Cuvee-Brut - Brouwerij Liefmans

Efay

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A- Beer has a dark, reddish mahogany color, and the beer is translucent. There is minimal foam and lacing.

S- Sweet, fresh, earthly cherries, that gives it some characteristics of wine. I can also get some wood, maybe oak.

T- Taste like a cherry tart, so its sweet and sour at the same time. It almost tastes like there are mixed berries in here, like raspberries and black cherries.

M- Moderate body and high in carbonation. Didn't even have to touch the cork, just loosened the cage and it exploded.

O- Wow, I really enjoy sour beers, it's just another side to beer that needs to be exposed. I feel like it could of used some more booze, and it would be perfect. Still world class in my book. Extremely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 00:55:00 | More by Efay

eric5bellies

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Drank from my Duvel Tulip

A - Pours a deep mahogany cloudy colour with an off white head that reduces to a film

S - Plenty of sweet sugars and cherries, and hints of oak

T - Up front tastes like lolly water then followed by sour, oak aged qualities that almost balances out the sweetness.

M - Medium body and carbonation

O - These beers aren't really my thing however I appreciate the balance in this one. If they used real fruit it would be outstanding

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 11:05:52 | More by eric5bellies

jandadeboer

Texas

4.48/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Liefmans Cuvee-Brut is a solid Kriek. It is not as sweet as other Krieks, so those that don't enjoy Krieks too sweet, try this one. It doesn't pour much head, but the taste is not flat. If you are thinking about trying a Kriek and hesitant on the fruit beers, this is a good one to try first.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 17:44:50 | More by jandadeboer

Samuel906

California

3.79/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Looked for this beer for a long time and finally found it in a little shop in San Diego. This poured a lot darker than i was expecting. Amber with a strong red hue. Light head that has good retention, slightly pink. Smell is yeast, cider, lime and cherries. Wonderfully refreshing taste, just a touch too sweet. Tons of cherry, slightly tart from citrus. Feel is light and crisp. Super refreshing. No booze. This is terrific, and was a big hit with the ladies. Only qualm is its slightly too sweet, and could use a touch more carbonation. Cherries galore!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:11:46 | More by Samuel906

rickyleepotts

Arizona

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4.75

Today is Valentine's Day! Sheryl said, "Let's do a Valentine beer." I was wanting something hoppy, but she wanted to do a "red" beer! So we grabbed a bottle of Liefmans Cuvée Brut. I stare at this beer all the time at Total Wine & More, but am exited to upward it. After reading about this beer, I can't wait! I don't normally like the flavor of cherries, but they mention tart and sweet. Sounds like me! The cherries sit for 12 months? That is awesome!

She's right, this beer looks like a holiday beer! Low ABV, but I am sure the sweetness will be enough to share a bottle. Ready to start drinking and get this holiday started. Bottoms up, people!

In the Glass: Well I could smell the cherries as I was pouring this out. Sheryl made a good point… I don't usually like cherries. The older I get, the more I appreciate the flavor… but this is different. These cherries have been sitting for 12 months. That is absurd. I am sure they have mellowed out, and the beer (an oud bruin) produces a more enjoyable sour experience. The beer appears thick and creamy in the glass, and has a nice thin white head. No lace. Of course, my glass is so full I could barely carry it into the office. But the beer looks enjoyable in the glass.

Nose: I expected the aroma to be a little more sour, but it has a nice malty backbone to it. There are times I will grab a bottle of scotch and think, "This beverage has been in a barrel for 3, 8, 12, 28 years." 12 months isn't that long, but to think the amount of attention and dedication that went into this beer helps me appreciate it even more. A second whiff leaves more sour aromas. I do like a good sour, so let's taste this beer.

Flavor: WHOA! That is incredible. It is VERY complex, too. Sour, no doubt… but very tart. Imagine taking a sour piece of candy, biting down, and the flavor that explodes across your palate. That is what you get here. I mean, the flavor is incredible, but if you don't like sour beers, stay away. The sour doesn't last long, but it is there from the time the beer hits your tongue until you swallow.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is fun. It starts sour, then bubbles kick in, and then you swallow with more sour flavors and a nice polished finish. (The burb is quite nice. It brings some of the sour flavor back, but not overwhelmingly so.) Now that I have room to swirl the beer, I am seeing little lace, and a lot of tiny bubbles rushing to the surface.

Also, I will mention that as I drink this, the sour (tartness) becomes less and less intense. That's not a bad thing as you drink through the bottle, you get several conflicting and complex flavors. Makes a bottle this big (750ml) more enjoyable if you are not sharing. But sharing is what craft beer is all about!

