Michael - Hair of the Dog Brewing Company / Brewery and Tasting Room

Magnus23

Oregon

4.74/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A big take on a Flanders Red. I was a little suspect of how this would work, but I am happily surprised. Another delicious beer from Hair of the Dog. Big fruit and a little funkiness and souring. Also can taste the alcohol, but not overwhelming for a beer of its strength. Goes very nicely with a cheese plate or even a good stew. Warming, comforting and at the same time very fresh tasting.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:06:39 | More by Magnus23

sweemzander

Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into a snifter. 2009 vintage on the front label. Big thanks to domtronzero for the trade!

(A)- Pours a deep reddish mahogany color that produced a good frothy off-white head.

(S)- A wonderful nose of dry hay barnyard funk in front of a lactic-like cranberry fruit tartness. Funky, but a joy to smell.

(T)- Very similar to the smell only a tad backwards. A very potent sour vinegar and lactic acid-like bite in the forefront. A dry hay and barnyard funk in the background with some fruit-like notes of some sort. Sour, but oh-so-good!

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Very funky and sour, but I like it. Plus, the two are balanced well together not making one overpower the other. It still has a serious bite that is not for the average palate.

(D)- Wow, this one surprised me. A great example of the style in my opinion. Tastes great and has all that funk/sourness I am beginning to enjoy/crave. I would love to snag a few more of these to see how it evolves age-wise.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 17:34:31 | More by sweemzander

oregone

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I would obviously rate this higher than most.

Sourness is in check with wood and funk aromas and fruit hints both on palate and on the nose. Some amount of balancing sweetness, but certainly not sweet. Goes down way too easy for $12 a 12ouncer. Could drink this happily all night, many nights.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 06:10:18 | More by oregone

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Beerzebub for the hook-up.

With this brew, Hair of the Dog has outdone themselves. This is perhaps the most unique brew I've ever tasted. Everything about it is unusual, except for the fact that it is another excellent offering from Hair of the Dog.

A - The appearance is unusual; it pours a rare hue of deep sandalwood with a persistent white head and big globs of lace.

S - Initially, the aroma is convincingly of dill pickles. As it airs out a bit, suggestions of a vegetable mélange are asserted, and solvent alcohol is slightly apparent. The strangest thing about this brew is that it has more vegetable nuances than fruity characteristics.

T - Bitter, sour, saucy, savory, saucy, tart and pungent; all in moderation. The taste is reminiscent of pipirrana, the Spanish pickled-cucumber-tomato-pepper salad. The flavor is as perplexing and unusual as any brew I've ever had. Some nuances of light smokiness, in a strange way, are available; like perhaps burnt rubber and ozone as much as wood char. The sour flavors include green oranges, lemon and especially lemon zest.

M - Lighter of body and very refreshing.

D - Not very much like any Flanders Red I've had, but very good nonetheless. I feel like this was more akin to a Belgian Strong Pale in flavor, but that is a trivial thing.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2010 01:06:21 | More by ktrillionaire

hopsbreath

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sneak peak of the 2012 batch on-tap at HotD. A 12oz tulip full will run you $8.50 but it's worth it. I've previously tried the previous batch of Michael and did not care for it. When approaching Flanders Red's I ask myself if I enjoy it significantly more than a $10 750ml of Rodenbach Grand Cru. The answer was no for the '09 batch. This go around is a different story though.

Michael pours rusty/murky brown and was placed on the bar in front of me with a full half finger of butterscotch head, good lacing was left. Great intense nose reveals vinegar high on the acidity with cherry notes that are well developed and distinct. Tasting leads with the acidic vinegar but plays very closely with heavy bleu cheese funk. Very little residual sweetness left after the barrel aging. Appropriately carbonated which is no surprise on-tap; I'm really hoping this translates to the bottled batch. Probably the driest finish I've ever had on a Flanders Red.

