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

paulzy

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle to a 22 ounce d

Appearance: Pours a deep copper color with a medium head. Head stays throughout the beer. Looks good.

Smell: Smells weakly of fruit and acid.

Taste: Starts sweet, then goes mildly sour, like a good lemonade. Finishes a little dry, not at all unpleasant.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation really does the trick with this sour brew, making it kind of fun to roll around on your toungue. Otherwise it feels like any other red.

Drinkability: Very drinkable. I'd consider sharing this with a non-beer geek, as a tasty introduction to a neato style.

Overall I consider this a very accessible beer within the style. I don't often bring sour beers through my fridge, but this one is certainly one I'd consider.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 23:41:34 | More by paulzy

LiquorLockerVP

Rhode Island

2.85/5  rDev -26%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Tried this at a private office function, poured from an 11.2oz bottle.

Appearance:
A dark garnet, like slightly red cola. It had a non existent head which was quickly chased away by an almost hissing carbonation. Interestingly, after letting it sit for a while, the remnants of the head formed little islands that looked hauntingly like leering skulls.

Smell:
At first, it was a phenol bomb bringing to mind the dreaded low totem poll halloween "Good n Plenty"s of younder years. Despite my disdain for the candies as a kid, this smell was really pleasing. As the brew warmed up, this candy smell transformed into an nose full of apple vinegar. It was a unique transformation that I found interesting.

Taste:
I recently tried a Geuze, and recognized some of the champagne qualities I picked up in that in this beer. It almost tastes like a marriage between cola and dry spanish cava all built on a backbone of sour dough bread. Very unique, pretty sweet. (sugary sweet, not sweet as in cool). After taste is very much champagne.

Moutful:
The hissing carbonation I mentioned earlier set upon my tongue and sizzled on its surface. Thin and driven by carbonation. Very gaseous and fizzy.

Drinkability:
A little too sweet to do more than one. After sitting out for a bit, its carbonation dulled accentuating the cola taste even more so. Nice beer for an experience, and would work well as a toast, but as far as sessioning it's just a bit too unique.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2009 02:44:30 | More by LiquorLockerVP

drinkslinger028

Maryland

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

This was sitting on a shelf at my local go to beer store so I picked it up, this one of my first sours so I don't really have anything to compare it to.

A- pours a resist brown with a slight tan head
S- the smell is kinda off sorta like watered down cherry, with a but of iron
M- kinda slippery with quick disappearance
T- taste could be a little more sour but in all it's quite tasty
D- coming from a 750ml I could easily finish this by myself I would purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 23:07:48 | More by drinkslinger028

404UGA

Georgia

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

My first foray into the flemish sour red ale genre, I didn't really know what to expect. The beer store employee said it tasted like sour patch kids, which didn't exactly get me pumped up. Fortunately I wouldn't say that was too accurate of a characterization. It poured an almost blood red color with a think head that fizzled away pretty quickly but never totally disappears. It smells interesting, a little bit lactic perhaps but not necessarily bad. The taste is a little sour (go figure) but I liked it. The mouthfeel is almost more like a soda than a beer. During the first sip or two the bubbles actually grazed my nose like when drinking a coke. Not the most drinkable beer, but I think that goes with the category. Certainly good for one, probably not more than that though. Would go really well with bread and cheese. Overall, was a pleasant surprise.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 02:12:42 | More by 404UGA

Radley521

Montana

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

After a nice Sunday stroll along the East Gallatin River, we stopped by Vino Per Tutti, a great little wine in Bozeman that is carrying a great, if not small, selection of craft beers. Brewed for Monk's Cafe in Philly by Br. Van Steenberge in Belgium, Monk's Cafe is a Flemish Sour Red Ale. This is my first dive into this particular sour style. The one notion that keeps coming up in my mind as I drink this brew is cherries. It smells and tastes like a dry homemade cherry wine like some of fruit hooch that I had in my younger days.

Appearance: The head was a thin linen white head. It has all the looks of sparkling cherry juice. Laces glass nicely with sticky little bubbles.

Aroma: Cherries with almost cheese-like funkiness.

Mouthfeel: Highly carbonated, which effectively cleanses the palette, and a bit thin on the aftertaste, actually.

Taste: Cherry wine with pear notes followed by sweaty horse blanket. Dissipates quickly from the palette. Sourness is not pronounced as I had expected.

