Zoetzuur Flemish Ale - De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

ktrillionaire

Florida

2.88/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

G – Tulip

A – Hazy red-brown, somewhat drab with a decent head from a hard pour and a wee bit of lacing.

S – For the style, only moderately sour; it smells like apple cider, white grape juice and also a bit like pink wine.

T – If it’s cold, it’s fairly unspectacular; if it warms up, it takes on a bit more liveliness. It is, regardless, disappointing. It has a wine quality to it, it is vaguely sour and fruity, it has a wheaty element, and other than that I should mention that I am not terribly impressed. It also has a red wine aftertaste, like Cabernet perhaps. The problem is that it has a very muted and mild taste, relative to the already subtle nose, and relative to the style especially. To be an optimist, I would say it is very chuggable; not necessarily what I am looking for in a Flanders Red. I would say stick with widely available sours like Petrus' Aged Pale or Oud Bruin, or Verhaeghe's Vichtenaar or Duchesse.

M – The feel is ok, but not great; somewhat thin, under-carbonated, and with a drying finish.

D – Overall, this beer is a weak example of one of the greatest styles of beer in the world.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2010 22:58:55 | More by ktrillionaire

rye726

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Nice reddish brown color with a creamy tan head. The nose has tart fruits, ripe berries and musky barnyard wood. The taste is similar. Perhaps not as potent as other red's, but has a nice balance between sweet malts, tart citrus and oaky funk. Crisp body suits ale well. A superb brew and my new favorite from DeProef.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2008 02:29:54 | More by rye726

allengarvin

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Duvel glass, this has a rusty brown color, with a persistent and thick inch-tall head. Fruity, very tart aroma, with a nice musty-cellar earthiness. Wow, a lot more brett-like character comes through in the flavor than I expected, or is usual for the style, and less sourness. There's a nice cheesy leather flavor up front, with a sour cherry fruitiness winding things up. There's even some drying bitterness in the middle that makes things rather interesting. Very curious, unique, and quite tasty!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2008 18:25:08 | More by allengarvin

harrymel

Washington

2.48/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Unknown age on the bottle, but it was in the discount bin, which means it was at least one year on the shelves...

Poured to NB globe.

A: Pours a hazy mahogany ale with little to no head formation despite turbulent pour. Affluent peanut colored film is broken sans evident carbonation.

S: Raisins, prunes,,,,dark fruits dominate the nose. Quite difficult for me to discern. As advertised, sweet and sour. Very reserved as far as flemish ale's go.

T: More tart than I had anticipated. This is quite nice. However, the fruits continue to limit the appreciable flemish qualities one would anticipate. As the ale resonates, I start to sense the cherries typical of the style.

M: medium bodied, low carbonation.

D: Having a hard time enjoying this one. It's tolerable, but I wish the bottle wasn't 750ml's. ended up pouring half out.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 07:13:39 | More by harrymel

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours medium brown with reddish hues and a foamy white head. Some spotty lacing.

Nice sour cherry and tart malt notes.

Sour fruit in the mouth, with some stone fruit pit bitterness coming up from the rear. Nice malt and fruit balance, with a little malty/bitter give and take at the end. Nice beer.

Medium bodied, nice mouthfeel.

Overall, solid version f the style. A welcoming volume with the bomber providing plenty to appreciate. Try this.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 22:51:01 | More by OtherShoe2

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark burgundy with a large of white head. Great retention, lasts longer than most of this style.

Smells primarily of cherry juice with a dessert-like cinnamon brown sugar edge. Hints of MaCintosh apple peel.

Tastes like cherry juice up front with a hint of darker fruit in back. Grape? Black cherry? Something like that. "Fluffy mouthfeel." Brown sugar and bruised apple.

Not as funky as I'd like in a red. The malt possesses great depth and character but needs more funky foil.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 23:09:32 | More by donkeyrunner

DogFood11

California

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Certainly a sight to see. Corked and cage 750ml bottle poured into a tulip. It forms a meaty off white head that leaves a pretty good cover. Body is a light copper with reddish hue around the edges. Swirling fine carbonation.

Not as tart as some and leans more towards a sweet and sour type brew. The tart portion is up front and eventually gives way to a maltier sweet side. Purple grape skins and a touch of funk round this out. Not alot of oak comes through to me but the aging seems to have mellowed out the usual pucker up type tartness. A jolly rancher type sweet finish.