The ’09 batch was a little muddled, but this one is both heavier on the funk and sour with brighter more intense cherry and vinegar to boot. A candidate for most improved beer of the year. I'll be buying a full allotment for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2012 07:35:52 | More by hopsbreath

jdense

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle obtained at HOTD Dock Sale after 550am arrival, sharing world class beers with hannont, akfaust, Kilt Man and the rest of the daredevils who make this one of the world's great early morning beer tastings. Poured into glass provided by The Beer Goddess so I can properly appreciate odor and color.

Copper reddish body ( a bit of chill haze to start) semi-opaque (yeasty) body, and as with all HOTD beers except Blue Dot, minimally carbonated. However, there was a significant amount of carbonation clinging to sides of glass. Tart funky nose representative of the best of the style, cherries (Rainier, Lapin?) in the nose, medium bodied, not much hops to speak about. Tart lip-smacking finish. Though it will certainly benefit from a bit of aging, it taste pretty damn good right now.Not willing to push the envelope on drinkability right now, but this beer taste damn good, very tasty Given the fact it was just bottled about a month ago, I suspect the carbonation and funky edge will pick up a bit over time. Glad I have a slew of this stashed for my BA brothers smart enough to recognize that Alan Sprints (and his SoCal soul brother, Patirck Rue- now that's a collaboration I'd like to see!!) are on the cutting edge of West Coast Brewing. Very good now, and I suspect with a bit of patience, something to pull out and share with very very special friends. No doubt, The Beer Hunter is very pleased.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2009 04:41:12 | More by jdense

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

4.43/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

GLASS: Lindemans Flute
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 55 degrees
VINTAGE: 2009
Super thanks to chewy for this hook-up!

This is a clear copper colored liquid with very light hints of crimson. The small head of foam has a light tint of tan. The retention is actually pretty good, which was unexpected, and the lacing is fairly thick and lightly sticky.

The nose has a nice tartness to it, along with alot of oak notes. Lots of cherries/berries. A light presence of barnyard funk with a light showing of yeastiness.
The smell is actually very good, I think.

This is not nearly as tart as the nose prepped me for. It still has a very nice tartness to it though, don't get me wrong. The barnyard funk/yeastiness is a little more forward which gives a nice balance to the tartness. The oak notes meld very nicely. There is a good deal of berry/cherry presence, mostly tart, but some sweet hints are also spotted. A light spiciness hits about mid-palate. Alcohol is not tasted, but this has a sherry-like warming effect to it. The finish is very dry and almost completely disappears from your palate, in seconds.

This has a medium body with a mild level of carbonation. It is smooth and tasty, even though it has a slight puckering effect to it.

I find this to be very drinkable and quite enjoyable. I also think that it will benefit from some more cellar time, perhaps another 3-5 years. I wish I had more of it to test that theory with. Sadly, this is my only bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2010 20:34:04 | More by coldmeat23

boatshoes

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Received this as one of several astounding extras in a trade with Pawel awhile back. He really blew my socks off in that one and I owe him still!

Appearance- I have to say, I was not expecting a beer of this style to be a gusher, but as soon as I popped the cap, I had beer gushing out of the 12oz bottle. My luck hasn't been too great with gushers lately and this is the second one I've had it a week. That being said, after it died down (I probably lost three or four ounces unfortunately), it poured a very nice shade of murky chestnut with about a finger of slightly off white head sitting on top. Surprisingly good head retention for a Flanders red and it stuck around for a bit before dying back to a ring around the edge and some patches. A fair amount of beading carbonation as well.

Smell- A lot of barrel comes through on the nose. I get smells of wood and vanilla mixed with some not too tart fruits as well. Maybe some pear and sweet cherries. Barrel is foremost for me here though and it smells quite nice.

Taste- Interesting take on a Flanders. Again, I get the barrel flavors of wood and even some vanilla first. This is followed again by sweeter cherries and pear/apple fruit flavors. Finishes on a very mild lactic note. I actually really liked the way in which the barrel blended with the fruit flavors; however, the tartness was minimal for the style.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is quite substantial and well carbonated for the style but in no way overdone. Drinkability was great on this and I'm really sorry I lost the ounces that I did to the gushing, could have easily polished off a couple of these.

