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.
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 3,021 | Reviews: 1,163
3.73/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3/5 rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A little bitter for my palet.
29 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A little bitter for my palet.
29 characters
4.24/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I’m surprised at the overall rating for this beer. Maybe it’s just me and a few others, but I think this is a fantastic brew. I feel in good company though as a panel of expert judges rated this beer as a high exceptional.
I’ve had this twice on tap in Tacoma with some time in between, and both times come away impressed. Due to being in social situations I didn’t take notes, so I can’t in good conscience give note details. However, in broad terms this beer is beautiful in appearance with a well balanced winey earthy cherry sour flavor that is complex and easy to drink simultaneously. I think it’s a great Oud Bruin!
635 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I’m surprised at the overall rating for this beer. Maybe it’s just me and a few others, but I think this is a fantastic brew. I feel in good company though as a panel of expert judges rated this beer as a high exceptional.
I’ve had this twice on tap in Tacoma with some time in between, and both times come away impressed. Due to being in social situations I didn’t take notes, so I can’t in good conscience give note details. However, in broad terms this beer is beautiful in appearance with a well balanced winey earthy cherry sour flavor that is complex and easy to drink simultaneously. I think it’s a great Oud Bruin!
635 characters
4.18/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Monks in Philadelphia.
Pours a clear, dark brownsih red with soft, frothy head.
Smell is sweet and sour with notes of grass, cherries and a little bit raspberry.
Taste is tart, with a malty sweetness anchoring all the cherries and raspberries. One of these Belgian sours that are so well made and balanced, they manage to be thirst quenching and simple, yet complex and rich at the same time.
Mouthfeel is thin to medium with good, spritzy carbonation.
Overall, a terrific sour, goes well with food or as it is.
526 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Monks in Philadelphia.
Pours a clear, dark brownsih red with soft, frothy head.
Smell is sweet and sour with notes of grass, cherries and a little bit raspberry.
Taste is tart, with a malty sweetness anchoring all the cherries and raspberries. One of these Belgian sours that are so well made and balanced, they manage to be thirst quenching and simple, yet complex and rich at the same time.
Mouthfeel is thin to medium with good, spritzy carbonation.
Overall, a terrific sour, goes well with food or as it is.
526 characters
3.79/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.54/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.65/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.58/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.38/5 rDev +13.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Serving: Bottle
Bottle code but no discernable date
This one pours a fairly opaque mahogany with a billowing tan head. Absolutely gorgeous. It has a constant finger of living head and sheets of fine lacing.
There is a sharp oaky, acetic smell immediately upon pouring, with sugary bread and spices with a fruity tartness and light funk on top.
Wowee! The flavor made me gasp out loud and then immediately sit back with my eyes closed and take another drink. And another. It has an amazing set of different levels of tartness, flower nectar, fields in spring, spiced bread and cherry sweetness that then decrescendos into earthiness and finally a medicinal hoppy smack at the end.
It is refreshing and perfectly tart with a medium body and a slow-lingering bitter finish that excellently stages each subsequent sip. As it warms the sweetness comes through more and more prominently. It becomes enough that I could see it being better if it was subdued a tiny bit, but at the same time the balance of the sweetness and sourness is really what made me like it so who knows...
Like all beers of this caliber I'm struck by how it can so completely be complex and simple at the same time. I'm glad I picked this beer up.
NOTE:
I'm not big into sours, and might have passed right over it if not for wanting to try something different. Also, looking at other reviews I see I must've really liked this one. I will keep an eye out for it and try to rate it again with some more perspective to see what I think and if I still think it's specatacular. This one was definitely my best experience with a sour. I've really liked a handful, but few have left me wanting another or thoroughly enjoying each sip. Was this because it was by chance my "breakthrough" tart beer? Was it because it isn't sour enough (a point a few reviewers made) and maybe I like it precisely because it isn't sour? Am I confusing the beer being balanced when it is just overly simple? Does it really matter? Very nice beer. I'll have it again.
2,019 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Serving: Bottle
Bottle code but no discernable date
This one pours a fairly opaque mahogany with a billowing tan head. Absolutely gorgeous. It has a constant finger of living head and sheets of fine lacing.
There is a sharp oaky, acetic smell immediately upon pouring, with sugary bread and spices with a fruity tartness and light funk on top.
Wowee! The flavor made me gasp out loud and then immediately sit back with my eyes closed and take another drink. And another. It has an amazing set of different levels of tartness, flower nectar, fields in spring, spiced bread and cherry sweetness that then decrescendos into earthiness and finally a medicinal hoppy smack at the end.
It is refreshing and perfectly tart with a medium body and a slow-lingering bitter finish that excellently stages each subsequent sip. As it warms the sweetness comes through more and more prominently. It becomes enough that I could see it being better if it was subdued a tiny bit, but at the same time the balance of the sweetness and sourness is really what made me like it so who knows...
Like all beers of this caliber I'm struck by how it can so completely be complex and simple at the same time. I'm glad I picked this beer up.
NOTE:
I'm not big into sours, and might have passed right over it if not for wanting to try something different. Also, looking at other reviews I see I must've really liked this one. I will keep an eye out for it and try to rate it again with some more perspective to see what I think and if I still think it's specatacular. This one was definitely my best experience with a sour. I've really liked a handful, but few have left me wanting another or thoroughly enjoying each sip. Was this because it was by chance my "breakthrough" tart beer? Was it because it isn't sour enough (a point a few reviewers made) and maybe I like it precisely because it isn't sour? Am I confusing the beer being balanced when it is just overly simple? Does it really matter? Very nice beer. I'll have it again.
2,019 characters
4.26/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
3.71/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
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
Monk's Café Flemish Sour Ale from Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Beer rating:
3.86 out of
5 with
3,021 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
Explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.