New to Sour Beers. Recommendations?

Don't listen to him. Try both Duchesse and Monk's Cafe. I'll also +1 the Rodenbach Grand Cru or even just the original Rodenbach. As far as lambics go, I don't care what anyone says, St. Louis Framboise is the shit. Liquid candy.

 

These types of beer got me into beer, and here is my take:

There are is pretty big distinction in taste and approachability between most American wild ales (even more regarded brews like Russian River Supplication) and an old-school Belgian gueuze (like Drie Fonteinen Golden Blend) or a lambic (like Cantillon St. Lamvinus).

For sweeter, more approachable brews of the American wild/Flanders red variety, look for the Duchese, Cuvee de Jacobins Rouge, Jolly Pumpkin La Roja, or Rodenbach Grand Cru. Some decry these beers as ketchup-tasting, but these people are cretins (kidding). Also, IIRC, New Belgium started distributing to MI, so you may be able to pick up some La Folie, which has a little more funky/sour kick than the aforementioned brews, but is a nice American example of the oud bruin/Flanders red style.

Moving up in the strangeness/funkiness scale are beers that are not as sweet as the Duchese, but not as barnyard/lip-puckering as a gueuze. In this category, I like old world with Petrus Aged Pale (not cheap, but not out of this world). You can also get more wine-like offerings in this category from Russian River with Supplication, Temptation, Damnation, Consecration, etc. The Russian River brews, however, can get pricey.

For less approachable, but with more funk and true Belgian farmhouse flavor, look for an easy-to-find lambic or gueuze like Lindeman's Cuvee Rene. Also falling into this category of crazy-sour-and-unique are some krieks and fruit lambics. In this sub-category, Oud Beersel offerings like Oud Kriek Vieille seem to be available near me.

Lastly, as others have said, if you come across something from Cantillon or Drie Fonteinen, pull the trigger and save the bottle until you decide you like or hate the style. If you like, you can drink. If you no like, you can trade.

 

oud beersel oude geuze

 

Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge. Supplication and Consecration. Can't speak to the Jolly Pumpkin recommendations meself. Got no problem with Duchesse here.

 

Duchesse and Petrus Oude Bruin are pretty bad beers IMHO. Middle of the road at best. Both are way to sweet and I wouldn't reccomend either at all never mind as a intro to the style.

Keeping it strictly with Belgian stuff that is readily available...

1) Orval: Not sour but funky. The original brett bomb.

2) Rodenbach or Rodenbach Grand Cru: Classic Flanders Red. It doesn't get better or more thirst quenching than this.

3) Gouldenband: Best of the Oude Bruins. A true classic.

Suggesting a Lambic/Gueuze is a bit tougher. Cueve Rene is ok... Not great. I freaking love Hansens but that is pretty down and dirty for a first Gueuze. I love Cantillon and DF but they are hard to get at this point and pretty expensive. Quite an investment when honestly you may not like it My gateway Gueze was Boon Marriage Parfait. A 375 ML bottle is 7-8 bucks at my local store and it traditional and good.

 

2nd on Boon Marriage Parfait. Had a Duchess then this in one sitting and discovered a whole new world.

 

yeah... The MP gets no love here and it is succulent. Relatively cheap too. If you can find it the MP Kriek is an amazing Kriek at that price point. 7-9 dollars and rock solid.

 

For affordable easy to find shelf beers very representative of the style, these and the oft-mention Lindmann's Cuvee Rene are excellent gateways to their styles. Love MP Kriek.

 

Some more suggestions...

Anything Jolly Pumpkin

De Dolle Orebier : Not listed as a sour but a style buster for sure. Sorta a cross between and old ale and flanders red. The Reserva is a WORLD class beer if you can find it.

De Proef Vlaams Primative series: Rat Rider, Surly Bird, Pig Nun ect. Funky not sour. The beers that got me down with the funk.

Cascade Sours: Very lactic no funk and kinda expensive by me 20$ for a 750 ML but a good American sour brewery. Not sure if they are on the shelves by you.

Cueve De Tomme: Not sure if that is distributed by you but an awesome sour IMHO. Benchmark for American sours in my opinion.

I would reccomend Russian River's stuff but I know you would have to trade for those.

 

I would grab something from Boon.... their gueuze is solid as is their Mariage Parfait Kriek... being in Michigan, the JP is a no brainer as well...

 

Yes to Rodenbach (almost any variant). Someone said Oud Beersel and I can only second that (does that have US distribution tho?), very light and spritzy gueuze, great "gateway" sour IMHO. I'd start with the Boon Kriek over anything else from Boon, but I'm weird that way.

 

test if you come in Iyaly for holiday, i can offer a Cantillon 100 krieck and geuze
you takeone from Usa
is ok?

 

I second The Duchesse no matter what the guy on top says. It was my gateway into Belgian Sours. Sours are a very acquired taste and I believe you have to build up to them. The Duchesse balances sweet and sour with red apple like flavors that don't overwhelm you with tartness and leaves you with that curiosity to try more sour beers that Russian River or Cascade brewing from Portland produces. I wouldn't go directly to those. You might not appreciate the style yet. ( I know that sounds pretentious and I'm not trying to be at all but if your gonna drop that kind of money

You might also want to try 1809 Berliner weiss. A light slightly tart almost forgotten style that is light in body almost like a lager or wheat beer but finishes tart.

 

Very well stated.

 

To each his own but Duchesse is just a plain old bad beer in my opinion. Cloyingly sweet and overbearing. Same with Petrus and even the Monks cafe. I never advocate starting off with a new beer style by reccomending bad beers. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't reccomend a Hansen's, Earthmonk or Haandbaak to a first time sour drinker but I wouldn't reccomend crap like Duchesse either when there is probably a bottle of Gouldenband or Rodenbach Grand Cru on the shelf next to it in there store and it is a million times better.

 

Bells makes Envious which is pretty easy to find. It's not going to be like a Cantillon or even a Supplication, but I thought it was a nice starter sour and still tasty after you are more accustomed to sours.

 

I would sa

I would say Lindemans Kriek or Lindemans Framboise. Very tasty. Plus they are very inexpensive.

 

Lindemans Kriek and Framboise might "technically" be considered lambic as the base beer is spontantiously fermented but they are the sweetened stuff. Good for a desert beer and relatively inexpensive but not sour at all.

 

Rodenbach grand cru

Jolly pumpkin la roja

Both are great starters. DO NOT GET DUCHESSE DE BORGOGNE.

 

Just buy a few to try! I usually try to find beers that get good ratings here on BA, and go from there...

I've had mixed results: My favorites so far are Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge and Duchesse.

Didn't care too much for the RR's mentioned above, plus they are pricey. Was not impressed by Rodenbach, though I am going to give it another chance. Tried the Red Poppy (Lost Abbey - $17/375ml!) recently and it was yucky, imo. Lindeman's lambics are affordable and easy to find, but really sweet. Geueze Tilquin was so-so. So many more to try!!