Goudenband
Brouwerij Liefmans

 

330ml bottle into a straight glass. 2022 blend.

Dark body, red wine when held up to the light. Small off white head shrinks to a ring, specks of lacing. Some cherry notes on the nose, but aroma seems a little off. Sour cherry taste with some woody notes. Tart & sour finish. Abv felt. Would almost certainly improve with age, best by March 2032.

375ml Paper Wrapped Bottle - Pours a dark ruby/deep brown with 1 finger foam head that dissipates rapidly. On the nose, notes of dark fruit, dried fruit and a hint of vinegar. Taste-wise, there is a high level of complexity with some really intense flavours. The notes present in the eroma are magnified and a hint of spice and caramrl is also evident. Beautiful sweetness with a very tiny touch of tart. Incredible beer.

Poured from a bottle into a snifter
Appearance – The beer pours a dark ruby brown red color with a small head of tan foam. The head fades rather fast, leaving a touch of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is rather strong of dark fruit smells of plum and prune, mixed with a touch of caramel apple and some cherry. Other aromas of candied sugar and yeast are there as well, mixing in with some notes of roasted ready malts and brownies. A hint of cola and spice are there as well, creating a nice inviting aroma overall.
Taste – Thes taste starts out with a nice cherry and plum sweetness with some brown bread and candied sugar flavors. There are nice roasty notes that get stronger toward the middle of the taste profile, with them later fading a touch toward the end. At the same time the dark fruit are joined by even more flavors, with some raisin and apple coming along. All throughout there is also some yeasty flavors and some light notes of sourness, being of a tart raspberry and vinegar flavor. A bit of coriander and some oak develop as well, and with a tiny touch of char at the end, one is left with a dark fruited, very lightly soured and nicely balanced taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is light and thinner with a carbonation level that is high. For the style and the mix of flavors the feel is great and it makes for one dangerously easy sipper.
Overall – A very nice and tasty lightly sour Belgium ale. One I will certainly seek out again.

 

750 ml bottle into a tulip glass. 2016 edition, had 11/17/21.

Pours an opaque, dark ruby, with a two inch foamy head with very good retention and a good amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of cherries, caramel, malt, oak, some raspberries, light apple. Smells lightly sour. Tastes lightly sour and tart. Flavors of cherries, malt, caramel, oak, light apple, a hint of chocolate. Smooth, a very good medium body, well carbonated.

Above average for the style. It’s a little lighter overall than others, but also not as cherry focused. Lots of caramel and oak among other aromas and flavors. Very easy to drink, too. Really enjoyable.

Having this beer on draft at Lizardville in Bedford, OH. Served to me in a tulip glass, this beer draws a very dark copper/amber color with A slightly off-white had that’s about an inch thick on first drawn and served. Head eventually settles to a medium sized ring lining the inside of the glass with some very small spots of surface foam. Barely any lacing to speak of. Aromas of some toasted, bready malts, notes of vinegar and lactate along with some fruity esters. A very similar flavor profile, with a toasted, bready malt presence to start off with that has hints of molasses and brown sugar sweetness. This is followed by some guide notes of apple, cherry, and dates along with a bit of lactate and vinegar that give it the nice sour note that blends so well with the molasses and brown sugar presence. Rounded out with a bit of a woody flavor. Although all of the different flavors are pretty subtle overall, this beer has a pretty complex flavor profile that I’m enjoying quite a bit. Has a somewhat crisp, also smooth, just slightly prickly, light to medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Has a nice, long finish and all the different flavors linger nicely on my palate for a long time after each sip.

Eric

 

Had this on draft 9/1/22 @ the Hopleaf.

Mostly see-through brown/orange appearance.

Dark cherry, lemon & mild vinegar notes in the nose.

Medium thin mouthfeel.

Dark cherry & lemon flavors up front; artisanal vinegar & honey notes on the finish.

Elegant; so easy to drink for a "sour" beer. A stunner.

 

 

 

750ml bottle. Paper wrapped bottle. Caged and corked bottle. Label says blended in 2016; cap has imprinted date of '09 2026'.
Ruby brown colored body, with reddish backlit highlights. Thin light tan head, which sticks around. Lacing sticks on all non-drinking sides.
Aroma of red wine with earthy, dark fruit.
Taste is woody, but also sweet from the fruit - apple, cherry, and raspberry. Has the caramel also. Aftertaste trails off quickly.
Medium mouth feel, and slightly smooth and syrupy. Carbonation is not a big deal here.
Tastes like a cross between a merlot and cherry cola. This aroma and taste expression is not often found. Slightly different flavor nuances are discovered with each sip. Really a treat. Very good paired with blue cheese.

On tap at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY.

This one pours a dark-ish murky brown color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like damp wood, cherry juice, green apple, pear, and red wine vinegar.

This is simultaneously too sweet and too vinegary for me - it's kind of a cloying medicinal sweetness for me, and when mixed with the old stale vinegar aspects, it definitely clashes. There's some nice woodiness and cherry skin, but it just doesn't work out for me. I know it's a classic beer, and maybe I'm missing out on something here, but it's just a contradictory set of flavors for me.

This is medium bodied, with a lower level of carbonation, and a soft finish. It's not particularly sour, by any means.

I wanted to like this one a lot more, but maybe it's just not for me.

 

 

 

Hard to tell exactly what it is trying to be although it grows on you. I was hoping for more funk and candi sugar but it wasn't there. Probably would like it more after more tries

 

330 ml bottle, from the Norwegian importer (I could swear I had rated this beer before, but apparently not). Dark reddish brown colour, large beige head. The aroma has first a whiff of smoke, then notes of red wine, red wine vinegar, oak and horse stable. Pleasant flavour, malty, fruity and only moderately sour, again notes of red wine, red wine vinegar and oak, hardly any noticeable hops. Still easy drinking, due to the fruitiness. The alcohol is well hidden. Nice one.