Goudenband - Brouwerij Liefmans

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a deep amber to brown in color with a light tan head. In the aroma, a small tart white grape with notes of caramel. In the taste, white grape tartness with a small note of caramel roastiness. A sour bite and a medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a dry sour and note of caramel in the aftertaste. Dry and sour, with notes of caramel, easy to drink and quite fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 22:44:55 | More by OWSLEY069

wesbrownyeah

Florida

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

Liefmans Goudenband Provision Ale 8% alcohol. Poured from 750ml corked and caged bottle into an Ommegang Snifter.

A- Glorious sight of a near opaque dark brown fluid with a quarter inch off white head that leaves behind a tight bubbly froth that lightly holds on the the edges of the glass slipping back to the brew after the swirl and/or sip of the excellent Flanders Oud Bruin.

S- Fresh scents of cherries, candied apples, and sweet malts upfront on the nose. A light hint of musky yeast is noted with a slightly spiced edge.

T-M- Where do I start? A sweet almost tart bite of cherries and currants stings the tongue with bountiful flavor. Second notes of sweet apples and pears followed by light brown sugar.
Mouthfeel is a heavily carbonated tingle with very little alcohol ester presence. Mildly dry with excellent drinkablity.

O- Overall one of the best if not the best Flanders Oud Bruin style beer i've ever had hands down. I'm going to stock up on this one Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:38:53 | More by wesbrownyeah

StoneBrewFanatic

Virginia

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

A - Pours dark brown with red hues into my snifter with about one finger of off-white head that has moderate retention and minimal lacing.

S - Candi sugar, molasses, sweet caramel, really smells like a caramel apple, sour dark fruit, wood and spicy yeast.

T - Tart apples and caramel sweetness, molasses, lemony sourness, cherries, wood and mild spiciness.

M - Body seems a bit thin for the complexity of this beer. Relatively balanced carbonation though.

O - Really solid beer, wish the taste lived up to the aroma a little more and that it had some more body to it, but worth trying nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 22:54:35 | More by StoneBrewFanatic

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-rich borwn with a tan tight head, 1 finger high.

S-a lot of candi sugar, molasses and raisins. A slight sour apple smell too.

T-Candi sugar and sweet malt flavors hit you first like a flanders/flemish red. It then turns a bit sour like biting a lemon. Perfect balance of sour and sweet.

M-very sessionable and price wasn't bad at $6.99 for a 375ml.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 21:26:51 | More by danedelman

avalon07

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a brownish color and a thick consistency. There was a half inch of creamy, off-white, fairly long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: A very sour-smelling beer (as it should be), with traces of yeast and fruit in it.

T: Tasted of yeast, malt, a little citrus, and a sour element. There was also something sugary and sweet in the finish, though it wasn't as powerful as the other ingredients. A tasty and complex beer.

M: A highly carbonated beer with a vibrant finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is an excellent example of an oud bruin. Very drinkable and easy to like.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 13:05:49 | More by avalon07

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a couple finger head in my Duvel tulip. The head is light tan in color but seems too light for the color of the beer. Body is deep brown with a reddish hue. Some ok lacing.

S - Bruin-y. Those dark fruits and spices with lighter fruits like lemon.

T - A nice balance between tart lemon, orange, and citric acid and the darker flavors such as prune and raisin. It is good. There is a little sweetness like white sugar added.

M - Carbonation is strong and the body is slightly above average. The carbonation fits the sourness and makes it taste light.

