Goudenband - Brouwerij Liefmans

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

On-tap at the Spinnerstown Hotel

How nice, a sour beer that's both complex and drinkable. There's an obvious acidic sourness, but it doesn't overwhelm the beer. The appears is a slightly hazy brown with no head retention. The aroma is something else. There's a lot going on here with fruit, caramel, and woody aromas. The flavor is sweet at first with caramel malts giving way to the sherry-like tastes and acidic sourness. One of the most drinkable sour beers. I'll call it a must-try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2008 14:30:45 | More by tempest

jwff

Texas

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured like somebody tapped the Mississippi except thicker/more murky. No head or lacing. Smell was rich malt and fatty butter along with a vinegar acidity that mixed well with a sour cherry tone. Taste is along the same lines but with more emphasis on the maltiness. Very muddy as everything seems to be mixed in while not complimenting the other parts. Incredibly rich body that was teetering on heavy, but the sourness seemed to lighten it up a bit. It finished dry making this very drinkable, but the heaviness of the malt will catch up with you.

Sampled at the Kelvin Arms.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2008 17:55:17 | More by jwff

ROMER79

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This I feel is one of the better brown ales out there. Jose Pistolas in Philadelphia has this great beer on tap. I had this beer poured into a tulip glass straight from the tap. It poured a ruby red with a 2 finger red/ white head. Immediately I could smell sour cherries, spices, and dough. With the taste the same apply, but I did pick up on some nutmeg. This beer was totally drinkable. I had like 5 of them in a row the other night. To me this could be a good session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2008 21:26:17 | More by ROMER79

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours an amber brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose worries me. Yep, there it is... intense, bracing tart sour cherry. The cherry aroma is overwhelmed by the funky, barnyard sour aroma.... but maybe it won't be too sour on the palate.

On the palate this is a very impressive beer. It's very complex with flavors of sweet black cherry, lemon, lime and a blast of sour funk coming up at the end. The flavors are intense and much more focused then what one sees in a typical fruit lambic for instance. While not my favorite style, even a dedicated sour hater like myself can appreciate this beer. The beer has a very nice mouthfeel with a long, lingering finish. On the other hand, a little bit of this goes a long way. The beer is pretty warming from the 8% abv., and the sweet/sour combination wears me out after a while. Still, this is a very good beer that I was very pleased to see on tap at Max's. Quite good.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2008 23:19:25 | More by johnmichaelsen

Mudpuppet

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured on tap at the Publick House. Poured into a Liefmans' glass. Was a murky brown with no head to speak of.

S- Sweet and sour. Notes of apricots, raisins and dark malts. You also get a lot of sour notes.

T- As the nose suggested this is a sweet and sour mix. I really liked the balance in this beer. If I had to be picky it was maybe a bit on the sweet side. Nice notes of cirtus, raisins and melon. This is a nice Oud Bruin.

M- A bit syrupy but that is common w/ Flanders style beers in my mind. It isn't really a bad thing but it covers up some of the more subtle nuances of the beer.

D- I could definitely have a couple of these. As stated above it is a bit syrupy but I can get over that for a beer that is this tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2008 15:59:30 | More by Mudpuppet

dsigmon

Virginia

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

A: nice dark brown with small head which faded quite quickly

S: hints of citrus, apple, and cherries. malty backbone

T: tart apple, cherry, raisons, cleaned up by some light hoppiness

M: a little thin but leaves a nice tart taste on your dry pallet

D: one was plenty, alcohol is well hidden however.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2008 15:06:06 | More by dsigmon

goRideYourBike

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Max's Taphouse
Baltimore

tap into a heavy chalice

a= murky, cloudy, apple cider brown. no lacing at all. thin ring of foam follows every sip on the outter edges.

s= tart, granny smith apple, cider.

t= tart, granny smith apple, vanilla, bourbon?, slight cocoa powder finish. caramel and applesauce.

m= silky smooth, tangy pucker, pleasant dark berry tart numbness on tongue.

d= accept this invitation to the mouth party. keeps changing with every sip and sniff. i found myself taking lots of quick little sips. Its so good, once it hits the lips. want to try from bottle to compare.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2008 17:25:07 | More by goRideYourBike

BeerBelcher

Ohio

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I was told at the time of ordering that this was a lambic, but the description on this site of it as an oud bruin makes a lot more sense. This beer had sourness in spades, and I do love sourness.