Aftertaste: Those same sour flavors are hanging on, but not as much as you would expect from what your palate just went through. With every the sour becomes less and less evident, but the flavor from the cherries really comes through. It's a dark cherry flavor, not like biting a fresh one off the stem. That is the flavor I don't like. Cherry typically tastes like medicine to me. Not in this beer.

I have been looking at this beer every time I walk down the beer aisle at Total Wine. Glad that I picked one up. There is a blue one (I assume blueberry) next to it. That is also on our "list". We will get to that soon, I am sure. VERY happy with this bottle, and glad that we could drink this to celebrate Valentine's Day. Hope everyone had a good beer to share, regardless if you are drinking alone!

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 21:47:12 | More by rickyleepotts

Bashao

Israel

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearence: Pours scarlet red from the bottle with nice foam.

Smell: Great smells of berries, very appealing.

Taste: Great berries flavours, starts sweet but ends sour. Mildly carboneted.

Mouthfeel: A medium body.

Overall: Great lambic beer. I loved it.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 20:03:39 | More by Bashao

JudoJeff

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

As you might expect from the brightly wrapped 750 mL bottle, this beer has a strong cherry flavor. The cherry is bittersweet and feels thin and sharp in your mouth at first. The appearance is a transparent red, with a thin head. The sweetness can be a bit over-powering at first but did mellow some after a few sips.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 01:45:06 | More by JudoJeff

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bought a bottle of Brouwerij Liefmans Cuvée Brut at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA on the recommendation of Kate, one of the store owners. Served in a pint glass (there was no other glass around! Argh!).

Appearance (4.5/5): Cuvée Brut is a stunning scarlet red, translucent, and is topped by one finger of beige foam. Good head retention. The head reduces in that typically Belgian fashion to a thumbnail-thin layer of creamy beige foam. This is a very cool looking beer.

Smell (4/5): Aroma is of black cherry, semi-sweet berries, faint lactic sourness, vinegar, woody, oaky. Not a very strong aroma overall–pretty mild actually–but nonetheless pleasant and promising.

Taste (4.25/5): Cuvée Brut exudes cherry flavors, but (thankfully) feature none of that candy-like maraschino cherry flavor I despise. Instead, I taste deep, semi-tart, semi-sweet black cherry. The beer also has winey characteristics similar to Flanders Red and Oud Bruin ales; I can also detect some woodiness here that those styles also showcase. Very nice. Refined.

Mouthfeel (4.25/5): Mellow, soft, medium carbonation and a medium-light body give this beer an easy-drinking texture. It features a nice bit of effervescence and the lactic sour notes cause a light puckering sensation to set in during the finish.

Overall (4.25/5): Brouwerij Liefmans Cuvée Brut was an unexpected treat–usually I'm wary of fruit beers, but this one was quite good. I especially like how the cherry aspects of the beer are not so dominant that the beer's woody/oaky and sour characteristics are not overshadowed. Excellent taste, mouthfeel, and beautiful looking in a glass. A good fruit beer for people who are unsure of them.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 23:13:07 | More by hagbergl

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From: Binny’s in Champaign, IL
Bottled: 2010
Glass: US pint glass

Reminiscent of a more obviously beer-based New Glarus Belgian Red, Liefman’s Cuvee Brut blends tart cherry with malt and mild sourness in a very respectable fashion. Slightly disappointed at the "added natural flavors" aspect of the beer, I would probably not get this again as a result.

Pours a 1cm, light pink foam for a head, composed of small bubbles, with fairly poor retention. Head leaves minimal lacing along sides of glass as it descends, eventually fading to a thick ring of bubbles around the glass’ perimeter. Body is a medium-darkness brown color with magenta hues, light bringing out the red tones in the color. Body is semi-hazy from sediment.

Aroma is of tart cherry juice alongside mild apple cider-like vinegar.

Taste opens with tart cherry juice mixed with medium-dark malt sweetness and light acidic tartness. Cherries, malt, and tartness persist through the close. Tasting concludes with tart cherry juice, mild sweetness, and a bit of lactic acid tartness lingering on the throat and tongue.

