Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge - Brouwerij Bockor N.V.

Dracula

New Mexico

4.79/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

A: Dark burgundy, nice head with a vigorous pour that dissipated quickly. Not much lacing.

S: Very lactic, tart cherries, and leathery notes.

T: Amazing. Tart cherries, leather, tart, and sweet. very well balanced.

M: Coats the tongue, the tartness induce salivation which is good.

O: Surprisingly good. I am impressed. I would recommend this to anyone that loves tart wild ales.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:00:07 | More by Dracula

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into a tulip. The number "01" was printed on the back label, but I don't know what it means.

3.5 A: Nearly clear burgundy color. Short beige head came and fell quickly.

4.25 S: The nose on this is extemely well balanced. Great mix of fruity, earthy, and sour. Cherry and mixed berry start things off with toasted malts and a rotting wood funkiness not far behind. Acetic and lactic acid in good proportion to the other aromas.

4.5 T: Taste is even better than the nose. Like the nose, the flavor profile is completely balanced to the point of perfection. Sour tinge that gets your attention, but doesn't block out other flavors. Fruity cherry and berry via lactic acid. Toasty malts with a light caramel sweetness. Rotting wood and basement type funk and oak from the barrel.

4.0 M: Lighter medium to medium body. Good moderate carbonation, which falls midway between spritzy and bity. Light pucker on finish.

5.0 D: Easily in my top five most drinkable sours. It's not the most flavorful, but it is perfectly capable to keeping my taste buds entertained. The beauty of this beer is that I keep wanting more well after I finish my last sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 02:41:39 | More by DavoleBomb

draheim

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

11.2oz into a tulip. Pours a clear reddish brown w/ a 1-finger beige head that leaves behind a layer of lace.

Aroma is tart, oaky, just shy of vinegary. Sour cherries and wild yeast.

Taste is brightly tart, sharp, cidery. Zow! Really crisp and light, wonderful dry oak presence. Excellent balance among a number of competing elements. Simultaneously both sweet and sour in a powerful way.

Mouthfeel is soft, light, finishes bone dry. Oh so drinkable.

Overall just a delightful, tasty, well-crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 05:13:22 | More by draheim

Immortale25

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Due South Brewing Co. snifter. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a rubyish brown color with a 1/2 inch light tan head that retains a bit before becoming a thin ring around the edge of the glass and small wisps of surface foam. Slippery, non-resilient lacing.

S- Strong whiff of lactic acid is very sour and causes the the tongue to salivate. Also plenty of fruit notes such as black cherry, sour apple and fermented grape juice.

T- Was expecting a sour bomb judging from the aroma but the flavor is actually quite smooth and fruit forward. Yes, there's plenty of tart to go along with the sweet, but it's a nice balance. Not much oak as the label declares it was aged for eighteen months in the barrel but I think the sourness just overpowers it. Notes of sour apple, sour cherry and lemon Warheads.

M- Crisp, dry and very tart with medium-low carbonation and a medium body.

O- Could use a little more carbonation for my tastes, but it's a very enjoyable sour ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 21:55:14 | More by Immortale25

haazer

Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Dark plum looking brew with cherry highlights. A bit of tannish-off white head that comes down to a thin ring. Steady stream of bubbles rising up one side of the glass.

S- Definite sour cherry and oak on the nose. Some other dark fruits, and the red wine profile.

T- Sour cherry, bit of red wine. A lot of oak profile, not drying but quite refreshing actually. not a hard bite on the sourness, but just enough. I feel it later in the glass, this has a lasting aftertaste.

M- Light bodied and crisp. Mid to high carbonation. Palette coating.

O- Not the boldest Flanders out there but it makes it's presence known in the aftertaste. Quite easy drinking and enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2013 18:02:05 | More by haazer

Brew33

Ohio

3.84/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A generous extra from brikelly. Thanks!

The color, pour, and aroma of this beer are all spot on for a Flanders Red Ale. Spot on. Dark ruby, thin head that disappears instantly. The aroma is sweet dark malts, vinous barrel notes, and red wine vinegar.

The taste isn't as acetic as a lot of the Flanders Reds I've had. Lots of lactic tartness on the back end but the thing that stands out for good and bad reasons is the heft of the malt profile. Chewy brown malt flavor is intensely sweet on the front end. Then rushed away by an acidic swallow. The flavors linger in the mouth and the medium bodied beer hangs around for some time. The sweet and sour characteristics aren't balanced like some of the best examples of the style instead they operate seperately and offer 2 totally different flavors. Oil and water. It's certainly not the intense sweet and sour rollercoaster that Duchesse is but it's an interesting beer.

