1 Door Flemish Style Sour Ale - Hermitage Brewing

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.28/5  rDev +36.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled August 2011
A steady pour into my large Triple Karmeliet Tulip produces a two finger thick, nicely amber tinged tan colored head; it even leaves some layered lacing on the sides of my glass as it slowly subsides. The beer is a dark, concentrated amber / brown color that shows a bright red, somewhat hazy hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells quite fruity with lots of tartness and fruit character that reminds me of cherries, lots of tart raisin notes and even some dark plum notes (this last seem concentrated, though not quite enough to be called prune-like). Brown sugar and pale toasted whole grain aromatics serve as a backdrop to the up-front fruitiness; if you really dig the malt character becomes a bit more present, but it never completely shakes the tart cherry notes. The tartness here in the nose seems more fruit like than either acetic or lactic for some reason.

Nicely tart tasting up front, the beer even gets a little more tart as it rolls across the tongue. The tartness tastes strongly of cherries; again it makes me think that the sourness is from fruit rather than lactic or acetic fermentation, but there is a brighter, somewhat thin acidity in the finish that doesn’t really seem fruit derived. There is a nice, soft, browned malt note to this that adds a touch of almost burnt grain bitterness, as well as touch of toasted browned grain character. Some of the rich malt character seems to be contributed by some oxidized malt flavors that provide some nuttiness as well as a hint of sherry like notes; though with the fruitiness this definitely seems to have some flavors of port to it. The body of this beer has some fullness to it, there is not a lot of viscousness here and the beer actually finishes pretty light on the palate. The cherry character in this beer almost tastes as if cherries were added to this beer; the type of cherries seem more like bing type cherries rather than the rich sour pie-type cherries that provide the best flavor.

There is not much information about this beer that I could find, given that it is such a departure for this brewery, I almost wonder if the acidity was artificially added. The tartness here is quite a bit different from what I am used to, but that doesn’t mean it is artificially added; it just has me wondering. Even given my questioning, this beer is actually probably a bit better than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 03:29:00 | More by Gueuzedude

Halcyondays

California

2.35/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours a clear mahogany with a mild white head, fair retention, no lace.

S: Mix of cheese and strawberry shortcake, a bit off putting at first but it grew on me.

T: Soured raw milk flavour and rancid cheese. Notes of lactic acid and wood are good, but it's not really tasty. Not terrible, I can drink it, but nothing I really want to come back to.

M: Medium-bodied, light acidity, fairly smooth.

D: At $3.50 a bomber, this would be a steal in the sour category if it was simply adequate. It's not, it's well below average. I'll finish the bomber, but it's not something I'd buy again even at the very low price point.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 02:58:50 | More by Halcyondays

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

1.5/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Picked this up for like $4, thought what a steal. Well, price v. quality, I got ripped off.

Pours out, looks like a oud bruin/amber/red ale, so we're all good. Smell was the first sign things were not going good, just didn't take on any characteristic of style that it should, really just smelled like a metallic amber ale.

Taste, just awful. A bit of wood, lots of malt feel as if it were a regular red ale, no sourness whatsoever. Just tasted like an unintentional infected beer left on some wood. Hated it. Felt ashamed for bringing it.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 22:50:20 | More by Beerandraiderfan

DrJay

Massachusetts

1.33/5  rDev -44.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Slightly hazy reddish colour with a collar of dark beige bubbles and a bit of spotty lacing. Smells sort of earthy, caramel sweetness, a bit of berry tartness, but also cheesy and rotten fruit, a little cardboard too. The flavour was not good at all. The bitterness and sourness that was present made for a terrible combination and didn't work at all with the berry and caramel flavours. I picked up some vinegar and more cardboard too. Lightish bodied, low carbonation (there wasn't much of a hiss when the cap was popped). This was a complete mess and a drain pour. I really should have checked BA before purchasing, but I thought, "How bad could it really be?". And at $4, it wouldn't have needed to be amazing for me to feel I'd gotten my money's worth. Purchasing expired lottery tickets would have been a better use of that cash.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 00:04:41 | More by DrJay

kojevergas

California

3.35/5  rDev +39%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into an EKU 28 snifter in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Paired with pretzel goldfish (hey, they're scrumptious, alright!?). Expectations are poor given its current rating on the site (and my own observed tendency to rarely rate a beer higher than the aggregate).

