Monk's Café Flemish Sour Ale - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

gottabetweed

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy brown with a minimal head that dissipates quickly. Little lacing remains on the glass.

Smell is sour, with fruits and malts. Malt is more prevelant than most sours.

Taste is sour at first, cherries, and lemons at the finish.

Overall a good, but not great sour.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 00:23:45 | More by gottabetweed

MeowTom

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a dark amber with a huge head that stays around for ever, so I wouldn't plan on pouring your beer and drinking it right away. I bought a four pack and now on the 4th one and saw no difference the head size.

S- Smells like fruits and has a little bit of a sweet sour tinge to it.

T- Has a sour tinge right at the beginning with a little bit of a metallic taste that follows it. Fruits of all sorts come to mind when drinking this.

M- Medium body with heavy carbonation. The sourness does well with the heavy carbonation.

O- Pretty darn good sour. I have often had this be my baseline beer for when thinking of a sour ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 21:07:13 | More by MeowTom

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Darkish tan/brown with a red tint . Nice foamy 3 inch head and nice lacing.

Smell - Sour fruits, cherries, grapes, some sweet yeasts, light malts, some spices.

Taste - Nice mix of creamy, sweet yeasts, caramel malts, and sour fruits at first sip. Very well balanced sweet and sour, nothing is overboard or too strong. Red ale gives it a cherry and malty caramel flavor. Sweet brown suagrs and molasses with some sweet spices round this excellent ale out.

Mouthfeel - Very sweet and tasty, mouth doesnt get puckered to hell like with most sours. Tounge gets the yeasts, malty caramel and sugars. Palate gets more of the same and a little sweet fruit also. Afertaste is sweet and sour.

Overall - Great tasty and easy to drink. Its sweet with mild sourness, very balanced and a real pleasure to drink. A great starter to sours or for a easy drinker that wants a sour but not overly sour or bitter.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 23:04:02 | More by wvsabbath

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from and 11.2oz bottle into a duvel glass.

A: pours a deep redish brown with about a finger of tan with a hint of red head that dissapates nicley... Not much lacing to speak of.

S: earthy funk... Oak... Red fruit jammyness... Mostly cherry not bad smelling brew... Nothing particularly ovehlming or exciting in the nose.

T: deffinate jammyness... With some notes of sour cherry... Deffinatly not very sour, a subtle cola like quality, a touch of toasted grains...

M: light medium body with a medium creamy mouthfeel and a nice clean finish.

O: a good beer, nothing overly exciting, but a solid brew, personally wish the sourness was dialed up a bit long with a little more complexity in the profile... But it is I no way a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 01:07:55 | More by PeterIngemi

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

P:  A monstrous mountain of khaki ice cream float head that stays a long while. Underneath lies a dark amber body that is almost black. Faded head leaves wall climbing silky lacing. 

S:  Aroma is sweet and roasty, with old leather, old english wood cleaner, smoldered grains, old Irish spring soap, fermented plums, grapes and under ripe persimmons. A mild lemon and lactic sourness that swims around the sweet but musty and earthy nose. 

T/M:  The first thing that hits is a swirled combination of tart apples, lemon zest, and vinegar mixed with a sweet heavy fruit syrup, cherries and wood chips.  Medium syrupy body with tingling carbonation.  Starts sweet turns sour then finishes semi dry with all notes of sweet, sour, and wood.   

O:  A crazy mixture that really delivers. Maybe a tad too tart in the finish but still a really good sipper. I couldn't drink too many of these so it would be a treat to savor. 

  

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 18:25:53 | More by Hopswagger

viverlee

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

More than any other for me, there’s variety in this style. Superlative to good to average to what the fuck, to be more specific. This one, I wanted to like it more.

STYLE: Flanders Oud Bruin

ABV: 5.5%

LOOK: Dark wood, brown, and syrupy. But that’s a standstill take. On closer inspection with a whirl or two around a Belgian tulip it’s plainly lighter, unsticky.

NOSE: Burnt leather, stale coffee, flat soda. Residual cherry and malt vinegar.

MOUTH: Rather soft, mild tartness. The biggest problem I have is reconciling the message (Flemish Sour Ale) with the result (a slightly sweeter, moderately more acidic Killian’s Irish Red). Cherry skins and cola cake, yes – a wee bit. But it’s a struggle to pull more. For a so-called sour, the finish is ridiculously clean, palate cleansing.

Beeradvocate Rating: 86

ratebeer Rating: 92

Hayward Abbey Rating: 77

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 05:03:36 | More by viverlee

spoony

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 12 oz bottle into a tulip.

A-Murky brown with hints of copper/red tones. Opaque. One-finger of tan head reduced quickly to a thin lace.

