Monk's Café Flemish Sour Ale
Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

330ml bottle poured into a Tulip.

L: Clear, ruby hued dark brown, 2 inch off-white pink-ish head, thick persistent foam, decent lace.
S: Full nose, lactic and sour, vinous aroma, oak wine cask, brown sugar malty aroma takes over.
T: Tart, a bit of lactic (berry) sweetness and dark sugary malts but mostly dry.
F: Medium-light body, low-ish carbonation, clean feel.
O: Easy drinking for a sour (for me), not overly sour or tart, nice enjoyable sipper.

 

 

L: Dark reddish brown body, thin head with a bit of lacing.
S: Soft, tart, fragrant. Strawberry, cherry, honey, oak, a few chocolatey notes.
T: Upfront tart cherry and raspberry, quickly settling into sweet grape jam notes, honey, a faint bit of vinegar, and finishing with hints of chocolate and roasted malt.
F: Initially a bit sharp and slightly acidic, smooths out quickly, moderate carbonation.
O: Fairly sweet, enjoyable combination of flavors, a bit like a tart jam on toast.

 

9/2023 BOM

330ml bottle from Gulden Draak Bierhaus, Porto (€5.30):
Dark cherry fed with a thin, soapy surface lacing that has a little build up stuck to the sides too & looks quite still. The nose is surprisingly light with some background malts but very little sourness other than a tiny hint of tart at the end. The taste is thankfully stronger, some nice cherry & dark berries with a little tart following on behind then a faint sweetness to close. The body is about medium & it's a very balanced, easy going beer with soft carbonation; not what I'd expected but a nice surprise bar the non-existent nose.

 

11.2oz can stamped L8155 10:13 (over 4 years old?) poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 5.5% ABV. The beer pours medium brown in color with ruby highlights and light brown head. The head recedes to a pencil thin ring and scattered tiny bubbles. The aroma is tart red wine and nondescript malt. The taste is tart & sweet malt with notes of brown sugar, red berries, red wine and rustic, grainy bread. Negligible bitterness. The mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, good for what it is, just not my style.

Oh man, I haven't had an Oud Bruin in a minute. It's a very uncommon style. Actually, I believe the last one I had was this at Monk's itself when I visited Philly back in March, but did not review it at the time. Let's revisit the beer specifically brewed for this famous taproom

Pours a mostly opaque reddish brown with a finger of tan head that fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose is pretty vinous, but leans on a significant malt backbone. I'm picking up on aromas of red wine vinegar, tart red grape, black cherry, caramel malt, raisin, and light brown sugar

It loses a bit of its punch in taste, but it's certainly still enjoyable. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting black cherry, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, brown bread, light balsamic, and plum. The swallow brings notes of black cherry, apple cider, brown bread, caramel malt, red grape, and light plum

A light medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a tangy beer. Finishes slightly sticky but the tartness dries it out over time

This isn't great, but it's perfectly serviceable for what it is. It definitely drinks easy

 

Had this on draft..... Non-existent nose but it's a delicious punch when consumed... How very interesting, glad I tried!

I had this beer from tap at our local World of Beer.

Poured into a tall tumbler with Monk’s Cafe logo. This is a beautiful beer. Deep reddish mahogany with excellent beige head and wonderful curtain lacing. Smell and taste of sweet hard apple cider. Dark cherries and strawberries, also spicy red wine like merlot. Taste becomes more fruity with warming, with a bit of background funk becoming evident. The feel is clean and refreshing. Very nice beer that I would happily have again.

Poured this from a bottle.
A: pours ruby red body with small head with minimal retention and lacing.
S: very sour smell; some sweetness, but not much
T: slightly sour; some grapefruit notes; nothing too crazy, a little watered down sour taste
M: a little thin and medium-bodied and fairly decent
D: nice feel and taste combo; not that sour for a Flemish

I found this pretty enjoyable, tasted like a sour prune. Definitely a more unique experience to me. Would recommend to belgain drinkers

 

12 oz bottle, poured into a tulip t ~40 degrees F.

L: Pours a clear deep mahogany-cherrywood red-brown, and forms a finger or so of short-lived fizzy tan head.

S: Acetic and balsamic, with some rich stone fruit notes beneath. Plums, cherries, some notes of caramel.

T: Interestingly sweet and tart at the same time, with a caramel, plum, and cherry sweetness mingling with balsamic vinegar sour notes. Some notes like a jammy red wine, and a soft woody character.

F: Medium and smooth.

O: A tasty oud bruin.