Monk's Café Flemish Sour Ale | Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Brewed by:
Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Belgium
vansteenberge.com
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.50%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Brewed for Monk's Café in Philadelphia, but also available for retail purchase elsewhere. Oud Bruin in style; a traditional blend of young and old beers.
Added by nomad on 06-19-2003
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 3,004 | Reviews: 1,160
3.78/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2.29/5 rDev -40.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.25
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.25
4.18/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.84/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.76/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From a bottle, pours as a clear dark brown with a TALL khaki head (lots of carbonation). Aroma of dark fruitiness. Taste is immediately of sour cherry, but it's not overwhelming with an aftertaste of sweet malt (essentially no hops). Overall, it's fun, but it's just kind of a novelty beer ... rather that regular drinking.
325 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From a bottle, pours as a clear dark brown with a TALL khaki head (lots of carbonation). Aroma of dark fruitiness. Taste is immediately of sour cherry, but it's not overwhelming with an aftertaste of sweet malt (essentially no hops). Overall, it's fun, but it's just kind of a novelty beer ... rather that regular drinking.
325 characters
3.78/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.3/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
3.72/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.84/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.89/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.06/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Taste: complex, tangy dark fruit, some sour, tart, berries, bread, drinkable. Same with the nose. Deep reddish mahogany hue, semi clear, delicate head. Medium body.
164 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Taste: complex, tangy dark fruit, some sour, tart, berries, bread, drinkable. Same with the nose. Deep reddish mahogany hue, semi clear, delicate head. Medium body.
164 characters
3.13/5 rDev -18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
A: Pours with a (very) frothy, off-white, one finger head (that recedes quickly) and a deep mahogany body, slight lacing.
S: Subtle malt notes and aromas of balsamic vinaigrette with an understated savory aroma accenting it.
T: Very fruit forward, with an emphasis on grape and cherry and a slight malt backbone. It is tart, but I wouldn't really call it sour.
M: Under-carbonated, with a slightly silky, medium body.
O: It's enjoyable, but definitely unremarkable. It would likely please at a party as an accessible alternative to more traditional beer. But in the realm of Flemish sour ales, it's not even in the top five I would say.
638 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
A: Pours with a (very) frothy, off-white, one finger head (that recedes quickly) and a deep mahogany body, slight lacing.
S: Subtle malt notes and aromas of balsamic vinaigrette with an understated savory aroma accenting it.
T: Very fruit forward, with an emphasis on grape and cherry and a slight malt backbone. It is tart, but I wouldn't really call it sour.
M: Under-carbonated, with a slightly silky, medium body.
O: It's enjoyable, but definitely unremarkable. It would likely please at a party as an accessible alternative to more traditional beer. But in the realm of Flemish sour ales, it's not even in the top five I would say.
638 characters
1.68/5 rDev -56.5%
look: 1.75 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Good golly this taste wretched. I can see why this is not a popular beer style. Cheers! D- (60-64) score range
110 characters
look: 1.75 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
Good golly this taste wretched. I can see why this is not a popular beer style. Cheers! D- (60-64) score range
110 characters
4.2/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
3.85/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 11.2 fluid ounce bottle into glass. Stamped on label is '30CQ 13:57'.
Ruby brown colored body. Light tan bubbly head. Good coverage of lacing.
Aroma of tart cherries and bready malt.
Rather a mix of tart dark fruit taste - cherry, raisin, plum and green apple. Some pale malt too. No oak or vinous aspects, no funk. Tart and just mildly sour. Sweetness is restrained. Palate cleansing at end of drink profile, rather dry.
Light mouth feel, with good carbonation. Easy to drink. I can understand the 4+ ratings, as this is a very pleasant beer to drink, but it lacks complexity. I would certainly drink this beer again, especially in a restaurant setting with proper food pairings.
An unchallenging, but pleasant and refreshing to drink, mildly sour old ale.
769 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 11.2 fluid ounce bottle into glass. Stamped on label is '30CQ 13:57'.
Ruby brown colored body. Light tan bubbly head. Good coverage of lacing.
Aroma of tart cherries and bready malt.
Rather a mix of tart dark fruit taste - cherry, raisin, plum and green apple. Some pale malt too. No oak or vinous aspects, no funk. Tart and just mildly sour. Sweetness is restrained. Palate cleansing at end of drink profile, rather dry.
Light mouth feel, with good carbonation. Easy to drink. I can understand the 4+ ratings, as this is a very pleasant beer to drink, but it lacks complexity. I would certainly drink this beer again, especially in a restaurant setting with proper food pairings.
An unchallenging, but pleasant and refreshing to drink, mildly sour old ale.
769 characters
4.56/5 rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A great top 5 sour to my palette
32 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A great top 5 sour to my palette
32 characters
3.5/5 rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is a nice enough beer and I would be happy to drink it by the gallon with some friends and food. A little on the sweet side but with good developed flavor of sour cherries, some oak and mildly sour. Not the best but a fun little Flanders.
243 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is a nice enough beer and I would be happy to drink it by the gallon with some friends and food. A little on the sweet side but with good developed flavor of sour cherries, some oak and mildly sour. Not the best but a fun little Flanders.
243 characters
Monk's Café Flemish Sour Ale from Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Beer rating:
3.86 out of
5 with
3,004 ratings
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