Madamin - LoverBeer

emerge077

Illinois

3.21/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Expensive dainty bottle, split two ways. "Brewed in 2011" on the label.

Reddish brown apple butter color, pretty good clarity with softly textured foam that rises and parts quickly. No lace to speak of.

Very musty aroma, damp cellar and moldy cork at first, which seems to lessen after 15 minutes in the glass. A flash of cherry surfaces later on.

More damp musty wood in the flavor, can't say it really works in the beer's favor (though it can be a potentially positive trait in the right amount). Mild tartness, fruity with a touch of cherry, it finishes dry and fairly nondescript... kind of just drops off. Pretty unimpressed by this, and for the price I probably won't be returning to LoverBeer's lineup any time soon. There are far better Oud Bruins out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 04:49:38 | More by emerge077

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pour is a cloudy brown with a thin light tan head. Nose is dusty and leathery with a strong tart cherry and light acetic acid. Taste is the same but less vibrant and bright. A little thin and watery in the finish with a touch of peppery spice lingering. Body is light and soft, lower carbonation and an oily finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 16:43:56 | More by cpetrone84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a deep reddish color with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of oak with light tart cherries note with a light acidic edge and some sour notes. Taste is a well balanced mix between some oak with good notes of sour cherries with light acidic notes. Body is about average for style with good carbonation. Well brewed with nice complexity while retaining a good drinkability level.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 13:57:56 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

High levels of acidity and strong fruit flavor gives this Italian sour brown ale a ton of character and juicy, inviting delight to the taste buds.

Opening with an obvious brown hue, the beer also displays a rusty ruby-red color with haze and tawny gold highlights. The beer develops a part-froth, part-fizz spritzy white head that succumbs to the low pH as it reduces to a necklace around the glass midway through the session.

Mouthwatering aromas of tart fruit, stone fruit, toasted malt, balsamic and red wine create a menage that beckons for the first sip. Background notes of limes, sea salt, leather, and musty wood round out the more savory notes of aroma.

The sharp acidity hits the front of the tonuge with a surge of lemon, lime, and crab apples before the juicy malt flavors round out the wine and cider impressions. Cherries, toast, chocolate, sorghum, and prune provide rounder taste as the fruit and malt mingle delightfully on the middle palate. Richer fruit flavors of dates, figs, raisins, and plumbs weave into aged savory tastes of leather, fresh tobacco, and light worcestershire sauce. A return of lime twist in the finish cuts the malt to provide a decidedly bitter and tart, palate-stripping cleanliness.

The intense tartness and fruit flavor resonates differently to the trigemental senses of the mouth. Medium bodied, the malt richness buffers the palate from the acidity and allows for savory textures to match those in taste. A long dry finish of malt and fruit hide its alcohol well while offering mild fruit like pectin astringency to substitute the bitter balance from hops.

Madamin is a masterfully brewed and melded ale that makes me want to taste more sourness and earth flavor, but even those characteristics in this ale is more daft than is typical for oud bruins.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 18:39:51 | More by BEERchitect

womencantsail

California

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The pour is amber in color with an off-white head. Rather sweet aroma for a sour beer. Lots of berries and grapes with a strange butterscotch sweetness, too. Quite a lot of strawberry flavor on the palate, which is actually enjoyable. Mild to moderate tartness and acidity, a little bit of oak and straw, and very high carbonation. Despite the sweetness of the aroma, I found this to be enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 20:43:41 | More by womencantsail

champ103

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a dark amber/red/brown color. At first a two finger white head forms and recedes quickly. Light lace.
S: Tart cherries, oak, light vanilla sweetness. Toasted grains, crackers. Everything works well together.
T: Like the nose, everything works together in balance. Tart, slightly acidic, cherries, apples, and pears. Big wood and oak flavors. A great balance with the tart fruits and toasted grains. I love it.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Crisp, clean and smooth at the same time. So easy to drink. It is a shame this has to end.

