Flemish Kiss - The Commons Brewery

Murrhey

Montana

3.61/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 750ml standard pressure-cap bottle into a tulip glass in high elevation Libby, Mont. No best-by date. Reviewed live.

A- Two-finger white head with heavy carbonation and big bubbles. Some sticky white lacing. Amber color with thick particulate. Very hazy. Fine looking beer. The head lasts for quite some time which is nice.

S- Apples, wheat, strong brett notes and fermented Belgian yeasts. Spicy, sour and floral. Not too aggressive, but definitely the presence of brett.

T- A Belgian pale. The proper balance with malts and yeasts but just kissed (I guess there's a lot in a name) with the brett. Not sour, but characteristics of the live culture are present. Nice flavor, nothing earth shattering though.

M- Medium bodied, active carbonation and a semi-dry finish.

O- Decent brew. I've had better from The Commons, and better of this style, but it works. I like the brett notes balanced with the spicy yeast.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 02:15:01 | More by Murrhey

dirtylou

Washington

4.44/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle, split, hill farmstead stemware

Gorgeous beer - hazy orange body, huge white fluff, reminiscent of rainier from up close. Aromas of clean brett notes and some nice fruity notes. The flavors are spot on - the brett is great, not offensively overpowering but just right. Pear, lemon, cherry. Nice carbonation level - mouthfeel is really exceptional. This is awesome stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 01:04:55 | More by dirtylou

cfrances33

Illinois

4.41/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle thanks to ZRBE, poured into a teku.

Pour: Mostly hazy deep orange body, with a big, three finger off white head. Solid lacing, and the head retains for most of the glass.

Smell: Huge fruity cherry, raspberry, and lemon up front, followed by a definite brett earthiness. Some doughy malt, and light saison quality. Finished with more fruits.

Taste: Like the nose, but comparatively subdued. At first, and at coldest, there is a light soap quality which is offputting, but not enough to make the beer unenjoyable. However, it quickly disappears as the beer gets a chance to breathe and warm up, leaving only the raspberry, lemon, pear, and cherry (in that order) from the nose, and a deep brett earthiness. Mildly doughy throughout. Finishes with a mash up of dry brett, and juicy, lingering fruits.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with a medium level of dryness. Finishes juicy and dry... honestly it makes a great match.

Overall: At first I was wowed at the nose, and then offput slightly by the first sip, but this beer is very, very good. I would definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:09:32 | More by cfrances33

Gobzilla

California

4.11/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured amber brown in color with orangish highlights and a thin head that left a little bubbly lacing sticking to the glass. Definitely plenty of brett funk upfront in the nose with signs of cherry fruit, hints of vinegar, wood oak and slight brown sugar notes. The brett funk character dominates the palate with a variety of grainy notes alongside mild citrus, hints of hops citrus zest twang and oaky accents. The brew was medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had an oaky, bretty, funky, slightly fruity, mild vinegar and tart finish. I thought it was a solid brew and def was interesting for a funky pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 06:29:39 | More by Gobzilla

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Commons.

A: Reddened copper with a minimal head. Expected a bit more out of this of the tap.

N: Cherry, brett, biscuit, raspberry, and dried cranberry. Excellent red fruit scents here.

T: Bit of a letdown after the nose. Straight forward biscuit and a drying yeast. Pine and earth are present from the hops. Very well balanced. There’s a slight lemon zest. Very bready. The brettanomyces are subdued at the moment.

M: Light on the tongue, though it can tend towards oiliness.

O: A very solid beer that’s quite quaffable and which ought to get better as the yeast prevails. I'll keep buying bottles, but I hope this returns to the quality of last year's batch which I was more impressed with drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 17:11:11 | More by writerLJBerg

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Served in a cervoise. Thanks, Aaron! Fairly-strong levels of Brett. Barnyard and some phenolics with backing cherry. Very dry.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 03:19:14 | More by Thorpe429

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours gold-orange with a very light haze and almost three fingers of billowy off-white head.

Smell. Light fruits and some cherry, some funky brett and a bit of wood and cloves.

Taste. Dry brett with a little bit of light grains, spicy saison yeast and light fruits. Quite dry overall, just a little bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, medium-strong carbonation.

Overall. A nice dry saison with plenty of brett. I thought this was a saison anyways until looking up at the catagory. Okay, well it's a very saison-like pale ale ...hmmm. Good stuff, whatever you want to label it.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:03:19 | More by Rutager

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A burnt orange and just a minimal level of haziness. The head poured out a giant and soapy 4 fingers leaving incredible lacing on the glass and even a moon crater surface in the head as it settled.

S: Scent is both sweet and funky with fresh tart fruit, wet hey and a funkiness with floral notes of orange flower water.

T: Cereal, maltiness, barnyard funkiness without the sweetness in the smell. The Bretta is present, but not overwhelming, and seems to encourage the maltiness and pale ale dryness. Excellent balance of malts & bretta.

M: Crisp and dry with a forward buzz of carbonation, and a medium bodied mouth feel.

O: This brew is a stand out, the bretta can be overwhelming, but Flemish kiss offers the Bretta characteristics while skillfully matching malts. The result is crisp and dry, offering a scent and taste not found elsewhere. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 03:11:26 | More by FondueVoodoo

DefenCorps

Oregon

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

Bottle from Whole Foods in Tanasbourne. Thanks for the recommendation, Mike!

Pouring a nice, clear, golden copper with a dense, off-white head with excellent retention and nice lacing, this is a good-looking beer. The nose is all Brett. very spicy, almost saison-like, with pepper, clove, fresh-cut herbs (grass, a little lavender), honey, mineral, some oak-like tannins, a little vanilla... this is pretty complex while remaining light. It does have some bandaid esters that I'm typically not a huge fan of, but with the freshness and vibrancy of the rest of the beer, it works. Dried sour cherries are also present. Very nice.