Overall, not the most traditional take on a Flanders red but very well done. Closest I could come to approximating it would probably be to compare it to Reinart Wild Ale, but I much preferred this. Unfortunate that it was a gusher, and I hope to try more of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 22:08:24 | More by boatshoes

portia99

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle generously received from hoppymcgee in our ongoing battle to one-up each other with quality beer in a series of awesome, un-negotiated, back and forth trades. This is one I was beginning to think I'd never see, so very happy to pull this one out of the box today. Thanks Greg! Poured into a gold rimmed Buzzards Bay stemmed glass.

A - Minor gusher from the bottle...lost a couple of drops, but my cat-like reflexes managed to get the rest into the glass. Pours a dirty, yeasty, brown with a minor reddish tint. Three fingers of dense, whipped creamy tan foam sits atop the beer for a good long time, slowly fizzing away to leave tons and tons of thick foamy lacing on the sides of the glass.

S - Straight out of the bottle, on the pour, I got a giant hit of oak. After settling into the glass, I get lots of cherry fruitiness, some lactic sourness with mild acetic overtones, a big hit of oak, a general tartnesss, and I think some mild funk (could be the oak fooling me a little bit). Overall, a bit of surgary sweetness in the aroma. Very interesting and complex.

T - Lactic sourness up front, rather mild in comparison to the aroma. Smooth, bready, malty base underneath everything else going on. Major oakiness on top of the base - very noticeable, but in a good way...kinda sets the stage. Mild horseblankety funkiness and medium level sour cherry flavors in the middle. Lactic and lightly acetic sourness as in the aroma. Overall, woodier than most other Flanders red ales I've had...a slight change of pace, and an enjoyable one.

M - Pretty thin in body, bordering on watery, although some residual sugars buoy the body a little bit and give it a slightly thicker feel. Carbonation is a bit light also, and very creamy...expected a little bit stronger carbonation level. Big woody aftertaste in this one.

D - An excellent beer that I'm glad to be able to try. One of the more noticeable oaky wood flavors I've gotten out of any beer. Works in this one, although some might find it a bit heavy handed. This is a style that I really enjoy and this is a fine example...perhaps a bit on the fringes of the style, but well worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2010 00:14:39 | More by portia99

Shanonbanana

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

2009 vintage bottle poured into a tulip glass at Hair of the Dog Tasting room.

Appearance- Orange-red colour; soft, off-white head with nice lacing.

Smell- Sour fruit such as cherry or a sour stone fruit like apricot or plum.

Taste- Sharp bitterness to start with, which immediately smooths out into a pleasant sour fruit flavour. Finishes with a mild tart aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- Light to medium carbonation; still pleasantly smooth despite the bubbles.

Drinkability- Wonderful on a hot day. This is what my husband and I would fondly call a porch-sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 23:02:36 | More by Shanonbanana

tpd975

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a nice hazy orange hue with a nice white head. Medium retention but no lace.

S: Nice tart aromas, lots of cherry, sweet tarts and light oak.

T: Very mild approachable sour. That being said it is not weak. There is a perfect yet subtle balance between cherry, crush sweet tarts, fresh oak, and brett.

M: Lightly caronbated, yet crisp and smooth. Very mild acidic hint.

D: Very. nicely crafted sour. Not for the extreme sour freaks, but for those who like an approachable sour it is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2010 22:19:35 | More by tpd975

Reino

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

*Flanders Red is one of my favorite styles, with Rodenbach Grand Cru being the pinnacle example in my book. I probably should wait a month or three to review this, but what the hell.

Appearance- Poured recklessly into my Duchesse glass, Michael is a beautiful color. Tough to describe, but I'll go with ruby-red. Like most freshly bottled HotD brews, Michael has no head except for watery bubbles that emerge from my vigorous pour, and head straight to the side of my glass.

Smell- Very nice, tart fruit aromas of orange, dark cherry, and green grapes. I also get some soft chocolate notes in the background along with a nice amount of oak. Not sure if it's the mix of all these complex aromas, but I get a tiny bit of alcohol heat, which is surprising at 6.2%, but compliments everything quite well. The more I dig my nose in, the more I think it might be a pine smell instead of alcohol. Enjoyable either way.