I really enjoyed this. A great treat that I find has exceptional balance. A lot of beers in this vain are overly sweet and vinegary. This has a great balance of tart, fruit and grains. Love it, and perfect for a hot afternoon in NOLA.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 04:57:43 | More by champ103

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle of this at Julio's. 2011 vintage.

A - Poured a nice crystal clear copper hue with a one finger earth tone/woody head that fades to a nice thick, creamy quarter inch blanket. Pretty good side lacing too.

S - Nice sour mash here with slight yeast and caramel sweetness. Little bit of earthy almost barrel notes.

T - Lots and lots and lots of caramel here. Like, sugar daddy type caramel candy. The sourness is rather faint. Mostly just lots of sweet caramel malts here with a super light vinegar finish. Way too caramel for a flanders.

M - Wheres the carbonation? Almost thin feeling with small bubbles. Slightly sour/vinegar finish.

O - Overall this beer started out so good. very nice appearance and aromas, but really really falls flat on taste and mouthfeel. Such a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 00:31:12 | More by rudzud

peabody

Kentucky

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a slightly hazy brown and lots of head with good retention.
Smell is sour grape skin and green apple skin.
Yeast and a slight malt aroma too.
Taste is a dark bitterness first then a sour grape/apple comes over the palate then ends with a dry red wine type of finish.
Mouthfeel is very clean and refreshing. No alcohol detected and no stickiness.
Overall this is pretty good but that cost again tends to bring my assesment down even though it shouldn't. But hey, I am not made of money.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 00:31:27 | More by peabody

Geuzedad

Arizona

3.4/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Just shared a bottle of this with Galengeueze. Picked this up in Philly courtesy of Matt at Capones. Poured into tulips.

Poured a cloudy dark amber with some yeast sediment noted in the bottom.
Smelled of funk with a hint of cherries and oak.
Taste was weaker than expected but good. Not the funk and sour I am used to from Belgians. Also noted cherries, oak and some maltiness.
Mouthfeel was OK, not a lot of carbonation but very smooth.
Overall this was an interesting beer but for the cost(20 dollars for an 11 oz. bottle) I would rather drink a Cantillon.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 23:54:28 | More by Geuzedad

metter98

New York

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is cloudy brownish orange in color and has a light amount of carbonation along with some yeast particles visible near the bottom of the glass. It poured with a finger high beige head that died down but never completely faded away, consistently leaving a thin head covering the surface.
S: The smell is quite sour and has a bit of funkiness; there are aromas of oak in the nose along with notes of cherries and grapes.
T: Similar to the smell, the sour stands out in the taste—but not in an overpowering way. There are flavors of cherries, grapes and oak; the fruity flavors are a bit stronger compared to the aroma. The sourness lingers in the aftertaste.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and rather tart on the palate with a moderate to high amount of carbonation. There is some in the finish from the oak barrel.
O: Despite the strong amount of sourness, this beer is very easy to drink.

Note: 2010 vintage

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 13:16:46 | More by metter98

LittleDon

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased in Milan mid-June, consumed 9/20.

Another subtle sour from Italy. Cloudy amber with surprisingly long head retention but no lace. Lots of oak and sour fruit in the aroma. Taste is fermented sour apples and a touch of oak. Light body and lively carbonation. Some malt in the middle and light hop bitterness and a bit of alcohol on the finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 21:30:19 | More by LittleDon

ferrari29

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Beer poured from a bottle into a Snifter shaped glass - Brewed in 2010

A - Beer pours with a copper-reddish colored body; opaque body; little head formed from the pour; sediment was visible and floated around in the beer; no carbonation; no lacing

S - Sour; champagne/sparkling wine notes of white grapes; sour yeast; vinegar; apple; oak; cork

T - Apple; oak; white grapes; flavor profile of a sour champagne wine; vinegar; light touch of herbal flavors round out the sip; heavy astringent sour flavors

M - Thin body; slightly effervescent; dry tangy aftertaste; oak taste lingers for a while after the sourness fads