Notes: I liked this quite a bit. Far from the in your face versions. Maybe even a nice introductory offering. Kept my interest all the way through. Good.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2007 02:59:33 | More by DogFood11

JDV

Texas

2.83/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Shared at tasting with Fly, Dewbrewer, Humulone_Red and others. Thanks guys!
Rich amber colored pour with a small beige head. Smell is lightly sour with cherry, mildish funky feet like aroma, and hints of cheese. Mild tartness and a subtle cheese like flavor in the finish, I thought. Very dry overall and with light sweetness. Went very well with the bleu cheese. Nice beer, and I'm starting to get more interested in the style. Thanks for sharing this one Alan!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2008 20:43:36 | More by JDV

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Map Room in Chicago. Cloudy dark copper, with some red hues. White fluffy head disappears quickly, however it did leave behind some very nice lace.

Sour berry, leathery, earthy and horsey aroma. Pretty complex here.

Not overly sour, but tart. Lots of fruits and berries. A bit of grain following. Sweet, but well balanced. Not much bitterness, just a bit of earthy flavor at the end.

Light to medium body, with a good amount of carbonation. Very easy to drink, but still a bit complex. Nice.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2007 01:17:53 | More by Bierguy5

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

Rayek

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This deep garnet beer was had back to back with Duchesse De Bourgogne. It didn't hold up that well against what I consider to be the benchmark for this style, but is decent in own right.

The cherries in this carry the sweetness burden, along with some raisins and currants. Bitterness is mild and peppery. Overall the flavor comes across a bit thin to me. Like most beers of this style, I'm getting a red wine message that I like quite a bit.

If I hadn't drank this against Duchesse, I probably would have liked it more. Overall it's nice, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 04:03:45 | More by Rayek

magictrokini

California

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle. Pours reddish amber with a thick cream-colored head. Aroma of apples and cherries, with some stinky cheese. Taste vastly improves as the beer warms. Cherry, caramel, and malt up front that turns sour quickly when cold, but smoothly when warmer. A tart, sweet finish. Definitely a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2008 22:59:49 | More by magictrokini

granger10

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep ruby, woody, garnet color with a large brilliant white head which unfortunately soon fades to nothing but a skim layer atop the liquid. Lots of spotty lacing around the glass.

Vinous aromas abound. Light cherry skins along with a slightly stinging acidity. Honey and farmhouse funk come side by side.

Taste is dominated by the Belgian yeasty flavors. Some sweeter cream notes are present. The acidity is notes but not stinging whatsoever. I think the creaminess is lining my palate and holding back the stinging sensation. Odd but I like it. There's also notes of tart cherry, light wood flavors, and some sweeter purple grapes.

Mouthfeel is great to me. I know this isn't as funky as some of the other Flanders Red beers but that's ok. The creamy sweet flavors match up excellent with the Belgian funk. Fairly full bodied with moderate carbonation. It all works nicely.

Alcohol is really inperceptible. This is an easy drinker yet so complex and flavorful that I can't drink it too fast and it continually intrigues me. Definitely get this and try it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2006 01:08:08 | More by granger10

albern

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is growing on me a bit as it warms. This is a beer that definitely has to settle and can't be too chilled. It pours a very nice brown and ruby color with lots of really nice lace, creamy head, with some retention. The nose isn't particularly pronounced but it is slightly vinegary, vinous, cherry toned, with some sweet malts noticeable. The nose is good, but slightly understated.

The taste is a little tougher to measure. The beer falls somewhere between the sweetness of a Duchesse and the tartness of a Rodenbach, but not quite as good as either. The beer is tilted towards the sweetish side, but has a tartness, some cherry mouthpuckering, and lots of Belgian yeastiness to complement the sweetness. The beer definitely gets more balanced as it warms. Too chilled, and the tartness is just not felt. The beer is complex, has plenty of unique yeast qualities that bring out the sourishness in the otherwise fairly sweet malts. The cherry flavors are also quite complex and run the gamut from mouthpuckering tartness, to slightly sour, to marachino like in their sweetness. There's lots going on in this beer, lots to like, but I prefer a Duchesse or a Rodenbach just a bit more. The Flemish Red style is a real treat. L'Chaim.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 00:45:25 | More by albern

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Atremains for sharing this one. Always nice to try a new Flanders/funky beer.

A- Murky dark red with a light pink, creamy head with good retention. Tons of creamy lace coats the whole glass.

S- Tons of cherry up front, sweet overall feel and just a bit of tart. An amazing barnyard fence/pasture/hay/funk mixed with oak. Very nice. Reminds me of hanging around a farm as a child.

T- Ripe cherries with lots of sweets. Some zest and a good bit of oak. Cork/Brett/funk/barnyard shows up with slight raisin and spice, complex.

MF- Creamy with silky smooth carbonation. Goes down very easily. Lighter end with slight tart.

