Bacchus - Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

3.51/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 9-30-2011 (about 1.5 years old). Poured into a tulip glass.

Not a pretty beer, but refreshing. Reminds me in some ways of a dry wine cooler. Nothing more than an average Flanders style beer. One that I would be willing to drink again if my choices were limited. You might want to give it a try.

A - Very well carbonated. Pours a cloudy dark brown/amber with a two-finger rocky head, which quickly disipates. Did not see any sediment. Minimal lacing.

S - Sour cherry, slight sweetness.

T - A citric tartness. No latic sour, rather dry, pale maltiness.

MF - Sharp, fizzy, dry.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 02:47:53 | More by Sludgeman

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This dark brown beer has a poorly retained neck (the style expects more retention). The aroma brings cherries, peppery tones, and molasses - and wood-like tones. The malt, both in aroma and taste, should be more pronounced, here expressed as toffee. The aroma expressed well the acidity, and, despite the aging of 2.5 years, no vinegar notes. The cheeriness is expressed both in aroma and taste, and is very pleasant. The body is medium, super carbonated, oily, and smooth. The end is acid, pleasant, but brief.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:22:52 | More by HabiMendes

srhoadsy

Florida

3.96/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served chilled into a fluted tulip.

Pours a deep mahogany color with a quarter inch beige head that quickly recedes leaving light surface layer with moderate to heavy lacing.

Aromas of carmelized sugars and tart berries.

Flavors of tart berries and cherries, carmelized sugar with a musty mineral background.

Medium bodied with a crisp, dry finish.

I really liked this beer. It is a little on the pricey side but makes for a nice sour.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 23:23:11 | More by srhoadsy

KajII

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a murky medium chestnut brown with an average (1-2 finger) light brown creamy head that receded at a steady pace, down to a light scattered film and medium collar with excellent full sheeting of lacing.

The aroma was of a toasted sweet grain malt and a musty Belgian yeast with notes of candi sugar, dark fruit (plums and cherries), a hint of red wine and a light oak cask presence.

The taste was sweetly tart and rather yeasty with a large dose of dark fruit (plums I believe) and a hint of candi sugar that lasted throughout, with the finish having a mild wine presence, a touch of sour berries and a light woody taste towards the end. The flavor lasted an average time after the swallow, with a bold fruity tartness left lying on the taste buds.

Mouthfeel was a shade or two below medium in body and lightly dry in texture with a strong fizzy carbonation.

Overall this was a nice fruity brew that that possessed a somewhat bold tartness along with a mild sweet candi flavor, which worked very well together to make sure that no one characteristic overpowered the other...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 22:07:26 | More by KajII

bashiba

Iowa

3.44/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured a deep red/brown with bright clean ruby highlights along with a thick and creamy long lasting head, tons of carbonation filtering up from the bottom for a long time.

The smell is a little bland, just lightly musty and bretty with a touch of sweetness.

The flavor has a very musty deep dark basement quality to it, not really sour, just and underlying tartness and funk, a very hint of sweetness along with some cedar notes. The finish is especially musty.

The mouthfeel is super creamy and rich.

I like certain aspects of this beer a lot, but feels a bit thin where it counts, smell & taste. Still, its not to bad.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 03:43:55 | More by bashiba

flagmantho

Washington

3.96/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from 375mL bottle into a tulip. Bottled 7/5/2011.

Appearance: rich dark ruby hue with a haze-free body and a strong effervescence. Head poured three fingers of frothy tan foam but dissipated quite quickly indeed with no lace left on the glass. Nice, but a better head would have been nicer.

Smell: sweet caramel malt with a hint of molasses aroma and just the right amount of tartness. There's nothing particularly complex here, but each part is balanced very well. I like it.

Taste: much like the aroma, the sweet caramel flavor is balanced with a bright tartness right up front. The flavor develops a little bit of brown-sugar character as well, which I quite like.

Mouthfeel: body is quite light and carbonation is pretty strong, yielding a big but evanescent creaminess. Not bad, but lacking a little bit of body.

Overall: this is one tasty and refreshing beer. Granted, I like the style in general; still, I would gladly have this again and gladly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 02:17:17 | More by flagmantho

CloudStrife

New York

4.15/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12.7 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled Sept 30, 2011.

A: Pours a cloudy ruby brown with a 1 finger slightly tanned head. Can see some visible carbonation through the mostly opaque body. Head dissipates in a minute or two. Spots of lacing.

S: Get that authentic Flanders smell right off the bat. A good funky yeastiness with hints of cherry and other tart fruits.

T: I get a lot of cherry up front. Has some sour characteristics on the backend but it finishes with more of the cherry. More sour comes in at bottom of the bottle.

M: Crisp and dry body. Light on the palette with a good amount of carbonation. Pretty easy drinking when you like this style.

Overall another good Flanders. Slightly more focused on the cherry as opposed to other malts or funkiness. Good for those who have had a lot of Lambics and are looking to expand.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 23:21:12 | More by CloudStrife

srandycarter

California

3.05/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Ruby redish brown, fairly clear, Big head leads to small quick, then to ring. No lace.

S - Tart cherries. Cannot discern much else.

