Monteiths Oud Bruin

Brewed by Monteiths Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Ale
Greymouth, New Zealand

Calling this beer nice is like calling it amiable and well meaning. It doesn’t truly do justice to the Oud Bruin style of my ancestors but had the rich spice and tart aftertaste that I quite enjoy. A good session beer for those who enjoy it, but not the most special oud bruin I have ever had. In saying that though, can I have another?

Dark ruby-tinged brown with tan head that didn’t last long. Solid roasted malt aromas with some sweet toffee. Same on the palate with the proper amount of carbonation made this very enjoyable. Got even better as it warmed.

This was actually a nice beer, but calling it an Oud Bruin can be seen as an insult to the traditional Flanders brewers who have mastered this Indigenous style over the last few centuries. On it’s own, though, this would be a great beer worthy of some praise. Poured into a Tulip glass, an island of off-white foam sat atop a deep cola brown body, with ruby sides. Generous toffee sweet and tart hop aroma, with an underlying mixture of grain husks and acidity. In the mouth rich dark chocolate was pronounced throughout, with a sweet but husky front, aniseed mid palate and a pleasant roasted grain finish. A small amount of spice balances the sweet dark malts. Light bodied, lightly carbonated and rather smooth, this one impressed me and is a step up for this brewery. If they would just reassess the name then they would be on a winner. Very nice!!

Deep mahogany brown almost opaque with a medium size shortish lasting beige head. Medium bandaid and light biscuity malt aroma. Medium smooth body with low carbonation. One dimensional medium low sweetness roasted malt flavours. Soft roasted bitter malt finish. Mullet reports a plastic twang, yeah I get that like a bottle of cola left too long in a plastic bottle in the sun? Apart from the appearance I Can’t find anything oud briun or Belgian about this one.

Deep brown, red highlights, head OK but not by Belgian standards. Distinct aroma of mint peas!!! Also chocolate (not the malt) and other spices - perhaps cardamom and lemongrass. Thin body. A touch of choc malt, a bit of a roasty finish with a tiny bit of hop. Some weird plastic twang. Smells quite interesting but really doesn’t have much flavour. As noted by others, this is clearly not a sour beer.

Very dark brown to black, with some red hues. LIghtly carbonated, with a thin, light brown head. Smokey, slighty sour, fruity aroma. Hint of sour/dryness and mild malt flavours. A nice drop, but a little thin and bland.

As I was pouring this brew into the glass I was impressed by the appearance. Dark cola brown colour with a medium sized light tan head that hung around for the journey. Pleasant mix of hops and malt on the aroma. Initial taste of chocolate and cocoa, some spice but not a lot showing, smooth texture, a touch of smoke hiding in there, pepper and a medium body. I think this is a bloody good drop! Cheers!

interesting, not really an oud bruin but a good beer anyway. it’s closer to something like Daleside Moroccan Ale than Liefmans Odnar - a spiced old ale or porter. Extremely dark brown with red highlights - could pass for a stout. Really odd fuggles + fennel seed + toffee aroma. Plenty of chocolate malt and a reasonable malt body, along with a very strong aniseed/fennel seed flavour that is a spicy sort of fennel-ouzo flavour rather than a fat licorice root taste. There’s also some sweet cake spice like cinnamon or allspice in there. Bewildering aftertaste of pepper, blackberry and fennel. Quite dry and light. Plenty of flavour certainly, and not totally similar to any other beer I’ve had. Just not an oud bruin. But pisses all over every other Monteiths beer.