Zoetzuur Flemish Ale - De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I am not sure if it was hopdog, egajdzis or weeare138 who brought the Zoetzuur; they arrived together. Regardless, *huge* thanks.
This is actually not the typical Flanders Red, I love it is a bit more sour, which I love even more. The Lambic like sour nature with the wild yeasts and funk is a dream.

Appearance: poured out a beautiful dark caramel color with some golden copper highlights on the edges. Fantastic white foam head and very heavy lacing painting the Walls of my glass.

Smell: Sour apple. Apple cider. Applecider vinegar acidity, intense Brettanomyces sour funk, lactic, and fruity. An aged woodiness carries berries and spice and dark vinous flavors in through the nose. Simply irresistibly enticing.

Taste: The sour black cheery pucker and the big Brett flavor dominate the taste though a sweet red fruit juice and adequate malt profile balance a little bit. The lactic acidity keeps my cheeks stinging perfectly. the puck lasts a long time and the vanilla and wood lemon and cheery hang in my mouth ridiculously long after the swallow.

Mouthfeel: Very soft in the mouth with lively fine carbonation.

Drinkability: This one is not too sweet not too sour. It is a delicious easy drinking Red, for a sour fan. A bit unique, and a nice change of pace.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2007 23:34:25 | More by Phatz

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.6/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from 750 mL bottle into tulip.
A: Pours a nice red with hint of brown around the edges. Cloudy with backlighting. Nice 1/2 inch white head with good retention and excellent sticky lacing (clings to the glass forever).
S: Perfectly balanced sweet and sour notes. Cherry, sour lemon, brettanomyces and other yeast.
T: Sweet cherry, sour lemon, fresh yeast, creamy milk, apple cider vinegar, soft oak, and other fruit notes. Again, perfectly balanced sweet and sour.
M: Soft and silky smooth upfront. Transitions to a sour bite which lingers and gradually diminishes.
D: Oh, sweet nectar of the gods. The definition of drinkability. Complex enough to keep your interest through the entire bottle and yet light enough (ABV 7%) to make it sessionable. Another simply wonderful brew from The Prof.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 04:17:55 | More by mwilbur

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle, corked and caged, bought for $12.99 at Rozi's in Cleveland last week. For whatever reason I've never seen this on shelves before, surprising given there are already so many reviews. I grabbed it without a second thought, as De Proefbrouwerij makes quality wild ales.

This beer has a glorious appearance, reddish orange and clear with a slight chill haze, thick rocky poofs of off-white foam. This is the perfect Flanders Red visual. The aroma is really strong with brettanomyces, sharp and funky, leather and dark fruit like plums and cherries. Nice subtle malts, earthy and authentically Belgian.

This beer just doesn't disappoint by any measure. Damn, it tastes delicious and perfect. Makes you wonder why people rave over legitimately good American wild ales while never mentioning Belgian greats beyond Cantillon. Cherry/plum alcohol, nice sweet counterplay, the sour doesn't reach bracing levels but is rather well balanced by the sweet malt and sugar. Tart, refreshing, addictive. Soft body, silky-like with just enough carbonation, very good.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 02:09:41 | More by TurdFurgison

yemenmocha

Arizona

4.65/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours somewhere between an iced tea brown and ruby red, depending on width of glass and the angle. Very appealing. Nose is thick and dollop-like, reminding me of an old-fashioned root beer float in childhood.

Nose is an explosion of ripe fruits such as apricot, green apples, honeydew, and canteloupe. There's a hint of yeastiness or fresh bread in there too.

On the palate the body is noticeably thick and creamy, with flavours of mixed fruits that challenge you for identification. Sometimes grape, sometimes black cherry, sometimes apple. Interesting thing is that the nose suggests one set of fruits, but oddly enough on the palate another set of fruits make an appearance.

Very easy drinking with a soft, medium length finish.

