Beer of the Weekend #321: Monk's Café Flemish Sour Ale
As I mentioned last Friday, I will be heading to the Twin Cities for the weekend — maybe. The forecast for tomorrow calls for bitter cold and 1-6 inches of snow. Earlier models predicted 4-8 inches in Eastern Iowa. Southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities will be hit, too, but may receive 1-3 inches. Anyway, if it is too bad we will call it off. If not, we will take it slow and easy all the way into the Medium White North.
Since BotW proper will be on hiatus (maybe) I decided to do a special Thursday tasting. (No week on The Quiet Man is complete without a beer tasting, I guess.) The beer tonight is highly recommended from multiple parties: Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale, brewed by the Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. of Ertvelde, Belgium.
For a few months, John’s beer guru Joe Hotek has been telling me about “sour ales.” I was leery but he broke me down when I was building my sampling sixer for February’s LV recommendation. He took the bottle from the shelf and urged me to take it. I obliged (and paid for it, of course).
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. There is a poorly printed batch code on the back label but nothing discernable as a freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is clean, dark brown. Two fingers of lightly tanned, buttery head dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Immediate tartness. Granny apple, sour grapes, plum, raisins, cherry, sweet (very sweet) caramel, molasses, chocolate, and yeast. It has a hint of smokiness and vinegar, too.
Taste: The mouthfeel is very peculiar. Light and slippery, it is almost like diet pop. The flavors do not standout on their own but contribute to a tart blend, which is mostly fruity; it swings between the grapes/apple and the darker fruits. The smokiness is gone, but the vinegar is still noticeable; it has a slight acidity to it.
Drinkability: I have never had sour ale before so I have to say this first experience was good. Different, but good.
Fun facts about Monk’s Café:
-Style: BA classifies it as “Flanders Oud Bruin.” Here are the details:
-Price: $3.49/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), chocolate, and grilled meat.
-This text is printed on the neck label:
Okay… I’ll take your word for it.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Since BotW proper will be on hiatus (maybe) I decided to do a special Thursday tasting. (No week on The Quiet Man is complete without a beer tasting, I guess.) The beer tonight is highly recommended from multiple parties: Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale, brewed by the Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. of Ertvelde, Belgium.
For a few months, John’s beer guru Joe Hotek has been telling me about “sour ales.” I was leery but he broke me down when I was building my sampling sixer for February’s LV recommendation. He took the bottle from the shelf and urged me to take it. I obliged (and paid for it, of course).
Serving type: 330 ml bottle. There is a poorly printed batch code on the back label but nothing discernable as a freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a tulip. The color is clean, dark brown. Two fingers of lightly tanned, buttery head dissipated quickly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Immediate tartness. Granny apple, sour grapes, plum, raisins, cherry, sweet (very sweet) caramel, molasses, chocolate, and yeast. It has a hint of smokiness and vinegar, too.
Taste: The mouthfeel is very peculiar. Light and slippery, it is almost like diet pop. The flavors do not standout on their own but contribute to a tart blend, which is mostly fruity; it swings between the grapes/apple and the darker fruits. The smokiness is gone, but the vinegar is still noticeable; it has a slight acidity to it.
Drinkability: I have never had sour ale before so I have to say this first experience was good. Different, but good.
Fun facts about Monk’s Café:
-Style: BA classifies it as “Flanders Oud Bruin.” Here are the details:
Oud Bruins, not restricted to, but concentrated in Flanders, are light to medium-bodied, deep copper to brown in colour. They are extremely varied, characterized by a slight vinegar or lactic sourness and spiciness to smooth and sweet. A fruity-estery character is apparent with no hop flavor or aroma. Low to medium bitterness. Very small quantities of diacetyl are acceptable. Roasted malt character in aroma and flavor is acceptable, at low levels. Oak-like or woody characters may be pleasantly integrated into overall palate. Typically old and new Brown ales are blended, like Lambics.
-Price: $3.49/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends earthy cheeses (Camembert, Fontina), chocolate, and grilled meat.
-This text is printed on the neck label:
We blend young and old beers to make this mildly sour sour ale. Light bodied with a lactic/sour nose and a bit of sweet and sour in the finish. Very refreshing!
Okay… I’ll take your word for it.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
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