Redneck Rating: It's Alright

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 01:36:50 | More by Radley521

Shaken9

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got 750ml bottle from Healthy Home Market in Charlotte, NC

Appearance - medium brown with hints of ruby, thin fizzy head that dissipated quickly, very little lacing.

Smell - Slightly acidic with faint cherries, raspberries, very light vinegar and earthy funkiness.

Taste - Not very sour, more wine like acidity than anything, light malt and sour cherries in the finish. A bit of sweetness at first that yields to the lactic acidity. Just a hair too thin, watery, might be from the effervescent nature of this beer. A good beginners sour, but lacking the body and depth of flavor of other excellent sours (ie Rodenbach).

Mouthfeel - Very light, thin, fizzy... A bit too fizzy for the style but balances with the light flavor of the beer.

Drinkability - A fair, drinkable sour, especially for people who have never tried sours, though I would propose that beginners start with excellent examples first, some people like to "ease" into stronger styles like sours.

Overall, it's an ok representation of the style and is probably blended to appeal to a wider number of palates. As such, it's a passable sour, but more like a sparkling wine in its acidity than a vinegary or mouth puckering sour. Not bad if you can't find other sours around.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 18:57:44 | More by Shaken9

MikeyMisfit

New York

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: deep red mahogany color with an off-white head. The head from the initial pour seemed to dissipate pretty quickly, however the beer kept a thin creamy head from start to finish.

S: The scent of tartness with a slight malty/caramel floating around somewhere

T: You get the sour/tartness up front, your saliva glands kick in and then there is a cloying sweetness to balance the tartness. Like a sour apple type thing. Imagine taking a bite of a Granny Smith apple and then immediately follow it with a bite of a Red Delicious apple.

M: Light bodied with just the right amount of carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

D: This would be a great beer on a hot summer day or after eating a heavy meal. Definitely one of those beers that makes you wonder why its gone so fast.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 06:07:53 | More by MikeyMisfit

belhav0322

New York

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very different. This was my first time trying this style, so it is hard to compare it to anything. Pours a very reddish-mahogony tone. Floral aromas are very apparent and are noticable on the palate upon first taste. Underlying sweetness is balanced by sour aftertaste. Very quenching and full mouthfeel. Fruitiness and tartness are apparent as the beer starts to warm. This actually reminded me of certain Rose wines (I know, bad analogy on this site). This could make a good session beer if you were in the mood for something lite and refreshing. Other than that, this would make an excellent dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2004 19:56:40 | More by belhav0322

GermanHero

Vermont

2.8/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle
Drunk without food

Smells great. Has a nice feel in the mouth, but when it hits the back of the palette the sourness of of the beer comes out very strongly. I loved the way it smelt and the way it tasted initially but after it hit the back of my mouth it was overpowering.

Would drink again, but should be paired with food, something to counter act the sourness.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2010 18:50:18 | More by GermanHero

senbrewing

Kentucky

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rich red and brown color with white fizzy head. Nice lace though stuck to the snifter quite well.

Upfront sourness typical of sour style beer. Smells of citrus and tart cherries. Very winey.Quite lovely.

Taste is fantastic. Sour beers are are my new favorite style and I never pass on up. Grand cru being one of my absolute favorite beers this is right up there with them. Very similar in taste with a balance between sweet and tart. Soured cherrys and sweet citrus very drinkable. The main difference is the sweetness which sets this apart from grand cru. By no means is it bad just a little sweet for my taste. All in all great balanced sour with that great funky finish that makes this a great sour.

Tart puckering effect when it hits the mouth followed by citrus and cherries. Very spritzy, typical champaign feel. Good malty base with hints of wine.

All in all this beer hits the top of my list and is a great representation of a good Flemish sour. Being one of my favorite styles this beer is all around a good balanced beer. Sweet sour tart, what else can I say. Try it. Like most I've seen you'll either love or hate this style. Thank you Belgium

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 03:24:22 | More by senbrewing

mclynch

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Big creamy head that won't quit - but pour carefully towards the end lest chunks of blackish yuck end up in your glass, rising & falling like a lava lamp on the bubbles! Foam left on the glass was marred by this black gunk (yeast, trub, whatever?).
Smell was fruity, sweet & sour, & somewhat funky.
Taste was tart but not overly so, sour cherry, cheerfully carbonated, a nice food accompaniment and easy drinking beer.
Mouthfeel a little thin but enough going on with the taste and bubbles that it wasn't a factor.
Overall - will definitely buy this again. At about $10 for a 4 pack (in MA), it's a reasonable price for a blended sour ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 13:43:53 | More by mclynch

VinnyA

Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Source: 11.2oz bottle
Served: tulip glass

Appearance: pours a deep red with about 1 inch tan head.

