Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge - Brouwerij Bockor N.V.

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a chalice)
A- This beer has a slightly deep warm brown body with a thin ring of light beige foam on top. There is a gentle carbonation of tiny bubbles popping of the base.
S- The bright tartness is mild with an earthy note to it and some dark dried but bright fruit aromas to follow.
T- The sharp tart pucker has some support from an oaky hint and a bright balsamic vinegar note in the finish. The finish is of dried fruit and is almost sweet and tart with a faint dried cherry quality.
M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a pleasant almost astringent pucker.
D- This beer is really easy to drink and the full tartness is very pleasant. There is a nice blend of tart and fruit flavors with the oak offering good support. This beer goes down fast and so does the next glass.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 03:42:19 | More by rhoadsrage

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap@ armsby abbey.

Big fluffy head, dark rosy mahogany brown color. Head fades slowly with a nice lacing.

Nose brings tart fruit, sour creamy malt, light crystal malts, some apple and berry like tart fruit, light dry bready malt aroma.

Taste is tart sour fruits, juicy almost citrus, sour malts, slight dry bready finish, mouth watering and fairly sour, sight sticky dry finish and a little flemmy. Semi sweet. Slight bit of vanilla and oak. Long tart fruity finish.

Mouth is med bodied, mouth puckering, decent carbonation.

Overall very tasty, delicious beer at much cheaper than most sour/flemmish beers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2010 19:27:40 | More by jlindros

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.4/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Was accidentally delivered this while at Stone. Liked it so much, ordered another.

Bright red with amazing clarity, looked more wine than beer, a nice claret. Aroma was plenty sour, mild oakiness, sour cherry, lime, lemon.

Never had a Flanders this intense in terms of its lactic sourness, a nice development. Can really seem like you get the gritty red wine tannins up in this one as well. But the body is so light, not murky brown alesque that some lesser examples in the style will have. Very clean, takes on its own green appleness later. Clean and complex, how did they do it? Wouldn't be surprised if there is raspberries to this one as well, the color is bright enough, reminscient of Cantillon's Rose de Gambrinus.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2011 21:05:27 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: Philly Beer Scene Tasting panel with Matt Falco at Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA

I was privileged enough to be on the tasting panel for PBS Magazine, along with Bill Covaleski of Victory and Greg Ramirez of Exton Beverage. This was one of 21 beers we sampled during the session, and probably within my top 5 of those.

Poured a murky mahogany red color with a thin ringlet for a head. Woody aroma, bready malts and cherries, a bit acetic, which is no surprise for the style. The taste mirrored the nose pretty accurately: sweet and sour cherries, lactic and acetic notes, bready malt base. Soft and chewy, medium body, low carbonation, and quite drinkable for the style. I think I prefer a Kasteel Rouge to this, but it's surely not without its charm.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 00:16:58 | More by Rifugium

DoubleJ

California

3.93/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Toronado. Served in a small 6 ounce flute. On to the beer:

Light brownish red with hues of orange on the edges of the glass. Very little head sticks around for this one.Tart cherry all the way in the nose. In its taste, there's a tart strawberry/cherry combination that provides the base flavor. Light vinegar note livens things up, and touches of cheddar cheese on the palate shakens up the package. Mouthfeel is light, light-medium in the acidic department. All said, the overall package is good.

You can almost always expect a Flanders Red to be a treat, and Cuvée des Jacobins is another example you can put on that list.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2011 07:25:31 | More by DoubleJ

kojevergas

California

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Guinness goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Bottle acquired at Whole Foods in Glendale, California. Expectations are extremely high as I've heard nothing but great things about this beer. I'm in the mood for a good sour.

Reviewed live.

Served at the midpoint between refrigerator cold and room temperature. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one and a half finger head of nice cream, fairly good thickness, and great retention. Sort of an off-white head colour. The body colour is a dark semitransparent ruby-amber. Definitely a hue of red. Rich and inviting. Yeast particles are difficult to find but they're definitely in there. Quite appealing.

Sm: Apple, souring wild yeast, bacteria, cherry, indistinct fruit esters, light hints of oak when I look for it, figs, and a very slight vanilla hint (only when I look for it). The label's description is actually true; if only American breweries would take note. A nicely subtle and complex aroma. Moderate in strength. Very appealing and alive. I can't wait to try it. Exactly how a sour ought to smell.