T - Thinner than hoped, tart cherries, artificial cherry flavor as well.

M - Light body, light carbonation, balance a little on the cloy side on finish.

D - Not my favorite, but glad to try.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2012 03:26:46 | More by srandycarter

FLima

Brazil

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very dark brown colour. Almost no head, good carbonation with small bubbles.
Sour predominant aroma. Also, as expected a sour taste and vinegar, fruity, specially citric lemon. Great beer to drink as a bridge to the most lambic sour beers. Great drinkability, good surprise.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 21:25:58 | More by FLima

eric5bellies

Australia

2.53/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Drank from my Ciney sniffer

A - Pours a dark clear mahogany colour with a two fingered head that dies quick

S - Oak and vinegar

T - Very watery flavours that is acidic with little fruit but more vinegar

M - Light body with medium carbonation. More carbonation and body required.

O - disappointing, because it lacks flavours and body

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 19:17:26 | More by eric5bellies

roblowther

Texas

2.85/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Dark reddish brown with a thin tan head with tiny Don Ho-like bubbles. Smells like oak, cherries, and leather. Sounds like an ad for 70's aftershave, somehow. The taste is very mild, with prominent sour cherries and some of that leather. Did I mention that its mild? I think my 70's aftershave model has mellowed in his old age. The mouthfeel is very slightly carbonated, not much to write about. Overall its lighter than I expected. Its not nearly as intense as some in the style, maybe this is the beginner version.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 23:27:03 | More by roblowther

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 12.7 oz green bottle, nice simple label, clearly marked bottled on date (this one's right around a year old). Into a Chimay chalice.

Appearance: Brilliant warm mahogany hue with a nice ivory cap with decent retention.

Smell: Red wine barrel, light Brett funk, some musty malt, and tart apple/grape notes. Honestly, really quite pleasant.

Taste: Not quite as complex as the aromas, unfortunately, but still pretty nice. Light caramel tones, tart grapey fruit, a hint of Bretty funk, and a light, cleansing tartness. Hint of minerality and crackery malt on the finish. Actually, this is kind of growing on me throughout the glass.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated, tingly, tart, refreshing, and begs for another sip.

Overall: Definitely a sort of 'table' Bruin with the low gravity and less intense malt flavors than the bigger examples, but this was still enjoyable. This would likely make a very good gateway beer to introduce people to traditional Belgian sours, but is also quite refreshing and would likely pair well with a bit of Don Vino goat cheese and crackers, or perhaps a nice goat cheese marinara and toasted baguette.

Only big downside, $6.00-plus for a 12.7oz bottle...I'd give this an 84-85, B.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:33:29 | More by BedetheVenerable

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BB Jan 2013

A- Muddled opaque brown with red/purple highlights around edges. Thin ring around glass, minimal lacing.

S- Grape skins, grape juice, apple skin, some sweetness of honey and a touch of funk, very minimal.

T- Nice tartness up front, followed by some grape juice and a touch of sweetness. I call this a good entry into the world of sours.

M- Light bodied, lively carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 23:55:39 | More by korguy123

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a teku)
bottles 090818

A- This beer pours an opaque garnet body with a light tan lumpy head that last as a meniscus film. A few lazy microbubbles trail up the side of the glass.

S- This beer has a nice mellow tartness with some dark cherry and vinegar hints to it but it is otherwise pretty clean.

T- The nice gentle tartness has some cherry qualities to it and a soft water and cola flavor in the finish. There is a tart fruit hint in the finish.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a gentle fizz in the finish that takes on a bit of a creamy character with no alcohol heat or astringency noticed.

O- This has some nice classic Flanders character but it is a bit one-dimensional with not much depth. It is smooth and soft and grows a bit as it opens but never gets much character.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 13:05:31 | More by rhoadsrage

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma is strong, yeasty and fruity. Pours a dark, slightly hazy brown with a thick, fine-bubbled, persistent light tan head. Rich and fruit flavor is more like a cider than a beer, with a firm apply tone and hints of malt and yeast. Hmmm - don’t believe I’ve ever had a Flanders Oude Bruin before! Smooth texture has good fizz, firm body, and an interesting nip to it. A refreshing and distinctive beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 02:24:46 | More by Cyberkedi

JudgeRoughneck

Louisiana

4.85/5  rDev +31.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Sample bottled March 2009- opened Jan 2012

APP- Light haze, deep ruby brown, low off-white head, became crystal clear as the glass warmed.

Smell- Big caramel with nut, light smoke, light herbal hop, sour cherry, light coffee, light citrus, all delicate under big caramel, allspice, clove, earth, dried prune and apricot.

Taste- Very mellow, only lightly soured, no tart flavor really. Light date, nut, berry, honey covered apple, shortbread, big toasted vanilla, dimension roundigthigs out, cracked pepper, super complex but mellow, easy drinking and highly cohesive flavors.

MF- light bodied, fluffy,creamy, not bracing in any way.

Overall- This is one of the best beers I have ever had. Period. Amazingly complex, a million flavors, but I could suck it back without a thought if I wanted to.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 00:55:01 | More by JudgeRoughneck

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dull copper color but appears dark burgundy when held to light. Head gently simmers down to a thin collar then was gone completely by mid-glass.

