Imperial Flanders Red Ale | Storm Brewing
Brewed by:
Storm Brewing
British Columbia, Canada
stormbrewing.org
Style: Flanders Red Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
The next generation of Storm Brewing's award winning Belgian style sours. This crimson hued monster is aged at least a year in the same oak barrels that produced James` insane 12 year aged Lambic. And like the Lambic this beer is not for the faint of heart. Notes of oak, barnyard and goat complement its high ABV and puckering yet malty sourness.
Added by DaftCaskBC on 09-30-2011
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 41 | Reviews: 7
Reviews by cletetron:
4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
cletetron, Mar 20, 2012
More User Reviews:
3.5/5 rDev -17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Oh wow. Quite the experience.
Served on draft at Alibi Room in Vancouver, B.C.
Very overpowering vinegar taste with a fleeting sweet raspberry flavor and a sharp aftertaste. The vinegar flavor seemed to turn into a permanent marker taste after subsequent tastings. Not my favorite sour but very interesting overall. Labeled as 14% ABV on their menu.
Look - dark and ominous, served with tiny head
Smell - sweet vinegar
Taste - mostly vinegar taste with a fleeting sweet raspberry flavor that became a permanent marker taste
Feel - smooth and sharp
549 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Oh wow. Quite the experience.
Served on draft at Alibi Room in Vancouver, B.C.
Very overpowering vinegar taste with a fleeting sweet raspberry flavor and a sharp aftertaste. The vinegar flavor seemed to turn into a permanent marker taste after subsequent tastings. Not my favorite sour but very interesting overall. Labeled as 14% ABV on their menu.
Look - dark and ominous, served with tiny head
Smell - sweet vinegar
Taste - mostly vinegar taste with a fleeting sweet raspberry flavor that became a permanent marker taste
Feel - smooth and sharp
549 characters
4.62/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at St Augustines. Labeled "Imperial Flanders Red Ale".
Appearance. Pours a hazy, deep amber-red with a small but thick off-white head that lasts a while.
Smell. Funky sweet fruits, especially cherry and cantaloupe with a little mixed sour berries.
Taste. Nice and tart light fruits with a lightly funky, lactic sourness. Some dry white wine and a little old wet wood. Hard to believe this is 11% abv.
Mouthfeel. Medium body with low carbonation.
Overall. Real nice beer from a gem of a local brewery. More sours please, James!!
540 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at St Augustines. Labeled "Imperial Flanders Red Ale".
Appearance. Pours a hazy, deep amber-red with a small but thick off-white head that lasts a while.
Smell. Funky sweet fruits, especially cherry and cantaloupe with a little mixed sour berries.
Taste. Nice and tart light fruits with a lightly funky, lactic sourness. Some dry white wine and a little old wet wood. Hard to believe this is 11% abv.
Mouthfeel. Medium body with low carbonation.
Overall. Real nice beer from a gem of a local brewery. More sours please, James!!
540 characters
3.46/5 rDev -18.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.29/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.63/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
James @ Storm's 12 year lambic (available on tap a few years ago) is what got me into sours. This was the only other sour I had ever had until a year or two ago.
A: Natural leather I'd say - a crimson brown, and only traces of head.
S: Quite sour! Slightly malty and a little bit of burnt toffee. Funky earth notes.
T: Pretty puckering, less sweet than most. No berries or cherries by my tastebuds, but there is some fig, currant and/or date presence. Fairly malty.
M: Great. The sourness pricks at the inside of your mouth. Some heat towards the end as well - this is 11.00% ABV, after all!
It may not be the best sour in the world but it's up in the top group for sure. I spent a long time trying different beers to match my experience with Storm's sours to no avail. Finally I've found a few that are on the same level, but the Storm Flanders continues to hold its own.
882 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
James @ Storm's 12 year lambic (available on tap a few years ago) is what got me into sours. This was the only other sour I had ever had until a year or two ago.
A: Natural leather I'd say - a crimson brown, and only traces of head.
S: Quite sour! Slightly malty and a little bit of burnt toffee. Funky earth notes.
T: Pretty puckering, less sweet than most. No berries or cherries by my tastebuds, but there is some fig, currant and/or date presence. Fairly malty.
M: Great. The sourness pricks at the inside of your mouth. Some heat towards the end as well - this is 11.00% ABV, after all!
It may not be the best sour in the world but it's up in the top group for sure. I spent a long time trying different beers to match my experience with Storm's sours to no avail. Finally I've found a few that are on the same level, but the Storm Flanders continues to hold its own.
882 characters
4.19/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.75/5 rDev +12.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Super sour. Really well done
28 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Super sour. Really well done
28 characters
4.15/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On cask during Cask Days 2013.
Beer is brownish-red in colour, with a small off-white head.
Nose contains sour cherry, oak and balsamic vinegar. A nice smell, with the different scents well blended.
Taste contains sour cherry, lots of oak, and a balsamic vinegar taste. A notable malt base as well. A bit of vanilla. Quite sour.
Full bodied, low to moderate carbonation level. Acidic.
Overall, very nice.
409 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On cask during Cask Days 2013.
Beer is brownish-red in colour, with a small off-white head.
Nose contains sour cherry, oak and balsamic vinegar. A nice smell, with the different scents well blended.
Taste contains sour cherry, lots of oak, and a balsamic vinegar taste. A notable malt base as well. A bit of vanilla. Quite sour.
Full bodied, low to moderate carbonation level. Acidic.
Overall, very nice.
409 characters
4.5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.24/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.96/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to VoodooImpStout for sharing this one at Wowcoolman's tasting.
Pours a hazy honey brown with a foamy beige head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with malt, fruit, and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with a fruity flavor on the finish. There is a medium amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.
546 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to VoodooImpStout for sharing this one at Wowcoolman's tasting.
Pours a hazy honey brown with a foamy beige head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with malt, fruit, and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with a fruity flavor on the finish. There is a medium amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.
546 characters
Imperial Flanders Red Ale from Storm Brewing
4.23
out of 5
based on 41 ratings.