Bourgogne Des Flandres - Brouwerij Timmermans-John Martin N.V.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Attractive and promising Dark mollasses colour. mollasses aroma with a sweetness other than mollasses, candy? Then sourness and tongue numbing that lasts 6 hours later. An experience that is not necessarily satisfying. Not complex, but drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2005 03:19:33 | More by northyorksammy

womencantsail

California

2.2/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

On-tap at Sour Fest

A: The pour is a dark amber-red color with an off-white/khaki head.

S: Not a very good nose. Everything about it seems fake and artificial. It's also very sweet. Lots of prune juice, grape juice, overripe cherries, and raisins. I don't really even get any tartness.

T: Second verse, same as the first. The flavor is just horrendously sweet, to the point of cloying. Prunes, raisins, grape juice (Manischewitz, maybe?), cherries, and a healthy dose of sugar for good measure.

M: Mediumin body with a medium carbonation. It's nearing syrup territory.

O: This was dreadful stuff. No thanks.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2011 15:26:37 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

2.43/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Bottle I brought to share at DarthKostrizer's tasting.

Bottled on 1/7/10.

Pours a clear brown with a khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, sugar, and some very slight sour aromas. Taste is of malt and sugar with no tartness whatsoever. This beer has a pretty good level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer and a horrible example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 21:43:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a dark red beer with a huge head with pretty good retention. Oak really hits you when you small this beer. Taste is very refreshing with a hint of sweet cheery which is attributable to the oak. Finish is a bit dry and watery which stop this beer from being as good as the Rodenbach. Still a nice example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2004 19:50:52 | More by Phyl21ca

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Let's get into a "sour", shall we? Something brewed and bottled for Anthony Martin by Timmermans Brewery, Bourgogne de Flandres, Belgian Brown Ale, 1765, van Houtryve Brugge. Bruges' typical brown ale, matured 6 months in oak casks. ALC 5.2 %.

Dark, dusky, purplish coloration, small darkish head.

Vinous aromatics, very grape-y, berries and cherries with a hit of sour. Some sweet fruit, with a good dose of the other stuff.

Taste: berry-licious. sour-tastic. nice and medium, for the sour-heads among us. Is this the Duchesse Junior, the light sour? Sweetness, then some sour, …very tasty, but never over the top.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 07:02:33 | More by feloniousmonk

zeff80

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a dark, dark burgundy color with a one-finger, tan head of foam. It left some sudsy lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of sour cherry and not much else.

T - It tasted of sour cherry with some sweet caramel and a good dose of malt.

M - It was crisp and smooth. Slightly soft on the mouthfeel. A light to medium bodied ale.

O - Not sour enough and too malty. I guess I see why it was retired.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 22:23:13 | More by zeff80

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Has a deep amber colored pour with a cream colored head. Just a little bit of lacing. The smell is a little bit of sweet and sour mixed. The flavor is a little sour at first but fades away quickly into a sweet more drinkable liquid. The mouthfeel is pretty light and doesn't have a ton of carbonation. Overall it's not bad bit it's nothing great like a true Flanders Red. I could drink this again if I came across it one day.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2011 21:53:18 | More by Knapp85

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, but quite dark brown with ruby tones. Very small almost tan head. Flavor is nice. Smooth, yet candy sweet a bit. There is that definite Flanders ale taste. Slight wood with an almost cherry sweetness. It's not exactly the most complex or mature profile, but it works nicely and I dig it. Feel is a noticeable carbonation, but not abrasively full. Liquid is thick enough. This one is easy to drink and decent.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2009 02:44:30 | More by RblWthACoz

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a dense walnut brown body with a little light glowing at the base of the glass. There is a sticky beige head that sticks to the glass in sheets but doesn't last.

S- The soft bright almost citrus orange tartness has some wet raw oak and rhubarb notes that grow as the beer opens.

