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

rdrummer

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I try to have one of these whenever I visit Monk's. It pours a really nice, light amber color with a small whitish head. It has the aroma of roasted malts and sourness. The taste ranges from very tart to moderately sour. I find that it depends on what I have been eating or drinking before tasting. The sourness is never off-putting, though. I almost find it pleasantly refreshing in a way. It has a very clean feel in the mouth that really prepares you for a meal. I love one of these on draft before my lunch but have never really wanted a second.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2004 16:16:29 | More by rdrummer

ark57

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

It is a brownish red with very little head. The reserved aroma has some oak and vinous notes and a lactic sourness to it as well. The taste is sweet and sour with some fruit and oak in the finish. The sourness is mild and it is quite refreshing. I always start a visit to Monk's with one of these.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2004 14:20:07 | More by ark57

thefireman

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap, nice color, with a smallish head. A must before eating. Had almost a wine taste, very dry. Taste of cherries and spices. I like the sourness that finishes a little hoppy. Not overpowering, but a shock to the tastebuds on first tasting. An acquired taste, but opne I always go back to.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2004 01:31:02 | More by thefireman

cerevisiaephilus

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I thought this beer was fascinating. Really my first try at this style unless you count lambic, but I think sour ales/oud bruins are maltier. This one was quite nice. Great balance between malty and sour. Sweet but not cloying, then sour enough to dry your mouth out. The menu suggests this one as a palate clenser, I would agree. I could drink this beer over and over and never really get that sticky sugary coating you cometimes get after having numerous beers. I'm really going to start searching for this style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2003 05:35:54 | More by cerevisiaephilus

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A slightly hazy (but surprisingly clear given the style) mahogany body appears reddish in the glass and reveals crimson, ruby and orange highlights when held to the light. The creamy off-white head holds quite well and leaves some nice streaks and splotches of sticky lace throughout the glass. The nose is vinous with tempting, delicate, tart cherries and what appears to be some oakiness. It's not as bold as many other examples of the style, and it's certainly cleaner; but it is quite nice. A gentle massage of soft, fine carbonation washes over the tongue as it warms to become slightly creamy. The body is light, and it's quite smooth. Again, it's more delicate than many examples but very nice in its own way. The flavor mimics the nose with mildly vinous cherry and raspberry. It's acidity is restrained in comparison to most, and it's quite refreshing without becoming puckering. There's a bit of an oak character to it and it finishes dry with a slight astringency; but the sticky-sweet residue of many other examples is not present. Overall, this is a quite refreshing and enjoyable beer that represents the style well, but is somewhat restrained in comparison to most others.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2003 14:35:11 | More by NeroFiddled

blgianbeer

New York

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I just got back from a trip to Philly and my obligatory stop at Monk's. Trying this ale was on the top of my "to do" list given the absence of any Rodenbach products in the market.
I was not disappointed. I would put this somewhere between the rather unremarkable Rodenbach and the spectacular Grand Cru. Not quite as complex and aromatic as the GC, but much more sour and flavorful than regular Rodenbach.
This beer is not unlike Van Steenberge's Bios (which I loved and brought several bottles back from Belgium). Well worth the price of admission.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2003 10:23:57 | More by blgianbeer

vitesse

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

served on draught at monk's...
this was my first flemish sour ale, but i was really impressed.
the color was a beautiful dark ruby red color with a nice bubbly texture. very little head. great sweet/tart fruitiness in the nose.
taste was excellent. great summer drink. somewhat acidic and tart that balances well with a cherry or cassis-like sweetness. very light and champagne-like mouthfeel.
quite drinkable, especially on a hot day. despite the imposing name, i think even non-beer-geeks will like this one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2003 11:20:43 | More by vitesse

nomad

Kansas

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

*Available only on draught and in 330 ml. bottles at the famous Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia, PA.*

Poured a ruby red color, deep and opaque, with a wisp of a head and a thin but full lacing. Kind of a dead-water look to me.

