Liefmans Goudenband

Pours light brown with alot of yeast chunks. The smell is very medicinal without much else sneaking through. Flavor has notes of light roasted malt, raisin, medicine, and tart fruit. For 8%, the alcohol is very well hidden. Comparing to another Flemish Sour, this one doesn’t rate as high, but I still love this style.

2005 bottle. Pours a murky, brown-mahagony with tiny bits of sediment; head is average, pale beige, and fizzy, with a bit of creaminess; head is mostly diminishing and leaves no lace. Aroma is nice and complex with a bit of vinous sherry notes; notes of vanilla, maple wood, overripe plums, raisin, lightly acetic, and a bit of earthy funk. Flavor is less sour or acetic than I would have thought; lots of maple woods, vanilla, and caramels with overripe plums and faint acetic notes with a low earthy bitterness. Palate is medium-light, lively, and a bit of dryness as it progresses. Finishes lightly tart of soured plums with maple wood and toffee and a dryness. Not the puckering sour tartness of a Flemish Red but a soft tartness is well supported by other malt notes; a very nice Oud Bruin Plenty of vinous notes found throughout to match the ’funk’ and just enough bitterness to keep everything intact.

Over-ripe apple scent, looks like a dead beer or a beer that has been sitting for hours (best before on cap was 2018) my bottle was much different to the one in the picture, it is a plain bottle (no writing) wrapped in purple and white paper, anyhow, tastes of barley and wine, alcohol is disguised very well, enjoyable (my wife who doesnt drink chose this for me so I am very impressed!)

Bottled from Corks, Bristol. Dark copper colour with a slight head and a bit of cloudiness. Sweet aromas of caramel and vanilla with a touch of phenol. Flavour was sour with accompanying red fruits. Surprisingly light in body. Overall, this was a bit muted and disappointing.

Cork says 2005. Pours dark brown/mahogany into a snifter. Offwhite micro head has excellent retention. Cherry aromas. Smooth with sweet pit fruit and strawberry with a slightly sour cherry finish. Alcohol aromas in the finish..

Re-rate. Sampled at Tria Fermentation School, 9/16/08. Poured mahogany, topped with a few off-white bubbles. Appealing aroma of dark fruit, brown sugar, black cherry and wood. Flavor was sour cherry and other dark fruit, especially prunes, brown sugar, and port. Medium bodied with some vinous qualities. Great stuff.

Original Review; 4/2007 375ml Bottle, 2006 vintage. Pours cloudy brown, with a small tan head. Musty, tart aroma, with yeast, cherry and wood. moderately tart, not as tart as i would expect from the aroma. A bit thin bodied. 7/4/8/4/14 = 3.7

Aroma: I don’t know where to start. Cherry, sherry, dark fruits, fruity alcohol, woody, some sour acetic character, very complex, I get something different every time. Lovely. Appearance: Brown, somewhat cloudy, low head retention. Flavor: Just as complex as the aroma. Not as sour as I imagined, with a pleasant sweetness in the finish, although enough sourness to keep it interesting. Well balanced. Palate: Very drinkable, not crazy sour, medium bodied, with moderate carbonation. Alcohol well hidden, not harsh. Overall: Perfect. What else does a beer drinker need?

Dark and a little murky with a basic brown color and a light tan colored head. Nose is lightly pungent spoiled plums, oak and maple wood. Nice subtle sourness in the nose, tingling I would say. Sweet up front and over the middle, a bit fizzy and frothy, lightly sour and pungent, certainly not like a gueuze or more standard Flemish sour, but it performs well as a sour brown ale. Some toffee and cake flavors in the finish, and some sour tobacco as well. Not bad.