O - A wonderful beer and a great price. This could easily become a regular for me. I like super-sours, and this is not quite there, but adds some nice dark Belgian flavors that compliment it well. Mmmm.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 06:49:44 | More by RuckusDu

Cozzatoad

Italy

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

375ml bottle. All i found was a date stating 12-2019, which i guess is the best before date

A- Dark ruby/light brown in colour with some static carbonation bubbles on the sides of the glass. One finger white head that doesn't have very good retention, if not for a little lace, and leaves little lacing on the glass

S- Both sweet and sour with a bready and caramel malts body. Sour notes have a nice complexity with lactic, cherries and vinegar notes as well as some kind of lemonish/spicy feel

T- Malts are mostly hidden under the sour flavours, but their presence is still significant. There are notes of caramel and maybe chocolate, and the beer's feel is overall more sweet than sour as Hojaminbag stated in the previous review. Now on the sour part; the beer has a wonderful, delicate, lactic acidity that brings a lot of complexity and tons of flavours with it: cherries, dried plums, some kind of mustiness, maybe a woody hint. A slight spiciness is present as well

M- Quite light in body with just a delicate hint of carbonation on both tongue and palate. Very slick mouthfeel overall. A nice mouthfeel, though maybe a bit too thin in body for such a complex beer

O- Not for sure an easy drinker. As i have said in the mouthfeel, the beer is quite thin in body and i feel like the mouthfeel does not fully support the beer's complexity. It kinda feels like flavours do not want to stick there; sorry if can't find beeter words to describe this. Still, the beer is amazingly tasty and complex, the 8%ABV is wonderfully hidden and tartness never gets too much in the way. Overall an excellent beer

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 10:08:17 | More by Cozzatoad

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 Vintage.

Goudenband pours a cloudy ruby color with a small, tan head. The head sticks around for a little bit, but doesn't leave any lacing.

The aroma is nice, with a lot of cherry and some noticeable wood notes.

Goudenband is definitely more sweet than sour, and despite my proclivity for sour beers, I still think it is very good. Tons of cherry flavors bring both tart and sweet flavors. I know cherries can have both of these traits at the same time, but I wonder if Liefmans used more than one type of cherries in this. Next there is a splash of vinegar, that brings a bit of sourness but not much more. Wood flavors come next, with a hint of leather and a spicy taste.

The mouthfeel is surprisingly dry considering the beer is sweet. Carbonation and body are about where I would expect them to be.

Overall, Goudenband is another winner for Liefmans, and probably my favorite that I have tried. Not a beer I would turn to when I was really in the mood for a sour, but certainly a nice one.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 14:37:50 | More by Hojaminbag

XicanoBeerRun

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

New Year’s Day 2012

The blue paper wrapper, which encases a green bottle, intrigued me because it describes the beer as a blended Belgian, which is not too common in these parts. For some time, I had been eying this brew at San Antonio’s Central Market, and decided the occasion was right.

The cork, stamped “2011,” was easy to remove, and looked like a crimini mushroom. I poured the reddish, Dr. Pepper colored concoction into a snifter. It smelled of sour cherries, of course. I picked up on hints of oak or wood. This observation was substantiated by some other reviews I read. There was light lacing and carbonation. It was tart on the back of the tongue, but warm alcohol on the front. You lose the cherry essence as the beer lingers in your mouth. The flavor did not change much as the beer warmed up.

I highly recommend this brew. It is very reasonably priced at $10.

I’ll have another.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 16:31:32 | More by XicanoBeerRun

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a reddish brown color, the head was thin and white. The smell of the beer gives off plenty of wild yeast aromas that sting the nose. The aroma of some sour cherry is also in there. The taste of the beer was pretty good actually, it was tart but not overwhelming. I found it to be well balanced actually. The mouthfeel was light and similar to a wine. Overall this brew was pretty good for the style, just not always my preference.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 07:21:14 | More by Knapp85

Pencible

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a nearly clear mahogany with thick tan head.
S: It smelled like funky oak and sour red grapes and juicy cherry, with a little cocoa powder and copper and apple cider vinegar.
T: It tasted like sweet cherry and sour red grapes, with some funky oak and tart apple cider vinegar, and a little sweet sweet chocolate and bitter copper. It had a clean and juicy sour aftertaste.
M: It was oily with moderate natural carbonation. Nice and slick body.
D: This was a very nice Flanders (seemed more red than brown to me), with a great balance of scent and taste. Not too sweet or sour or tart. The body was nice and the alcohol was pretty well hidden, so it was easy to drink. The finish was really good on this beer. Not sure if age would help, but it probably wouldn't hurt. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 16:19:13 | More by Pencible

shambeano

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

from a 375ml corked and caged bottle, poured into a tulip.

