Mestreechs Aajt (US - Non-Saccharin Version) - Gulpener Bierbrouwerij B.V.

DefenCorps

Oregon

2.68/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

On tap at Max's. I guess this is what I drank, unless we got the Dutch version

Dark brown, solid brown head with good retention and nice lacing. Nose is light, tart, roasty, mildly lactic and refreshing. Very grainy and rustic. Some sweetness is noticeable. Palate opens very sweet, artificial, almost like Equal. It really gets in the way, covering up the grain and tartness. Sweet, artificially so on the finish with a mild grainy husky character. Light in body with high carbonation, this beer is too sweet for its own good. I can't really recommend this.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2011 00:21:53 | More by DefenCorps

francisweizen

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was excited to try a new Flemish red ale, but this really didn't cut it for me, and yes it was the 5% US version. A dark reddish plum with a small head of off-white/beige. The aromas were of several malts, a bit of oak, some funk, and no hops. The taste was quite malty but pretty one dimensional with a bit of oak in the mix as well. This was OK, but bland for a flemish red, and nowhere near a rodenbach level of complexity. The mouthfeel was medium bodied and decent but the drinkability was not the best. Decent for a flemish red, but there are many better examples, imho.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2005 03:21:49 | More by francisweizen

GClarkage

California

4.38/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

04/06/06- On tap at the Toronado in San Francisco, CA during Belgium Beer Month.

Presentation- Via the tap into a tulip type glass.

Appearance- Off brown in color. Maybe a mahoganey or off cherry color as well. Light rim of head after the pour. Nice lacing left behind.

Smell- Mild funk. Not really barnyard though. Maybe some pickup of some plums or other dark fruits. A bit woody.

Taste- Very nice tart flavor at first taste. Not to tart though. Even has a taste of sugary sweetness after you get into the beer. Maybe some oak aspects as well.

Mouthfeel- Caresses the mouth nicely. Low to mid range carbonation level. Low aftertaste effect.

Drinkability- Fine example of a Flanders. Worth trying for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2006 20:02:03 | More by GClarkage

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev -9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Prime 16 into a Weyerbacher tulip.

A: Beautiful, clear, dark ruby body under a majestic two-finger head of creamy, sticky tan foam. Tons of lace. Truly spectacular.

S: A little underpowered - light acetic sting, some sweet fruit, and a bit of husky malt. Pretty pleasant and to style, but just a little weak.

T: There's a nice bit of vinegary piquancy that bounces between my palate and sinuses, but this pleasant sharpness is quickly subsumed in sweet, sticky cherry fruit and pale malt. Way better than some examples of the style (cough-Duchesse-cough), but still a trifle cloying.

M: Hugely carbonated, medium body. Lightly sticky. Not bad at all.

O: How hard is it to brew a Flanders Red that isn't cloyingly sweet? Ommegang Rouge and Rodenbach Grand Cru made me fall in love with the style, but it seems like almost every one I've had since has been cursed with excessive sweetness. This particular beer shows some terrific signs of life, and is really quite enjoyably quaffable, but still doesn't quite deliver the bracing acidity and tart fruitiness that I'm looking for. It was on tap simultaneously with Rodenbach Grand Cru, though, and the bartender told me that most people who tried both preferred the Mestreechs Aajt, so take my opinion with a grain of salt - I'd take the Rodenbach 10 times out of 10.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 03:27:50 | More by woosterbill

merlin48

Kentucky

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Gulpener was my favorite brewery during my trips to the Netherlands, several years ago, but I don't remember sampling this Flanders Red ale. What a treat to find a Gulpener offering of any kind just a daytrip away from home.
This pours a clear and shimmering, dark mahogany body in the goblet, appearing garnet when held to the light. Small, ivory head quickly fades into collar and film lace.
Oak wood aromas hit the nose first, but I'm not certain this is barrel aged. Tart cherries quickly emerge, with a sourness that is suggestive of a flavored vinegar. There is also a distinct, barnyard chickenhouse yeasty presence that is very similar to a Lambic.
The mouthfeel is soft and satiny, with a medium body and low carbonation.
The taste is divine. Some toffeeish malt flavors around the edges envelop the essence of this nectar, the tart, fruitiness that is mouth puckering. Sour cherries seem to combine with green apples plucked from the tree several weeks before they're ripe. Woody tones are noted as well, suggestive of oak barrel aging. The yeast is more prominent in the nose than the taste, but offers a welcome earthiness. The complexities combine for a subtle and well balanced palate, that is exceptionally drinkable. This ale is not heavy, at all, and is anything but cloying. I could have several of these at a sitting. I don't mean to imply that this is not a sipping ale, for it most certainly is. I can't believe that I only bought a single bottle. Another beer road trip is definitely in the near future, in order to acquire a decent stock of this fine Flanders Red. Gulpener, by the way, is brewed in Netherlands' Limburg province, very near the Belgian border, so this one can lay a good claim to regional authenticity. An excellent experience here! I need more.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2004 23:36:28 | More by merlin48

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Brouwerij Lane in Brooklyn, NY

A: Pours a crystal clear very dark amber in color with hint of garnet red when held up to the light and light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a half finger tall creamy dark beige head that reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Lightly sour/tart with notes of vinegar, sweetness, and cherry.