DB- Sweet but it doesn't bother me at all here. The smell is absolutely fantastic. Complex with nice cherry.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 04:04:33 | More by cbutova

Beaver13

Colorado

2.83/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

750 ml bottle. Pours hazy reddish amber with a smallish creamy white head that goes to a thin film and leaves some lacing.

The aroma is tart sour cherries and some funky yeast with a little wood.

The flavor is sweet sugary cherries with a little sour tartness. There are some acidic cardboard notes and a bit of an odd finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, it's almost good. Too sweet with odd off-notes.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 05:30:11 | More by Beaver13

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

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A mix of tea brown and ruby red with a few fingers of off white head.

S - Brettanomyces barnyard funk that is powerful enough to cover up the sour cherries in the background.

T - Tart cherry, barnyard funk with some woodiness.

M - Light to medium body with good carbonation.

D - The Brett starts heavy but then mellows somewhat. As much as I like brett it overpowers the tart chrry at times.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 21:10:47 | More by brewcrew76

CampusCrew

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance: garnet with lots of stick lacing, decent head rentetion for the style

aromas: subtle cherries and wild yeast

taste: well the flavors are subtle to compared to others ion catergory. cherry, like vinegar, not over powering sour by any means, off aftertaste

mouthfeel: light to medium bodied

drinkability: decent by also one of the worst Ive had in the style

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 02:07:23 | More by CampusCrew

brdc

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Larke corked bottle, bought at Coffee Grounds Eau Claire.
It is a dark golden brew with a nice reddish hue, and a foamy, sticky white head with a pinkish tinge.
The very nice aroma starts with framboise, cherries and berries, evolving into a yeast-like smell that although I cannot clearly identify, it usually suggests the sourness of the brew.
On the palate, it is refreshing, quite easy to drink, and it shows depth of flavor. Sweet berries, then sour and puckering, the more sweet fruitiness.
Great summer brew for someone that just loves flanders reds.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2007 13:34:35 | More by brdc

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a snifter a cherry wood light brown with a plenty of white head and decent lacing. Aroma is sharp. There is some funk foretold by the nose, hints of lemon, and plenty of tart cherry. The taste is funky but not unbalanced. Apple and kriek like cherry come through. Mild sourness and tartness meld nicely with the carbonation to play upon the tongue. Somewhat dusty. Straightforward and not terribly complicated but very well done none the less. Guzzelable.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2007 02:37:33 | More by DaPeculierDane

rtepiak

Poland

4.28/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a nice balanced flemish red with a mild sour and a unique mild bitter earthy finish of tobacco and fruit. not as dark as most but still not to off the wall. really nice head. nose of floral cherry and a some alcohol. not too yeasty. earthiness is almost a mildly burnt clove that blend wonderfully with the oak and cherry and soft sweet. not metallic in mineral nature. very nice. very good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2009 06:20:02 | More by rtepiak

SkeeterHawk

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is really aromatic with some pronounced wood. This beer is definitely a Red with a pronounced sourness to it. There is a really defined Brett character to this one like a lot of homebrews have. The flavor is exquisite with its sweet and sour, cherry and berry medley with a little dryness in the flavor to linger for some time in the finish. There is a little bit of alcohol noticeable late in the finish, but it is quite deceptive at 7%. As the beer warms a little, you get a good bit of citrus coming out. This is a nice beer, and one that I would definitely like to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2006 04:15:46 | More by SkeeterHawk

koopa

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle purchased at Buyrite Liquors in South Plainfield NJ.

Appearance: When held up to the light the body is an attractive blood orange with pure orange corners. Nice 2.5 finger head of slightly off white head. Great retention and lacing everywhere.

Smell: Overripe tangerines and blood oranges meet bret yeast. Its bold and powerful but not my cup of tea.

Taste: This is NOT a good example of a Flanders Red by any stretch of the imagination. However, this FR meets Wild Ale cluster F@ck is mighty tasty. The Bret. yeast is really stealing the show. The initial taste is a touch sweet but the finish is pure dryness.

Mouthfeel: Quite creamy and well carbonated. Medium bodied.

Drinkablility: Good for being such a bret. driven brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 20:25:16 | More by koopa

AlexJ

North Carolina

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

Frothy, red-brown pour with a loose head of tan froth that had moderate retention and a few delicate lace streamers.

Aroma is sweet/tart fruit, berries, cherries, and soft oak. There's a prickly Brett note with some musty yeast and wet concrete.

Flavor at first sharp, then becomes sweeter then I had expected. Strong underripe cherry note with a hint of orchard fruit and drying oak and minerality.

Body is below medium, with big bubbles and a slick, juicey mouthfeel. Not as complex as some other Flander sours, but tastey and highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2006 13:45:25 | More by AlexJ