A- Pours a dark brown hue, but looks relatively light bodied, an almost reddish brown when held to the light, about a half inch of off-white carbonation quickly dissipates to a thin film. Looks pretty much how i expected it to.

S- straight up it smells pretty sour, musty and with a hint of oakiness. smells pretty good.

T- Straight up there is the sourness from the nose, but when that subsides there is some musty oak, following that it gets a touch of dried fruit and something a touch plummy, then a some spiciness kicks in, clove and some others i cant put my finger on. there is a little bit of alcohol present but its pleasing and adds to the beer. Tastes fantastic.

M- on the mid to light bodied side, there is some stimulated salivation from the sourness, but in the end leaves the mouth dry.

O- looks and smells and feels good, but taste is really very nice. lovely beer to sit on of an extended period to see how it changes.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 11:25:30 | More by shambeano

haazer

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- The beer pours the liveliest head I've ever seen, a light brown effervescent mess. Comes down rather quickly in the tulip, the brew is a dark brown with purple hues. Opaque but for near the surface, where it's a murky copper color.

S- Little bit of vinegar and some red grapes. A bready malt undertone is there also. Some other dark fruits come to play as well.

T- Tastes a bit like the nose suggests. A slight amount of vinegar, and some sourness upfront runs into a nice blend of dark fruits. Plums and grapes mostly. The alcohol is well hidden, feels more like 5% rather then 8.

M- Light to medium bodied with high carbonation. The brew is somewhat coating in the mouth, sort of feels like drinking carbonated grape juice.

O- A highly drinkable beer. I enjoyed this this Flanders Oud Bruin, a nice introduction. I suppose this was a little less intense than a Flanders red, but I'm just getting my feet wet in the lesser known Belgians.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 03:25:59 | More by haazer

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle at Bier Tempel in Bruges.

A- Pours a cola brown with strong ruby highlights. Produces a finger of bubbly, champagne-like tan head.

S- Citric and tart, alcohol, some oak, and light, sweet malts.

T- The most prominent flavor from the start is a lambic-like yeasty tartness, followed shortly by strong oak flavors and some cherry. There's some spicy, herbal phenol underneath, as well as light caramel malts. The flavor really hangs around on your palate for a long time.

M- Medium to light body, well carbonated and prickly on the palate, finishes dry with a fruity aftertaste.

O- A delicious, complex beer, extremely drinkable, a real Flemish masterpiece, must-try.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 15:59:07 | More by WillCarrera

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Finger of tan head, laces well. Opaque, deep red-brown body.

Mega-tart, classical Flemish red nose. Trace of vinegar, some sour fruit.

Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic Flemish red. Slightly drier, more nuanced than their Oud Bruin. Dryish finish, with faint citrus. Quite a sweet, fruity mid-body, lots of grape juice.

A bit fizzy, but no complaints here.

A benchmark of Flemish sours. What more need be said?

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 03:47:41 | More by zaphodchak

tobelerone

New Jersey

2.08/5  rDev -50.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

As soon as I popped the cork on this one I suspected I had gotten a bad bottle and boy was I right. Almost no carbonation left whatsoever; poured a muddy, reddish brown color, no head or lace at all, tons of floating chunks, lots of residue at the bottle of the glass. Aroma of wine-like tannins, light sweetness, cork, vinegar.

Taste is dominated by vinegar, tart but lacking any fruity notes, hints of malt sweetness, drying, cabarnet-like finish, corked, slight puckering sourness.

This beer was stored improperly and ruined. Unfortunately I don’t pass the store I purchased this bottle in very often at all but I will let them know about it when I do. Very nice employees I suspect will do something to make up for it!

