Thumbprint Flanders Sour
New Glarus Brewing Company

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From:
New Glarus Brewing Company
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
Flanders Red Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
91
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 6.83%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
41
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 16, 2023
Added:
Jan 04, 2019
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
Flanders Sour Red Ale was inspired by the classic sour brews of Belgium. Our Flanders Sour Red was thoughtfully blended by Brewmaster Daniel Carey from his Cellar of young and 3 year old stock. In the traditional method, his expert blending was followed by a rest in the Wild Fruit Cellar. Tart stone fruit and sour apple notes balance delicately forward of the toasted almond body. Every drop was 100% naturally carbonated in the bottle you hold. Our spontaneously fermented Flanders Sour is an eminently vibrant sour experience.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by emerge077:
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.27/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark reddish brown that is dark red when backlit. Creamy eggshell tan foam that has a nice meringue texture. Sticky collar of lacing, spotty arcs around the glass after a sip.

Aroma has the odd musty/minerally quality of a wet dishrag at first, then segues into dark malts, black cherry, barrel funk, and mild oak. There’s a world of improvement as it warms.

Cherry skins, soft oak, bracing lactic acidity. Pleasant dry oaky aftertaste as the momentary sourness fades. Zero acetic acid. Creamy texture, medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall it’s very good, approaching some of NG’s better Flemish-style hits like the original batches of Enigma (2006), Sour Brown Ale, and Wild Sour Ale. Definitely a repeat buy.
Apr 23, 2019
More User Ratings:
Photo of IMFletcher
Reviewed by IMFletcher from Kentucky

4.19/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle pour (acquired from Dan's cellar stock): pours light brown with a light, lingering head. Nose has hints of sweetness mixed with dull sour notes. Flavors are mild, finish is still clean after 4 years in the cellar.
Aug 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.53 by tcbro023 from Wisconsin

Feb 23, 2022
Photo of Evanlwiggins
Reviewed by Evanlwiggins from Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
The fact I can (could) buy a 4 pack of a quality Flanders Red for $10 almost feels illegal. I am no expert on Flanders Reds, but this holds its own against the 15-20 I've had (and at a fraction of the price). Wish I could buy this year round.
Jan 23, 2021
Photo of BBThunderbolt
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati

3.57/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to FBarber for this one. 12oz bottle poured into 14oz teku. Poured a very dark reddish brown color with 3/4 inch of tan head that quickly dissipated and left no lacing.

Mild tartness at the front of the nose, with some wood and fruit notes in the background.

Similar on the tongue, with the tartness lingering at the back of the palate.

The body was on the light side of medium, smooth, and had a dry finish.

Drinkability was very good, as is usual for NG.

Overall, another nice brew from these folks. Drink it if you see it.
Dec 31, 2020
 
Rated: 4.18 by Coronaeus from Canada (ON)

Apr 19, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by PatrickCT from Connecticut

Apr 01, 2020
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.48/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle. Deep brown with a red tinge. Smells of deep vinous acidity, green apple, and a bit of vinegar. Tastes of bready malt immediately cut short by dark fruit and vinous sourness. Builds into green apple sourness. A little bit sweet, but not much. Heavier and chewier than expected, but barely medium heavy. Moderately low carbonation. It's good, but I don't love it. Just a little too sour, I think.
Jan 26, 2020
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

3.68/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle from cellar
Batch19 Pint glass

Breakfast roast coffee color with slight scarlet. Head is beige-khaki and 3 fingers tall, gradually receding to 1/2 finger. No visible lace.

Strong apple vinegar notes in the nose, followed by crushed black cherries, soy sauce/molasses, grape must, moldy raspberry, slight citrus brightness, and general mustiness.

Taste is not for the weak, it's virtually like popping both a Grape and Black Cherry Warhead into the mouth at the same time, it's just face puckering. Some bright tangerine or lemon lime, a little oak foeder, some general mustiness, a little leather, a bit of vinegar, but swings back to the grape and black cherry warhead.

Feel is smooth and velvety with the right amount of carbonation, and the puckering feel matches the flavor profile. Dryness but no heat on the back end.

Overall, this was too sour for me. I've had one bottle before and gave a couple to my buddy across town who is a sour fanatic. He loved them. This crosses the line for me, I don't think I'd buy it again, I was hoping it would be more like their Oud Bruin from 2016, THAT was amazing.
Oct 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by Dovers from Wisconsin

Sep 29, 2019
Photo of Dope
Reviewed by Dope from Massachusetts

3.99/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2019 batch

A: Pours a very dark red. Well, maybe mahogany-ish? Small reddish-brown head that sticks around for a good long while. Minimal lacing.

S: Good amount of tart cherry in the nose. Vinegary.

T: Interesting. Lots of apple in the taste with a side of cherry. Again, vinegary/acidic. Quite a bit of leather once it warms, you can practically taste the tannin.

M: Medium bodied, smooth.

O: A nice leathery flanders from New Glarus. A bit on the sweet side, not a ton of tartness but it's there.
Sep 02, 2019
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.31/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dark amber brown body with no head. Aromas of cherry, apple, raisin, cranberry, apple cider vinegar, and oak. Taste is a milder flanders with the acidity and somewhat on the tartness, but as typical for NG, the fruits really shine, making it highly drinkable. Add some pear and slight leather, plus more cherry and green apple as leaders. Feel is missing that sharp acidity, but it plenty tart compared to the taste, the mild nature of the feel makes the beer more sessionable. Goes down easy on a hot summer night
Aug 21, 2019
 
Rated: 4.24 by Shy5 from Oregon

Jul 25, 2019
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.16/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look - really dark brown color with a faint red in there. White rim head
Smell - tart dark cherry really faint but tart
Taste - slight sweet cherry but easier than expected. Very tart
Feel - full body medium carb
Overall - pretty good
Jun 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.94 by ScottP from New Hampshire

May 27, 2019
 
Rated: 4.21 by Beerhemoth from Illinois

May 16, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by jschott75 from Illinois

May 11, 2019
 
Rated: 4.57 by Franklin-Yeo from Wisconsin

May 01, 2019
Photo of AyatollahGold
Reviewed by AyatollahGold from Indiana

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pouring from a 12 oz. bottle into a wine glass, this beer pours out a dark brown with very little wood like highlights. It forms a pinky width crown of tingy yellow bubbles.

The nose brings in both light and dark fruit notes with little acidity. Apple, pear, black cherries. Earthy, natural, almost dry like acidity.

The taste brings in most of the same. Apple skins, slight pear, black cherries with a nice, clean and natural acidity.

I don’t mind where the carbonation is at, but wouldn’t mind if it had a tad bit more to make it pop for me. I love where the acidity is at, making for a fresh, clean and refreshing brew.

Overall, the balance is the winner in this brew. I love the fruit notes and I love how the acidity is not overbearing, but clean, natural and refreshing. Very respectable brew that does well to represent the style.
Apr 23, 2019
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

4.19/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz bottle. Poured out an opaque, dark brown color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam. It smelled of dried dark fruits, toffee and sour apple. Great sour, tart taste with cherry and green apple. Subtle bitterness.
Apr 19, 2019
Thumbprint Flanders Sour from New Glarus Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 41 ratings