North By Northwest Flemish Sour Ale

Formerly brewed at North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery
Style: Sour Red/Brown
Austin, Texas USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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UPDATED: FEB 24, 2009 GABF 2007: Looks like a love it or hate it beer. Poured a hazy brown color. Tart and acidic cherry aroma. Nice sour cherry flavor. Good acidity. The body was light to medium.
Bottle shared by notalush. Hazed copper with a thin off-white head. Tart aroma with a magic bubble glue like smell. Browned fruit flesh. Doughy. The flavor was tart and lightly acidic. Mild vinegar and cidery. Light bodied with a semi-dry finish. When the beer warmed there were some vanilla notes with mild cherry skins. Woody. Based on the second try from the bottle I would have scored 1 to 2 points lower but will leave it as is.

Don’t have much experience with beers of this style. Reminds me a lot of a lambic, only without the fruit. Very acidic with some fruit flavors. Body is thin. Interesting.

I really hate to rail on this brewery, but theirs were the worst beers I had at the GABF this year by far. Just like the pomelambic, this beer was overwhelmingly cereal in its malt profile which made the beer taste like a tart Fruit Loop. Everything was fine and great until I got that corn syrup, fake taste, then boom! Drain pour.

Courtesy of moejuck

Bottle: The is a mixture of musty sour cherries and slightly sweet cherries. It pours a transparent amber with a minimal off-white ring for a head. The flavor starts with a dusty tart cherry that increases in sourness towards the finish. The tartness is somewhat balanced by a nice sweet cherry presence in the background. Light-medium bodied with some lively soft carbonation.

Date: 06/23/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, RBSG 2007

cloudy orange, wispy tan head, drippy lace, tart oak aroma with a hint of vanilla sweetness, dry caramel malt flavor with lots of oaky tartness, light tart fruit character,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10

Sample from 375 ml bottle (I think), RBSG Minneapolis Grand Tasting, June 23 2007. Fairly light amber, quite hazy/dirty with a nice bit of lasting white head....the nose is full of sour funkiness, tart cherries and a hint of strong sour lemons, a bit of charred wood....strongly sour in the body as well, juicy and tart throughout with a finish that just doesn’t quit....touches of bitter almonds add a nice flourish to the fine cherry/oaky/yeasty picture....strong carbonation, very full. Quite excellent; thanks Walt!

This was a great flemish sour. Amber color with a white head. Sour aroma with some funky yeast. Tart flavor, like citric acid almost.

Beautiful Flemish sour ale!! Hazy amber. I don’t even know to go into the typical range of sour and funk, fruit and fun. This is just a really beautiful FSA, with the right palate and flavor. Thanks Walt!

RBSG 2007: Bottle thanks to Walt: Poured copper with a white head. Aroma, tart, funky and fruity. Flavor, a sharp tartness, some fruits, lemons and apples. A good sour from Texas??!

RBSG 07. A brown beer. Aroma has some balsamic vinegar. Flavor is crisp and very sour, with a bit of apple. Simple and straightforward, but it is good at being what it is.