I’d like to re-review this beer again if I can get my hands of another, unspoiled bottle. This one was drainpoured with a 1/4 of the beer left...I tried!

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 13:29:49 | More by tobelerone

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled Sept. 2010. Poured into a snifter.

The pour yields a finger of brown sugar colored head over a dark brown slightly muddy body. Looks traditional and spot on.

Smells of lactic tartness and aged malts. The classic "wine-like" characteristics of this style are quite evident on the nose. Slight vinegar, and layers of fruit play nicely together. I would have said I smelled oak, but I know this beer wasn't fermented in oak (stainless steel tanks are used for this beer). I smell a tiny and very slight bit of brett funk in this beer, which I don't know if was intended or not (or if I am wrong and there isn't brett in this).

The flavor is quite mild and is a wonderful interplay of subtle notes of vinegar, sweet malts, fruit, lactic tartness and that "bruin" taste that this style captures. This beer displays more fruit characteristics than any other example of the style I have tried, and at points almost tastes like it has elements of tropical fruit!

The mouthfeel is lighter with ample carbonation to provide a burn. I prefer to swirl it some to smooth it out with the release of carbonation. But I almost always prefer lower carbonation levels.

Conclusion: As expected, this is a great beer. I wish that it spent longer before it was bottled (and spent that time in oak) but regardless of my opinions about its production, it is a great Oud Bruin and is a benchmark for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 20:17:18 | More by allforbetterbeer

amphion1065

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle from 2011, poured into a Duvel tulip. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a very dark, franly blood-like reddish brown. A one-finger light tan head with very tight bubbles forms, with phenomenal retention. Excellent lacing all around.

A very strong dose of vinegar in the nose, though it's never offensive of astringent. There's actually a fair amount of cherry in the nose, and when combined with that lactic sourness it really shines. Tart and sweet, it's a very approachable aroma.

The taste largely mimics the smell, with a very present sourness and cherry flavor. However, there's a prevalent taste of cocoa throughout, with a prominent bready aftertaste. A hint of molasses is in the mix, too.

Carbonation is unfortunately too low, this would really benefit from some added life. That said, this is eminently drinkable given the ABV, a level that this beer never really betrays.

Delicious, and I'm happy that this is relatively easy to find. For a fresh Oud Bruin, this is pretty remarkably easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 20:15:52 | More by amphion1065

ferrari29

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer poured from a bottle into a stemmed Goblet-shaped glass

A - Brown colored body; tan head formed, less than one finger in size; opaque; cloudy; well-carbonated

S - White wine; oak barrels; sparkling wine, with a touch of sour white grapes; brown sugar; dark fruit

T - Sour wine; oak; grand cru-ish taste, but lighter; brown sugar; burnt caramel malted taste; cherries and currants; red grapes

M - Light sparkle feel; flavor washes away pretty quickly; cleans the palate very well

D - Good; semi-light beer; not much body, but still packs a nice punch; very refreshing

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 02:28:16 | More by ferrari29

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 375ml champagne bottle with a BB of June 2020! Longest date I've seen yet. Picked up from my local beer specialist a while back and stored in the fridge. Comes wrapped in lovely blue paper.

Poured into a Duvel tulip. A dark ruby-brown hue with plentiful carbonation and chunks of yeast floating around. Darker than I expected it to be. Produces a large off-white head with a fine texture and decent retention; this eventually subsides to a good surface layer. The aroma is deliciously sour - simultaneously vinegary and sweet. The original components of the beer are long gone, but there are plenty of yeasty, fruity notes - especially cherries. A spicy, warming hint of alcohol lurks in the background.

Tastes of tart, fruity goodness. The flavour is difficult to describe, with notes of vinegar, yeast, acidic fruit, cherries and alcohol. Musty - in a good way - the taste of nostalgia. Mouthfeel is prickly and puckering; quite thin but well carbonated. Leaves the palate dry, with a fruity aftertaste of sweet 'n sour yeast.

