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

buddha5050

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

12 oz bottle poured into a St. Bernardus challace.

A: nice deep red color with light/med carbonation with 1.5 to 2 fingers of white pillowy head.

S: Cherries, sour, bready nice tart smell

T: Balsamic vinegar (slightly), slight sweetness, but a nice sour cherry flavor with nice bubblegum/nutmeg phenols. Nice taste.

M: Med body and cabonation which is nice, with a good tartness on the sides of the tongue

O: Nice beer, above average for style.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 01:57:28 | More by buddha5050

bulldog91

Illinois

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

Dark red in color, virtually no head when it arrived at the table.
Smell of cherry definitely dominates, but not in a bad way. It's just what rises first.
Almost no carbonation in the mouth, which was good. Let me enjoy the fruit mix going on a bit more with cherries, cabernet, a touch of wood but only a touch. Not terribly sour, but that's OK.
Enjoyed this beer, a very good sour.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2012 15:36:05 | More by bulldog91

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

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

Poured from a 11.2oz bottle into an Affligem goblet (probably around 0.3 l).

Appearance- Nice amber/brown. One finger head that dissipated in about 30 seconds leaving a small white rim around the top of the beer.

Smell- Cherry, apple, raspberry. Yeast and some malt.

Taste- Similar to the smell. Definantly some yeast and malt mixed with oak. Raspberry and cherry flavors come through. Not overly sour. Very nice aftertaste of fruit that lingers for a while.

Mouthfeel- Reasonably carbonated. Sits in the mouth for a while imparting flavors. Goes down very smooth. Very refreshing.

Overall- A great beer for people who want to get into sours but are hesitant to try the extremes. It's not overly sour, but it's got a nice sweetness to balance it. Very refreshing Flemish Sour.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 20:19:07 | More by Seanniek91

Twincrasher

4.55/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Very nice head. Small bubbles. Pour slowly.

S: Astringent and very fruity. Very enjoyable as a stand alone night cap.

T: Cherry and deep fruits cut through the sour flavor profile. Very smooth finish for a sour beer.

M: Good layered mouthfeel. Finish is where flavor profile enhanced.

O: Not just a novelty. Worth drink as stand alone. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 17:18:41 | More by Twincrasher

lordofstarside

Nevada

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

11 oz bottle to snifter. "09HK" on the side which I'm assuming has something to do with the bottle date. I'm skeptical it's been sitting on a shelf for three years though

Pours a very dark red, which is perceived as more of a brown when not against my windows light. Poured a finger and a half of foam which has settled very quickly into a nice ring around the cup. Mild carbonation, mediocre lacing, not bad looking

Aroma of sour cherry, cabernet wine, apple, grape, oak, and alcohol. A faint sweet malt is present yet concealed

Taste of pretty straight forward sweet cherry, grape, and some malt. Many of the elements from the smell are hard to detect, taste is rather bland and over powered by the main fruit flavors

Mouth is pretty good. Sweet at first, finishing tart at the end. Nice carbonation, very thick and creamy

Overall this is a pretty mild sour. It's not bad, however I just find it too sweet...which I find to be stronger than I do the sourness of the ale, which I think defeats the purpose of the style. It was pretty cheap however, I might buy another to cellar for a couple years

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 00:25:17 | More by lordofstarside

pkalix

California

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

part of 'that' sampler pack of sour brews...
tan, creamy head. dark ruby pour.
aroma 'could' be of a sour, but it's not totally there....
taste.... wow. very full, round sour flavor- AWESOME, but finishes totally WEAK. what a disappointment at the finish. kind of like the tigers in game 3 of the world series right now with bases loaded and 1 out- strike out, and chump! oh well.... i love the flavor, although it's just missing something... i mean, how do i describe this?
overall, awesome lacing on the sides. beautiful color. fruity, tart. low abv%, but okay.... maybe that's what it is missing.... does it earn a 4.5? i really like this.... but there's just something in the finishing of the taste that makes me think they just missed something....

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 03:07:07 | More by pkalix

draheim

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL into a tulip. Pours a clear mahogany brown w/ a big thick khaki head, lively carb, sticky lacing.

Aroma is tart and dry. Sour cherries, lactic acid. A little one-dimensional.

Taste follows nose. Sour fermenting fruit, dry oak, heavy vinous red grapes. I search for more nuances, different layers, but that's about it. Has a cidery quality.

Mouthfeel is crisp and light, maybe a little thin. Very drinkable and refreshing.

Overall a good Flanders oud bruin, but lacks complexity. Might serve as a good intro to the style, but there are better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 02:26:32 | More by draheim

mjtiernan

New York

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2 fl oz bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Whoa! Got quite a bit of head. Should’ve slowed down on the pour. Still looks great though. Off white head and quite deep dark red body.

S: A bit musty. I get some sour sensation in my nose when I breath it in. Some vigorous swirling brings dark fruit and cherry notes. A touch of caramel.

T: Some cherry and oak barrel. Definitely acetic but not as sour as you might expect, especially in the finish.

M: Most of the sourness hits the sides of your tongue mid-palate and the finish is actually quite clean and refreshing. A very drinkable Flanders Red.

O: I liked it, but I have to admit that I was expecting more complexity. That said, I’d still be happy to have one anytime, anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 03:16:01 | More by mjtiernan

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a medium red brown with a thick 2" white head. Bubbles of carbonation stream lightly from the bottom of the glass. Little lacing is left as the head dissipates.
S: Sour with a hint of malt vinegar and sour cherries
T: A taste of red sweet and sour sauce, pineapple, sour cherries, a hint of lactic acid
M: full bodied and creamy
O: an excellent example of a Belgian sour ale

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 00:13:14 | More by M_C_Hampton

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Duvel snifter. The beer comes out dark, clear, and reddish-brown with a nice big off-white head. Pretty good retention and nice lacing. The nose has a musty smell with some vinegar and cherry notes behind it.

Light-medium body with a nice firm mouthfeel. Light flavor on the front of the palate of lemon, cherries, and a vinegar-like acidity. The acidity is not overwhelming and tapers off a bit towards the back of the palate, where there is a mild tannic dryness. Very refreshing, but a bit light in the flavor department.

Someone is going to have to explain to me why this beer is categorized as an Oud Bruin and not a Flemish Red Ale. At any rate, it is tasty and refreshing, but lacks the depth of flavor and complexity of top-shelf examples. Definitely recommended for completists.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 20:59:00 | More by deadonhisfeet

Amalak

New York

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A. Black like a Guinness and it has a huge foamy tan head. It has tons of lacing.

S. A metallic scent followed with a grape undertone.

T. Wow, intense grape taste. A nice sour with a kind of jolly rancher feel, a roasty malt aftertaste.

M. A bit tart. Carbonated.

O. Maybe my favorite sour. Flavorful and not obnoxiously tart.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 17:31:35 | More by Amalak

bennetj17

Arizona

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

Dark amber, with glowing haze in the light. Half-inch tan head with lasting retention. Smells of sourdough with some sweetness but mostly it's tangy tart fruit notes that dominate with a vinegary sourness.

More sweet than tart in the taste, with juicy cherry, cranberry and grape notes carrying on into a finish that is pretty much unchanged from the start. With only suggestions of vinegary oak, I am wishing this had a more sour bite at the end to round things off. As it stands it's pretty one dimensional. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, yet slightly syrupy. The carbonation is very prickly yet the bubbles are thin/fine.

This beer is very consistently decent, but there are much better options out there for the style. It always leaves me wanting something more.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 04:20:54 | More by bennetj17

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