Oude Tart - The Bruery

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.34/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a clear deep mahogany in color with some light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some reddish brown highlights. The beer has a half finger tall light tan head that quickly reduces to a medium patch of extremely thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of vinous/vinegar, tart cherry, and green apple. Very light notes of oak.

T: There is a great tartness to this beer - exactly what I expected for the style. Upfront there are some moderate flavors of tart cherries, green apples, and some slightly stronger flavors of vinegar. Light notes of oak come through but overall there is a pleasant sourness.

M: Medium bodied with slightly more than moderate amounts of carbonation. Heavy amounts of acidic prickliness.

O: I found this beer to be fairly approachable for the Flanders Red Ale style and a great example of it - though if you have no interest in sour beers this is one to avoid. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and it had just the right amount of tartness/sourness and acidity.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 18:33:12 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.34/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A: The beer is hazy dark reddish brown in color. It poured with a thin beige head that died down, leaving swirls of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of sourness and dark fruits are present in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and also has notes of wood and hints of vinegar.
M: It feels light-bodied and very tart on the palate with a low aamount of carbonation. The tartness lingers through the finish.
O: This beer is pleasantly sour and tart but in no way over the top overpowering so it's rather drinkable compared to other beer in the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 18:28:08 | More by metter98

nickfl

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours with one finger of light brown foam on top of a black body with clear amber highlights.

S - An aroma of cherries, vanilla, toasted oak, and subtle roast.

T - Tart cherry and caramel up front with more dark sugar in the middle. Finishes with funk, stone fruit, and a touch of smoky vanilla.

M - Moderately thick body, average carbonation, and a slightly dry finish.

D - The aroma is excellent and the flavor profile isn't far behind.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:44:01 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Single finger off white head on a clear red brown and amber body with excellent lacing. Aroma of cola, oak, brown sugar, candied orange, dark fruit including fig raisins and cherry. Flavor is less complex but still very good with mostly sour cherries, some brown sugar and oak notes throughout. Fairly thick and oily body and light carbonation. Simple but good. Seemed a little watery but its hard to critize this one too much.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:38:06 | More by kylehay2004

yankeepride

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shop manager near me, upon hearing that I was going to share this beer, told me "Don't. Drink it with your wife. You'll thank me later." Well, he was dead right. It pours even deeper than ruby, with a mahogany tint to it. Not as much of a tart smell as I've gotten in others, but the oaken notes come right out of the bottle and hit you from a few feet away. You also get the barrel in the taste, and it's not so sour that it curls your eye shut. It has a perfect balance of everything, and even has a bit of alcohol burn that I have never tasted in a sour. It has a clean finish, and doesn't linger past its welcome.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 03:52:57 | More by yankeepride

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

Jonada

New Jersey

4.34/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Dark red brown in color with a finger of a light khaki colored head. When held up to light, the body is ruby red and fairly clear with some visible carbonation.

Smell: Big tartness right upfront with aromas of sour cherry, balsamic vinegar, stone fruits, slight lactic character, leather and an underlying malt sweetness.

Taste: Sour cherry, vanilla, oak, bready malt, toasted almonds, and maybe a hint of green apple. Sourness is on the lower end of high.

Mouthfeel: Lighter side of medium bodied with medium/high carbonation.

Overall: Excellent beer and on of the best American versions of the style. It's heavier on the lactic sourness and lighter on the sweetness and stone fruit flavors than some of it's Belgian counterparts, but it's still a winner. Though given their similar price points, if I were to see this next to a Rodenbach Vintage on the shelf, I'm probably grabbing the Rodenbach 9 times out of 10.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 04:00:48 | More by Jonada

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark reddish-brown with a finger of frothy khaki-tan head. Fades at a normal pace.

S - Sweet caramel malts, oak, vanilla, sour cherries, funky brett and other yeasts, lactic acid, brown sugar.

T - Sweet caramel malts, sour cherries, tart lactic acid and lemon zest, oak, vanilla, funky Brett and other yeasts, brown sugar.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a funky, tart, and sour finish.

D - Great sourness and tartness. Very well balanced and complex.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 06:02:27 | More by ngeunit1

gueuzedreg

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2010 into a snifter

This is my first The Bruery offering at a wild ale. I am use to RR or Crooked Stave sours, so I am that dick teacher who gives C's for a B work. This beer is a little dry for me. Perhaps the first year of vintage is working against this one; it will be interesting to compare against the newer vintages I have in the cellar. Overall, I am happy, but not thrilled for this. I am looking forward to the next few wilds that The Bruery has for my palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 01:03:24 | More by gueuzedreg

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into a matching Bruery snifter. The brew appears a darker mahogany color with ruby red clarity through the body when held to the light. A yellowish khaki head about a finger strong appears and fades quick leaving spotty lace on the glass.

The aroma is lemony lactic and funky. Some raw oak and a mild touch of caramel to vanilla melds out towards the back. Some fruity quality is present but not really driving home any of that distinct cherry or vinegar notes typically associated with the style. Not saying thats a bad thing, just unique and enjoyably different.