Fantastic - tart and morish. I wish I had another one. Lacks any of the typical characteristics of most beers, yet complex and delicious. The time taken to produce this gives it a depth most beers just don't have. What more can I say? Add this to your must-try list now....

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 01:29:33 | More by jazzyjeff13

matt20102

Michigan

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

Served into goblet at refrigerator temperature (probably somewhat colder than ideal). Pours with creamy-thick khaki head which dissipates slowly. Initial aroma is subtle and hints at tart cherries and very slight, pleasant vinegar. First taste slows you down; it's not that there are a lot of flavours in play- it's just very hard to pin down. The first domination thought is that this is done well. It's not everyone's beer- no oud bruin will ever be- but if you like the style you will like this beer.

The first couple of sips are more heavily weighted toward tart cherries; as time passes this subtles into the background and much more starts taking place. I've got to admit- I just haven't got the palate right now to describe the flavour other than to say that it's good. Try it. 'nuff said.

Ok, here's a little more: the combination of tart and slightly coating moughfeel is exquisite. It is sweet without being cloying. As with other ouds, enjoy it on its own; there's too much flavour going to waste it with food, although a flass with cheesecake would be fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 01:25:28 | More by matt20102

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle picked up in Columbus for $9.99. This doesn't make it here too often, at least I don't think I've seen it in a couple of years.

It pours a translucent auburn brown color, red and almost clear at the edges. Quite a lot of lace from the finely celled off-white foam.

It smells unusually good for an Oud Bruin, like liqueur-soaked dark fruits with a musty yeast quality. It smells both sweet and sour, like tart cherries in syrup. The more I sniff the more I get out of it, but after a while I start to get some off-qualities (at least to me): a touch of solvent and a little vinegar. Still, the initial hit is very nice.

This tastes initially sweet, with cherries and raisins, maybe molasses or brown sugar. It quickly turns tart and tannic, and in the end leaves a lingering yeasty and puckering effect. Not overly sour, this has a really good balance with the sweetness. Some yeasty esters and phenols keep changing the flavor and aroma slightly with each sip, nice complexity.

It has a sticky mouthfeel, maybe a little heavy feeling. A very nice sipper, a good example of a style I haven't had much taste for in the past. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 01:01:54 | More by TurdFurgison

Kromes

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Opaque dark brown with a thin line of bubbles on top. Lots of movement on the beer.

S: Sour black cherry, raisin, brown sugar, funk.

T: A nice black cherry and funky yeast flavor. The tartness kicks in in the finish. There isn't very much sweetness in the beer and it finishes dry.

M: Thin bodied and dry in the finish.

O: Well crafted beer. The flavors are very fruity and tart, but not in a bad way. I would recommend this.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 21:48:26 | More by Kromes

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance -- Pours a rustic plum hue with a slim whispy mauve head. Looks a bit thin.

Smell -- Mild lactic sourness, tart berries, plum, roast malt, and a slight vinous character. Pretty good.

Taste -- Big grape and tart berry flavors, mild roast malt, almost chocolatey. Faintly sour with enough lacto to keep things interesting. Very dry and woody with old oak.

Mouthfeel -- Feels lighter in body, with light prickly carbonation. Slightly tannic and dry finish.

Overall -- A very nice beer, if a little ho-hum. This would be a great intro to the style, not sure that I'd want to consider this an archetype. Regardless, a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 01:33:04 | More by yeahnatenelson

CenCalMario

California

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle, courtesy of DovaliHops, thanks Ryan!

Very nice Oude Bruin.

Appearance is nice, small bubbles, caramel colored.

Smell is sour, acidic, not overwhelming. Very complex and lots of stuff going on.

Taste is great. Easy drinking, fizzy, some black licorice.

Moutfeel is zesty and light.

Overall this was a nice beer, very complex, good cross-over sour for new sour drinkers. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 05:14:44 | More by CenCalMario