Beer is medium-bodied with medium to medium-high carbonation. The result is a crisp, easily drinkable beer that finishes dry and with little residual stickiness on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 05:31:56 | More by falloutsnow

DavidST

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a goblet, can't find a bottle date (12/2020 is on the top), bought it this year. This pours a slightly hazy reddish brown color with a small extremely short lived tan head. The smells are nice, you get the apple cider vinegar, sour cherries, tartness, a hint of funk. The feel is medium, with med carbonination. The taste is as expected, a load of tart cherries, vinegar. A beautiful sweet and sour, I really wish I could find this stuff closer to me.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 06:01:07 | More by DavidST

SHODriver

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle from 2010
A: pours into a duvel tulip to a deep reddish brown with a small greyish red head with decent retention
S: smells of vinegar, sour cherries, and a bit of vanilla and a slight oak as well
T: nice and tart with flavors of sour cherries, acetic acid, vanilla, and mild woody oak, aftertaste is some residual sweetness, light cherry, more oakiness and a slightly medicinal aftertaste that reminds me of cough syrup.
M: light to medium with prickly carbonation. slightly drying finish as well
O: great beer aside from the cough syrup taste at the very end of the drink. other than that it has nice flavors, good drinkability and a great sourness to it.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 02:46:18 | More by SHODriver

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.65/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 1 | overall: 3.5

Pours red-tinged brown with no head.
Nose shows sweet cherries, a soft funky notes, light sweet malt and faint confectionery. Very enticing.
Quite sweet flavours but with a soft tartness and a prominent funky note. Over-ripe cherries are the main show.
No carbonation, with is a big disappointed as the beer seems cloying and feels watery.
Very drinkable, would have been great if it was carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 07:02:22 | More by CrazyDavros

chinchill

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml{?} champagne bottle wrapped in red paper.

Pours a clear amber-brown with a very durable off-white head. Leaves some nice lacing.

The nose has both plum and cherry notes, although I think no plums are used in production. Odor of an oud bruin in here too.

The tart taste has an excellent balance of sweet and sour. Flavorful but not bold or brash, with excellent use of cherries. Aftertaste is disappointing and, to nitpick, the cherries flavor could be a touch fresher. I suspect the later is not possible given the production method.

Effervescent, but the carbonation level seems to be just what is called for. Medium-light body.

O: an excellent sour ale for fans of krieks and lambics, particularly if you'd prefer something a bit less sweet. Superb after dinner beverage.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 13:46:41 | More by chinchill

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Champgane style bottle poured into red wine plastic glasses. Pours a dark crimson with white foam. Cloudy. Cherry smell, some malt. Cherry taste too, with a light sour. Very pleasant carbonation. Very flavorful, but balanced. Good mix of fruit and sours.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 20:25:10 | More by KTCamm

confer

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up this bottle at Ommegang.
Color is brown with red hints fluffy tan head.
Smell is sour makes you expect a big tart taste.
The taste is not near as tart as the aroma. It is definitely sour cherries but on the sweet side, not mouth puckering at all.
Very light, and dry but not carbonation bubbles can be seen.
Overall a really good fruit beer. I'd buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 18:46:46 | More by confer

robertgurley

New York

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a 750mL bottle corked in 2011, poured into a tulip glass and consumed in one sitting.

Caramel color, thin w/ very little carbonation, an almost cider-vinegar aftertaste but sweet and hints of cherries. By far my favorite beer I've had this month.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 00:35:03 | More by robertgurley

morimech

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2011 on the cork.

Pours a reddish brown color with a couple of fingers of pinkish head that had good retention before settling to a thick cap. Very little lacing is left behind on the glass.

Aroma of cherries and vinegar. Smells like it will be interestingly acidic.

I was hoping for more tartness. Does have good flavor of cherries. There is a little bit of funkiness in the background that compliments the acidity that I find the most interesting.

Could of used more carbonation to excite the palate more. The promise of sparkling carbonation did not deliver.

Much more interesting than most fruit-centric beers that are not lambics.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 21:20:32 | More by morimech

nachos

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cork says its 2010 vintage.

This is a really good beer.

Its seriously almost exactly like New Glarus Belgian Red, but a little less sharp cherry taste, and its a little more tart, sour.

You get that borderline Luden's cherry flavor, its a little more subdued than Belgian red though, but its really nice. Good carbonation, coats the mouth, proper thickness.

I have no problem downing a 750 of this to myself very easily, but I really like sours and fruit beers that don't taste fake. I also really like super hoppy ipas and deep dark stouts so don't fret. This is just a super well made beer thats easily drinkable, refreshing, provides ample delicious cherry flavor and its a bit sour. And its a at a generally at a great price point.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 04:47:01 | More by nachos

haazer

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cork says 2010. Love the fancy wrapping.

A- Large frothy head, big chunks of a pinkish foam sit atop the dark maroon brew. Some cranberry highlights. As the foam settles there is some lacing on the sides.