A: Pours a one finger head of fair cream and thickness, and good retention. Colour is a transparent bright copper-red. Generally appealing. Nothing unique catches me fancy.

Sm: The aroma is dominated by pleasant bright fruits - likely cherry and raspberry. Cream. Lightly toasted malt perhaps. A bit vinegary. No hops or roast. No yeast. Quite pleasant and inviting overall. The fermented cherry is quite fanciful. A moderately strong, but subtle aroma.

T: Cherry is dominant, with a lovely berry climax accompanied by light sourness and perhaps some wild yeast. It isn't horribly complex, but the fruit esters never feel artifical or syrupy. It's well balanced and built all around in spite of its disappointing simplicity. The flavours aren't horribly strong, but I find them enjoyable. It's not refreshing, but it's clean and pleasant. I do like it.

Mf: Smooth and wet, suiting the flavours nicely - if only by not intruding. Perhaps a bit too thin. Cream would be out of place here. Light on the palate. It stays out of the way just as it should, letting the flavours preside.

Dr/Ov: Quite drinkable, especially for the above average ABV - which is well concealed. I'd have it again, ideally on draught. The ABV is too low for aging, and the sourness not quite pronounced enough. I look forward to trying more beers from this brewery. I was pleasantly surprised by this beer.

Probably best served with an acidic cheese. It didn't suit the pretzel goldfish particularly well. It drank just fine out of me snifter.

The aroma is probably my favourite aspect of this beer, but the taste doesn't quite deliver on the promise of the aroma - at least not in the case of the fruit. For this reason I've deducted from the overall; I believe it belongs in the middle of the B- range.

B-

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 06:43:56 | More by kojevergas

mactrail

California

2.85/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Peculiar amber ale.

Well, I'd call it indescribable, but I'll try. First, it's not actually sour-- tho that's overdone by some sour styles in my opinion. Tart, some hops, bit of carbonated prune juice-- or maybe it's the secret ingredient-- Dr. Pepper. Very pretty head and decent lacing, so you can't fault it there.

I read most of the reviews, and people think it's totally not on style. Okay, that seems to be my complaint lately about a lot of beers. So what the hell is it? But this is quite drinkable, kind of an anemic funkiness and some odd biterness with a hint of candy. Not actually worse than the Stone Cal-Belgie that spent too long on the shelves.

22 oz from BevMo.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 05:54:21 | More by mactrail

thagr81us

South Carolina

2.83/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Big thanks goes out to my doppelganger for sharing this one during a tasting! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a deep red-orange with with a minimal off-white head. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, candied sugar, caramel, and sugar. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, wood, and very subtle tart. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this wasn't an overly good brew. There was just something about this one that didn't agree with my palate. For the style that this is 'supposed' to be in, it is definitely not in the league of others in the style. Worth trying if you want to tick it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 04:42:45 | More by thagr81us

ccrida

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev +45.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into a large tumbler, "1 door" (the label shows a red door, but only says "flemish style sour ale") is a hazy dull amber with an off-white head that leaves light lace.

Smell is sweet bready, amber malt, a little acetic acid, and some metal. Not the most scrumpious, but I'm confident I'd identify the style with a blind smell test.

Taste is similar. This isn't a great oud bruin, but it's firmly in the guidelines stylistically. Oud bruin's aren't generally that sour, and I think lots of folks confuse them with flander's red. That said, this one is not malty enough, and the phenols give it that metallic bite, but I think it's a solidly authentic effort for a stateside take, especially for the value price.

Mouthfeel is dry and acidic, with a medium light, slightly watery body.

Drinkability is fine. Is this the tastiest beer, no. But it's stylistically correct, has some phenolic character, acidic, and is only really lacking in the fact that it could be maltier (and heavier). The high ABV is well hidden. I think it's a victim of the audience (some of which I'd assume due to it's availability are not familiar with the style), and presentation as a value mega-store brand take on the style, more so then the actual execution.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 23:34:58 | More by ccrida

ngeunit1

California

3/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a fairly clear amber-orange color with a thin layer of frothy off-white head. The head fades down quickly leaving behind a little lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of sour green apple, a bit of dark fruit, funky yeast, sour cherry, some acidity, and a bit of booze.

