Liefmans Goudenband

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

Murky ruby, small beige head. Vinous, sourish aroma, raisins, red currants and a hint of Funkadelic. Dried fruity, tart flavor with berries, little syrupy maltiness. Acidic, sharp finish. Nice and interesting for sure, but I just don’t find it as complex as the legend says.

My first of this style. Dark brown with amber hues. Highly carbonated with small fizzy head. I opened and poured very slow to prevent the "volcano" that some have described. Aroma of sour apples, worchestershire sauce, malty sweetness some gym sock funk. A thin feel, tart up front yet some sweetness also lingers. A finish similar to a Chardonay, dry with green apples and hay. A bit fizzy for me leaves a slick feel on the lips. Very interesting, not my favorite by far but I look forward to trying more of this unique style.

Medium brown with a tiny white head. Aroma is musty, with some cider and alcohol notes. Flavor is of apples, vinegar with a nice sour feel in the middle. Finishes up dry and hoppy with some of the sourness lingering. Quite good.

Bottle from 2005. Expiration date June 2015. Dark caramel/ garnet color with no head but somewhat decent carbonation. Burnt brown sugar, plums, leather, cherries, grapes and some vinegar in the aroma. Warming cherry notes along with some more dark fruits and a bit of vinegar. Very dry finish. No acidity.

375ml corked bottle. Poured red brown,with the expected haze. Tan head was thinner than I had expected. Aroma of white wine and fruit. Malty sweet with notes of sour cherries, raisins. Tart and acidic finish, with some mild alcoholic notes. Very smooth mouthfeel with gentle carbonation. Much thanks to Okbeer.

2001. Cloudy reddish-brown, small tan head, complex nose with a distinct barnyard stench. Fruity notes emerge as the barnyard dies away. Taste was dominated with sour lemon once I got past the smell. Can’t taste the 8% ABV. Some fruit. The first sniff and sip was horrible, but it got better as I worked my way down the glass. Eventually a hint of sweet cherry appeared and blended with the sourness. Pretty good stuff, although I’m not sure I understand the raves.

Sweet honey malt aroma. Brown red colour with great head and lacing. Bitter malt hop flavour with pepper. Fizzy palate.

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