Smell: sugar, sour apple, hint of cherry

Taste: slightly bitter and moderately sour. Low tartness. Notice some vinegar. Beer gives way to a relatively clean finish, it is very much a palate cleansing beer. Tasty, however, I can't quite put my finger on what makes this unique.

Mouthfeel: high carbonation. Monks has a mild bite on the back end of the tongue that fades out into a refreshing yet dry finish. It quenches your thirst and is a nice cleanser.

Overall: this is a good entry-level sour red. I have to recommend having it on draft at monks cafe in Philly, if you're in the area. It is a lot softer, mildly carbonated and sweeter which balances out the sourness brilliantly. Still, the bottled version is a good beer to have before eating meat or as a relaxer on a summer evening. If you like the style, I'd recommend buying a case of it at least once. Very easy to drink. If you're looking for a more complete Oud Bruin, I recommend the Liefmans Goudenband.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 05:14:21 | More by VinnyA

Suomi411

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark amber with a reddish hue. Head dissipates quickly to about .5-1" thick. Moderate lacing that disappears quickly following each sip.
S: Sour, a hint of cherries and cider.
T: Initially, moderate sourness with a hint of cherries, apples. Ends sweet effectively balancing the initial sour component. No real sense of hops, diacetyl. Aftertaste is earthy/woody, but also disappears rather quickly
M: Light to medium bodied (more on light side) with a fair amount of carbonation and low bitterness.
D: Excellent! Will pick up again in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 01:45:39 | More by Suomi411

sustainabrew

New York

2.98/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Look: A deep red that bleeds into brown at the right angles, with a creamy off white head floating atop. Laces quite nicely

Aroma: A mix of funk and sour cherries really stand taller than everything else.

Taste: The ale was surprisingly sweet, expecting a bit more sourness and pop. Sour fruit, like cherries and maybe a tart apple come through, but the sweet maltiness seems to take center stage. Just a bit of carbonation to clean the palate, was hoping for a little more. A medium bodied ale that heads to the heavier side of things.

Notes: A really interesting beer that I quite enjoyed, but I could only really drink one of these at a time. Just cloying enough in its sweetness to leave it a one beer and move on type of drink. Maybe if I was more in the mood i could go for another, but at this time it was a tad much. If you get a chance I would try it, just not sure about going for seconds.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2009 22:33:51 | More by sustainabrew

happy5930

New York

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

One of the first sours I've had. I found it to be smooth, and easy to drink. Not much carbonation. Amber in color, with little to no sediment. Not much of a bite, and not too sour. It was sweet to the tongue and nose. Certainly worth a try, a smooth and light brew, to put back slowly.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 03:42:18 | More by happy5930

Politibrew

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Completely translucent, held up to a light, a deep amber red color throughout. Quite a nice color.

Pours into a big foamy head, which dropped rather quickly.

Nose is decidedly vinegar, with a cider, fruity scent. Sour, but pleasant.

My first thought was, this sort of tastes like sour, fermented juice--like a fruit wine. Probably too sweet for my liking. Flavors; grapes, cherry, apple. Sour to sweet finish.

Mouthfeel was clean, smooth, and thin with medium carbonation.

I think this is an interesting enough beer, and probably a good to share with a wine lover, but I was somewhat let down by this beer. I simply can't imagine drinking more than one of these and still enjoying it--and I like sour Belgians. This is a decent, but not excellent, example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 03:53:35 | More by Politibrew

beerman20

Colorado

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

Beautiful red color, a nice lace left on the glass as you drink it, not as much of an aroma as other sours. The beer is smooth with a nice sourness that isn't overpowering. Cherries stand out. It's a mild sour compared to others that I've had. Easy to drink, light body, and a good sour overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 20:57:38 | More by beerman20

Franky3

Maine

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance- Pours a darkish red/brown but when held in light seems to actually be a beautiful shade of cherry/grape ruby red. The head was thin leaving a fairly uniform ring around my glass. Bubbles looked somewhat like the craters on the service of the moon which then shifted into thin blotches.

Smell- Somewhat tart with a facewarming sourness. Notes of cherry grape apple vinegar earthy browness.

