Duke Of Lyons
Oskar Blues Grill & Brew

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Flanders Oud Bruin
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.33 | pDev: 5.54%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
4
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 25, 2007
Added:
Feb 03, 2007
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by blitz134:
Photo of blitz134
Reviewed by blitz134 from California

4.08/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Sampled at the Brickstore Pub in Atlanta. Evidentally only 6 or so kegs of this were released and we were lucky enough to get one of them. I will mention that I love this style, but I still have a hard time with the flavor discriptors since the sourness and tartness usually dominates things. I'll do my best...

Dark brown in color with reddish highlights. Pretty clear body with only a little haziness. Thin white head that held on for a while. Beautiful lacing.

I found the aroma light, somewhat simple in nature but spoke well for itself. I found the aroma a bit wine like, mainly from the fermented grape aromas. Also wood was evident, but more of a light colored wood. The sourness of this beer didn't hesitate to show itself in the nose.

I have to mention the finish first since it makes this beer what it is. It has that sharp, almost harsh, finish of a super dry wine. The wine barrels this was aged in comes through in the finish. I didn't find it all that sour, but it was tart. Although the tartness really hits after the swallow. As for the flavors it had some overripe, fermented dark fruits, white grapes mostly, and a light colored wood essence again. The alcohol level, which I assume is actually pretty low, showed itself more than I was expecting.

Mouthfeel is thin like most Flanders styles, but the finish is super dry which I really like, but it borders on being over the top. The tartness seems to hang on for quite a while as well.

I thought that, while I like the dryness, it seemed to be a bit too much for extended drinkability, almost brash on the pallate. Overall though it has good flavors and is a definate sipper. I'd like to have another shot at this since I really enjoy the style, but its really hard to drink much more than the one 7oz sample I had in one sitting.
Feb 03, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

4.12/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours with a hazy, deep, murky amber color that is basically brown. It is topped by an initially two-finger thick, brownish tan colored head. The aroma is a nice mix of sour notes, fruit character and malt; hints of malt vinegar, caramelized malt sugars, browned-crusty sourdough-bread, sour cherries, tart plums, a touch of chalky-dusty malt are what is most noticeable. Towards the end of the aroma the malt character really starts to focus and become a bit more amplified.

Quite tart tasting, even a bit of a shock to my palate, despite that I was expecting it to be tart. It seems pretty devoid of sweetness after the first sip; subsequent sips confirm this for the most part, but there is a hint of malt sweetness that peeks through every now and then. The beer finishes with quite an astringent note; I am not quite sure where it is coming from. It almost seems to be a mix of an off fermentation character and too much roast malt (though I would certainly not characterize this beer as being roast-like); it seems to almost seem mint-like at times, though I am not sure where I am getting this. While being perceived as quite dry, this beer still manages to have a fullness to the body, it is almost even lightly chewy; there is lots of malt character left untouched in this beer. The malt flavors become more noticeable as my palate gets used to the sourness; chewy caramelized grain notes, browned-crusty-bread flavors, toasted malt, and even some dry biscuit-like notes play a role here. The malt and touch of sweetness, in combination with the sourness, even contribute a sort of cherry-like flavor to this brew.

This is a pretty good interpretation, it is a little rough around the edges (especially towards the finish), but this may be a product of it needing to age a bit more. I really like that this beer has a heft to it still, I like my sour browns to have a certain weight to them as they hit the tongue and this one certainly has that. I still can't quite get past that sensation of menthol in the finish; I am not sure why it is here, but there is something definitely to it. The more I dwell on it, the more I think that the "off" flavor in the finish could really somehow derived from a dusty, toasted, grain character of the type found in a toasty, brown ale. This is actually quite a bit more malty than one would expect from a proto-typical Flemish sour brown, and while it does not completely work, I still greatly appreciate the malt depth that is still in this brew. This is definitely one of those brews where both the aroma and flavor get better as you work your way through it; for that I am grateful to have a 16oz pour of this brew.
Jun 25, 2007
Photo of Big78CJ
Reviewed by Big78CJ from Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I tried this beer last night at a beer tasting in Athens. My notes here are preliminary but I will post a more detailed review after I sample some more this evening in a more relaxed environment.

A: This poured a nice deep brown with light ruby and tan highlights kicking around the middle. There was a very mild head on the glass (I ordered an additional beer so as not to judge it by the tasting glass only).

S: A woody aroma is noticeable in the wild yeasty sourness. There also appears to be some slight sweet taste yet I know there is no fruit added to this beer (so says beer rep Kerri Allen & her equally beer savvy husband Owen Ogletree).

T: I do not taste as much of the sweet that I smelled but this does not mean it is not milling around in the back waiting to be released. The sourness is very refined and a fantastic example of an Oud Bruin. Towards the end of the beer I started to notice more oak and vanilla notes.

M: Just like a lambic, oud bruins leave my mouth watering for more and this one is not different. Very tart and juicy.

D: Well this is the last keg in the United States so you can bet your ass I will be going back tonight and tomorrow and the next day and so on until it is gone.

Note: Kerri also told us this beer is aged for 2.5 years in Oak Barrels. It was brewed by their former brewer and has not been brewed since he left. Hopefully their current brewer will try to tackle it.
Jun 14, 2007
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4.67/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had on tap at the Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA. The story is that the brewery made 10 kegs, but only six ended up being available nationally. This is a phenomenal sour brown ale aged for 2 years in barrels used previously to age Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The beer pours a brownish ruby that is fairly clear, with a fine beaded white head that leaves some medium lacing. The smell is winey and sour with some faint malty notes floating around as well. The taste is very long and quite complex with world class sour brown flavors. Opens with tannic and acetic qualities and an underlying metallic flavor that is not at all unpleasant. The initial flavors transition into more sourness, but with a less acetic quality and additional winey flavors. These flavors end up as some tannic bitterness. At the finish there are some funky barnyard flavors from the aging. Great flavors, and everything an aged beer of this style should be. The mouthfeel is just right for the style, medium weight and crisp, but without the overly acetic sharpness that Rodenbach has acquired in its most recent incarnation. Very, very drinkable, just a delight.
Feb 03, 2007
Duke Of Lyons from Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
Beer rating: 4.33 out of 5 with 4 ratings