The flavor includes raw oak blending into mild vanilla sweetness and caramel to toffee grain/barrel presence with a dark tangy fruity alcohol component. A raw quality almost mineral-like mixes with a hint of rusty sourness and herbal hops.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It overall is not bad and the enjoyable aspects are very enjoyable. By Flanders standards it hits the mark but isnt a standout. Worth trying and despite my gripes and displeasure at some of it's character I am glad I have another bottle or 2 to enjoy with some more age.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 18:32:41 | More by stakem

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.26/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sharply acidic and solely focused on cherry portrayal, this Californian-brewed, Belgian-style sour red ale is cleaner, crisper, and much drier than most that are devised outside of the lowlands of Belgium.

Pouring a lightly rusty color of brown, garnet, and orange; the beer is hazy and prefers a wine-like demeanor over that of beer. Though it's somewhat sprite carbonation yields a loosely knit white froth, it's structure falls and causes the beer the beer to look still shortly after the pour.

Strong sourness and tartness of "sour patch kids" candies emit from the initial aromas, but soon after the more mature scents of balsamic, leather, sour cherries with grapes offer up strong wine-like attributes. Its malty dryness supports the sourness with just enough cracker and honey notes give the sourness a rounded sense without attention.

The sharp and precise flavors hinge on the dry cherry taste, which accents its tartness. But the beer doesn't let up as the quick rebuttal of almond, apple, Cabernet, light leather, dusty oak, and white cider vinegar govern the beer's bulk of taste. It's a decadent taste that's dry, sharp, fruity, and lightly cheesy.

Light on the palate, the beer starts zesty, racy, and fully engulfed on the mouth. But as the carbonation subsides, it takes with it the creaminess the keeps the beer together and ushers in sheer acidic textures, light astringency, and mild warmth.

Ouded Tart really does all it says in its name. It is tart with the taste of dried acidic and succulent fruits; but also gives aged "savory" notes that shows the beer's patience and maturity. I love the beer for all it is, although its depth is just off of Rodenbach examples.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 07:14:50 | More by BEERchitect

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.26/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle.

Pours dark mahogany with amber edgework. A minimal head of bone fades quick to reveal a placid surface with zero lacing.

Aromatics lead off with sour apples, balsamic-drizzeled toffee, and wine-soaked oak. Hints of tart cherries, port, and rhubarb follow through.

Medium bodied with a sharp mouthfeel. A bit tacky as well.

Apples soaked in wine and balsamic start the palate. A drying oakyness steps forward along with soured fruit and bright acid.

Finishes with a lingering sourness, acid-laced red fruits, and a wine-like vineousity.

A tasty and substantial sour. The sourness level is right on for someone who prefers a more aggressively sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:05:55 | More by brewandbbq

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Oude Tart pour a flat muddy brown with a tiny head. Only a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is tart with Belgian spice and barrel notes. Cherries, oak, vanilla, and a little coriander.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is soft and smooth with moderate carbonation. The flavor begins tart and acidic with cherry and peach tastes. Oak and vanilla is present along with a little cinnamon. It finishes tart with lingering fruity notes.

This is a full flavored very tasty beer. Lots of tartness with a nice oaky/vanilla barrel notes.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:50:32 | More by WanderingFool

ncketchum

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served chilled in a Duvel tulip

A - pours a murky brown with a light brown lacing

S - sour cherries, belgian yeast,

T - very sour, cherries, lemon, a little bit of funk

M - tart, dry, no alcohol burn to speak of

O - great sour, glad to have picked this one up

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 05:01:55 | More by ncketchum

draheim

Washington

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL into a tulip. Pours a reddish brown w/ a thin beige head that settles to a light film, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is, not surprisingly, tart and oaky. Aroma reminds me of what Rodenbach Grand Cru tastes like.

Taste is wayyyy more sour than the nose indicates. Not vinegary, but almost puckeringly, crab-apple sour. Recalibrating... Dry oak is there in spades, almost feels like I have a wood chip in my mouth. But in a good way. Can't stop sipping this, and I find something new with each sip.

Mouthfeel is crisp and dry, evaporates off the palate.

Overall a wonderfully dry, oaky sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 04:51:50 | More by draheim

AltBock

Ohio

4.21/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle with a simple orange fire hydrant shaped label. The front and back label has all the info you need to know about the beer except a vintage year. The labels give you tasting notes, ABV%, proper serving temp, and correct glassware. Like I said, everything except for a vintage year.

When poured into an Ommegang Tulip, Oude Tart was a very interesting color. It was a deep dark murky mahogany brown color. It was almost a dark beer bottle cola brown color. The color was great, but the head of foam wasn't as impressive. The initial head of foam was about 1/4 of an inch in height and dark tan in color. It receded way too fast. It didn't even bother to leave anything behind. Not even rings around the beer or a single spot around the glass. Nothing! At least the color was nice.

