Zoetzuur Flemish Reserve Ale

Brewed by De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Sour Ale
Lochristi, Belgium

I finally remove a troublesome cork to pour a beer with a hazy, amber/brown body below an ecru head which settles slow and rocky. Tart, yeasty aromas of sour cherries, leather, lemon, feet, cellar mustiness... I feel almost perverted to admit that I can’t wait to taste it. Flavor is rather mild, but only a slight letdown from what was expected in the aroma. Sourness competes with a bittersweetness leaving the impression of having eaten a bunch of Sweetarts and having finally gotten used to them. Mid-bodied... fluffy and dry yet the flavors are allowed to linger. Very good as an introductory Sour. I think my expectations for this style have gotten more stringent... for which I blame Rodenbach and Verhaeghe.

<font size=-4>750ml from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/elmhur Beverage World, Elmhurst, IL 60126</font>

Pours a dark mahogany honey w/ a full, semi creamy froth that reduces slowly to a creamy puddle. Aroma of aged dry fruits and granite. Medium nectar w/ ample residual Champagne effers. The mouthfeel is a soft cotton cream texture. Theres a mild sweetness w/ an overlying moderate sour character. About the same tartness as in a well made margarita. Flavors of undeveloped pears, wild green apples, Bordeaux cask, cedar, slight moscato grapes, and sulpher. Finish is bittered w/ a sour note. Complex and delightful. Highly recommended.

From a caged corked 750 ml. bottle with no bottling/freshness date, but with what looks like a lot number on the cork, ZZ54, sampled at a cellar temperature in a snifter. Poured a cloudy reddish brown with a creamy, frothy off-white head that settled into a thin sudsy lacing, small amount of laced sticking. Aromas of musty bready yeast, woody vanilla, a tart cherry fruitiness, clove and earthy spices. Good, steady, carbonation and a crisp, dry, tart, creamy smooth medium bodied mouthfeel. A woody and yeasty taste, a pronounced barrel woodiness, creamy vanilla, musky, tart cherries and green grapes, lightly sour, a subtle caramel maltiness, a soft spicy bite towards the end, the alcohol provides some warmth in the back of palate, and a dry yeasty, malty finish. Not the best Flanders Red Ale I’ve tried, but still, a pleasant after dinner sipper on a cold midwest night.

750 mil bottle. Dark copper color with a really nice lasting cramy head. NIce lacing too. Aromas were nice tart and sour. The flavor was not as sour as I had expected. Some dried fruit in there and sweet darkness like molassas mixed with some sour. Pretty good.

Another horrible brew from this fucking brewery. What a waste of 10 damn dollars. "Brewmaster’s Collection" and :"Special Reserve" These words should never be allowed to be put on a beer this bad simply as a marketing tool to sell piss in a bottle. These brewers should be lined up and made to drink this swill.

Bottle shared with a bunch of folks at DougShoemaker’s Decemberfest 2006 - courtesy of IPFreely. One of my favourite styles, so I was really happy to try it. Pours a hazy reddish-orange with an off-white head. Tart, musty aroma with some vinegar and funkiness - me like! Flavour is tart and dry, with some sour cherry and wood notes. It’s no Rodenbach Grand Cru, but it’s still mighty fine.

Bottle shared with the gang at Decemberfest 2006 -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a clear copper-red with a large lasting off-white head. Aroma’s almost Geuze-like -- nice sweet and sour smell. Flavour of citrus, tart cherry, sweet malt, spices, wood and more. Medium bodied. Not as complex as some Sour Ales but it’s very good and quite easy to drink.

Bottle (750ml). at Decemberfest 2006 - my bottle. Poured clear copper with a large, lasting creamy head, nice thick lacing. Good aroma - malty, moderately sour, plenty of yeast, spice, and a nice oaky woodiness to it - oh man that’s nice. The taste is an interesting tightrope act - balanced between medium tartness and sweet light roast malt; there is quite a mélange of yeast, spice, coriander, herbal hops, and it finishes more bitter/sour than sweet. I found the body quite solid, with only mild carbonation but decent astringency, a touch of acidity in the finish, and it left my lips sticky afterward - I thought this was an excellent beer; perhaps a little subtle and a touch sweeter than many Flemish sours, but I think it would make a good introduction to the style for many.