Taste- Could have been better...It is a bit to flat and syruppy where I feel it could use sourness and refreshing dryness. Just my thought..Lots of tart aged cherries, very old style and good taste for what they are probably aiming for.

Feel- when it first hits your mouth it does deliver a fresh tingly carbonation.

Overall- I like the beer, there is no doubt it took time and hardwork to produce and they certainly came out with an impressive Flemish Red. However, I would leave it at just a Flemish Red, upon a taste you will find there is nothing very sour about it.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 01:34:01 | More by Franky3

Ransackingpete

California

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

A light reddish but mostly brown ale with a light, bubbly head. A solid sour smell and a very sweet and sour taste. I was reminded of kambucha with a sweeter taste. Occasionally I do think of vinegar at first taste.

Surprisingly it is pleasing overall and refreshing, as it advertises. I would drink this again if I wanted something light but adventurous.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 05:07:26 | More by Ransackingpete

JHarris1717

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a really nice summer sipping beer. Peter Kate and I all got this and liked it. Smells great. Good sour, would try again . Went well with burger and chips at TJ's. I would also try other sours to compare but it is definitely not my usual preference.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2012 10:35:24 | More by JHarris1717

swissmiss805

New York

4.53/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I love this beer. My first Flemish sour, it was a gateway beer to the style, leading me to all kinds of Duchesse (not a fan) and Cantillons, yet I always go back to Monks. It has all the tartness and acidity without the overly sweetness that can come with the style. Really, I'm just writing this review as a public forum for anyone who's spotted it in NYC/Brooklyn. Please let me know if you've bought/drank it in the area I miss the Monks!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2007 19:44:36 | More by swissmiss805

DirtyDachshunds

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance
Pours a slightly hazy rich dark mahogany color with a thick off white head.

Aroma
Smell is almost overpowering at first. The smell can be described as ‘sour cherries dipped in alcohol’. The sour and alcohol smell are the most predominate up front with a background of cherries to smooth out the scent.

Mouthfeel:
The sweet and sour mixture is pleasing. I found the sourness slightly overpowering. Low bittering.

Taste:
Taste is refreshing. The sour cherry flavor shines through with a small alcohol presence to add a little warming. Very clean

Overall: The malt and hops take a backseat to the sweet sourness. I get a refreshing aftertaste that leaves me wanting more. Very clean beer from start to finish. Excellent beer to be paired with cheese. Everything about this beer follows the rules, however nothing left me saying ‘wow’.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 01:16:44 | More by DirtyDachshunds

PhilCheSteak

New York

4.58/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Visited Philly last week and had a chance to pick up a bottle of this delicious beer. Poured out of a 11.2 oz bottle into a nonic glass.

A: Reddish/brown color, with a nice head. This beer is just asking me want to drink it every time I look at it.

S: An apple, fruity smell. Smells both sweet and sour.

T: Just the right amount of sweetness. I've never had a sweeter, more delicious beer in my life. Tastes of apples and cherries. Every sip is refreshing and satisfying.

M: A good amount of carbonation that wasn't overwhelming.

O: Love Monk's Flemish Sour Ale. Just the right amount of sweetness for me and overall a delicious, high quality beer. I need to find more bottles of this!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 18:22:14 | More by PhilCheSteak

Scottnr88

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep mahogany almost dark amber color. The white head dissipates quite quickly after pouring. Almost no carbonation afterwards.

S. I got some grassy notes on the nose. You can smell the sweetness of the beer with the very apparent profile of cherry in the beer.

T: Again lot of earthy flavors coming through, green apple,hey, cherry. One thing i did not expect was the dry finish at the end. Almost tastes like a hard cider or a champagne.

M: Good mouth feel, not too heavy or overpowering. Nice and sweet, slightly sour. Was almost expecting it to be a LOT more sour than it actually was.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 01:10:06 | More by Scottnr88

Beerdster

Alaska

3.31/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a tulip.

A: Pretty opaque, dark red almost to the point of being brown. Dense white/tan head dissipated quickly.

S: Smells great: fruity, cherry, rounded

Taste: Sourness up front, but not very tart, it quickly gives way to...not much, really. Pretty weak finish.

M: In a word: thin. In more than one word: Thin, with carbonation that's a bit flacid.

The smell and appearance of this one set me up for a bit of a letdown. Almost no flavor on the back end, weak finish and little to no body. Probably a good "starter" sour.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 16:22:40 | More by Beerdster