What was lost in the aroma was quickly made up in the aroma when I first put my nose to the beer. The aroma was strong with plenty of sour and tart goodness. It was sour and tart with green grapes, raspberries, cherries, green apples, and a little lemon. Behind the solid sour fruit wall was a subtle whiff of oak and leather. Was it funky? No, not really. It was instead nice and tart!

The taste was sour, tart, and a little acidic, but it wasn't at the level where the aroma was. It was a little lower than that. Don't worry! The taste was still sour, tart, and fruity with red raspberries, green grapes, green apples, cherries, and lemons. What was found in the aroma was found in the taste. Behind all the sour and tart fruits was some malt, oak, and a gentle touch of leather. If only the fruit combined with the leather to make fruit leather. That would have been cool.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied, tart, sour, and acidic. All the good stuff you want to find in this style of beer. Even though it was sour and tart, it won't take a lot of water to wash away the tartness. Another great Bruery beer.

It was sour and tart, but they did a nice job controlling that. The sour and tartness never really got full strength. Same story with the oak. This beer is on the pricey side. Is it worth it? Only if you like sours and you want something different to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 02:28:45 | More by AltBock

chugalug06

Colorado

4.64/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 2010

Dark, deep and roasted color. Big foamy off-white head. No lacing. Clarity is nice too

Tons of roasty cherry. Oakey and vanilla too. Tart and acidic. Milky, but cherry is almost over whelming..

Sweet and sour; Cherry and dry. Tart, acidic, smooth, delicious, slightly bitter and dark red cherry. The only thing I would dismiss is some of the super dark roasty cherry flavors, slightly detracts from the mouthfeel.

Awesome brew! I can't believe this is the first time I've had it... Highly recommended and can't wait for next years release. Exactly the beer I wanted.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 05:51:56 | More by chugalug06

mjohnson17

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a deep deep ruby redish/brown, nearly opaque, with a 2 finger head on my aggressive pour

S: sour, tartness, slight sweet undertone with a bit of woody-vanilla

T: Two words tart and delicious. This is mouth-puckering tart and I love it. There is a sweet undertone that follows the nose and a really nice tart/sweet/faint vanilla finish. Definately picking up small hints of oak barrel but mostly sour.

M: Nice light mouthfeel. Well balanced.

Overall: this beer is delicious. The taste and mouthfeel really stood out. The appearance was lacking, and the smell was somewhere in the middle. This is one of my favorite Bruery beers. If you like mouth puckering sour like I do then you'll really enjoy this.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 04:06:46 | More by mjohnson17

vonnegut21

New York

4.1/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep red-brown with a finger and a half of white head.

S: Tart, lactic nose up front. Cherry, vanilla and a touch of oak linger This smells excellent.

T: Moderately tart, with cherry and vinuous notes. Oak, vanilla and barrel tannins linger. Nice flavors, but nothing overwhelming.

M: Medium bodied. Almost a bit undercarbonated for how I prefer the style.

O: A nice beer. Tasty, and since I have two more bottles, I'll drink again. Not my favorite of the style. Not even close to Cuvee de Jacobins Rouge as far as flavor. On par with Rodenbach Grand Cru, but at double the cost, it's a tough sell.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 03:41:53 | More by vonnegut21

flagmantho

Washington

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750mL bottle into a tulip. This was my wife's Christmas present to me ... really looking forward to this one.

Appearance: rich, deep amber-brown hue with a relatively haze-free body and a strong effervescence. Head is a finger of frothy tan foam. Quite nice.

Smell: sweet malt with a rich caramel character and a bright yet not overpowering tartness. Under this is a woody, vanilla-ey aroma which really fills out the whole thing. Complex and enjoyable.

Taste: caramel malt, vanilla wood and lactic tartness all hit me at once. The light fruitiness works well here. Overall quite good, but the rich complexity of the aroma isn't quite here; tartness takes over and the flavor is a bit imbalanced. Good, but perhaps not great.

Mouthfeel: light body with a light carbonation. There's some nice activity here, but it is neither creamy nor brightly effervescent. Not bad, but could be a lot better.

Overall: this beer could be better in some areas, but overall I am enjoying it a whole helluva lot. I'd love to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 21:17:10 | More by flagmantho

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

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

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

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very nice example of the style- beautifully tart with just enough sweetness to give it balance, and a lush fruitiness framed beautifully by the sourness. A very pretty pour, dark brown with a slight plum cast and just a little head, though the carbonation is fine. Tart nose of delicate cherry, red currant, damp earth, and leather. The taste is quite tart, with a bit of slightly spicy sweetness, particularly on the finish. More notes of bright fruit, with tastes of blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and currants. A touch of brown sugar and leather rounds it out. Very smooth and quite a great sipper. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 20:32:56 | More by Georgiabeer

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Rutager, 750ml into a tulip.

Deep opaque mahogany, with a light brown head. Acetic nose, some oak barrel, a whole load of cherry and other berries and a gentle sweetness. Taste is lightly acetic, tart berries and cherries again, some oak and more barrel sweetness. Medium high carbonation, lighter feel. A very nice Flemish red, epitomizes simplicity and subtlety. Quite enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 17:05:50 | More by liamt07