It poured a red brown opaqueness with very little head. Aroma was a significant malt character with some fruitiness; I saw another user mention plum and I think that's appropriate. Flavor was more complex fruitiness with a malt presence and significant amount of sourness. Most sour beers with a fruit character (there are some, like Berliner Weisse that have sour without much fruit) have a cherry character, and this one didn't, which I thought was unique and tasted good. Mouthfeel was about what I expected for a beer of this style.

I thought this was very good, and I'd recommend it. I had it on-tap at the Ginger Man.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2008 00:44:09 | More by BeerBelcher

leftmindedrighty

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at Quotations. Served into a broad mouth goblet

Smell, Tart oak jumps out at my nose first, hint of sour cherry and strawberry also grab for attention

Taste, Wow. Mild tartness, oak, cherries, and grape flavors dominate my now ecstatic taste buds. Very little carbonation present, which helps the flavors of the beer flex their muscle. Hint of sourness, but this one makes it hard to distinguish the tart from the sour. Kind metallic tastes also present, but the kind that shows in sour ales, the fruits and tartness really balance it and meld it into their own flavor. If this beer was any more complex, it would have to come with blueprints.

Overall, one of the most complex beers I've ever had, and top 5 for the year. Worth the $6.50 10oz draught pour. Find it, buy it, and appreciate it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2007 23:10:10 | More by leftmindedrighty

Prufrock

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

on tap into a pint glass.

swampy, muddy brown with a touch of clarity around the edges. a touch of white head.

aroma is very sweet. overripe apples, a light sugariness, and a touch of root beer candy. a bit of sour, but overpowered by a cidery, plummy, spicy sweetness.

light, crisp, and refreshing, with the barest hints of carbonation. feels like an iced tea. sweet and candy-like, which wears out its welcome near the end. interesting, but not enough to want to try this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2006 18:47:23 | More by Prufrock

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Now I get it…now I finally get this style. This is magnificent.

Served on tap and in the proper glassware at the Map Room in Chicago, IL, this chestnut bodied brew pours with an audible carbonation and inch thick slightly speckled white head.

The nose is intensely sour and almost lambiclike. It’s so sour in fact, that’s it is difficult to make anything of the aroma. With some consentration I think I smell some cherry lemonade ice tea.

I can’t really taste much in here accept for sour acid and a little cider. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest. The acid flavor is to die for.

The motuhfeel is like there’s a ballet on my tongue.

Despite the acid I could never grow tired of drinking this. I don’t know how they do it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2006 18:31:10 | More by DaPeculierDane

pentathlete

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the CAH. Served in the default Belgian ale glass. This beer looked like carbonated dishwater with a dirty foam top. Murky swirls of brown and red and then clearer spots so that it moved between opaqueness and transluscence. The smell was fruity and malty. I couldn't place the odors. But the taste was sour and sweet. Your first thought is that the beer has gone bad and then the malts take over. After the first shock of the taste, your brain will settle down and let the sweet and sour mix with each additional sip. The carbonation and complexity of the taste gave this a medium mouthfeel, coating all oral surfaces. I could drink a few of these on their own. The sourness gives it thirst quenching power and it is a smooth easy drinker. I will seek out more examples of Flanders Reds.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2005 12:47:51 | More by pentathlete

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

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

Had on tap at Anam Cara, and enjoyed this fine beer very much. Pour whens erved was deep chestnut brown. It came topped with a 1/4" of creamy white foam. I thought the aroma was rich malt, meet your new friend candi sugar. Very very tasty...this beer for me was all about smooth malt. I didn't detect any overt sweetness in the taste, but really enjoyed the maltiness.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2004 19:51:53 | More by PatandDavid

Truh

New Hampshire

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

Watched the Red Sox triumphantly ride through the streets of Boston with this one on 10/30/2004. Looks like a 10.5-oz. pour at ACPH in a stunning Liefmans goblet provided by the owner of the publik house.