S- Smell is of sweet and tart cherries. Cherry chuice is evident. There is some biscuity malt in here too. A bit of hay and funk, but pretty subtle. Best thing though is it doesn't seem artificial.

T- Bitter and tart cherries, and a sugary sweet lollypop like taste. Everything cherry, juice and fruit. Theres just enough malt flavor on the backend to say, yes I am a beer. Could use some funk in here, but it's still good.

M- A light body that is suprisingly smooth and thirst quenching. The tart/bitter flavor coates the mouth and leaves a lasting presence.

O- I enjoyed this "beer". A bit one dimensional, but it does the trick. It definitely is natural in taste, and real fruit is evident.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 02:52:29 | More by haazer

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375ml bottle poured into a 12oz tulip flute.

A - Highly effervescent pour, with a fizzy tan head that vanishes in seconds. The beer itself is a less-than-fantastic murky burgundy. Girlfriend says it looks like muddy water. No head retention or lacing, as expected, but some nice legs.

S - Big cherry character right away. Notes of musty hay and funk, with subtle oak. A nice blend of tart cherry and funk, with a touch of sweet.

T - Lots of cherries, with a balance of both sweet and sour. A touch of barnyard funk, with wet hay and just a hint of oak. A nice lactic acidity adding to the funk, and a distinct aftertaste of honey and vanilla. Very balanced, and easy to drink. Definitely something accessible for a lambic noob.

M - Quite carbonated, with a lighter body. Slightly sticky, with a thin film left behind on the palate.

D - A very tasty, drinkable fruit beer. Although not technically a lambic, the profile is quite close (closer than Lindemans anyways...) Definitely something I could drink again.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 06:22:30 | More by Converge

zeff80

Missouri

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear, burgundy color with little to no head. It left very little lacing.

S - It smelled of sour cherry. Not overpowering but nice.

T - Good sour black cherry flavor. Some malty sweetness for needed balance.

M - It was fairly crisp and sharp. A medium bodied ale with a slight pucker factor.

O - This is a really nice sour ale. I don't feel like the style it is listed under does it any justice.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 19:55:16 | More by zeff80

starkmarvelo

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Liefman's Cuvée Brut

A- deep clear red with a good amount of carbonation. Lose 1 &1/2 finger head like champagne.

Smell- smells of ripe sweet cherries. Almost kool aid like with a sweet floral smell.

T- just before the first sip, there's a rose pedal/sweet floral taste followed by cherries and a tartness not from the fruit. The only thing keeping me from believing that this isnt a beer is the slight bitterness with the cherry and very light malt flavor towards the end. I'm also getting a bit of mint at the end too.

M-bubbly, dry and crisp.

O- excellent fruit beer. Lots of cherries, not cloying at all. Well balanced and complex. I was really digging that sweet flower smell/taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 02:01:47 | More by starkmarvelo

david131

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a dark and slightly murky reddish brown with a thin but creamy off0white head. Not all that interesting, but not bad.

S- Very pungent cherries with a bit of vanilla. A bit medicinal with a bit of acid. Very intriguing.

T- Sweet and acidic cherries, a bit medicinal. There is a unique flavor that I am having trouble putting my finger on. Overall, the cherry aspect is amazing and overrides any problems I find in it.

M- Sweet and slightly tart with a clean finish.

O- A very tasty Belgian beer at a nice price point. Definitely worth splitting a 750. Would make for a nice dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 04:04:16 | More by david131

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

ST: 750 poured into a tulip.

A: Dark brown-red (it looks like ice tea) with a think white head that vanishes quickly. It does not leave very much lacing.

S: Strong sour, juicy cherry aroma with a bit of funk.

T: Starts with very sweet cherry but it finishes tart and sour with a refreshing zing of carbonation.

M: Light and zingy

O: While it can be very sweet at times, the alcohol, carbonation, and tart, sour flavor balances out this wonderful summer and salad companion. Ripe cherries pour from the glass, and its mouthfeel is light and slightly spritzy (it would work well in some sort of beer cocktail). If you are not in the mood for something light and sweeter, you should stay clear. If, however, you are in the mood for such a beer, this would be such a beer worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 18:38:26 | More by ianjsullivan

rlee1390

Indiana

3.53/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-Deep clear ruby red, two finger bubbly head

S-Funk, cherries and a touch of oak.

T-Nothing like the nose, lots of sweet cherries, more sweet than sour, not much tartness. Not a sour beer at all.

M-Light in body and well carbonated.

O-Overly sweet, not much sourness/tartness.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 22:43:30 | More by rlee1390