Smells of cherries and sherry, and did so in a sour and barely oaky way. For me, it at times came across as vinuous. Never very strong or wow-ing, as many Flemish Sour can be to the nose.

Taste is sour but not too sour, more vinuously so, with a body that was thin and softly reminiscent of sweetness like a liqueur or a lambic might. The main body of flavor was cherry like but not a cherry - know what I mean? That fruity flavor that only Flemish sour reds produce. Bright but not acidic, mellow but not boring, this beer also had some bits of lemon and raspberry at the finish. Had no metallic taste like some sour ales do, and possessed a thin and quick watery mouthfeel. Would like a little more carbonation.

Highly drinkable, this is more of a session version of a sour red ale, as it didn’t have the complexity or body of a Duchesse or a Goudenband. A good beer, regardless. Nice of Monk's Cafe to make the effort to contract Van Steenberge to brew this for them. Something's gotta fill the void while Rodenbach is temporarily M.I.A, right?. Nice to throw back a couple of these at the bar while you’re waiting for a table. FYI, some of the restaurant's dishes are cooked with this beer, too.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2003 08:43:52 | More by nomad

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured chilled in flared sample glass @davewhite4, the third of a sour beer trilogy.

A: thin head, but very active carbonation; cola color; snowglobe effect from all the yeast floating about
S: not much aroma; opens up into some vinegar
T: very flavorful; sour cherry dominates; good malt presence

Good specimen of a sour beer

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 22:29:00 | More by Arithmeticus

Steamer

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: A rich ruby red; light tan head with large bubbles, sparkling effervescence. Smell: A dry champagne aroma. Taste: Very mild sour and tart flavor, almost too light, refreshing though. Mouthfeel: Again champagne like; heavy carbonation. Overall: On the mild side of sour ales. Would be an excellent choice for someone just getting into sours or anyone looking for a light tart ale on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 00:14:28 | More by Steamer

NorCalMaekJuMan

California

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

At first I was a little intimidated by the word sour in the title but I really liked it. I found it went well with roasted pork loin cooked in apples and onions (like pork chops Normandy). I liked the coppery head. I can't really describe the smell but I liked it. I find it very similar to any of the Russian River sour beer types (ie...consecration, temptation)..although I think I prefer the stuff from Russian River.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:55:27 | More by NorCalMaekJuMan

tut2528

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: pours is a deep ruby red, that is almost dark brown in appearance. poured into a tulip, and it creates a solid 2 fingers worth of head formation that is beige in color. fairly nice lacing and quite carbonated. floaties vary in size but most are quite small.

S: the nose is very faint, and quite disappointing. some notes of oak, hay and barnyard funk, subtle tough of vinous qualities like tannins , and a touch of vinegar.

T: the palate makes quite a unique transition in this beer. it starts off with some tartness, a slight touch of vinegar that gets the salivary glands pumping.. then this beer makes a hard turnaround, and becomes quite sweet. middle of the body consists of the oak, grain, slight touch of dark fruits, and brown sugar. the finish is quite creamy.

M: my palate is wondering what the hell just happened. this brew has both sweet and sour characteristics. it leaves a slight creaminess on the palate with just a subtle touch of grain. its borderline light/medium bodied.

O: I have passed this one up for years, and even though I will most likely not purchase this one again, I am glad to have tried it, and i feel this is a nice beer for those to would like to get their feet wet in the sour world.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 19:20:21 | More by tut2528

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Picked up one of these in Totowa, having never had a beer from Brouwerij Van Steenberge or even a Flanders Oud Bruin before. This felt like a Lambic when I poured it out and gave it a whiff but it was just not quite sour enough to be considered as such. There was just enough of a sweetness here to make it distinct and the low alcohol made it quite enjoyable to someone unaccustomed to this style, such as myself!