T: The beer starts out with light to moderate flavors of sweetness and black cherries before the flavors of the wood from the aging process become apparent. The beer finishes with light to moderate amounts of tartness/sourness and some very light vinous/vinegar hints.

M: Slightly heavier than light bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: This beer is very well balanced between the sweet and sour/tart flavors. Easy to drink and very enjoyable. I would be happy to sip on this beer all afternoon.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 13:21:32 | More by dbrauneis

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer poured crystal clear deep amber brown with a tan head which rose slowly but had staying power to last at it's low level and lace the glass.

The aroma was acetic and lactic sourness followed by a malty floral aroma. Cherries and oak also dominated the aroma.

The flavor was soft, only slightly sour with a grainy flavor that tickled the tongue. The vinegar sourness that was pungent in the aroma was noticeably subdued in the flavor. The flavor contained a complexity of oak and cherries and a fruitiness that was very well done. Tart would be a good way to describe the flavor, but not in a harsh way at all.

The finish was just dry, slightly grainy, and with a subtle sour yet malty cherry impression lasting long into the aftertaste. The body was medium and nice for the style.

11.2 ounce bail top bottle. No sediment in bottle...none. Purchased at Greens Warehouse in Columbia, SC. Very complex and interesting, I am glad I made this purchase.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2004 00:07:15 | More by GCBrewingCo

GbVDave

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a goblet a Map Room 9/15/07.

A: Served an attractive, dark, tarnished-copper color. Very dark, brownish-red with deep mahogany highlights. Some sticky lace.

S: Vaguely tart. Smells of earthy, dirty, and sour cherries. Also picked up a hint of raisin.

T: See above with the addition of oak and a pleasantly medicine-y flavor in the finish. Did I taste tree bark?

M: Sour and bitter with just the right amount of oak-y smoothness.

D: Quite refreshing, as far as sour beers go.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2007 14:20:56 | More by GbVDave

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Found this in Champaign, IL a few weeks back, and had to grab it. I tried it on tap last Thursday and really enjoyed it, so lets see what the bottle does for me. It pours a deep ruby red color with a light coating of foam over top. The nose on this is divine. Huge sweet/sour/tart/cherry blast infuses my nostrils. Just intense. Love it. The flavor is slightly puckering initially, but quickly fades to a lightly tart and creamy cherry. It finishes very mellow. I like the striking difference from the initial flavor to the finish. The feel is moderate to thick, with a creamy feel to it. Just a light carbonation keeps things balanced. Highly drinkable. Very refreshing on a early summer evening.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2005 01:29:12 | More by kmpitz2

Crosling

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cherry red color. Lightly acidic nose, vinous, peppery, with hints of balsamic vinegar a touch of red fruit. I find this to be poorly blended, too much lager and not enough sour ale. It’s definately a let down, compared to the aroma, which led me to believe this was going to be intensely sour. The caramel sweetness from the lager seems to be the most dominant here and I look for a drier, less approchable and more sour version of red ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2006 15:50:15 | More by Crosling

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a reddish brown with minimal head and lacing on top of an aroma that I can only say is sweet, like caramel or just plain sugar, while also this wicked sourness and funk. Taste is more of the same as there's an underlying sweetness combo'd w/ tart fruits like cherry while this sour funk patch just keeps going. Easy to drink yet a sipper b/c it just keeps mixing it up and then finishes with a rather crisp, sour finish.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2011 19:02:40 | More by clayrock81

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

11.2 oz, squat, brown bottle with "ceramic" flip top. Ingredients: malt, water, hops, yeast.

This Flanders red (or is it a Flemish brown?) ale poured a clear, dark, coffee brown color with light brown foam that settled leaving suds on the surface but clinging to the glass a bit in clumps. The smell was sharp and tart and even a bit sour, with a wild, citrus and cherry aroma going on -- I love it. The taste was tart to sour but with an underlying sweetness especially towards the finish. There were woody notes and some wild funkiness, and a fruity, cherry flavor (where does that come from?), and a base maltiness under it all. A great flavor that really grew on me from the first time I tasted this beer. The mouthfeel was wonderfullly tart with medium body and modest carbonation. The malt and tart flavors lingered in the aftertaste. This is a really great beer, and when it is fresh, it is incredible. But when it is old (especially on tap), it loses its luster quickly.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2005 06:40:14 | More by UncleJimbo