D - Overall, a very good sour beer; heavy on taste and light on mouthfeel characteristics; smooth and easy to consume, would go great with some strong flavorful food, like pasta with anchovies and capers

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 05:02:28 | More by ferrari29

stcules

Italy

3.7/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark chestnut color, wih ruby edges. Beige foam, quite good.
In the smell a strong woody flavour, and vinous notes. Some grapes. And under that, a good maltiness.
Soft and smooth in the mouth, again woody notes, a light tannic hint. A quite watery body.
Easy, in a certain sense, but quite complex and structurated in the taste. Anyway, pleasant.
Interesting and drinkable.
A bit of sourness in the end.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 21:10:03 | More by stcules

glid02

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Alex at Bir & Fud in Rome - big thanks! A commercial description translated by free translations: Produced to High Fermentation. Beer from the amber-colored color and from the wine taste, fermented and ripened only in vats of oak. Produced following a Belgian prescription of inspiration. L' acidity just pronounced and l' bitter very restrained, give back this versatile beer in the linkings and suitable to the typical dishes of the kitchen. This may be better classified as an American Wild but either way it's delicious.

Pours a murky brownish-amber color with a half-finger slightly off-white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of grainy yet nondescript malts with good amounts of tart fruits - currants and dark cherries. Also present are mild hints of raisins and funk.

Tastes similar to how it smells although not quite as complex. Grainy and robust malt flavors serve as a backbone for tart cherry and currant flavors. The flavors sweeten midway through the sip before mild amounts of funk come in to carry through to a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a solid thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall this was a very solid beer - complex with everything present in very good levels. Well worth a shot if you see it around.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 01:15:03 | More by glid02

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Alla Spina in Philadelphia, PA.

Pours a dark ruby/chestnut brown color with a two finger yellowish-beige head that slowly settles into a thick lasting ring.  Spotty lacing left behind.

Musty, funky aroma with lots of dry, earthy oak, funky bugs and vinous dark fruit.  Toasted oak and vanilla with bretty and lactic funk followed by tart cherry, raisin, grape and other dark berries.  Decent malt presence along with acetic vinegar but not a trace of harsh solvent.

Medium bodies with a tart, puckering mouthfeel that's decently tart/sour without becoming overly acidic/acetic.  Lots of toasted oak, sweet malt and vinous fruit for balance.  Vinegar acetic quality throughout but its cut by vanilla sweetness and dryness from the oak.  Sweet malts provide nice balance along with vinous grape, a strong tart cherry presence and other dark fruits.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 23:50:34 | More by corby112

harrymel

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Brower's in Fremont.
Listed as 6.2% ABV at pub.

Pours a figgy cherry brown, almost like a diaphonous cola. Little surface foam is light tan and carries little appeal. Nose is dry oak, sour apple, hints of yeast (?) like a French yeast - a bit nutty. Interesting. Up front cherry, moderately tart and slightly sweet. The yeast character is in here as well, kinda suits the sweetness a bit and offers a more complex approach to the style than many Oud Bruin's I've had. Seems to cut the oak dryness and bitterness I sometimes experience and dislike in the style. Full bodied and almost creamy with a slightly dry finish. This is an interesting beer and nice to try.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2012 23:21:04 | More by harrymel

bigoten13

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draught at Novare Res Bier Cafe

Poured a clear copper/brown color with a small, feisty head. You get some good lacto sourness in the nose, followed by mild malt and fruit flavors. The taste is a bit less sour than the smell, a more mild and pleasant version of the lacto funkiness with some berry fruitiness emerging. Mouthfeel was mild and pleasant again, with medium carbonation. Overall it was a very drinkable beer with good tart and lacto character.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 15:56:10 | More by bigoten13

gabedivision

New York

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

10oz goblet served at the Blue Monk.