The pour to this was brown, with just a hint of garnet around the edges with a nice head that lasted for quite a while. That wasn't the case with the lacing but there were a few rings that stuck to the sides of my glass as I worked my way down. Some lambic-like sourness was found in the nose but there was a lot of apple and pear sweetness in the taste that cancelled much of that out. There was a good amount of carbonation here too, which helped to offset that and allowed for some cherry syrup and dark fruits to emerge in the aftertaste. Not a lot of sourness here but it was present as the sugar wore off and this almost felt like a fermented cider that I'd have in the fall.

Even though I only had one bottle of this, I could have had another in a sitting, There wasn't any roasted or woody notes that were found in the description of this style on this site, but there was a nice Belgian feel to this from start to finish and it's hard to imagine anyone *not* finding something to enjoy about this beer. The hint of wild yeast makes up for the bottle only being 11.2 oz, as this was neither a fast or a slow sipper. I'm not sure I could have found a better example of a Flanders Oud Bruin to become accustomed to!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 06:30:10 | More by JerzDevl2000

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice dark mahogany brown with some slight reddish hues. There is a thin quarter inch head of off-white foam that forms and recedes quickly but it leaves a nice lacing along the glass.

Aroma off some oak notes and some nice tartness starts things off. There is some slight funk notes in the nose with some good earthy grain tones. There is some fruit tartness to the nose as well as some slight acidity to it.

Flavor starts off with some slight sweet fruit notes with some grainy malt notes. There is quickly a nice tart fruit acidity that pops up. Nice tart apple notes with some very midl balsamic vinegar. The brew is nice and tart but not too intense and very approachable. There is nice grainy and earthy malt notes mixed in with the fruitiness that also add some sweetness. There is some nice funky yeast notes with some woody oak notes present as well.

Mouthfeel is smooth and medium. Nice complete flavors cover the palette and the carbonation adds a nice cleansing feeling.

PRetty good Flanders. Nice fruity notes balanced with the tartness. Refreshing and delicious. Keeps you coming back for more.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 21:32:15 | More by JoEBoBpr

Pegasus

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Somewhat hazy, deep reddish amber body when viewed before a strong light, otherwise opaque, surmounted by a massive, coarse off-white head, which retains superbly. The lacing is, appropriately, Belgian in form, and quite sticky and thick.

Aroma: Rather prominent lactic and vinegar aroma will not go unnoticed. Bitter apple rind and tart cherries are present as well.

Taste: Opens with a moderate wave of lactic sourness, and vinegar. As the taste progresses, sour cherries and bitter apples offer a counterpoint to the vinegar and lactic flavors. Late in the taste, the is a flourish of restrained herbal hops The finish is rather astringent.

Mouth feel: Smooth and full, with champagne-like carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: I did not expect to enjoy this beer, having heard other craft beer fanciers disparage the style. Nonetheless, I felt that sampling a representative of the Flanders Oud Bruin style was an essential part of my education as a Beer Advocate. To my surprise, I like this beer quite a lot, and hope to try other examples of the style. For anyone who has not tried the style, Monk's Café Flemish Sour Ale is inexpensive and will handsomely reward one's tasting efforts.

Presentation: Packaged in a standard eleven point two ounce Euro-style brown glass long-neck bottle with a pry -off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Sourcing: Purchased at Spec's in Texas in March of 2013 for $2.79 for a single bottle..

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:27:52 | More by Pegasus

flayedandskinned

California

3.84/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

No Bottled on date.
Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep, dark translucent garnet. A towering 4 finger loose bubbled, light brown head erupts immediately and as expected, fizzles down fairly fast, consistent with it's style.

Aroma: Big, vinous red wine vinegar right away with some musty funk alongside it. Juicy, tart currants are layered on top of faint, sweet malt in the background. A woodsy presence of rich vanilla and oak becomes more and more apparent as the beer warms.