The palate is a delightful blend of all the nose has to offer with a dash of acidity tying it all together. The acidity is clove-heavy with a touch of plastic, but again, it works with the combination of dried fruit, honey and fresh cut grass, it is very refreshing. A mild toasted malt sweetness is present. The mineral character does keep things bright and snappy as well. Drying and almost a little tannic on the finish (husky, grainy tannins), there's a blend of lingering spice and Brett B flavors on the finish. Light in body and highly carbonated, this beer is very enjoyable. Recommended.

Adding the yeast does muddy up the palate a little bit, so I'd actually look for this on tap for a different experience

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 04:31:39 | More by DefenCorps

UCLABrewN84

California

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to AndrewK for sharing this one at his tasting.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, fruits, and Brett. Taste is much the same with the Brett being the dominant flavor. There is a mild bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:28:10 | More by UCLABrewN84

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at St Augustines in Vancouver.

A: hazy amber liquid with 1/4" of foamy cream colored head

S: Sour funk and some sweetness and raspberries

T: Hint of Brett as well as strawberries, figs, cereal malt and earth in the finish

M: Medium viscosity and carbonation

O: Complex and tasty, well done. I would definitely have one again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2012 21:56:34 | More by DaftCaskBC

rinhaak

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I don't hand out 5s that often, but I really am at a loss as to what The Commons could have done too much differently to improve upon Flemish Kiss.

The beer pours perfectly: clean and clear, with a fluffy head like Cumulus Clouds. It lingers to the very last sip, all the while clinging to the edges of the glass with a perfect lace.

The nose is amazing with aroms of peaches, sherry, apples, and funk. These flavors all come through again in the mouth, but are perfectly balanced. Also making appearances are subtle floral flavors (rose hips?). With an excellent effervescent mouthfeel to boot, this is one supremely crafted beer.

It's certainly a unique beer: an American Pale Ale meets Brett. But what The Commons does magnificently with this brew is keep everything within reason; there is even a certain simplicity to the beer. The brett is there, don't get me wrong, but it's not muscling its way to the center. Rather, it's perfectly balanced with the citrus hops and a clean, malt finish, that makes this beer truly something to behold.

Highly, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 02:52:49 | More by rinhaak

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle in Portland and opened it on 6.12.12

A - Pours a opaque dark orange with a large light tan head with very good retention.

S - Bret, some Belgian spices, and apples?

T - Subtle spices and funk. Pretty muted, but tastey.

D - Great carbonation and a light body.

O - Light pale with some Bret funk and spices.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 00:31:58 | More by HuskyinPDX

ccrida

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draught at Bailey's, Flemish Kiss is a dull and murky caramel brown. The small off-white head leaves scattered lace.

Smell is pretty brewtty, this one has a fair amount of the fruity pineapple esters.

Taste is pretty snappy, again, it's really about the brett here. I suppose there is some herbal bitterness to the hops, but I'm not getting anything from a flavor perspective. The maltiness, which is greater then most belgian blondes, adds a nice layer.

Mouthfeel is dry, but a bit heavier then I prefer in the style. Indicative of their hybrid approach I suppose. Nice amount of fine carbonation.

Drinkability is pretty good, it washed down a Santeria buritto muy mueno. I prefer a cleaner malt base though for bretty blondes.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 01:17:41 | More by ccrida

vkv822

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml : tulip snifter

Pours a lightly hazy golden-orange with a thick, foamy, craggy off white head.

Light Brett tartness blends nicely into faintly sweet, fruity and floral hops.

Floral notes transition into lightly tart Brett notes. Decent malty backing.

Medium body, with active, foamy carbonation.

An enjoyable Belgian-inspired take on a pale ale. The brett added a nice tartness without becoming downright sour.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 07:59:16 | More by vkv822

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a beautiful Riedel white wine glass.. slightly hazed orangish red... off white head... good retention...

The nose is surprising... good malt profile with a nice bite of fruity brett brux.. a hint of sweet cherries and sweet acetic notes...

Flavor begins as a nice malty pale ale.. good balance between light funk and mildly sweet malt vinegar... cherry essence.. finishes surprisingly dry.... really digging this one... I had easy 4 good pours... finishes a bit dry and certainly fruity..

This brew will bridge the gap between nerds and "light" beer folks.

4/4/4/3.5/3.5

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2012 07:09:31 | More by JohnGalt1

chumba526

Oregon

4.7/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From Beetje website: "ABV: 5.7% || IBU: 35-40

A clean Northwest pale ale with a subtle kiss of Flanders. Brewed predominantly with organic 2- row, the malt bill is rounded out with organic light munich, organic 60L crystal and caravienna. Northwest Golding and Hallertauer hops provide a pleasant hop character. Right out primary fermentation this beer is decidedly a Northwest pale ale, but as it enters secondary a bridge to Belgium is built with a dose of brettanomyces bruxellensis."

The beer appears clear red with a small off white head.

It smells very fruity: it almost smells like tomato juice. . There is a bit of a citrus like smell. I also get a bit of a cherry type of a smell.

It tastes very fruity: get a strong cherry flavor. It is slightly sour and there is a mild citrus type of a flavor. There is a bit of a spicy hoppy flavor to balance out the fruity flavor. There is a tad bit of a slightly sweet malt flavor. The beer finishes with a refreshing bitter flavor. All the flavors of the beer blend perfectly. This beer is very smooth.

There is a crisp mouthfeel to the beer.

Overall this is a fantastic complex, light and refreshing fusion pale ale. The Brett interacts nicely with the citrus and fruity hop flavor. I cannot find any faults with the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2011 18:28:01 | More by chumba526