T: Quite sour, in a good way. A bit puckerworthy but not problematic. Fresh. This one's definitely alive and heavy with yeast that doesn't feel overly biscuity or earthy. Apple certainly comes through. Cherries are there. I don't get any cocoa or vanilla; I think they're buried behind the sourness (I probably don't have the palate to pick them out; all apologies). Cream right on the open. Very delicious. Full bodied - the foundation is clean unobtrusive bright malts. A lovely beer. Very subtle. Tart and fruity. The oak here is hard to detect, and emerges as a note not merely as a tone like in many imperial stouts. Masterfully complex, but it doesn't beat you over the head with bold notes. The brewers value subtlety, and so do I. I'm impressed with this one. The sourness is of ideal extent in my opinion.

Sourness lingers in the aftertaste, which I find enjoyable.

Mf: Crisp but also refreshing. Some cream on the open. Smooth, wet, and unobtrusive - as it should be. Light and delicate without being fragile. Just a touch too thin, but forgivable as the thinness adds to the delicacy. Complements the flavours incredibly well.

Dr: Absurdly drinkable. An excellent sour. I'd definitely had this again. I imagine it would age well, but I wouldn't have the fortitude not to drink it. Excellently priced, even as an import (thank God the Shelton Bastards aren't handling distribution). Its ABV isn't high, but for what it's worth it's well hidden. I really fancy this one, and would highly recommend it to sour fans. It will likely be too puckerworthy for newcomers to sours, but it's a great example of the style. Phenomenally brewed.

Drank just fine out of me Guinness golbet. I recommend goblets as the ideal serving vessel for this beer.

Don't pair this with anything; it's worth enjoying on its own. If you must, perhaps something simple like red grapes would be ideal.

A good candidate for aging methinks.

A-

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 02:31:26 | More by kojevergas

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Farmers' Cabinet, served in a goblet. The brew alpears a dark clear ruby color with a creamy tan cap that holds exceptionally well across the top. An entire wall of lacing effect forms a webbing pattern all across the glass.

The smell of this brew is cherry meets vinegar. It gives you the indication that this is going to be sour but also includes a touch of vanilla sweetness to contrast. There are some herbal to medicinal aspect to the nose but cherry and vinegar dominate the experience.

The taste is sour with some cherry flavoring and vinegar notes. Light funk and big salivation factor from the sourness. Earthy throughout until the finish with a light caramel malt and vanilla sweetness which contrasts and mellows the brew just a bit. The flavoring of vanilla sweetness comes out more as it warms and gets interesting verse the bacterial sourness that lingers.

This is a medium bodied brew with a light level of carbonation. Easy drinking and enjoyable at first, it is nice and sharp. Overall a good representation of the style but I was not enjoying it as much through the 2nd half of the glass. As it got warm, it got less enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2011 17:20:51 | More by stakem

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beige head. Color is a clear copper 

A: sweet cherry pie and sour funk.  Very clean and approachable . Bready and caramel. 

T : sour cherry and cherry pie filling. Very nice. Bready but sweet. Very sour. A lot of tart fruits. Jolly rancher goodness.

Mf; sour and tart. Light bodies with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends clean.

O:  this was a surprisingly good beer. It was very sour and tart.  Very drinkable . I am glad I had a chance to  have this one. 

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2012 01:44:25 | More by mothman

mactrail

California

3.48/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very sour beer hews to Belgian tradition.

Deep reddish brown in the glass. Aroma not to accessible until the chill wears off. Then it's like a hot horse, that whiff of the stable. Not much malt to sustain the sharp sourness. No apparent hops, but certainly some bitter and murky flavors. Some bread and yeast, and especially a mineral flavor. Seems very salty in the aftertaste.

An hour later I can still feel the woody sourness. What a great vinegar this would make! Had a tulip glass at the Pizza Port in Ocean Beach (San Diego).

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 06:54:24 | More by mactrail

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to my doppelgänger for picking this one up at GBX and sharing with me this past weekend! Served from growler into a Stone nonic. Poured a dark yellowish brown with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, sour, and funk. The flavor was of sweet malt, sour, tart, funk. and a nice floral followthrough. It had a medium feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a damn good brew. For the ABV on this one it wasn't overly easy to drink large quantities of this one surprisingly. I did manage to knock out half a growler in around an hour though. The floral followthrough was quite refreshing on the palate and seemed to wake it up for your next sip. Pretty nice aroma and flavors going on here. Really glad I got the chance to try this one as it was quite enjoyable.