T- The blend of cola and wet wood led to a mellow tartness and some brown sugar sweetness that starts to develop as it opens. There is a touch of cherries and citrus hints to a bright tartness in the finish. A well blended brown malt and dry toffee note has some paper oxidation notes and a faint aspirin quality to follow. There is a bitterness of grapefruit pith in the finish aswell.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a touch of fizz in the finish but it is gentle.

O- This beer is bright with some nice fruity depth to it and a soft tartness but it becomes a bit too sweet as it warms and the tartness is a bit too mellow to combat that.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 22:26:36 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz brown bottle with a bottling date printed on the neck of the bottle.

Dark mahogany, nearly black with a healthy looking froth on top. Ripe cherries, vanilla taffy, lemon zest and a hint of cake batter in the nose. Crisp and slick medium body. Sweet all around though the oak does pull on the palate, hints of ripe fruit; apples, cherries and lemonade. Confection / candy juiciness in the middle. Light hopping, faintly yeasty. Tartness struggles to come over the top but it does make it, still pretty mild though. Semi-sweet finish with more oaky flavors to meddle over.

A pretty good example of a Flanders Brown, one bottle is more than enough though.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 02:14:44 | More by Jason

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.78/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This 33cl bottle has been hanging around my shelves for some time and I thought it time to release it. I popped it into the fridge and here we are. So on a sunny evening in early June 2010 I poured the bottle into a 'forbidden fruit' badged chalice.

The beer poured a deep dark ruby red colour, an off-white almost tan coloured head sat on top for about 10 seconds before becoming a collar and wispy covering.

The smell was of semi-sour/semi-sweet old cherries without the pips and hints of something to come.

I am not a big fan of the Belgian sourpuss beers (check out some of my reviews, I've had plenty), so I was pleasantly pleased to find this wasn't one of those vinegarous brews. This hoovers just above sour and could almost be called sweet by some, I'll go for 'bordering on toothsome'.

The sweetness does appear to get sweeter as the beer warmed, which isn't good, but I enjoyed the beer from start to finish. Not your regular Flanders Red, but one of the best in my eyes.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2010 20:24:15 | More by BlackHaddock

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First had: bottle at Eulogy, Philly, PA

Offered to my lovely wife as an alternative to Kasteel Rouge, and I must say, it was no Kasteel Rouge. Reddish-brown pour with a light, receding head. Light fruity aroma. Taste was bitter and...mmm...sickeningly sour, I'm sorry to say. Sour in a thin way. Thin mouthfeel with a bit of a metallic aftertaste. Ok, but I probably would not get this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 03:44:49 | More by Rifugium

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.2/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

BB 05/12/09, served lightly chilled in De Dolle Oerbier's long-stemmed goblet.

A: pours a very dark brown hue with ruby glows when seen against light, coming with constant streams of tiny fizz and a 1cm thick, light tan foamy head that lasts throughout the drink.
S: the aroma of this Oud Bruin is the most estery among the four I've tasted these two days, showing a strong influence of sour-sweet yeasts (like the Japanese lactose drink), strangely perfumy, plus a light touch of coriander even. Not that it's unpleasant, but the lactic sour tinge - supposedly a main feature of this type of ale - is subdued. Fortunately, a good swirl does bring out the more sour fruity hints on top of a bit more maltiness as well, featuring oily-rich sour black-prunes, raisins, sweet cherries, burned sugar...
T: carbonated black prune juice and a touch of sweet herbal tea come on top of a thin body of semi-neutrally favoured dark malts, with but a faint hint of lactic sourness and some metallic fruits; then the flavour turns quite neutral/clean, leaving an herbally-bitter edge of wood-ageing behind... Alas, it ends up slightly thin-bodied in the end, which doesn't do any favour to the already simplistic flavour profile.
M&D: the carbonation is not as smooth and natural as my other three bottles, but still light enough to render an approachable palate to go with the very light flavour profile. All in all, there's very little in the glass that I'd say has done this style any justice; for, it's quite mediocre overall and just fails to keep my interest.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2009 20:23:26 | More by wl0307