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Grabbed this brew from New England Beverage in Orange. I am drinking a chilled sample in a snifter. The bottle opens with a pop and release of mist. Pours a clear chestnut with deep ruby tints. A small frothy off white head foams up and fades quickly.
Aroma is sour cherry dominant but also allows some vanilla sweetness and a bit of biscuity scent as well. First sip reveals an average body fine prickly carbonation. Flavor is very tart with sour cherries and white wine characteristics dominating. The beer is very dry and again I think of white wine/white grapes while drinking.
I also get some banana as the beer warms a little. This beer is very enjoyable and I will definitely buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2004 23:11:38 | More by sulldaddy

clvand0

Kentucky

4.38/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Plop top bottle. Pours a dark ruby color with a small head that falls fast and leaves a little lacing on the glass. The aroma comes out with a big sour character, then is followed up by a lot of sweet fruitiness. Interesting. The flavor is slightly less sweet than expected, but still has quite a bit of sweetness. Has a solid tart/sour thing going on, but it's not over the top. Lots of cherry flavor going on to follow the sourness. Very smooth for the style. Has an almost creamy body. Drinkability is great. This one is much less sour than others I've had, making it a little easier to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2005 01:26:33 | More by clvand0

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Label Lingo and Bottle Babble: Intriguing mini flip top ceramic 11.2 FL OZ. Dual labeled with a logo neck label and the mail body label containing a medieval sketch of brewing and a town landscape. Ingredients: Malt, water, hops, yeast.

Dark ruby and mahogany yet clear pour into a slender pilsner with a jagged spotty khaki head cover leaving a thin collar ring and some top level foam lace.

Highly pungent mouth watering sour Granny Smith apple tartness. Plenty of funky Grandma’s attic and redolent dark fruit scents.

First Swigs: Cranberry and plum tart. Finishes dry. A bit Earthy and mineraly. Plenty of sour citrous lemony peel notes. Fruit pucker is endless. Plums some under-ripe peach. Good amount of barnyard and Pez candy powdery sweetness. Delicious.

Crisp clean ginger ale body and feel. Highly drinkable but to be picayune on such a fine beer, a twinge more lemon lime would have been exquisite. Still, an excellent style.

Last Swigs: Plum flavored 7-Up. Practically took out my eye with the Fssst! Pop opening. A new favorite style for me. Light 5% ABV. Thanks to Beerookie for the bottle. Usually goes for $3.00~ a bottle.

Beer is good. Happy sour beering.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2004 05:06:41 | More by blitheringidiot

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz. swingtop bottle. Very dark brown burgandy color. Some hints of ruby around the edges, but mostly very dark. Thin white head disappears quickly. The nose is very wine-like. Grapes, oaky, other fruity smells. Very tart, acidic and sharp. The tartness drops off at the end. Dry, no bitterness. Medium body, very low carbonation. Some good flavors picked up from the oak. Very interesting beer. Not the most drinkable, but very good.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2005 02:31:34 | More by Bierguy5

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Yet another very cool looking swingtop bottle. The top comes off with a super loud pop that makes me flinch. Whoa! Pours a nice dark brown with hints of red and a good bubbly off white head. When held up to the light the brew looks blood red, quite nice. The aroma starts with a sour cherry along with molasses, chocolate, caramel, raisin and an underlying woody funkiness that has a slight vinegar twang to it. Funky chocolate covered cherries....yum! I really enjoy the nose here and it keeps me coming back for more.

A dark sweet and sour cherry flavor flows over the palate along with a healthy maltiness that has notes of sweet caramel and chocolate. Hints of wood and vinegar peek through with each sip. The brew is quite a bit sweeter than the nose led on, however there's still a nice sour/bitter component that helps to balance it out. Lingering funky yeast notes and acidity make me think of a lambic. Overall, I find this to be quite a tasty brew.

Mouthfeel is fairly thin, but it's smooth, refreshing and enjoyable. Each sip is quite complex and keeps me coming back for another. This is very drinkable...I could easily have sat down to a 750 no problem and I wish I had more than 11.2oz. I will be seeking out more Flanders Red Ales and I would recommend this one as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2005 03:04:03 | More by orbitalr0x

granger10

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a dark crimson brown color with a medium tan head. Aroma is weak but fruity and slightly tart. Taste has more of a balance between the fruit flavors and the sour flavors, a little chocolate underneath. But I can't really get anything definitive. I'm searching for a striking flavor and I can't really find any. It's good, really smooth and drinkable, but nothing really piques my intrigue in this one. Good, but nothing amazing.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2005 02:19:01 | More by granger10