Middling black cherry aroma with a mild vinegar twang. Cinnamon and sugar. Tastes like black cherry with cinnamon sugar edges.

A very balanced and humble version of the style. Hits all necessary points but doesn't excel at anything in particular.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 11:32:53 | More by donkeyrunner

clay_i

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark, reddish brown. No head. Like, none whatsoever. Some slight effervescence from the bottom of the pint glass.

N - Tangy and sweet with quite an upfront cherry flavor. I found the sour aspect to be very refreshing and unique compared to what I've had in the past.

M - Medium body. Very acidic as far as I'm concerned. Low to moderate alcohol burn.

O - Enjoyable and drinkable, but I don't think I'd want more than one at a time. Very bold. I think it'd be best to drink alone (as in with no food) or as a night cap.

This is the first self-proclaimed "sour ale" I've had. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but can't give it higher scores without knowing the style better.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 23:25:24 | More by clay_i

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours brownish mahogany in color, with a very small just off white head. smells like a sour beer, with some notes of cherries and toffee in the shadows. flavor is brett like sour at first, but in a slightly sweet tempered way, relaxed compared to others. notes of sugary dried fruit come into play as well. feel is a bit sticky in the mouth, not as crisp as i like these beers to be, i feel it detracts from the overall experience, turning into a rather funky aftertaste in time. still, good carbonation and medium body, i would have another. i need to experiment more in this style.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 00:41:38 | More by StonedTrippin

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark burgundy amber brown color with a fine khaki tan head, highly carbonated fine bubbles. Minimal lacing speckled in even patterns forms with each sip. Aroma a hint of dark roasted malt character with underlying sliced apple fruit notes, with a lingering acidity noted in each sip. Flavor is outstanding absolutely nice and refreshing oud bruin, not up to the level of Goudenband but damn tasty. Roasted malts come across initially followed by a light acidity and tart apple and pear combob, minimal yogurt zing to it. Not as wild or barnyard as some of the Belgian wild ales I've come across. Mouthfeel finishes dry nicely acidic clean fruitiness enough sweetness to balance it out, carbonation is bubbly cleanses the palate with each sip. Overall a rock solid oud bruin that stands up with some of the best versions out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 16:14:02 | More by WVbeergeek

birchstick

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the 33 Wine Bar in StL

A - pours a dark plum-like color. Deep hues of purple with some hints of brown.

S - the aroma consists of sugary malts and some dark fruits.

T - the taste starts off with sugary malts up front that move to a little bit of vinegar funkiness. The vinegar is mixed in with some tart fruits (sour apples primarily) and a touch of funkiness. Pretty nice.

M - pretty lively mouthfeel with some nice carbonation that sort of smacks your tongue. Ends dry.

D - This is a solid Flanders Oud Bruin. I sometimes find this style to have too much vinegar. but this one has a nice combination of fruits, vinegar, and funk. I would recommend trying this if you get a chance!

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2012 23:21:47 | More by birchstick

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Review from 1/2011 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours deep brownish red amber. Virtually no head and no lacing. Sour fruit aroma. Sour cherry, slight vanilla and a touch of wood. Subdued flavors. A bit thin and lightly flavored. Clearly well made, but flavors are not appealing to me. Interesting to try, but probably not again.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 03:08:46 | More by LiquidAmber

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've always like this type of packaging on Belgian beers, just an unlabelled bottle wrapped in paper.

The pour reveals a striking red liquid with a dark brown core. The tan head lasts for no time at all but manages to leave a few meandering lace trails. The aroma shows a light lactic acidity with some fruit notes and malts. Quite a mild nose for the style. The taste is lightly tart with some sour cherry and herbal notes. The mouthfeel is thin with a sparse, big bubbled carbonation. Very light sourness and some mineral notes make up the finish.

This is a very light Oud Bruin. To my tastes its a little subdued, but I can see how this is a great introduction to the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 01:18:14 | More by CAMRAhardliner

MADhombrewer

Oregon

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle with a bottle date of 090818. I assume that is Aug 18 2009.

A- Muddy brown appearance. Tan head that dissipates quickly. Lacing drips down the sides quickly.

S- Sour cherry tartness. Some clove. Maybe apple pie with crust as well.

T- Cherry tartness with a pie crust background. Tart apples in the end.

Mouthfeel- Heavier than most sours. I like that, though. High carbonation.

Overall- Good sour. I am glad to have had it. A bit pricier than some, but better tasting than some. I liked the heavier mouthfeel it has.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 23:34:26 | More by MADhombrewer

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes:

Appearance: head builds briskly but clears quickly, you can hear it crackling; deep ruby/brown colour; almost opaque

Aroma: almost of a wine at first, vinegary; a little floral

Taste & Mouthfeel: immediate sharp flavour; rasberry/strawberry tones; acidic, like vinegar; leaves a pleasant fruity taste on the tongue; almost a cleansing feel on the palate; tart, dry finish

Overall: cutting flavour; would be great as a dessert beer and the tartness is just right

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 00:00:14 | More by BGDrock