Gusler

Arizona

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The beer after its emancipation from the 330ml brown bottle sets in the glass a deep incarnadine color with the head pythonic in size and the texture spumous, the color a beauteous light tan as it dwindles to nothingness the lace forms a tight skirt upon the glass. Nose is tart, almost astringent with a backing of malt sweetness, hints of black cherries or blackberries, complex maybe it’s just this old worn out schnozzle of mine. Start is quite sweet and light in malt; the top is light with the acidity mild and the hops benign in their spiciness. Aftertaste is dry and sweet, a different beer I must say, drinkable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2004 20:05:41 | More by Gusler

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A 330ml bottle with BB 2009, enjoyed in my hotel in Brussels on the eve of my first trip to Flanders.

Little flashes of brown disqualifies it from looking overly red wine like; the ale does, however, share an appearance with Coca-Cola. It glistens a cola shine and for short time possessed a cap of bubbles that simmered out over sounds of crackling.

The smell is actually more of a stench; it is odd and repellent. Hard copper, sour vinegar, and rotting seafood make a vile, almost sickening, concoction of smell. Your Flanders Red should go well with your seafood, but not smell like it.

The taste has notes of cherries, raisins, and plum - but all very faint. An almost repugnant flavour of eggplant kept popping up. I definitely would have liked less of the dry vegetable and more of the fresh fruit. Did they use ocean water? The malt and oak are hardly noticeable.

More and more, until almost entirely, I considered the beer like a watered down port. It tasted and drank like a cheap port that had been watered down. The mouthfeel was flat and syrupy, with no carbonation, no sourness, no acidity, no texture, and little indication of any oak.

I really hope this beer doesn't find itself into the hands of someone about to first try the Flanders Red style because it does it no justice and is repulsive enough to turn them right away from it. I bought and drank the bottle, which was fresh, in Belgium so unless it was a bad batch, Timmermans has some explaining to do.

It didn't have the tart, acidic fruity sourness nor the rustic, oak overtones that makes Flanders' Ales so charming and complex. It did have an odd seafood/vegetable taste with wet cardboard finish. It actually managed to leave me a little less excited for Brugge and Ghent.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 22:29:28 | More by biegaman

DefenCorps

Oregon

2.35/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Max's today, side-by-side with the Bockor Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge.

Deep ruby red with reddish brown highlights, a thin tan head with decent retention, this is OK. The nose is disappointing with some sugar, some cola, a little vanilla and no real sourness. A little musty, this is disappointing. The palate opens with a mild tartness, a mild rotting fruit-like character, some sugar and mild vanilla. Drying on the finish with a mild tannic character, this isn't very good. Light in body with a moderate level of carbonation, I really didn't enjoy (or finish) my pour

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2010 21:45:01 | More by DefenCorps

francisweizen

Australia

3.88/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had twice at the Avec Les Bon Veoux in Brussels. This is a dark red brew with a small whispy head of off-white. Aromas are of cherries, oak, various spices, yeast, candy sugar, and more. The taste is sour, oaky, and very cherry-ish with some nice spicing as well. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, but the drinkability is nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2004 20:35:38 | More by francisweizen

smakawhat

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours chestnut and then hits with and extremely dark brown with barley a hint of red body. A tan head is made with perhaps some fluffy consistency but settles slowly, but leaves a good collar. Dark brew.

Nose is sweet and interesting. Dry sweet clove, perhaps mace and brown sugar.

Palate hits with a very grape box sweetness. Grape juice Welches quality to the palate with a mild brown sugar. Light bodied with some density but a little hit of wet. Prickly carbonation, matches the sweetness and blurs the line between grape soda and prickly beer.

Overall this is a little too sweet for my tastes, and it's also a bit too soda like strangely. I would have it over many other beers, but I certainly don't feel the need to want to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 00:30:50 | More by smakawhat

dgilks

Australia

3.2/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a medium brown with a slight red tinge. A light tan head has good retention. No lacing.