Taste- My tongue is greeted with a nice tartness and the complex fruits from the nose. Also like the smell, I'm picking up oak and pine. Some tannins are definitely lending some astringency along with the sourness. The finish is a lingering blend of dark cherries, sour apple and chocolate with a tiny bit of vanilla. Quite interesting and complex mix of flavors going on. I feel like Flanders Red is one of the toughest styles to pin down the flavors of, especially when someone like Alan is putting his own take on it.

MF- Medium bodied that probably feels heavier than it is due to the lack of carbonation. The acid helps make up for the missing bubbles, and a Flanders shouldn't be highly carbonated anyways. The mouthfeel is much like an acid forward red wine, which I'm cool with. I'm sure some carbonation and more sourness will come with time, bumping up this score.

Drinkability- A complex, slow sipper that would go great with the right meal and is very good on it's own like I'm enjoying it now. Again, I think more time giving the beer more carbonation would bump up this score. The rest of mine will be sitting in the cellar for awhile.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2009 03:10:27 | More by Reino

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a medium amber with just a ring of head. Really, there is very little carbonation here.

S: Sour cherries, light acetic acid, plum, brown sugar, and caramel. This is very complex and nicely balanced.

T: Balanced sweetness and sourness. I get a nice brown sugar, plum, and prune sweetness along with a sour cherry, slightly acetic sourness. This beer is perfectly balanced and nicely complex.

M: Medium to thick mouthfeel with low carbonation.

O: The balance is key here - I cannot stand when this style is overly acetic or overly sweet. Rarely do I find one this well balanced. I'm very impressed - this is much better than past vintages I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:50:58 | More by coreyfmcdonald

Gobzilla

California

4.23/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a burnt brownish orange with reddish highlights and a thin bubbly head that barely left any lacing sticking to the glass. Plenty of sweet fruity aromas upfront on the nose consisting of cherries, dark fruit with a little vinous character, subtle vinegar, good acidicy and nice oaky wood presence. The dark fruit were more apparent on the palate with great cherry fruit accents, vinous barrel character, oaky wood notes with plenty of acidicy, lingering vanilla and a touch of brown sugar. The brew was medium in body with a fair amount of carbonation which had a fruity, acidic, semi sweet, oaky, mild vinegary and tart finish. Good lookin out beezler on this bottle, drank good and was solid all around.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 10:48:37 | More by Gobzilla

HairOfTh3Dog

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bought from the hair of the dog anniversary sale on Nov 14. Happy birthday Hotd.

Michael looks a bit like a DIPA with a little more orange hue. Only a small amount of bubbles are effervescing to the top.

The first smell of Michael is that classic hair of the dog oak barrel. Its smells a bit vinous, probably due to the sherry barrels.

The oak comes on fairly strong in the beginning, and fades into a bit of lacto sourness on the front of the tongue. There is a good malt presence, that lends a bit of an apple flavor, maybe even a tiny bit cider like, love it.

The mouth is a tiny bit like flat soda which was the only off-putting part of this beer. As with a few of Alan's beers I'm betting with a couple of weeks in the cellar this beer will pick up the carbonation quickly.

Overall the oak, wine, apple and sour mingle together very well. As the glass empties, this is quickly becoming a Hotd brew I will not soon forget.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2009 02:14:19 | More by HairOfTh3Dog

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle split with my boy onix1agr and poured into duvel tulips. Heres to mike.

A- a hiss when opening good thing I had heard thing about a carb problem. Soon enough a small gush good thing I had the glasses ready. Two fingers of off white head that settles to a light skin. Rusty orange in color with a glow from the slight haze.

S- oh boy this smells like heaven. Big time sour funky oak, wild flowers and honey. Hints of eucaliptus and cut grass.

T- well this is a complex brew and the layers of flavors are daunting. Oak out front with the tannins and sour. Fruit and funk with a earthy herbal quality. Wood and lots of it, toasty and vinous. Some medicinal and bandaid like touches after a while.

