Sisters, this comes in near the bottom.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 03:31:57 | More by nhindian

Koufax21

New Mexico

3.55/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at the Bruery. It poured a dark brown with a little ruby coloring on the edges when held to the light. It had about an inch of a yellowish cream colored head but was completely void by the time it got to me. It smelled very tart with hints of cherry and warhead candy. A little sweeter than I expected. Definitely tart but not in the extreme mouth puckering way. Slightly acidic and dry. It certainly brings you back quickly for another sip. Well carbonated. I'm not a huge sour fan, but I'm trying to appreciate this style for what it is. Tasty all in all.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2011 18:47:38 | More by Koufax21

KeefD

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Review from tasting notes taken last night:

Dark amber, reddish-brown inch high tan head, light lace. Earthy aroma, light brown sugar, hint of sourness, alcohol comes out with warmth. Flavor has some light tart cherry, brown sugar again in the back end, well balanced between the sweet and the sour. Some light red grape flavors comes up on the dry, earthy finish. Was really hoping for some more sour, but didn't get it. Nice mouthfeel, carbonation is perfect, not too bubbly, not too mild. Very good example of the style. Had this next to a Rodenbach Grand Cru, and the Rodey won hands down. Good beer, but not as good as I was suspecting. Maybe needs a few months on it before it peaks.

Thanks to Skuter for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2010 05:40:07 | More by KeefD

russwbeck

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Epic tasting shared with nhindian. Thanks beerman4 for picking this up for me!

A: Brown pour with hints of red along the edges. About a finger of white head leaves some nice lacing and decent retention.

S: The nose is full of tartness and a slight amount of cherries. Slight funkiness and some malts seem to provide the base for this guy.

T: The taste is really lacking for me. I was expecting something that would really blow me away, and this failed to deliver. Light cherry taste mixed with some tartness and slight vinegar. Very dry and acidic finish that leaves my mouth watering. As I finish the beer off, the booziness really takes over.

MF: Light body with average carbonation. The aftertaste is a bit strange, but no alcohol is noted.

O: Pretty disappointed here. Was expecting a far above average sour, but got nothing but average to below average. Just not a strong enough flavor profile, and enough of a balanced taste for it to be rated with an A average.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 03:17:55 | More by russwbeck

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Slightly hazed copper brown. Some dark reds when held to the light. Tiny dirty white collar. No head. Almost no carbonation. Very still.

Smell: Cherry flesh, cherry skin, oak. Mild cider vinegar. Plums. Tart cherry juice. Slightly toasted. Planks of juice soaked wood. Some building lactic in the back. Big sweetness to compliment the tart. Some earthiness. Mild floral.

Taste: Seriously oaky. Like licking a wet plank. Some hints of cherry, leather, plum, and sweet malts. Lightly caramelized sugars, cooked malts. Is that candi sugar? It sure tastes like it. Mild acetic edge adds some tartness. A faint spiciness in the background. As it warms the oak jumps out and begins to dominate. Lactic tartness helps prevent it from becoming an oak bomb. Tart cherry skin. Almost peach as well. Wet wood.

Mouthfeel: Medium body pushing full at times. No carbonation. Incredibly smooth.

Overall: One of the better showings from The Bruery. Very woody.

I've been fortunate enough to try this at beer fests at least twice. Each time it was more tart than this particular bottle. Heavy on the oak to the point of being a bit too much.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 01:36:23 | More by Goblinmunkey7

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle, pors a really deep maroon with a creamy, lasting beige head. Nose is tight, woody, with dark cherries and a subtle brett twist. Nose is nice and reminds of of Veritas 003 more so than any other Flanders Red. Sweet and sour in the mouth, dark cherries, some wild yeast, some oak, really light balsamic vinegar. A weird finish that is kind of herbal and just doesn't fit in quite right. I like this but the flavors are kind of at odds with each other at times. Good.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 01:49:37 | More by JAXSON