Light acetic and lactic aromas are teemed with a brown sugar and caramel sweetness. Dates and figs come through as well. Not bad but doesn't really have an X-factor.

The initial attack is quite sweet with a raw, brown sugar sweetness. The mid palate is better developed with some light acetic sourness helping to cut the sugar. It still seems a bit out of balance towards the sweet. I get a hint of clove and indescript fruit. It's okay (and is reasonably to style for an Old Bruin) but seems a bit muddled and doesn't fall into place for me.

Medium body and low to moderate carbonation are true to style. A slight acetic harshness lingers at the back of the throat.

A reasonably tasty beer but it doesn't quite do it for me. The flavours are muddled on the palate and lack structure. I can't see me drinking much of this.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 09:32:05 | More by dgilks

champ103

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a deep garnet red. A two finger beige head forms with good retention. Some lace as well. Looks nice.
S: Tart fruits, very vinegary up front. That is it, Pretty simple. This does remind me of Duchesse in the nose.
T: Tart and vinegary again. Which I enjoy. Though to much of a metallic flavor going on. Lingering moldy wood as well.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Just a bit thin. Not hard to sip on, but I would not go for another like I would with Duchesse.

Not bad, but not nearly of the standard that Duchesse is. Which is the only beer this can be judged against. Enjoyable, but not the "Real McCoy."

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 01:40:42 | More by champ103

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2OZ bottle into a Rodenbach Grand Cru tulip.

Timmerman's Flander's sports a ruddy red, burnt brown appearance and a nice inch of thickish foam ivory looking that leaves some sqiggles.

Smell is weird, a flanders for sure, apple cider, werther's, musk, oak, roasty malts.

Taste grew on me, it took some sips, not sour and not overly sweet. Not a roadie, vinegar, sweet cherry flavor, no oaky flavor, coca cola, im torn on this beer.

Feel is a nice medium build with a nice carb that's not too bitey. vinegar stays a bit and keeps this from gaining props. maybe a bit of age will do something. I drank it and it was not all that bad, give it a go.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 06:55:03 | More by onix1agr

ehammond1

California

2.3/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Bottle (2010)

Thanks for opening this with me, UCLABrewN84!

(Aged for 2+ years)

Clear dark crimson and burgundy with a small light khaki colored head that leaves spots of lace down the glass.

A very sweet aroma with some medicinal cherry and grape aroma. There's some candied strawberry syrup aroma as well. There's very little tart/sour character.

The flavor too is astoundingly sweet. This reminds me of strawberry and cherry syrup with just a touch of bitterness. There's very little oak flavor or complexity, either.

Medium bodied with low carbonation.

Not a very good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 22:26:39 | More by ehammond1

illidurit

California

2.95/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at burger. in Santa Cruz. Pours a dark clear ruby black with a sudsy tan head. Aroma is faint with light notes of overripe red fruit and dark bread. Flavor is full of sugary cherries, like cherry yogurt, with a sweet malty finish. Lacks the tartness of a good flanders ale. Pretty much just alcoholic soda.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2011 00:31:13 | More by illidurit

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

3/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Rather sweet and thin bodied, not one of the better examples of the style, but still OK, slightly tart cherry quality, but nothing exceptional. Light and slightly enjoyable, very downable.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2002 05:55:21 | More by rastaman

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.63/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark red amber with a one finger medium pinkish white head with good retention and lacing. Aroma is sweet malt and sour fruit, cherries. Mellow flavor of cherries, sour and sweet, finishes with a well blended flavor of dark fruit, malt and cherries somewhat tangy. Moderate bodied. Somewhat subdued in flavor, but pleasant and satisfying to drink. This is a one year old bottle with unknown storage details (may be a bottle from distributor storage).

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 04:30:03 | More by LiquidAmber