I'm very glad I was able to try it. While not the cream of the crop, certainly an above average Flanders Red that I'd happily drink anytime.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 15:57:25 | More by Brew33

FosterJM

California

4.19/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

1733rd Review on BA
Bottle to Speiglau Tulip
11.2oz

Not sure what the 4 on the back is for.

App- This poured like a nice red wine but with more bubbles. The deep reds were in the center with some purples and browns scattered around. The head was a nice 1-1/2" off white head that faded pretty quickly. I didn't notice a ton of lace or cling. Just a couple spots.

Smell- On the nose I got a bunch of things going on. A bit of pressed cherries, cranberry juice, some acidic fruits, more oak and vanilla from the aging and full malt backbone.

Taste- I am pretty sure this is the first beer to make me cough the whole way through. Highly acidic and lactic with a small touch of sour behind it. The barrel adds a nice full oak flavor and amps up the beer to create this 1-2 punch that I haven't gotten from most sours. The fruits shine as the character of this beer is highly cherry/cranberry and pressed skins.

Mouth- For a sour this is a bit thick for me. A solid medium body with a fairly dense and lush medium carbonation. The residual flavors are the tart and sour fruits. Small oak and barrel character come into play as well.

Drink- This as I said was the one sour make me cough and hack the whole way through. Tart, sour and lush. I would like to see what a aged bottle tastes like. This was a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 15:08:44 | More by FosterJM

solvealways

4.26/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Aroma: Initial smell of apple cider vinegar. Notes of vanilla.

Pour: Fizzy pour with no head.

Color: Slightly more red but similar color of coca cola.

Taste: Extremely sharp and sour as you would expect from a hard apple cider but more pronounced like a balsamic vinegar. Hints of tangy cherry - noticable wood barrel aging.

Mouthfeel: Thin mouthfeel but its supposed to be refreshing so it is enjoyable and expected from an intense bright carbonated drink. Lively and aromatic throughout the mouth. Leaves the saliva a little thick like a chewing on Vitamin C.

Soundwave visual metaphor: fast and hard attack, 3 second curved delay and sustain to about 50% intensity. fairly quick release. vinegary taste/feel @ 10% intensity lasts till about 10 seconds after drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 02:41:32 | More by solvealways

yamar68

Minnesota

4.19/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a hazed mahogany red - like a dark merlot with a finger of creamy beige... Old Greg would be all over this shit. Thick drapes of lace that don't stick all that well. Great, cloudy beading beneath the carbonation.

Tart red fruits, mild dessert sugars, smooth oak, vanilla, beautifully sour in a very approachable kind of way. Wine grapes, pear skin... all that good shit.

Sour cranberry front and center... some faint chocolate or caramel is buried in here somewhere. Tart pear flavors, cherry and raspberry. Finish is perfect - not too wet and not too dry with a smooth tart lingering on the back of the palate.

Fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 01:36:21 | More by yamar68

Jonada

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle served in a Trappist Goblet

Appearance: Dark ruby red color. Fairly clear when held up to the light with a fair amount of carbonation streaming from the bottom of the glass. There was less than a finger of a light tan head that dissipated almost instantly and left no lacing.

Smell: Sour cherries, acidic, green apple, oak, balsamic vinegar.

Taste: Packs a nice sour acidic punch up front. Flavors of cherry, oak, apple skin. Sourness yields to a bit of a sweet bready maltiness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with reasonably high carbonation.

Overall: Excellent beer and one of the best I've had in the style. Definitely a must try for anyone who's a fan of sours.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 04:32:51 | More by Jonada

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A; ruby red, clear - 1/2" head, died quick

S: lactic, mildly acetic - nice balance between fruity and musty odors - seems like some toasted malt coming through, too - a little more malt please?

T: oh wow! quite a robust overall taste from the start (colder) - not too sweet, but not enough malt body backing up the tart/sour - tiniest touch of band-aid phenolic in background - light cherry starting midway and some mellow lingering chocolate in the aftertaste

M: light-medium body up front (thankfully not champagne thin) - drops off pretty bone dry - tart/acidic stickiness left covering the mouth - very quaffable - a slow sipper

O: very well balanced - great depth, great tart/sour - not unique, just well-made - shows a balance between the uber tart and lightness of a Rodenbach Grand Cru and the thicker, sweeter qualities of Duchesse

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 21:18:35 | More by Bouleboubier

vonnegut21

New York

4.83/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: Pours a deep, reddish brown with two fingers of white head.

S: Tart acidity, sour cherry, vanilla, oak and bready malt.