M- medium to light in body and about the same in carb. Things really settled down in the carb department as the beer warms. Starts out juicy a puckering and finishes so bone dry you can feel the wood on your tongue. I bit of heat but that might be from the sherry barrel and not the abv.


D- this is a serious brew and the flavor and bugs will take its toll on you. My mind and palate are blown.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 03:19:55 | More by oglmcdgl

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle split with Oglmcdgl, sent by some trader out west. Review #700. This one goes out to Michael B (my best friend), Michael Jackson (The beer hunter) and Michael Jackson ( My 1st words) Rest In Peace guys. From notes.

No gushing but small rising foam, Michael creates a 50 50 split of a lighter shade of red mixed with bright orange creating a semi pinkish look towards the light. With a nice steady pour just a skinny cap of loose whiteness, barely covering the surface. Nice bubbles when agitated but no stickage on glass.

Not as sweet in the nose like a Belgian flanders and less vinegar, thank god. Tart up front with fruit, sour cherries, berries and a small lemon sourness. Oak barrel is light as is the sherry. A bit of earth, small traces of vinegar, barely though.

Taste is tart cherries up front followed by the other aforementioned fruits plus orange. Lemon comes out a bit more than scent creating another layer. Dark red berries and The oak tannins come through nice while the sherry comes in lighter. A small amount of apple with warmth. A bit of caramel from the pilsner malt, a light sweetness Small vinegar, a bit of grass at the end.

This is slightly acidic with a nice tartness/sourness, but nothing tounge buckling. A spritz of carb rushes down this lighter than medium bodied beer. A fruity flanders red and a unique one.

The after taste is kind of odd and earthy with the berries sticking around a bit. This is quite drinkable, but not my favorite flanders. I drank this kinda quick, so it goes down easy if ya like the sour, for some reason i did not want this to get to warm. An interesting interpretation of the style, this should do something in a year or two in a bottle, Cheers to Allen for tackeling another style.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 02:20:57 | More by onix1agr

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Batch 1 from 2009 poured into a matching HOTD tulip. The brew appears a hazed orange color with yellow around the edges. A frothy khaki colored head sits atop with solid, perfect retention and patchy lace that paints the glassware.

The aroma starts off wild with cheese and vanilla oak. Some fruit mildly like cherry imparts some medicinal aspect to the overall smell. However, it remains very enjoyable smelling with perhaps a bit too much focus on the barrel aging.

The flavor opens up with a bit of a tang. A lot of barrel character is like raw wood and almost too much vanilla for the style. A mild astringency ia present, mildly herbal to medicinal flavoring towards the finish.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. So smooth and easy drinking. I felt it is missing some vinegar and more sour cherry notes indicative of the style but collectively its pretty nice. Maybe just a bit too much focus on barrel character but this was a nice brew that I wouldnt mind having more of.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 14:34:18 | More by stakem

waltersrj

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pour: Golfen orange, yellow with a small white frothy head.

Nose: Cherry, traditional Flanders red malt and some sour funk.

Taste: Ruch decadent soured brown/red malt, tart cherry, slight lemon, lactic acidity and smooth oak.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth, perfect.

Overall: Fantastic work Alan. Once again a treasure.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 20:36:07 | More by waltersrj

urwithdave

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A big thanks to a generous trader for throwing this in as an extra.

A- I don't know how this made it from Oregon to Florida safely. I can't believe the bottle didn't explode. When I opened the bottle, beer flew from the bottle. It was like a freaking geyser. It reminded me of back in the day when I would shotgun a busch light. I immediately stuck the bottle in my mouth (sorry Grant) in an attempt to not lose any more beer. After the madness subsided I poured the beer into my ccb snifter. It was almost burgundy in colr with shades of orange. It had a dirk diggler head. It was massive. Solid retention and stupid amount of lacing left behind. There is some sediment floating around also.

A- tart cherries and raspberries with some smokey oak. A slight hint of vinegar is present.

