Liefmans Goudenband

Brewed by Liefmans (Moortgat)
Style: Sour Ale
Oudenaarde, Belgium

2006 from a bottle--Poured a brown-amber body with a small white head. Funky, slightly oxidized nose. Lots of sugary caramel notes. Crisp, thick, and earthy with undeniable tartness. Slightly grapelike and mildly chocolaty. Pretty scrumptious brew.

Bottle - Cork: Poured a deep dark black/brown with a purple tone in the light, the head is creamy light brown. The aroma is sour sugary malt, i was expecting more of a sourness but if so it is very well hidden in the nose. Taste is tart wood and fruit with a nice sour malt finish. I’m not a big sour fan, but this one staps me around.

Hazy brown pour with a white head. Lots of stuff floating around. I probably shouldn’t have laid it on its side in the refrigerator before opening. Fruity citrus and sour grape aroma with some vinegar and a bit of cream. Sweet and sour flavor. Starts with sour fruit then fades into a bitter malt. Some chocolate. Almost like a bitter port. Some alcohol on the finish. Very good and unique.

Bottle...cloudy brown head loaded with sediment....smells sour initially, then scents of raisin, a little prune, and apple....also some touches of vinegar, but not unpleasant in any way....sweet and sour in the mouth...overripe fermented cherry and granny smith apple....body is refreshing, light but with a big punch of flavor, sour finish with a strong apple ending.....sweet and tart all at once...could eat apple pie with this....good...:)

Caramel apple-cider vinegar on the nose. Burnt orange/copper with long lasting head. Quinine sweetness, with slight bitter notes, but more sourness than bitterness--cidery and winey. Full body with tight fizzy carbonation. Finish is a complex mix of sweetness, sourness, and a smooth alcohol burn. An awesome beer, would pair great with heavy meals, a must try...

I expected more from this. Sour and malty with tart flavors and bite. Pours golden with a thin head. Not as good as I expected.

Re-rate 8/24/09: Bottle sample at a tasting. Thanks Shacher.! Nice. 6/4/7/3/13=3.3

Re-rate 5/6/09: Sample from a bottle brought by some guy from Moortgat to Ma’abarot beer festival. Clear brown with a medium beige head. Aroma of oak, sugar and some berries notes. Sweetish flavor with some sourness, fruits, sugar, some wood and very light lactic notes. Medium-bodied. OK. 7/3/6/3/13=3.2

Ɠ/6/08) Bottle at Kaffee de Hopduvel in Ghent. Dark reddish-brown with a medium beige head. Aroma of malt, a bit of brown sugar and notes of wood. Very sweet flavor (maybe even a tad artificial) with a bit of fruits and faint notes of oak. Medium-bodied. Not so bad but way too sweet. I should’ve tried an older bottle at Kulminator. 6/4/6/3/13=3.2

High marks across the board except for flavor and overall - but not due to any real failing of the beer. It’s just not my cup of tea. Too sweet/fruity for my taste. Beautiful color, a great pour. Lots of sediment.