½ inch head of light, widely separated froth that sticks and chantilly-laces all the way through the pour. This subsided to a hot chocolate-like covering of full but small layering. Pungent, chewy malt that verges on an acidic cherry on the nose. To taste, a core of fruit punches right through the back of the mouth. Among other things, plums, raisins, peaches, and Macoun apples created a base upon which a settling sweetness piled on top. This was possibly one of the better offerings I have ever quaffed from the other side of the pond.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2004 20:15:12 | More by Truh

99bottles

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: In a wine goblet, this beer has a murky tan color with reddish brown hues and noticeable haziness. An ultrathin lace of miniscule bubbles flicker and dance on the surface, but to be sure, this beer has no head of which to speak. Looks utterly raw.

Smell: This has a strongly sour nose, with a damp vegetation funkiness and some faint scents of fruit.

Taste: This is one heck of a complex beer! The taste is unmistakeably Belgain, with an initial sourness of cherries and some oak or other wood. This mixes with a distinct lactic sourness, almost of spoiled milk which without becoming a dominant flavor, still makes the tastebuds twinge. The end lends a damply fecund taste of wet moss and hay. So completely unique and absolutely untamed while on tap, this is really not to be missed. KClinger’s Publik House, upstairs.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and moderately carbonated, the beer is light in the mouth while its flavor wreaks havoc on the tastebuds. Nicely matched, the mouthfeel is perfectly suited to the beer.

Drinkability: I really enjoyed this. It’s awesome to find such rarities on tap, and this one really takes the cake for complexity. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes. I could drink more than one of these, but I might abstain as this is a treat not to be taken and tampered with by sessioning it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2004 19:09:34 | More by 99bottles

sacfly

Maryland

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

Dark brown appearance, minimal head. Smells like red wine or maybe sherry. Taste is like a brilliant sweet red wine with cherry tones. Pleasant on the tongue. This was a perfect after dinner drink. Went out and bought a bottle after having this on tap for the first time. I hope the bottle version can come close to the tap version!

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2004 16:52:26 | More by sacfly

wofat

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a moderate brown... with very large bubbles of carbonation, but very little actual head / low head retention. Aroma of a tart fruit and mild sweetness. Flavor is full of apples and raisens. A very tasty beer and a treat to have on tap. I haven't had many beers of this style but will have to explore it further.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2003 14:02:56 | More by wofat

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

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

Served as a sample at the Sharp Edge Beer Emporium. The color was a dark amber, with some head. The smell was mostly malt, with some slight sour notes. The taste was overwhelmingly sour (as in lemon juice sour), with a sweet malt base underneath. Mouthfeel was very smooth. Drinkability-wise, could have a few more before the sourness overtook my mouth.

I've been waiting to try Rodenbach, but this is an excellent substitute. With it's widespread availability, if I ever feel like drinking liquid SweetTarts, I'll know right where to go!!

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2003 00:10:01 | More by beergeek279

QXSTER1

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This beer poured a mysterious hazy brown with a minimal head. I didn't quite know what to expect from this Old Flemish Brown, but I figured it would be distinctive. What I found was an extremely complex ale without the usual heaviness and thick mouthfeel. Vinous and full of more fruits than I can elaborate on, this brown was a revelation. As others have noted the sourness is the initial impression, but this recedes as other flavors explode on the palate. A cherry wine always comes to mind as a drink Flemish Browns and this is no exception. The sourness accentuates the intense fruitiness without overwhelming. Finishes tart and quick. Too much to handle for more than a few goblets though.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2003 12:45:39 | More by QXSTER1

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Appears a hazy murky brown with a tan thin head sitting on top with virtually no lace in my official Liefman's goblet. Aroma has some rich carmalized brown sugar smothered by a wine like finish buried in layers of alchol and ripened fruit tones. Taste is primarily a heavy rush of sourness from this flemish brown with a vinous wine like tone to it and somewhat dry finish, and I must say this one is a palate killer just not much you can follow with it. Mouthfeel is low in carbonation with a light bodied mouthfeel rather thin, much fuller on tap in my opinion. Drinkability is one at a time due to the fact that this sour Flemish brown is just so overbearingly sour much more balanced and smoother in the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2003 12:52:30 | More by WVbeergeek