S-I did not get much on the nose: a little yeast, some floral notes, and (surprisingly), some alcohol, but I had to work at it to get detect fruit. Lighter on the cherries and other interesting notes that you get from good sours.

T-Again...subtly sweet is what comes to mind. I got a little yeast, a hint of cherry, and a pleasing sweet mid-palate, but nothing I would call interesting.

M-Fine carbonation. It lacks the syrupy feel I get from other (more sour) sours. Refreshing. Not a long finish.

O-Not my favorite sour, but not awful. If you are looking for a refreshing beer with less sour notes, check this one out.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 04:50:43 | More by spoony

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz bottle poured into a tumbler glass.

A: Pours a reddish chestnut color with low translucence. The head is a two finger offwhite color featuring nice retention and a wonderfully frothy texture, leaving prominent patches of lace on the glass. The head settles down into a one finger size.

S: Surprisingly malty, and even a little grainy in its aroma - but luckily, the lactic sourness comes to save the day. A bit fruity, too. Kind of expected more from a Flemish-style sour.

T: Sour enough, but rather restrained in its strength. There's enough sourness on the opening flavors to satisfy, but I don't like how it vanishes after the mid-taste, leaving the malt backbone to do a lot of the heavy lifting, while the aftertaste is even a bit hoppy. There's a little bit of a lactic cream flavor on the finish. Good, but it could have been great if the tartness extended more strongly past the mid-palate. In particular, it lacks the subtle complexity of something like La Folie.

M: Has a medium texture with moderately strong carbonation. Drinks quite easily, but somehow isn't quite as refreshing as it could be.

O: It's a nice beer, to be fair, but after coming to the realization how much I love sour ales - this isn't quite cutting the mustard. On the plus side, it's cheap-ish, and VERY approachable to beginners. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 21:43:56 | More by ThisWangsChung

Kromes

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: A clear dark reddish brown with ruby highlights and a thin soapy head.

S: An acidic and sour cherry aroma

T: Sour cherry with a bit of cork and a nice funk to it with a dry acidic feel that finishes sweet.

M: Light body with peppery carbonation. The sour and acid feel hits up front and dries and puckers the mouth, however, that fades and the beer finishes somewhat clean with a bit of sweetness. Very unique feel.

O: I enjoyed this. One of the better sour beers out there. Very refreshing and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 18:39:29 | More by Kromes

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first review of a Flanders Oud Bruin style beer. Had a bunch of Belgians the other weekend and found I really have a liking towards their beer, this one being no exception. Pours a brownish red color, not much head or carbonation. Super tasty and sour, a bit of a dry finish. Some nice cherry tones in the mouthfeel. Pretty good beer and I like the style, might be hard to have a few of these in a sitting but as it is, it's a delicious beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 02:04:42 | More by marlinsfan4

mtlasley

3.43/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A deeply brownish red pours from the glass where it collects as a deep brown that when held to light, shows as a powerfully deep red coloring. A light beige head weighs in at a finger and a half. It leaves exquisite lacing. The color is a beautifully deep red, really...

Slight lacto on the tip of the nose but I find a strong Belgian dark note dominating here. Figs, raisins and a slight alcohol scent really make up the center here. They're joined by a slightly burnt caramel. Slight oak here too.

Very, very lightly sour on the tip of the tongue but quickly dominated from the palate by Figs and Slightly burnt caramel dominate the taste profile here along with a very faint oak lingering in the background. Overall, not that impressive or complex of a brew..

Crisply bubbling in the mouth and the blush wine like thickness is carried along very well by the bubbles.

Overall, I'm not that impressed. A decent tasting Oud Bruin but the sour component that I've come to know and love just wasn't there. Don't get me wrong, a slight tartness stands up front but it's just not got any pop. The Belgian characteristic here is decent though. An overall decent beer but not worth the price I paid. ~$3.50 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 03:22:49 | More by mtlasley

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From the 11.2 fl. oz. bottle. Sampled on July 9, 2012. It pours reddish-brown with a full puffy, beige head that generally lingers. The aroma has a good cherry quality to it along with Belgian yeast and Belgian malts balancing it off. The body is medium but it also had an astringent bite to it. The taste was tart and sour as promised but not as much as I thought it might be. There's a cherry flavor to it but overall it lingers for some time. The flavor is one I will remember.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 22:54:09 | More by puboflyons

Aml42000

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark brown body with a fluffy tan head. It showed some transparency toward the bottom of the glass and maintains a pretty appearance throughout.

S- A powerful blast of balsamico is hard to shake as you stick your nose deeper in the glass, but some muddled pit fruit becomes apparent with some swirling and persistence.