T- granny smith apples and tart dried cherries. There is def some oak in the mix. A little vinegar taste is present, however, it isn't overpowering. There is a slight funky tartness that I'm really liking.

M- very acidic but not in a my enamel has been stripped from my teeth kind of way. Thin to medium bodied with a high level of carbonation.

D- I really enjoyed this beer. I could drink quite a few of these without hesitation. Get it if u can, but be careful when opening this thing cuz u could lose an eye.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 02:26:07 | More by urwithdave

claaark13

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 bottle sent courtesy of jedwards! Served at cellar temp in a Hill Farmstead tulip.

A - Reddish-orange pour with a thick white head. More frothy than creamy. Looks pretty good. Great retention and a thick lacing remains.

S - Sweet cherry juice, leather, cranberries, slightly tartness and vinegar. Really pleasant.

T - Leather comes and goes throughout. Cherries show up after the initial leather, subside, and then cranberries present themselves towards the finish. The light sweetness balances against the tart fruit. Oak shows in the finish. There is also a slight amount of vinegar coming through in the middle, but it is really subdued for the style.

M - Lighter body, but alright for the style.

O - A nice representation of the style. The fruit shows well with some decent tartness. The vinegar in the bottle I had wasn't dominating. It seems there is some bottle variation with this beer and I couldn't be happier to get a great one! Great US representation.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 02:48:15 | More by claaark13

gford217

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Luke for sharing a bottle this with me.

After hearing all of the talk of flat bottles, I had pretty low expectations for this, but, starting with the pour, I was pleasantly surprised. It pours a murky reddish amber with a small, but fairly persistent beige head that hung around for a while.

The aroma is mostly tart cherries with a healthy dose of brown sugar. There is some bretty funk in the nose, though it's secondary to the tart/sweet cherry aroma. There is a light spicy oak character as well.

The taste is even sweeter than the aroma with the cherries taking on a sugar-dipped quality with the tartness being less prevalent. The oaky tannins are definitely in there, especially in the finish and the brett is very subtle in the taste.

The mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, but seems pretty close to where it should be. The body is fairly full-bodied and sugary sweet overall.

This probably isn't the best Flanders Red I've had, but I really liked this one, even in it's present state. I think with some age this one will be even better as the brett starts to work it's magic.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 00:00:54 | More by gford217

pwoods

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Unclejedi for sharing this bottle!

12oz. brown bottle poured into a taster glass.

A: Pours a pink tinted ruby with a nice bit spritzy pink tinted head. Some decent retention and ok lacing.

S: Nice tartness with some tart light fruits coming out. Some indistinguished citrus/acid. A decent amount of funkiness but lacking that lactic edge, which is definitely ok by me.

T/M: The funk isn't nearly as big as the nose. Much more subtle but with an inviting fruity tartness. The standard green apples and grapes but with a tart black cherry and acidic ruby red grapefruit punch. Body is medium light with good carbonation.

D: Pretty damn drinkable

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 22:22:44 | More by pwoods

nickd717

California

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared at DLD 2010.

Pours a deep crimson color with a nicely formed off-white head.

Aroma is great - sour red berries and cherries with red wine and oak.

Flavor is also very good. Tart raspberry, cherry, and other fruit notes along with vinous flavors, vinegar, oak and sherry. Complex, and not too sour.

Dry and mildly acidic on the palate with medium body.

Overall an excellent Flemish red ale. About on par with The Bruery's Oude Tart.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2010 06:12:09 | More by nickd717

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.04/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks trxxpaxxs for sharing

The beer pours a rusty brown color with a very loose off-white head that fades without lacing. The nose is pit fruity, floral, slightly vinous, with very little alcohol.4 The taste is definitely fruity and sweet upfront, consistent with the nose, followed by a faintly woody finish. There is not nearly enough oak or dryness. I'm assuming it would probably dry out/become more complex with a bit of age, which would make the mouthfeel quite supreme. This is a delicious Flanders, a bit too sweet, but with lots if subtle fruit flavor and great potential.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 05:56:21 | More by ThePorterSorter