Serving type: growler

04-28-2011 11:47:20 | More by thagr81us

ccrida

Oregon

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

On draught at the Collins Pub, served in a smaller chalice, Cuvee Des Jocbins Rouge is garnet with a small egg-shell head leaving modest lace.

Smell is big sweet lacto, a hint of freshly split cedar as well as a touch of iron.

Taste is huge. This is why I love Flanders Red. Big sweet malt, sweet tarts, blasted away by a truckload of acidity. Massive lacto pucker, tannic, and just a hint of acetic apple cider. Wow, this is a killer brew! I'm a sour head, but swirling around a mouthful of this is almost unbearable, so tongue curling the reflex is difficult to repress - winning!

Mouthfeel is slick, a little limp, medium light body.

Drinkability is not very high, from a sessionability perspective. The sourness here is mouthwatering. I love it, but I can't drink it fast, or even more then one a session. But oh, that one, wow - pain is pleasure!

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 03:21:39 | More by ccrida

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

Bottle shared by ygtbsm94. Thanks Brad.

The beer is orange to copper in color with 1/2" of off white head.

The aroma offers cherry pie, cherries, pie crust, oak, vanilla, stone fruits. It also smells musty, in a positive way.

The flavor is a mixture of sweet and sour cherries. Yum. Why have I not tried this before?!? Additional notes of vanilla and a bready, pie crust. Delicious beer.

The feel is acetic and sour, but not overly so. A touch of vinegar in the finish.

Overall, this is a beer I would like to have a case of in the cellar, so I could pull one out and enjoy every now and then.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 22:02:06 | More by Huhzubendah

largadeer

California

4.22/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Toronado. Crimson-hued with a thin white cap, nice clarity and color. Smells like sliced cherries soaked in balsamic vinegar. There's a light funk, a bit of musty wood. Firm acidic bite on the tongue with a touch of sweet dark malts beneath. Cherry skin and flesh, tart red apple, light oaky astringency. Acetic acid is at a nice level, prominent without being stomach-churning. Drying woody finish that ends on a green apple and cherry note. Really enjoyable stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2010 23:30:20 | More by largadeer

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge
Brouwerij Bockor

Appearance: A beautiful Flemish red color, poured vigorously leaves a sturdy creamy head that fades. Some lace clings to the side and effervescent carbonation is rising to the top.

Smell: Rich aroma of wild yeasts, chocolates, cherry, ripe stone fruit, lemon, apple, musty basement and faint apple cider vinegar.

Taste: Wholeheartedly sour. Layers of sour. Sharp sourness like biting an unripe lemon, giving way to a sour apple tartness and vinegar tones following. Cherry, young raspberry pits and even chocolate flavors emerge. There is a subtle candy sugar sweetness. Dry oaky tannins last in an elegant finish with plenty of sourness.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, well carbonated. Drying. Pretty much puckering sour, and in the best possible way.

Overall: About as perfect example of the traditional red ales in Flanders as you will ever find. Sip and savor this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 05:30:14 | More by Stinkypuss

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a ruby color and a slightly cloudy consistency. There was a small amount of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Average lacing.

S: From the moment you open the bottle there's a huge, fruity, sour aroma. Very alluring.

T: Tasted of cherries, other light fruits, vinegar, and a hint of malt in the finish. A tart, sour, powerful, balanced and tasty beer. Very well done flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a smooth, yet prickly finish. Medium-bodied.

O: An excellent example of a sour beer. Drinkable and well made.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 22:39:01 | More by avalon07

jrallen34

Illinois

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

I drank this from the tap into a tulip.

This beer pours a dark amber with a nice white head that has great retention and very nice lacing.

The aroma is very nice and tart with notes of vinegar.

The taste is great, very tart throughout with a nice smooth finish.