T- A healthy tension of sweet and sour on entry. The tart components are certainly more prominent on the mid palate. Tart, slighly underripe cherry and rhubarb fill the mouth. The barrel and yeast components take a backseat to the fruity aspects here. Medium levels of acidity for a sour ale.

M- This is a bit linear for a sour. High carbonation makes it more like a tart fruit soda than a sour or wild ale. I like a bit more acidity as I prefer a drier, fresher mouthfeel than this offers.

O- A very safe sour ale for those who aren't familiar with the style. A very versatile beer to serve with food as it has enough flavor to pair with many types of dishes, but gets a little tiresome to sip on alone. I wish it showed some more wild aspects.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 21:31:52 | More by Aml42000

Danny1217

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A brownish red color. An big off white head with good retention. Some fruits on the nose. A bit of an lactic acid smell, yet still somewhat sweet smelling. Cherry dominates the taste. The sourness comes in slightly delayed and is noticable, but not over-powering. Some other fruit tastes here. Plums, grapes, and pears. Tastes a bit like a red wine in a way. A somewhat light body and above average carbonation makes this actually very refreshing.

My first sour. Can't say that this will get me to spend all my money away on these expensive beers, but it has me interested.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 05:11:27 | More by Danny1217

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lightly chilled 11.2 oz. bottle poured into a shaker pint, as per the recommendation on the box. No discernable bottling date.

Look- Big, big head on this. 3/4 of the glass is filled with tight beige foam, looks like a root beer float, really. Crystal clear ruby-brown. Nice lacing.

Smell- Sweet, cidery, powdery, candylike. Pears, caramel, vanilla and lemon extract, some straw. Good malt backdrop, feels centered. Very appealing, if on the sweet side.

Taste- Cidery, pears, strong dose of wood comes out in the middle. Perhaps there's a hint of hops towards the end, but it's basically indistinguishable from the light oxidation. Vanilla again, sweet, almost candy/soda feel. Clean, almost no aftertaste, although sourness builds a bit as the glass empties. Very champagne-like.

Mouthfeel- Crisp, light to medium body. Not particularly dry, but quite clean. I feared it would be over-carbonated, but it's actually got a fairly soft edge, smooth on the tongue, a bit prickly on the swallow. Drinks like a cider, very refreshing. A bit acidic by the end, but it disappeared quickly- I wouldn't mind having a few of these.

Overall- Perhaps it's the 100+ degree heat today, but man, this really hit the spot. I have fairly mixed feelings about sours, but this one I thoroughly enjoyed. Crisp, easy drinking, definitely on the sweet side, puckery but not overly so. Feels more like an everyday beer, which I haven't seen in sours before. Not very complex, but what's there is spot on. A good lemonade replacement, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 00:11:20 | More by Lawl3ss

rodkin

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark reddish brown, with about 2 fingers of light tan head. Reduces slowly, but a bit remains.

Smell is some dark fruit, mostly some cherry. Some tart acidity, slight funk. Nice, but kind of one dimensional.

Taste is some acidity upfront, A bit of the dark fruit, a little funk. Maybe a bit of citrus or oak. Kind of acidic, but not super sour. Slight wine taste. Nice, nothing special.

Okay mouthfeel. A bit thicker and less dry than I'd like. Decent carb.

Alright sour, tasty enough. Good value at $3.50 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 04:33:03 | More by rodkin

KajII

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Best served in a Tulip glass]

The pour was a murky dark reddish brown with a large (2-3 finger) light brown rocky head that receded down to a thin cap, which did create some excellent sheeting of lacing.

The aroma was of a funky horse blanket Belgian yeast and a dark bread malt with notes of dark fruit (black cherries, plums and grapes) and a mild red wine.

The taste was sweet and a tad tart with a big dose of dark fruit throughout and a strong winey sour yeast presence towards the end. The flavor lasted an average duration after the swallow with a fruity sour wine finish.

Mouthfeel was light in body and semi-dry in texture with a good strong carbonation.

Overall a very satisfying Wild Ale with just enough fruitiness, which allowed for a robust fruity beginning and a slight wine finish...

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 18:25:42 | More by KajII

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330mL bottle -no date

appears a dark brown with ruby highlights. off-white head. decent head retention. aroma is bready, belgian yeast, a little funkiness.

taste is a little bit tart. slightly sour aftertaste, but not overpowering. medium thickness, smooth mild carbonation.

overall - drinks nice. the sourness is restrained.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 03:41:43 | More by jmdrpi

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First go with a sour, so here goes nothing...

A- Pours a deep, deep amber hue with a 1 finger head. Head is very bubbly and active. Good lacing and retention.

S- Well, sour it is. Very acidic on the nose. Slight fruit tones. Lemon and lime like scents with the acidity, minus the refreshing citrus part. Slight hints of some malts.