T - Starts off with some sour green apple and cherry with some tartness and acidity. Through the middle, some more sour and lightly funky flavors come through with a bit of sweet malt. The finish is a mix of sour and tart green apple and cherry with some acidity, funk, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a tart and acidic finish.

D - Pretty drinkable. The sour and tartness is nice, but there seems to be a bit of off flavors mixed in a well throwing off the balance.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 04:27:57 | More by ngeunit1

ehammond1

California

1.98/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Bottle (2011)

Thanks for opening this one, Nathan!

A somewhat active dull crimson and brown, with a quickly forming, though fast disappearing tan head. This leaves spots of lace down the glass. Not particularly unattractive.

I knew this wasn't going to be a very good beer upon first whiff. It immediately reminded me of celery, salt, and V8 tomato juice. There's a bit of vinegar acidity, but not a lot. There may also be some lettuce aroma, which is altogether strange.

The taste isn't much, if any, better, though the distinct V8 character is missing. It's more of a dulled, mild Flanders, with a bit of both cherry and sherry, and quite a bit of cardboard oxidation. Unimpressed.

Thin to medium mouthfeel and somewhat lifeless.

Not at all a good example of the style...or of anything for that matter.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 22:55:03 | More by ehammond1

nickd717

California

1.43/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Bomber from BevMo Sunnyvale. Will this be the best value sour ale I’ve ever had at $3.49 a bomber, or will it suck?

Looks decent, deep crimson red in color with a small light beige head that leaves a film and ring around the glass

The aroma is not good. Well, there’s not much to it, but what there is is rubber and mildly tart cherries. Weird.

The flavor is a strange, strange mix of cherry, root beer, and rubber bands. Holy crap this is crap.

Medium-bodied with minimal acidity and average carbonation.

For the style, this is damn near rock bottom. Sorry, but I think these guys need to work on their sour brewing a little more before they end up with something half decent.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 05:03:49 | More by nickd717

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

2.45/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

500ml bottle.

Pours murky amber with a mahogany tinge. A quarter inch head of beige dissapated to a placid surface with zero lacing.

Aromatics are a blend of artificial fruit flavoring and stomach acid. Regurgetated cherry cough syrup, if you will.

Medium bodied with a slick, syrupy mouthfeel.

Bile-like lactic acid with rancid cherry flavoring starts the palate. Some caramel-laden malt tries to balance a sweet and tart profile.

Finishes with lingering cough syrup and cheesy, soured yogurt.

Yikes.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 00:24:40 | More by brewandbbq

HalfFull

California

2.48/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Crystal clear burnished mahogany water on the pour. A light cap settles out to a surface ring in a minute or so. Light lacing follows. Light and thin yet proving itself ever so slightly with time.

Smells like a Pale Ale from the NorthWest at first. Pokes its head out of the shell just a bit with some exposure, otherwise any sour associations are absent. Bit of rust and caramel malt can't hide and detracts a bit. The smell is surely the limiting factor here, barely coming up for air after 30 minutes or so.

Hint of cherry tartness on the flavor if you really reach for it. Bit of wood develops as well. Finishes with a lightly sweet and fruity close. Offers an off and on spritzy carbonation to liven up the feel but still suffers from the base beer.

Average feel and drink in the end. Starts off a bit watery but firms up with some exposure, offering a lightly tart finish. A 'forced' sour from pretty shoddy stock in my view, yet 'reasonable' with some air and if served at 50 degrees or greater....

