Liefmans Goudenband

Reddish brown with no head and subtle carbonation. There is the sharp/sour taste of red wine and cherry, contrasted by intensly sweet caramel malts. Highly unique and unforgettable.

pours a hazy brownish hue with a small off-white head. Aromas of funk, flowers, pine and honey. Flavors of prunes, grape juice, dates with a hint of spice.

this is from oudenaarde, belgium. after i’d said ’oudenaarde’ about three times, it kinda stuck with me; using a minnesota accent, say "oooooh denaaaarde!" i think that it could be a mild expletive meaning that everything has suddenly gone sour. yeah, you betcha then. this is a beautiful drink, but you’ll never convince your non-beer geek friends of that. it looks like the murky bath water after a belgian plow horse and a den of muskrats have wallowed in it. it has just slightly more head than a glass of turpentine. it smells like roast beef in a marinade of lemon, grenadine and milk chocolate. with both dark fruity malts and skanky-dank euro-microflora, one can also smell clay and burlap, a damp washcloth, and crumbling parchments-- orange with decay-- from the ming dynasty. spreading faster than wind swept fire on parched grass, it coats the tongue with gripping sourness as a presursor to the sweet old peach pit fruitiness which ascends to attempt a balance. it’s sour burgundy and christmas cake. so, in this case, finally, "oooooh-denaarde" finds a pretty positive connotation. okay then.

2003 vintage. Rather plain brown ale pour, with a beige head that could only be seen with some agittation. This same agigation brings out some cherry and wood in the aroma. The firat sip was dry and crisp. However as it warmed, this ’lil darling came to life. Nicely balanced sour apple with moderate sweetness. The body kept getting richer and fuller until the end. The finish coats the tongue nicely - leaving a residual tartness without the pucker. This is a great beer to sip as a digestive.. Also an excellent choice to start a friend on the style, as nothing is overdone.

Pours brown with a off-white head. Malty aroma. Medium fruity start to the flavor with a nice tartness. Not bad, but Rodenbach is much better for this style.

Dark brown/amber. Bubbly, short-lived white head. Sour fruit, sugar, malt alcohol aroma. Definitely tart. Complex. Full body with a bite of carbonation that matches well with the sourness. Dry aftertaste. Very good.

Poured a very dark brown with dark amber highlights when held to the light. A large slight tan head. The aroma is sweet apple pie with some nutmeg. The tartness is hinted at in the nose. The taste is sour apple and cherries with some wood and a little bit of barnyard funkiness. Not over the top in any department. Subtle sweetness and tartness play well off of each other. I think this would be an excellent complement to some dark meat cooked with fruit, like cherry stuffed pork chops.

Poured a hazy brown with a golden tint and small light tan head. Aroma was sweet and malty with tartness and fruit behind that. Flavor started malty sweet then came a slight tartness. Finish was sweet and "wet" with some bitterness. Some barnyard when the beer warmed. Medium bodied.