Oude Tart Reserve
The Bruery Terreux

 

2018 Vintage
375ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours brown in color with a bright ruby hue, one-finger off-white head has great retention long after the pour

S- an array of dark fruits, cherries, raisins and black grapes. Vinous red wine notes, as well as lemon, vinegar, leather, wet oak and a hint of chocolate

T- lush tart cherry notes up front are immediately followed by a distinct flavor that resembles muscadine grapes. Mid-palate gives notes of tart vinegar and red wine, as well as some leather and tobacco notes. The finish gives more dark cherry notes, as well as wet oak and vanilla, lingers of tart cherries

M- medium body with low carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel and a tart, semi-dry finish

O- one of the best Flanders red ales that I've had. Intense flavors throughout of cherries, oak and earth, outstanding

My stash of sours is dwindling, and I still have a few more to review. I have held on this beer for about a year. This beer is supposed to be a reserve version of the original. I enjoyed the first version of Oude Tart, and I am excited to try this one. The beer is 44 degrees and served in a wine glass. The pour of the beer produced a one finger creamy tan head. The retention of the beer is fair and left nothing on the glass. On the color chart, the beer checks in around SMR 16. An amber-brown dominates the color profile with mahogany hues. Haziness in the beer prevents clarity. The beer has a beautiful appearance.

The initial aromas in the are vinegar, lemons, earthiness, and oak. Next, I smell, toasted malts, oranges, cherries, vinous, bready, a subtle sweetness, and phenols (does not come across as spicy).

The flavors in the beer are vinegar, lemons, earthiness, oak, and red wine. Next, I taste toasted malts, oranges, cherries, and bready.

The mouthfeel of the beer is tart and astringent.

The body of the beer is medium, medium carbonation, and a fuller finish.

The beer is ripe with flavor and sourness. A rich rounded texture gives this vibrant sour flavors. I would not purchase this beer again, because I feel the original version is just as good. I get higher alcohol and a bit more body. A solid sour beer nonetheless.

 

 

L - 1-finger tan head atop an opaque maroon body.

S - red wine, vinegar, grapes.

T - very sour red wine vinegar. Low sweetness. No bitterness. Low booziness.

F - medium-light body with average carb.

O - lots of acid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well I don't like the concept of this beer right off the bat. Select barrels of the best flanders in the world huh? Sounds more like marketing than substance. I mean, I get Black Tuesday reserve, its double barreled, substantive difference, but here, we're just picking the barrels we like more of Oude Tart? Ok.

Anyways, pours that dark brown similar to regulare plebe Oude Tart. Lighter beige head 1/3". Aroma still kicks down that earthy, leather dark oak presence, with a lot of red wine and sour dark cherry like notes. Really one of the best aromas for a flanders out there.

Taste still blows me away, but is it any different than that plebe Oude Tart? Indistinguishable methinks. You still get an amped up sourness, but with all the other traditional oude tart flanders stuff going on. I mean, everything about this beer rocks except for its concept and price. Sorry, but I'm just gonna keep rocking Oude Tart, its one of the best beers at the best value style wise in the world. I have cases of Oude Tart in the cellar over the years, and this beer won't change that nor will it be hoarded (wink) like the plebe version.

 

 

A: Poured into a tulip glass to a deep brown which is topped by a dense light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing.
S: Smells of cherries and leather with some sourness and oak. Hints of funk and acetone as well.
T: Taste brings notes of leather, caramel, and cherries with some nice sourness. Slight furniture polish with some nice oak notes. On the swallow there's some slight chocolate, leather, oak, cherries, lingering tartness, and some slight funk.
M: This beer has a moderate amount of body with a slightly slick feel on the palate. Carbonation is effervescent without being prickly while the beer has a drying finish.
O: Overall this beer is incredible. An amazing amount of complexity and so much depth of flavor in this beer makes this a beer to sip and savor. This beer is definitely worth a try if you can find it and like the style.

Poured from the bottle into a Bruery tulip glass. Vintage 2018.

Faint mahogany and dark brown body color, mixing with a real nice deep mix of red and rust brown. Head makes about half a finger of fleeting tan with a touch of snappy sounding carbonation. Simple collar left with a mix of thin and big bubbles.

Real nice aroma. Touches of tart fruit and wood, with a mixture of other complexities. Dark sour cherry and a faint hints of oak. Small touches of red wine grape, almost cab sauvignon, with a minor touch of sage herbs. There's even a touch of milky chocolate drizzling in here also. There's a lot going on, real impressive.

Very sharp palate. Large amount of puckering tartness on the front with the first sip. Mid palate mellows considerably but with a neutral supportive malt depth, and tangy sourness. Spritzy mouthfeel also slightly, was expecting a bit more rounder and oakier feel and palate. Large amounts of tart berries and sour dark cherry fruit all over, with a little bit of chocolate shavings.

Still a pretty solid and tasty Flanders style brew.

 

 

Growler filled 8-31-2018

Appearance: Dark reddish brown color with a medium-sized beige head. Nice looking beer.

Smell: Modest leather, tart cherry and mild funk notes.

Taste: Tart cherry and fruity notes, some moderate leather notes, and mild hay notes nicely balanced somewhere between sour and tart. The beer finishes very dry and clean.

Mouth-feel: Body is on the lighter Medium side with a fair level of carbonation.

Overall: This is a good version of Oude Tart. I find it to have less of a red wine presence than other vintages of Oude Tart I've had but this is extremely clean finishing and tasty.