T: Huge lactic acidity. Bright tart cherry. Vanilla and oak. Supremely tasty. Wow.

M: Effervescent, puckering, pungent. Very drinkable.

O: Far and away the best Flanders Red I've ever had. Expensive at $26 a 4-pack, but completely worth it. My favorite "shelf sour" beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 03:55:01 | More by vonnegut21

dsprainman

California

4.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Like a Dr.Pepper, a two finger head fades to zilch quickly.
S- This has a sweet but sour wif of cherries and plums. Almost like a candy made with real fruits.
T- Taste follows the nose, but there's something special here that's hard to qualify. Sort of a tang right as you swallow. Amazingly good. Sour lingers like a candy too.
M- The mouthfeel is somewhat dry, but not overly so. Not too thick.
O- I've only had 3 or 4 flemish sours so far, but this is up there with the best of them. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:14:02 | More by dsprainman

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.7/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

P: Dark ruby cola appearance with a thin layer of micro bubble off white head. Small amount if active bubbles floating to the top.

S: Tart lemon zest, stone fruit, vanilla oak, and bing cherries. Dry powdery yeast and a faint aroma of dried slobber like after you wake up and realized you slobbers on the pillow.

T/M: Super tart lemon zest, apples, oak and vanilla. Hoppy stone fruit, white grapes and bitter apple peels. Light-medium sharp body and super aggressive carbonation thar really brings out the tartness. A puckering finish lingering apple peels and floral notes.

O: Wow! This is by far the best Flanders red I have drank. Super sour yet underlined fruit notes that bring this all together quite nicely. Hops and yeast really makes this better than an average Flanders that is just straight sour. Get this when you can. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:10:54 | More by Hopswagger

MtnBiker

Oklahoma

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Flanders goblet from a 33cl bottle. Pours a nice, dark reddish-brown with a fizzy head that quickly dissipates. Smell is of some sour fruits. The first few sips are almost like sucking on a lime it's so sour! Tastes like sour cherries and green apples, delicious! Great carbonation. This is in my book one of the best sours out there. Definitely the best I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 01:53:31 | More by MtnBiker

DavidST

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Found this one in San Antonio during my honeymoon, I'm excited to try it. Poured from a 33cl bottle into a goblet, code of 03 on the back. This pours a slightly hazy dark brown with hints of read and a smaller fizzy short lived head. The smells are very tart and vinegary, sour cherries, brett, some barnyard funk and a hint of vanilla. The feel is medium, high carbonination. The taste is amazing, extremely tart / sour, almost overwhelming, but then you get a hint of sweet balance, some vanilla, plenty of sour cherries. I wish I bought more of these, this is excellent, one of the finest sours I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 05:49:19 | More by DavidST

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Murky reddish brown

Nose: Pungent over-ripe apple, sour cherry, strawberry, vanilla, and honey, some farm-yard funk. Very vinous.

Taste: Complex and delicious. Juicy apple, sour cherry, sweet honey, oaky vanilla, a bit of hay bale funk. Could identify dozens of flavors in here. Reminiscent of nice Pinot Noir, but more complex and bold.

Mouthfeel: perfectly creamy and carbonated.

One of the most complex, intriguing, and delicious beers I've had. Truly something you could sip on for hours and continuously discover new things. A favorite for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 07:13:12 | More by fdig23

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours reddish brown with no head and only a slight ring of bubbly lace.

What an odd nose. Tart cherries, vinegar, ammonia-like fermented fruit and seed. Sound gross? It isn't. This smells complex and like a well put together beer.

Tart fruit up front, turning to sour funk. Sour is acidic and lingers on the palate. I want a bit more balance with some seed/pit bitterness, but instead I get a more pleasing smoothing out of the tart. This one just fades on the palate until the end has a raw wood note. Wow.

Fizzy, acidic. Gets in your nose.

Terrific beer, and a great reason to try the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 00:20:37 | More by OtherShoe2

claspada

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy dark amber color with some ruby highlights along the edge. Smell eggshell head that recedes immediately to leave little to no lacing.

Aromas begin with fruity dark cherry, light cider vinegar, oak and some emerging lemon acidity. There is also a lacitc, yogurty presence as well.

The tastes follow the nose with a dark cherry fruitiness up front, with granny apples and stone fruitiness as well. The sour and tart flavors begin to assert themselves more as it warms with a lactic sourness and oak presence in the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied with medium to low carbonation. Finish is pleasantly tart and slightly drying from the oak.