T- Light and fruity, with only hints of the sour flavors that were on the nose. Darker fruits are up front, with some grapes and maybe some tart cherries and raspberries. Very much like a semi-dry champagne.

M- Very carbonated. Drinks easily, but somewhat harsh on the palate. Could drink a few, but your tongue would be worn out.

O- This a a good starter sour. I thought I'd hate this from the smell, but it is pretty good. Easily drinkable and a good gateway into a very expensive style.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 02:45:15 | More by boilermakerbrew

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 11.2 oz. bottle into a Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with some tints of amber/ruby red. Moderate amount of bubbles and a huge five finger off white head that slowly recedes into a thin patchy layer. Leaves a good amount of lace.

Smell: Bready malts, yeast, and wheat grains up front giving a Maibock like aroma. Fruits are very noticeable but don't stand out strongly or smell overly sour/tart. Good hints of cherries and Brett along with hints of strawberry, fig, and apple. Also some subtle hints of wood. No noticeable hops.

Taste: Like the smell, but sourness and tartness is noticeable higher in the taste. A fairly tart and sour blend of cherries, Brett, fig, apple, and strawberry rhubarb. A little bit of wood. Solid backing of malts and wheat grains adding some bready sweetness. Somewhat funky with some Belgian yeast. Tastes pretty good.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Creamy and fairly juicy. Sourness bites the tongue but isn't over the top. Finishes sweet.

Overall: A pretty solid sour. Has some nice tart fruit elements and remains fairly light and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 06:24:44 | More by MattyG85

quirkzoo

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beautiful beer, dark brown with ruby highlights and 1 finger of off white head that last and lasts.

Smell is very nice, a very "clean" brett character, lots of earth and wood but not the super funky notes. Just a hint of tartness on the nose.

The taste was good but I knocked it down slightly from the aroma because it wasn't as intense. The same clean oakiness with a mild tart character.

Very drinkable, a bit on the lighter side, but that lends to increased drinkability.

OVerall, really nice. Not terribly complex but a really solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 17:16:58 | More by quirkzoo

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 3/4" tan coloured head over deep mahogany liquid.

S: Sour funk and yeast.

T: Yeast, sour funk, rich bready malt, cherries, figs, pears and a sweet finish.

M: Medium viscosity and a medium level of carbonation.

O: A very easy drinker, one of the better Flanders Oud Bruins I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 04:20:25 | More by DaftCaskBC

MadScientist

New York

4.58/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a deep reddish brown with excellent clarity. The light tan head has lingers for a very long time.

The aroma is nice and fruity and malty with a light sour aroma. There are aromas of dark cherries and figs along with a brighter almost rhubarb like aroma. A mild sherry like character as well

There a lot going on in this with a fruit and malt flavors dominating followed by some spicy phenols all the while with a light sourness throughout ending in a dry finish. The flavors are again dark cherry and fig with a malt flavors of orange and a touch of treacle. Theres a light sherry like flavor in there and a little bit of hops bitterness. Overall it has a really nice balance of sweet and sour flavors but not with the intensity in some other sour styles.

It has a medium-full body with low carbonation. It's also very soft on the palate and almost cream. There is a slight touch of slickness but no diacetyl and no astringency.

Overall this is an amazing, lightly soured beer that is very refreshing. A the elements of the flavor and aroma are in a very satisfying balance, a world class example of the the Oud Bruin style. I'm definitely picking about a two more four packs of this and letting some age in my cellar.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 00:52:10 | More by MadScientist

Glibber

Idaho

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of my first venture into sours, and for $2 a bottle at the co-op, I couldn't resist.
I was suprised at the 2" mocha colored head, and while the head did disipate, the glass was certainly laced. I dark copper colored beer, with some red when held to the light. On the nose I was able to detect some dark fruits, however they were light. I enjoyed the taste and mouthfeel more as the beer warmed up. Not as sour as I thought it was going to be and a drank easily. This was an enjoyable beer

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 01:13:32 | More by Glibber

ryanonline

Florida

2.5/5  rDev -35.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

looks like a nice brownish red flemish ale, lots of tan head and decent lacing. sort of opaque but just barely has some clarity to it.

smells light and sour, no hop presence and light on the sweet malts. maybe a slight bready yeast aroma.

the tast is rather off putting. It has virtually no real sour elements and is still very light on hops and malt, I practically taste nothing. Very odd.

the mouthfeel is thin and watery with a dry finish and a bit of foamy yet non aggressive carbonation.

drinkability is fairly high, due to the light nature, but it is not very tasty and, as such, i wouldn't want more than one.

overall, this beer sets you up to expect good things, but it kind of lets you down.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 23:40:04 | More by ryanonline