Mouthfeel is good and this is very drinkable despite its tartness.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2009 15:58:59 | More by jrallen34

dirtylou

Washington

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

on-tap, map room chicago - have had this on tap a number of other times in WI

appearance: served in an unbranded tulip, dark garnet body and a light beige ring, active carbonation

smell: very tart - red wine vinegar, pure sugar, tart cherry and raspberry, oak barrel

taste: really wonderful example of the style - maybe the best really. tart cherries, raspberry, sugar, oak barrel, cider vinegar. Each sip is more stunning than the last - vibrant, tongue buckling, exciting, provocative. very much perfect.

mouthfeel: tart and lively, wonderful.

overall: very very good

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2011 23:14:55 | More by dirtylou

Tone

Missouri

4.28/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy, dark brown color. 1/3 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of dark citrus, tart malt, hint of alcohol, and strong sour notes. Fits the style of a Flanders Red Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp with an average carbonation level. There is a strong tartness and sourness. One of the most unique mouth feels I've had. Tastes of slight sweet malt, slight tart malt, slight citrus, slight alcohol, and strong sourness. Overall, I've never had a Flanders Red Ale, but this was an awesome experience.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2010 19:33:36 | More by Tone

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Map Room, served in a 12oz goblet. Dark blood red color, opaque until held up to a light (actually transparent with VERY low light transmission). Nice tart cherry aroma, a good deal of vinegar too which I guess you often get with the style.

Sweet tasting with loads of cherry flavor. Nice sour bite, with a lasting feeling of acidic etching on my enamel. Pretty much spot-on for the style, maybe a bit too much vinegar for my tastes but it fits the Flanders Red bill. Light carbonation and low ABV make this easy to pound, but I kept it at a leisurely nursing speed. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2011 19:49:47 | More by TurdFurgison

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Max's today.

Beautiful deep ruby red with red highlights, this beer is very attractive despite the lack of head. The nose has a beautiful sour character with a great acetic bite that is well-complemented by vanill and sour cherries. Fruity and awesome. The palate is so like the Ommegang Rouge! A big acetic bite to open things off, refreshingly so, there's a pleasing amount of vanilla and ripe sour cherries, fruity and tart. Low in tannins, this beer finishes dry and tart with a pleasing vinegar character. Light in body with medium-high carbonation, this beer is insanely refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2010 21:39:37 | More by DefenCorps

nickfl

Florida

4.18/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with half a finger of tan foam on top of a perfectly clear, amber brown body. The head settles rapidly and leaves only traces of lace on the glass.

S - A strongly acidic aroma with notes of balsamic vinegar, molasses, and dark cherries.

T - Strong acidity up front with some black cherry notes. Dark caramel appears in the middle and lends some sweetness to the beer as it finishes with notes of vanilla, oak, and complex sweet/sour balsamic notes.

M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a somewhat sweet finish.

D - This is a classic Flemmish red with a complex balance between the sweet/fruity and sour/funky notes. Nicely done and reasonably drinkable despite a strong level of sourness.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 05:14:54 | More by nickfl

smakawhat

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass at Dupont Pizza Paradiso DC.

A gorgeous dark cherry red clear body gives way to a very nice creamy off white head. Wonderful brown hues around the edges, it's like a shining ruby in a glass.

Kriek sour cherry lambic smelling and mild wet sour feeling on the nose. Quite refreshing.

Taste is a good mix of sour, then just a little hint of sweetness. Extremely light viscous quality, seems more lambic in sense but with a fizzy tonic water finish.

Overall a pretty tasty beer that seems to have an interesting mix of good qualities. Not aggressive and an easy drinking abv to go along with it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2011 23:02:22 | More by smakawhat

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

bluejacket74

Ohio

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

11.2 ounce bottle, with an 01 stamped on the back label. Served in a tulip, the beer pours a hazy reddish/brown color and has about a half inch light tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. The brew smells like tart cherries, oak, vinegar, and a bit of vanilla. The taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like tart and sweet cherries, vinegar, oak, dark fruit, and some sugar. Even though the tart flavors are stronger, the sweet ones are still noticeable. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and is well carbonated. I think it's a good brew, I liked it. $4.99 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 00:05:48 | More by bluejacket74

AgentZero

Illinois

4/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Super dark red, almost blood like, surprised at how truly dark this one was. Small white head on it that dissipated without much lacing.

S - Very sour and tart, seemingly almost a bit like wine. Cherry smell is the big fruit you pick out on this one.

T - Surprisingly light, almost refreshing. Very tart, with a nice cherry taste. Some wood influence, small bit of vanilla.

M - Little bit of bite, nice carbonation, lighter side of medium.

D - Starts to run a little too sour on the end to drink tons of, but not bad. Got through the glass easily enough.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2010 13:52:23 | More by AgentZero