Liefmans Goudenband

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

Dark reddish-brown with a beige head. Slightly tart, it does share some aspects of a good red wine. The fragrance fills the nose and mouth with each sip. Earthy, complex, and generally enjoyable to have in hand.

375ml bottle. Pours a hazy ruby-brown with a large mostly lasting off-white head. Aroma (which is milder then I expected) of fruity malt, mild vinegar, spices, a very slight tartness and some hops. Fruity malt flavour without any of the sourness that I expected, there’s only a very mild tartness. Medium bodied and very carbonated. It’s O.K. but it didn’t knock my socks off, I expected much better.

37.5cl bottle. I didn’t know what to expect from this. I’ve liked previous Liefmans beers. This is a brown/ruby colour with lasting beige head. Cherry fruit (both red and black) on the aroma. Some brown sugar sweetness in mouth. I really like this, tad too sweet though and could be sourer for both my palate and balance.

Much more than what I was expecting. But, then again, I was really have any expectations. I was familiar enough with the style to know what I was getting myself into, though. It was sweeter than anticipated and tasted like a raspberry Tootsie Pop. That was good enough but then it finished with this throat clutching bitterness. Quite good.

Belle couleur ruby foncée, un peu de collet. Arome riche de porto et de fruit rouge. Légé goût acide, presque vinègre, avec un soupson de fruit.

Updated: I finally got my bottle with better carbonation and it was vastly improved. Incredible beer, very big toasty malt start, caramel earthy tones, plum, prune, big cherry. Good sourness with a long cherry finish. Not sure on the quality of this bottle, upon uncorking there was very little pressure in the bottle, had to pour very hard to get any head on it at all. From the aroma I was expecting this beer to be much more sour and acidic, but the flavor showed more sweet fruit and subtle carmel flavors. Tastes very much like a cran-grape juice up front on the palate, only after it settles in do you get any wild yeast flavors and some subtle sour notes. Very watery on the palate with just a gentle acidity to it. I’d like to compare this to a bottle that has a bit more carbonation to see if I can get a bit more of the Flemish Sour out of it.

1998 vintage. Crystal clear and red with a thin tan head. Very malty, musky, dank caramel aroma with some multivitamin and just a hint of sourness. Smells almost like a dopplebock. Tart, caramel malt flavor. Smooth and dry. This one has held up well.

1.5 liter bottle 2000 vintage... I waited foe the right time to crack this bottle and indeed it was. In great compant as well! Pours a ruby brown huge aroma right out of the bottle. nive off white head.. Nice dry flavor due to aging ... Aroma was fuity and yeasty.. flavor was a dry sour with nice fruitiness .... I would write more but I am in a middle of the glass and damn I want to drink it..