Frozensoul327

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First, I must assume that I have the right brew, as I bought this in the US, therefore am going with the assumption that this is the US Non-Saccharin Version. Poured out to a dark red / amber color with a very nice head and good lace around the glass. Odors of sweet grapes and plumbs that have fermented. Very Nice. Flavors of sweet fruit and dark berries are most present, as is a slight sourness that lurks in the background. Also a slightly roasted quality was present, which added to the limited complexity of this beer. Finished smooth, with some bite toward the end, but just enough to get your attention and invite you back for another sip. This is a good sipping ale. Highly recommended. If you have never had a Flanders Red, this is a good place to start.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2005 02:13:33 | More by Frozensoul327

CampusCrew

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at kickbacks jacksonville, where else would I get to try something so rare? This beer was hyped up alot and I actually made a trip especially try this.. Usually when I do this and gaer this muvh about it, its a let down. The best thing was the appearance. Loved the dark body, almost stout like, with nice white fluffy head. Poured inna tulip glass it looked like a sundae. Great aromas and flavors of dark malts and a nice medium body. Not overly sour and I loved the balance of sweetness. Near Perfect!

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2012 16:57:41 | More by CampusCrew

rtepiak

Poland

4.47/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

had on tap at monk's cafe.

for the abv a superior flemish red. and the great thing is they server a pint that goes perfect with their duck sandwich. nose is tart with a significant doughiness quality to it and a nice balance of earth and wood. the smell of pipe tobacco in there a in the undertones... turgid malt has a stale sweetness to it. palate is a bit tart but equally so balanced with a quality of breadiness. earthy bitter and cherry tanin grippy. astonishing quality.

i would drink this regularly if i could.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2011 05:57:06 | More by rtepiak

Todd

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

What happens when an importer gains the power to make changes in a brew house thousands of miles away? We get a US version of Mestreechs Aajt, with no saccharin and 1.5% more alcohol by volume. Woo-hoo!

Presented in its own glassware (a wide and short flute), the beer has a mesmerizing dark ruby color to it with black edges. An off-white, tight, creamy lace crowns it and retains a decent level of lace throughout the experience.

Aroma is sweet & sour, like a pack of Smarties, with distinct black cherries and fruity berries.

Body is a bit light and the mouthfeel smooth, with a gentle tartness that segues into a sharp, lime and rind bitterness. As the bitterness comes down, the palate is treated to an amazing juicy black cherry flavor that dominates and clings to the upper palate. The black cherry / lime flavors are very refreshing and work well together (literally think "black cherry juice with lime squeezed into it"). As the beer warms, a thin caramel sweetness pulls through, followed by a lingering purple grape finish that's a bit vinous. All of this happens in mere seconds as the flavors are very quick and short lived, leaving an extremely clean, dry, more-ish finish.

Despite the quickness on the palate, this beer could quite possibly be one of my top picks of the year. It's highly refreshing and packed with simple, bold and clean flavors. Simply an amazing beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2004 12:57:27 | More by Todd

AlexJ

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks Terry at Mount View for putting this in my basket. This style is relatively new to me, the only other sour beer I've had is Dutchess.

It pours a lively copper-red with a hint of cloudiness and a massive marshmellow fluff head, wicked lace and head retention. Aromas of musty earth, apple-cidar, muscat grapes, candy-apple, and pickled fruit.

Flavor is initially cidar-sweet with a very musty barn-yard note, almost Bordeaux-like followed by sour grapes and faint vinegar. There is a great balance between sweet and sour that makes each sip a pleasure. Mild malt is in there somewhere, and no hops that I can detect.

Mouthfeel is somewhat grainy with a medium body and active carbonation. Wierd, but definately grows on you. I saw it on tap at Delaney's ( New haven, CT) but didn't try it. Now I wish that I had!!!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2004 23:24:33 | More by AlexJ

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I’d only had this in bottles and have had a hard enough time finding it, but leave it to Monk’s to have it on tap. <insert appropriate prostrations, bowing and scrapings here>

This beer came a glowing orb of cranberry in a tulip glass. This was absolutely stunning, but there wasn’t a speck of head to be seen.

Smelled of raspberries and cranberries with a smooth buttery straw and a funky, musky snap.

Tasted of raspberries and tart tingly cranberries that were blended into a musky funky yeast and a buttery straw.

The mouth feel is light with a great swarm of bubbles that really helped stir up the tangy elements of the beer. Nice!

This one’s simply a must; bottle or tap. It’s really a delicious and appealing rendition of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2006 20:14:37 | More by DarkerTheBetter

putnam

Michigan

4.88/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

reddish dark brown, lazy ascending prickles of white. Aromas of sour concord grape jelly and cranberry sauce. Big, pillowy mouthful of jammy fruit flavors and brown spices melt away in a tart, airy rush. Cocoa flavored tannins linger with the pulpy mass of fruit residue. What a complete beer. Hyperdrinkable, dark, bursting at the seams with fruit flavor, dry ... pure eloquence.

It's about time!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2005 22:42:40 | More by putnam