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 06:21:00 | More by HalfFull

DovaliHops

California

2.53/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours an almost-clear, reddish amber color with a medium cream-colored head that disappears rather quickly. Scent is malty and very grainy. That's about it...not a very good nose whatsoever. Taste is initially malty with very light hints of sweet and sour flavors. I was not expecting anything great from this awful brewery, and I'm sure glad I didn't. Not a good example of this style, and has a very off-putting metallic taste. If you're going to label your beer as "sour", then it should be sour. The sad thing is, as awful of a representation of Flemish Style Sour this is, it's still one of Hermitage Brewings better offerings. Though I will not be purchasing this again. Mouthfeel is not very full-bodied and rather light. Drinkability is not very high

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 05:41:57 | More by DovaliHops

DaveHS

California

3.03/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Pours clear copper red with a bubbly cola brown head. Reduces quickly, leaving traces of soapy lacing.

S-Smells like a piece of cardboard soaked with Rodenbach. A little tart cherry, somewhat sweet.

T/M-Medium bodied and sweet, with a suggestion of tart cherry. Sweeter than some of the more accomplished beers this style has to offer. Reminds me of the Ichtegems (Strubbe) Flemish sour. A metallic penny flavor on the back end. The sweetness gets in the way after awhile.

O-I get the impression some people are being extra tough on this because it's one of those beers that seems to be made exclusively for BevMo. Beer politics aside, this no worse than your average flemish sour.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 02:37:34 | More by DaveHS

djeucalyptus

Oregon

1.9/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

pours a decent strawberry rhubarb amber hue with a thin frothy head that fades quickly but leaves some decent lacing.

aroma is simple malt, hops, a hint of earthy caramel malt... mild and a bit tepid.

whoah. tart. but not in a flanders style. nor an ejoyable one. thin, acrid, sharp, tastes like licking rust off of an empty can that once contained goat cheese that was left out in the sun. There's nothing enjoyable going on here... yes, it's sour, but it tastes like homebrew gone wrong. Lacking the sweetness, the depth, and the complexity that most flanders (or most sours, at that) are characterized by.

mouth is fizzy, sprightly, with a cloyingly acidic and almost metallic finish.

I can't imagine this was an intentional sour. It tastes like a mistake. though I think the bigger mistake was deciding to put it in bottles and market it as a Flanders style ale. which it isn't. I'd really like to think that I'm completely off-base here and my palate is just a bit off tonight. but it's a tough one.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 05:20:54 | More by djeucalyptus

damndirtyape

Ohio

2.33/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle (no date) poured into a tulip glass. Let's see if this is as bad as everyone lets on.

Appearance: Clear dark red-brown-orange color. The red is somewhere between a cherry and copper color and there are some definite orange highlights in the beer as well which are more notable towards the end of the glass. The beer had an initial 1/4" tan foam, which died back to a thin layer across the top and a nice size ring. Some islands and strands of lacing noted, but hey tended to slowly slide back down the glass rather than stick. By the end of the glass the only foam left was the ring.

Smell: With the foam died back, a bit sweet and mildly boozy with a notable tart cherry smell. When swirled however...a solid hit of moldering paper and old straw. Not good. Maybe it is best that the foam dies back on this one. Good on one end, but then bad on the other.

Taste: Not very sour. Yes, there is some cherry like tartness in here, and maybe some sour flavor at the end, but it's quite mild. If anything...it's mildly juice like in character, like a tart cherry juice. So it's not exactly sour, it's more tart to me. Sure, this style can range a bit according to the description of this style, but this one seems much more like fermented tart cherry juice rather than a beer per se.

Mouthfeel: Initial carbonation upon pouring is gone pretty quickly after the beer sits for a few minutes. A bit sticky, and again, juice-like in character.

Overall / Drinkability: Not quite as bad as the other reviews let on, but not impressive or average either. I could not finish the 22oz bottle so it's definitely not very drinkable but I did finish my glass. Good color though.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 23:39:33 | More by damndirtyape

SHODriver

California

3/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours brown with a slight red hue with no head. ring around the glass is slightly off white
S: Smells like a warhead. Sugary sweet with a bit of sourness. Interesting...
T: slightly fruity with some caramel sweetness, sourness comes in mid drink along with a slight funk. tart on the swallow yielding to a slight malty taste that fades to funk
M: low carbonation and thin in the mouth
O: not bad for 2.50 but it does leave a bit to be desired in both tartness and boldness of flavor

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 05:16:56 | More by SHODriver

ibbjamin

California

2/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I pour the bomber into my Lost Abbey tulip. It was cheap, like $3.50 at BevMo.

