Zoetzuur Flemish Reserve Ale

Cherry fruit tart aroma, with subtle hints of sour bacteria, taste is very fruity and desert dry, light medium sourness,not much tartness , big time astringency iin finish,a fine Flemish,I however am partial to a slightly sweeter, more tart and sour style

Medium-sized off-white head, slowly diminishing. Creamy foam leaves behind thin, creamy lacing. Body is a slightly hazy red/orange/brown multi-tint, dense in appearance. Brettanomyces and sweet malt dominate the nose. This doesn’t have the drying acidity I associate with bright(or even aged), invigorating Flemish sours, but smells delicious nonetheless. Hints of mint seem to encapsulate barnyard notes. Light touches of cedar and cherry and light vinegar notes round out the aroma. The flavor is the antithesis of typicality for this style. Quenching, sour brett and drying yeast/hops are quickly muted by sweetness. Sweetness that seems out of place with its momentum in overtaking more subtle characteristics. Unique, at most. A gross sticky sweetness feels like yeast chunks entering the mouth, just awful. Finishes sweet, of moderate length and leaves a stale malty residue and a metallic note. Medium to medium-full bodied. Nearly a disastrous outing.

Courtesy SoLan. Pours a cloudy, hazy reddish brown. Almost zero head. Bubbles hug the edge of the glass. Smells of big fruity acidity, but nothing overpowering in the nose. Flavor actually is quite mild. Slightly sour, but not what I was expecting. Very small bite to it which was a little disappointing. Some lemon, and other citrus characters but not much else. A little lifeless.

Pours a pinkish red with 2 finger white head. Sweet nose of cherry, bubblegum, Band aid, and yeast. I’m not to fond of the aroma but its not enough to ruin the experience. Tannin flavor with some wild berries. Quite different from other Flemish sours I have sampled. Zoetzuur might teeter on the zoet side. I tend to like mine more sour. Maybe not quite as chewy as Duchesse either or as intense as Rodenbach Grand Cru. Still might be worth seeking out if you’re a fan of sweet and sours.

Hazy amber and 1.5cm of dense, light tan head. Sweet and sour berries, vinous, yeast. Flavor adds solid malt support, old wood (barrel aged?), more sourness. Finishes dry, yeasty, sour. Medium body, balanced carbonation. Very good.

Bottle. 2006 vintage. Pours a hazy red/brown with a quickly dissapating head. Interesting nose: sour cherry, some sweetness, earth, dirt, wild yeast. Same for the flavor profile... very unique. Starts mildly sweet, but ends quite sour and dirty/earth tasting. Finishes malty and sour.

Re-Rate. Bottle aged 2+ years. Loads of pineapple brett and vinegar on the nose. Bursting with acetic acid on the tongue. Really nice.

well, i forgot to rate this while i was having it. i’ve had it twice and it’s awesome both times. i really wish american had cheaper access to this sort of stuff because it’s so different, interesting, and ultimately drinkable. as flemish sours go this one is dead on for the style and i loved everything about it.... yeah, sorry i can’t rate this properly.

Awesome beer! Aroma was slightly sweet and flavor was fruity and a bit sour. Very smooth finish and a nice sweetness to it makes this beer very enjoyable. Good stuff.