Perhaps I’m just on a sour ale kick (I’ve recently enjoyed Sour in the Rye and Tart of Darkness from our recent Bruery special offer in The Rare Beer Club, plus a Rodenbach Grand Cru), but this month I’m selecting Bourgogne des Flandres as my top pick from among our 12 oz. products.
Bourgogne des Flanders is crafted in the Oud Bruin style, and is a blend of lambic (not the fruited kind) aged 2-3 years in oak casks and fresh brown ale. The blend is left to age for six more months in oak before bottling.
Now, a lot of sour beers punch you in the face with acidity as soon as they cross your lips. What I found so interesting about this particular beer was the way it opened with such a prominent sweetness – only to have the tartness immediately begin a process of building and building on the palate until achieving balance at the finish. Beautiful fruity esters, caramel, oaky hints, and notes of port wine and sherry help fill out the flavor profile. And at just 5% ABV, Bourgogne des Flandres is easily one of the more drinkable Flemish sours we’ve come across in a while.
So with tart and sour beers growing wildly popular within the last couple of years, what do you think of them? Are you fully on board, or perhaps slowly acquiring the taste? I’ve become a big fan, but it certainly wasn’t always this way…
Cheers!
Brett