Pour is a bit thin and watery but there is some head that dissipates quickly leaving a rim of retention on the inside of the glass. Transparent dark copper in color.

Aroma is more sweet than sour. Strawberry, candy sugar and cherry. Seemingly one dimensional.

Taste reminds me of a brown ale with some added cherry flavor. It is far from good, but not terrible either.

Thin and watery with minimal carbonation to liven the mouthfeel.

Sometimes you have to drink beers like this to make you appreciate how great some of the other sours are. The brewer of this has some work to do. Despite this, I finished the bomber, and at $3.49, they priced it according to its quality. Hard to complain with that.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 02:54:46 | More by ibbjamin

trappistlover

Arizona

2.13/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

(22oz bottle). Pours clear mahogany/cola color. Aroma of candied sugar, biscuit cookies, but not sour. Taste is sweet with a metallic taste. No real sourness/tartness. This is just bad. It's a drain pour and not worth drinking more than a couple of sips. It's the worst attempt at a sour that I've come across. It tastes like an infected double.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 04:49:28 | More by trappistlover

jethrodium

California

2.3/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

650 ml bottle. Pours a fairly dark brown with a small white head that leaves a decent amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma is some light caramel, some brown sugar, and a bit of acetone. Not good, but certainly not terribly offensive. Taste is quite bland with some caramel sweetness, brown sugar, and a bit of acetic acid. Not particularly sour. Medium body low carbonation. Not very enjoyable, but not the worst beer I've had either.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 04:24:14 | More by jethrodium

phiberoptik

Ohio

2.88/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to deranma for bringing this over to taste. Bomber with no date poured into a white wine glass.

Pours a deep dirty amber with a bit of haze. Almost like a cola after the ice has melted. Minimal head, actually pours like a barleywine.

Musty cherry sweet tarts. Some sour cherry notes as well. A hint of malt and the off aromas of wild yeast.

Slightly sour cherry up front. Tastes old but not over the hill old. Doesnt taste like a sour per say, but slightly watery. Some malt notes definitely come in, the end but not much here to remember.

Nicely carbonated, medium bodied. Enjoyable in the mouth.

Nothing here makes me excited. I am not going to bash this, but I wouldnt be looking for this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 00:17:17 | More by phiberoptik

dcook11

California

3.98/5  rDev +65.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this one. Poured in to a snifter. Cheery red hue, small head that quickly fades, a touch of carbonation visible when held up to the light. Smells of old socks, cherries, a touch of vinegar, green jolly ranchers...just funky, complex, and tart in general. The taste is cherry dominant with a touch of vinegar and oddly enough, bitter chocolate at the finish. The mouth feel is light to medium bodied. I've had this before and would definitely have it again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2011 10:28:40 | More by dcook11

WestValleyIPA

California

1.5/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

22oz of Flemish Sour for $3.49. Be very afraid! Poured from a bomber into my N'ice Chouffe goblet. Decent amber color with a big, 3 fingered, fluffy tan head to start with, but fades within 30 seconds to nothing, leaving OK lacing. Smell, wtf. Old hops, bad cider, wet dog, fowl. Tastes of funky, tea leafy, old hops, an off sort of sour, booze. Sorta prickly OK mouthfeel. Thin. Bad. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 02:26:44 | More by WestValleyIPA

chicagobeerriot

Illinois

2.28/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Looks strangely "clean" in the glass. Clear, light brown that glows ruby when held to the light. Virtually no head, just a little lace at the edge of the glass.

Not a whole lot hitting the nose. Some caramel malt and some mild citrus, but none of the complexity and vibrancy that the style usually offers.

The mouthfeel is appropriately light and effervescent.

The taste offers a bit more of the sour that I was hoping for, but it is a one note sourness that lacks depth and feels almost artificial. There's a toasted bread note that dutifully follows and some hop bitterness that follows in sequence, but the flavors never come together into a coherent whole. Cannot recommend.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 23:24:04 | More by chicagobeerriot