Taste: Red wine vinegar up front with only the suggestion of tartness, some juicy red currants and some tart cherry notes are flirted with as a big, vanilla infused maltiness lands on your palate and softens the blow of the high carbonation. The creamy malt backbone abruptly mellows out the sourness of the brew and allows some of the oak barrel character come through. The beer finishes very dry, tart with an extremely light tannin presence and a faint hop bitterness. Lingering notes of plum skin and caramel bready malt. The beer does get a slightly unpleasant metallic twang as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with high carbonation; very brisk and refreshing.

Overall: A decent example of a Flanders Red. I do wish the initial rush of sourness sustained a bit longer before the malts rushed in and mellowed everything out, but the malt does add a strong sense of balance and contrast. This is a great beginner's sour. I would suggest not allowing this to warm up too much so you can avoid that metallic after taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 06:18:05 | More by flayedandskinned

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.29/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle, no BB date, served in a tulip. I bought this from a bottle shop in NYC about 2 years ago.

A - Holy head! I had to pour extra slow, just a trickle, to keep this thing under wraps. Maybe it's the age? Alot of bubbles coming up. After a couple minutes, it's still going strong.

S - I can't really get much of a smell. Could be the head, could be my nose, could be the beer. Some sour coming through, but not a whole lot.

T - Malt off the top. A little bread, some light raisin, then the sour kicks in. This is delicious. Very well balanced.

M - Nice. Medium-high carbonation, but not too much, with a chewier body than what I was expecting. A very nice surprise.

O - Killer. Liked it then, like it now. I really wish more sours were available in Canada, let alone Newfoundland.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:49:25 | More by Beelzebeer

BigBarley

Texas

3.79/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Poured hard into a tulip glass, for the first minute or so the beer was almost entirely head. The head is offwhite, light khaki. After settling the beer still maintains about a 50% head-beer ratio. Nice. Color is deep copper, almost brown. Somewhat murky.

S - Smells like a kriek. Wild yeast peppered with dark cherry and some light alcohol notes. Not too complex, but smells good all the same.

T - Dominated by yeast up front, immediately behind is a splash of sweet, tart cherry. The sour comes at the end, bringing this beer to a nice, round profile altogether. I personally feel this isn't much different in taste or smell from a lot of Kriek beers, but that is not a bad thing. Wild yeast makes for a strange and interesting profile, and the cherry notes keep it grounded.

M - Smooth, refreshing, with some lively carbonation. Runs down easy, but still a little thick for the ABV.

O - Altogether satisfying and interesting beer, definitely worth trying once, but I'm not quite sure how it compares to most others of the style

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 17:11:12 | More by BigBarley

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

3.69/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Could not find a bottled on date. Poured into a large white wine glass.

A - Three-fingers tan rocky head, reddish brown, clear, well carbonated, some lace, lasting head due to carbonation.

A - Cherries and yeast.

T - cherries, mild sour, some sweetness in the finish.

MF - Slight metallic feel on teeth.

O - An easy drinking oud bruin, not thirst quenching, thought this style is not supposed to have a high degree of sourness, I still believe this could use a bit more to create a better balance and overall brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 22:23:27 | More by Sludgeman

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This pours a medium brown color with a foamy, off-white head. The scent is kind of sour with a slight amount of yeast. The flavor starts off very sweet and ends with sour finish. The texture is good and the flavor is ok, but there is certainly room to make this a bigger, bolder beer. Pretty simple and reserved which makes for a good starter sour/wild ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 03:14:32 | More by Lemke10

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

330ml bottle poured into tulip 14/3/13 bottle from IanSpindler IP trade

A looks dark brown until I hold it to the light where it has a dark amber glow, a finger of foam falls quickly ending up as a thin film that stays there leaving no lace

S burnt sugar and cider notes mix well with purple candy like grape aromas and earthy notes, has a nice sweet and sour thing going on, subtle green apple and sweet cherries

T not as much going in the mouth much to my surprise, just seems to be toned down a little compared to the nose, the sweet and sour is still working well for it though and I do like it but was expecting a little more after smelling it

M enters silky and gets creamy quickly, feels good, light but the bubbles give it lots of life and has some brown sugar and fruit on the finish

O I didn't know what to expect but I rather liked this one and it went down so easy, I could drink a few without getting board

Fairly random style but as far as I know they did a pretty good job, something I'd drink again for sure

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 02:36:12 | More by wordemupg

sirtomtom

California

3.54/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a nice clear dark brown with two fingers of tan head.