Overall I was not expecting much from this beer as I had never heard of it before but I was super pleased and surprised by the above average complexity and flavor profile. For a moderately priced shelf sour I am super pleased with this and will definitely revisit this going forward when I need a sour fix and the inventory at home is low.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 15:30:18 | More by claspada

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks much to Jayhoop and willandperry for both getting me a bottle of this, a big want!

Appearance. Pours a fairly clear, deep amber-brown with a finger of off-white head.

Smell. Tart cherries and musty old wood with just a little dark malts and brown sugar.

Taste. Sour, tart cherries, some malt vinegar, a bit of wood, tart apples and pears, and just a little brown sugar. The sour, tart and sweet balance is very nice, for this guy anyways.

Mouthfeel. Medium body with medium-strong carbonation.

Overall. A great Flanders red with more sourness than most. I like that.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 03:30:46 | More by Rutager

riored4v

Colorado

4.78/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep ruby color in to my tulip glass. 1/2 finger, white head that faded quickly to a thin ring on the outside.

Aroma was amazing. Dark fruit, cherry, and a good amount of acidity. Some oak aroma and a light maltyness. A bit of raisen as well.

Sour and tart. Good amount of cherry, prune and dark fruit upfront. Turned a mellow sweetness, then a smack you in the sides/back of your mouth tart/sourness. Good amount of tannins and acidity. Light oak flavors. Clean finish with mild acidity and grape flavors leaves you wanting more.

Mouthfeel was medium body, medium/high carb and a super dry finish.

One of the better/best sours I've had. Great balance of flavors with some nice complexity in the flavors that blend really well.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 00:42:21 | More by riored4v

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from tap into wine chalice glass at holy grale in Louisville. Wow..
Not sure if I ever had a Flanders red before....
Pours a ruby brown with a finger of bubbley head disapates quick...
Smell of crazy wild yeast, cherry.
Taste is sour cherry tobacco and wild yeast....I may taste a bit of chocolate?
Nicely bitter but so smooth...
Truly fantastic brew. If you see it...get it!

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 00:44:18 | More by DrinkSlurm

WynnO

Florida

4.73/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer's appearance is what you expect for the style--dark brown, reddish. The smell is like old fruit that's gone sour. It prepares you for what's coming :-)

The initial taste is *quite intense*, knocking me a little harder than others in this class. I must admit a love for flagellation from Flanders Red's though, and this one does not disappoint. This seems a slightly bigger beer than its Belgian brothers (Rodenbach, Duchesse) only because the palette doesn't take to it as quick; the last drink from the glass still had a great sour kick to it.

It is a bit bubbly on the tongue but not overwhelmingly so. The beer is well balanced and dry, although I must say, this one wants to make sure that the drinker does not forget what it is!

Near perfection to this reviewer. I cannot wait (but I must) to drink the remaining two in my stock.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 04:33:07 | More by WynnO

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

4.55/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is an opaque brown with hints of red/mahogany that the light catches. Very very light off white head that leaves a touch of lace on down the glass.

Smell consists of lots of tart and vinegar, hints of cherries and other tart fruits with a touch of sweetness. Smell is quite wonderful and exactly what I hope to find in any sour beer.

Taste is excellent and just a bit more sweet than the nose would have you believing. All total the taste is very similar to the smell but a bit less tart and slightly more sweet. I'd call it a balanced sour beer and although not as sour as I usually prefer it certainly does the job.

Mouthfeel is a bit more viscous than you would expect but it does a nice job of balancing the tart crispness of the beer. Carbonation is fairly light but definitely appropriate for the beer. It might be the best example of mouthfeel out there for any sour beer.

Overall, this is one of my all time top 3 favorite sour beers and is duly rated.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:35:26 | More by ElderPuma

flagmantho

Washington

4.2/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 330mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: dark, rich, ruby red hue with a clear body and a strong effervescence. Head is a finger of frothy medium tan foam. Quite good.

Smell: nice malty aroma with a fair hit of sourness. Sweet caramel with a cherry-like fruitiness combine with a tannic quality that suggests maturation on wood. Quite good indeed.

Taste: sweet, caramelly malt with a bracing, even jarring, sourness. Some of the fruitiness is retained, but I feel like the flavor lacks some of the complexity of the aroma in favor of a wallop of acid. Not bad, but not as good as the smell.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a decent carbonation; more of a prickly effervescence than a creaminess, but in this context it works well.

Overall: a good beer, and the huge sourness has a refreshing quality and is an incitement to drink more. Great drinkability, a side effect perhaps of its relatively low complexity in flavor. Would definitely have again.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 20:26:56 | More by flagmantho