Pours a murky chestnut/mahogany with a thin white head. Sour and funk on the the nose, semi sweet fruits faintly shine through. Sour apples/ a bit of grain, and sour cherries, lots of sugar on the tongue and finishes on a wood or nut like note. Medium bodied, low carbonation, very sour and tart. Overall, this is a good sour, way to pricy in my opinion, but not a bad drink at all.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2012 18:33:01 | More by gabedivision

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A-dark cloudy amber with a creamy colored head

S-a good sourness with grains and cream. fairly faint.

T-hits the tongue with a taste of moldy oak chips. i know this sounds weird, but...well it tastes weird too, but not too weird. it works, its definitely not bad. after the first few sips, the flavors start to faint. the after-taste is pretty awesome with a fairly tart taste of dark fruits and dark grains. it does has a slight plastic flavor to it.

M-medium dry carbonation with a dry finish

O-this is a really good beer. is the price justified? no, not really. after the first few sips, the complexity loses itself. even though thats true, this is a fun beer to drink all the way through. every sip is quite enjoyable. this is an average example of this style

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2012 16:00:53 | More by AdamBear

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

Poured a hazy, dark mahogany brown with a small, dense cap of beige head that retained and laced moderately. Aroma was light, with notes of fruit and funk. Taste was nice and full of non-threatening sourness, a bit acidic, a bit funky, notes of cherry and peach and red wine; woody and leafy mid-palate with a drying finish. Light-medium body, went down very easy, and was quite enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 03:00:41 | More by Rifugium

merc7186

New York

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer on tap at Blue Monk in Buffalo NY, served on a tulip glass

A: Orangish/Deep Amber Hue, Passes Very Little Light, Mild Off White Ring, Mild Lacing

S: Sour Mash, Mild Brown Sugar

T: Sour Mash, Mild Apricots

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Dry, Sourrr

Overall, a decent sour ale but doesnt blow you away...

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 07:07:40 | More by merc7186

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sour Saturday @ bluemonk

Dark reddish-brown beer with a thin white head that fades fast. There is a slight haze and lacing. At this point I know it's an oud bruin (whereas I could only assume it was a "sour" based on the chalkboard's beer notes).
The beer has a slightly sweet/sour nose, but nothing that knocks your socks off. The taste is a rather reserved, a little funk and generic oud bruin flavors ie sour cherries and such. Nothing is too pronounced except the carbonation (which is almost excessive), and therefore it seems to have relatively good balance. This beer wasn't disappointing, but I'd rather try other things next time instead.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2012 02:09:10 | More by ThePorterSorter

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Max's.

The beer pours a slightly hazy, brownish amber with pretty good head retention and light lacing. Really don't get a whole lot on the nose... just some light sour funk and underlying cherry. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but has a bit more to it. The beer actually has considerable sour (at least for me), that marries well with the fruit and wheat flavor I'm picking up. Mouthfeel is fairly light, and drinkability is definitely high. While I wish this beer had a bit more flavor, it's not terrible, and in fact is fairly enjoyable. The low alcohol is a definite bonus.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 21:29:37 | More by johnmichaelsen

smakawhat

Maryland

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes, poured on tap at Pizza Paradiso - Dupont into a medium sized snifter.

A real nice color, sort of a rust colored dark red and brown, somewhat opaque. Head is presented but doesn't last long with a light biege color.

Nose is a light sense of tart and very hot brett like sensation. Kind of grassy, sort of mild and a hint of tea.

Taste is interesting. Quite crisp tasting malty white bread. Very noticeable white bakery sensations from malt, a pleasant palate with some tart angles. Fruit angle comes up as the beer warms, somewhere between apple and cherry. Not too fizzy, medium to light carbonation with some good chewy texture.

A very different tasting Flanders Oud Bruin, kind of neat rather enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2012 23:38:44 | More by smakawhat

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at ChurchKey poured into sampler glass. Pours hazy medium to dark amber beer with a fizzy off-white head. The aroma is lightly malty, very lightly hoppy, lightly to moderately yeasty, with notes of grape, oak, cherries, perhaps a touch of berries and citric fruits. The flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, long finish with light to medium bitterness. Elegant, complex, with a perfect palate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2012 19:24:35 | More by CuriousMonk