S: Very mild scent, a bit of tart apple and a light funk.

T: A very mild flavor. Tart apple and berry. Mildy sour with just a touch of wet blanket funk.

M: A bit watery finishing nice and dry.

O: This is a great sour to start with. Lightly sour, very simple, easy drinking, not very complicated. The touch of funk helps ease people into sours nicely. Paid $3.99, well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 04:41:58 | More by sirtomtom

dogfishandi

New York

3.76/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

750 ml caged and corked bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. Roughly 1 year of age on this bottle.

I should've known this was going to be a gusher, but I didn't lose more than a few ounces. The cork really shot off this bad boy. Pours out a fairly clear really nice dark ruby red color, almost brown when not in the light. A finger or 2 worth of fizzy light tan head that quickly faded to a ring. Not the best retention and no real lacing, but a nice color.

Dark cherry, acidic apple vinegar, a bit of a sweet brown sugary malt and lactic funk. Some barnyard Brett as it warms.

A nice balance of sweet to sour. Dark sweet cherry flavors all around, apple skin, apple vinegar, lots of sweet cherry mixed with a bit of brown sugar maltiness. Think candied caramel apple.

Really a lot of carbonation going on, light, airy, tart finish.

Not really all that sour, quite sweet. Not the best Flanders I've had, I tend to prefer some of the American versions over the Belgians, but still a worthy beer. Prolly something I wouldn't buy again however.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 19:59:48 | More by dogfishandi

darky

South Dakota

3.18/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75

Poured from a bottle into a Saxo tulip/snifter

A:deep ruby reddish brown, thick, persistent white head and ample carbonation.

S: Tart fruits, and an astringent lemon-y scent.

T: Fruit punch at first, followed immediately by grapefruit, grapes, alcohol and a sour finish backed by strong carbonation. This is not a great example of this style. While different, and enjoyable, the flavor is really not very refined. The flavor of this beer has loads of character, but the component flavors are all fighting attention and fail to make a cohesive statement.

M: While the carbonation is strong, it pulls off a really nice smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel, that really benefits this beer overall. A definite strong point.

O: This is about third time I've had this beer, and I'm drinking this one a little warmer than before, probably around 45-50 degrees F. That said, this brew is better consumed a little colder. If you are introducing someone new to Belgians, by all means, do NOT start them out with beer. I think it would be very interesting to throw this brew into the mix in a blind taste with others of it category, but at the end of the day, your money is better spent elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 04:50:14 | More by darky

Brewsephus

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

11.2 oz bottle poured into tulip glass.

A- Pours a off-white 2 finger head. Head lasts longer than a minute and leaves very delicate lacing on inside of glass. Beer is a very dark red, almost opaque, held up to light reveals a deep ruby color. Small/Medium bubbles on surface.

S-Sour fruit, lemon, unripe plum, cherry pie.

T-deep cherry, baked pie, sweet resinous fruit, nectar. Very subtle malt sweetness. Sourness approaches the front of the palate, but is not sharp or vinegar. Just unripe fruit. A little band-aid flavor on the finish into aftertaste.

M- Carbonation is nicely effervescent, at first I thought it might take away from the wonderful flavor, but it would be too viscous and syrupy with all the fruit and less carbonation. Body is light, but not lacking in mouth-feel. Alcohol is unnoticeable.

O- This is one of my first Flanders and I must say I am pleasantly surprised. I enjoy the fruit characteristics, and while not puckering sour it is a lot more tender than I anticipated. A really nice, but not great, nuanced sour.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 19:05:35 | More by Brewsephus