Liefmans Goudenband

38cl, from De Hopduvel Gent, very complex, yet easy to drink, balanced, cloudy, small head, very good brew

This ale pours a dark amber brown with a small head. The nose is of medium dark berries with a slight tartness. Taste a bit like plum. Nice malt flavor,fruity,and finishes with a bit of tart sourness. Overall very enjoyable and it really really complex.

(Sample with wee(&mama)AnaP on August 29, 2008) Unwrapping the paper… popping the cork. Pouring… a thin head rests atop a super-cloudy body with LOTS of floaties. Mmm!!! Sweet, sour aroma… flavor is also sweet & sour, silky soft and darker-tasting than Duchesse de Bourgogne. The more it sits on the palate... quite a number on the tongue. Malty!

Magnum of the 2000 vintage served at room temperature. Pours very light at first then color starts to fill the snifter from the bottle. It becomes a murky blood color with a disappearing head. The layers combine and become an even mixture with significant floating particles visible. The aroma is not powerfully sour, but pleasantly tart with hints of malt vinegar, barnyard, fruits, and strong oaken qualities. Mouthfeel is just spritzy enough. The flavor is even better. Again with the mellow sourness, cherries, oak, with a solid wooden flavor throughout. The finish is rather cheesy and slightly wild. This is completely complex, mellow, and tasteful while still having more than adequate oomph. This exceeded my expectations even though it was less sour than I was expecting.

Bottle, Ale Cellar, Darlington. Poured a dark, muddy brown with a lot of sediment action swirling around and a dissipating small white head. Aroma of sour fruit (blackcurrant) with balsamic and oaky notes. Has a definite vinous edge to it. Flavour was lightly sour; dark fruit mixed with apple and cherry. Medium to full bodied with a peppery, drying gently sour finish. Enjoyable.

375ml caged and corked bottle, served in a Duvel tulip. Pours a murky reddish brown with no head. Smells of cherries, bananas, candy, malt vinegar. Flavor is not nearly as tart as the smell indicates. Somewhat sweet actually, very fruity with some wood and oxidized wine notes. Alcohol is slightly noticeable but not bad for 8%. I think this would go very nicely with a seafood dinner.

75cl. It pours a hazy nut brown beer with a beautiful beige head. The nose is mainly of vinegar, cork and rhubarb. Sweet taste with hints of cherries accompanied by a huge amount of vinegar. Beautiful lacework. Woody. Some plums showing up. The alcohol is well hidden. Dry finish with hints of mince pies, cork and lemon. Sour ale is not my favourite style.

Yeasty acidic nose with prunish sherry tagging along. This impression is only strengthened after sampling: definitely a sherry-beer, or perhaps even more reminiscent of the Chinese Shao-Hsing (Shaoxing) wine known from many lesser Chinese establishments. Not bad, but quite odd.