This Flemish Ale is a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2007 03:50:14 | More by yemenmocha

sablephish

Alaska

4.68/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a recent session at Brouwers in Seattle, on my way to hop selection in Yakima . . .
I started with this bottle as a palate warmer upper (firing up the senses). I was extraordinarily impressed. I'd liken myself as to being a duchesse kind of guy, verses Rodenbach (both ends of the spectrum . . . sweet - - > sour. But this was perfectly in the middle, with extraordinary dark fruit notes in the aroma that were very sweet, and yet the good old brett flavour of sultry sourness in flavour. This was a wonderful pairing of aroma and flavour. Of course the mouthfeel was clean and crisp, a perfectly refreshing flemish red, no tnearly the mouthblasters that I'm used to.
A perfect paring with pears, dark blue cheese, and madjool dates, not all that particular order . . . if only brouwers would cater to my own selfish appetizing needs on the next run.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2007 22:13:06 | More by sablephish

Risser09

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great beer shared by Hopdog? at Phatz' sour beer tasting

Appearance: This ale pours a hazy brown and gold color with a tan head and copious amounts of lacing. Very nice for this style.

Smell: I must say that these aromas were unique for a flanders red ale. I picked up sweet corn, cotton candy, bubble gum and old raspberries. Brett is also noticable with its distinct sour funkiness.

Taste: Begins tart wth an obvious sour cherry flavor and follows with a raspberry/malt middle. Plenty of sugar and spice and everything nice. The finish is a blend of coconut and oak in a long, drawn out profile.

Mouthfeel: Carbonated lightly, apparent alcohol brings on a burn. This beer was creamy for a flanders red.

Drinkability: I found this beer to be nice and spicy. It left me with a good impression of flavor, sourness and overall drinkability. It hit a lot of bases to become a versatile beer for me. I would seek this out and purchase it.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2007 12:21:44 | More by Risser09

DeanMoriarty

California

4.7/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml corked bottle (first rubber cork i've ever seen in a beer) into an Allagash branded 40cl tulip.

A: Nice amber red, pours a decent head that sticks around for a few sips then dissipates leaving solid lacing from start to finish. Real small amount of sediment in the bottom of my glass.

S: Sweet vinegar with some cherry and wood in there too. I also get a little funky liquor and distinct pinot noir smell at the end that is real nice.

T: Dry and sweet, and that pinot smell reflects it's flavor as well - absolutely delicious! The sour comes through with some peppery woodiness that balances the overall flavor perfectly.

M: Silky smooth, good carbonation with small bubbles that roll across the palate nicely.

D: Real easy to drink. I wish I had bought two of these.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 05:04:33 | More by DeanMoriarty

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark copper color with a fine-bubbled, fluffy light tan head. Very good retention and lacing.

Smell is perfectly funky and wild with equal parts rotting wood and sour berry tartness. Raspberry puree with maybe a bit of blackberry and cherry notes. Not much malt or hops on the nose, but that is ok with me for this style. This beer smells delicious, a joy to sniff!

Mouth puckering sour tartness takes the lead by a slim margin over the brettomyces funk and cedar plank flavors. Some lighter berry notes come through with some strawberries and sour cherries. Earthy in it's own way with some of the caramely malt sweetness making an appearance as it warms a bit. Wonderful sour beer, one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2009 14:30:44 | More by twiggamortis420

mj001jk

California

4.83/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy amber with reddish tones. Thick and creamy head of foam which persists, leaving an aromatic carpet of foam which jumps with citrus, cherries and bourbon. The hops cut the crisp maltiness with its subtle character and it is all freshness, very vibrant and joyful. I am really getting into the nose here...give me a minute or three...

Perfect carbonation and mouthfeel, a vibrant yet substantial character which slowly releases sweetness and dried fruit as it subsides. Dried apricot, sour cherries and ripe apples dominate the finish. The sourness accentuates but doesn't overpower, just like the champagne-like dryness; it is a tightrope act of finesse and balance, much appreciated by a novice to the world of sour beers. This one takes the cake for me.

I ended up pouring some into my 5gl batch of Kriek fermenting away in the bathroom. It is going to end up quite the potpourri.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2010 04:25:33 | More by mj001jk

BBeerL

Maryland

4.88/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One of the most complete Flanders Red Ales I have had the pleasure of trying. In my experience arfter a bottle of some red ales my mouth is left a sour puckering mess. Not with this guy. It has a full rich body( for a flanders) to go with the dry sour taste. I truely loved this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2008 06:02:39 | More by BBeerL

dcook11

California

5/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- Cranberry hue with ample carbonation and a gorgoues white head.

S- Apple, cranberry, cherry. Very juice like.

T- Cranberry and cherry dominant. Very pleasent.

M- Light bodied.

O- This is one of my favorite beers of all time. Perfection in a glass. This is a 5 for me. I was suprised though at the lack of sourness this beer had. Note: This cork is very difficult to get off!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 04:30:57 | More by dcook11