Now that you’ve read my last post, you know a little bit about how sour beers are created. Now let’s talk examples. Here are my reviews of two very contrasting sour ales.

Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale

Monk’s Cafe is a well-known restaurant and bar in Center City Philadelphia that’s famous for its enormous selection of Belgian beers. Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale is actually brewed in Belgium by Brouwerij Van Steenberge. The beer is actually called Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne. The label reads:

We blend young and old beers to make this mildly sour sour ale. Light bodied with a lactic/sour nose and a bit of a sweet and sour in the finish. Very refreshing! (5.5% ABV)

Here are my tasting notes:

Appearance: Ruby red with a tan, effervescent head.

Aroma: Tart cherries, lightly sour, lactic acid, slight barnyard/musty aroma.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, slight buttery-diacetyl feel, medium-light-bodied.

Flavor: Lightly sweet, cherries, slight touch of caramel, pleasantly tart.

Overall impression: Easy drinking, deliciously tart, with a gentle acidity. The word I would use to describe this beer is “luscious.” I love this beer.

Suggested pairing: Light shortbread cookies or perhaps ladyfingers would be delicious with this beer. Something lightly sweet would be a gentle contrast to the divine, tart cherry flavor of the beer.

And now, we move to the other end of the sour spectrum…

HaandBryggeriet Haandbakk

This 8.5% ABV Norwegian Sour Ale by HaandBryggeriet, which was brewed back in fall 2006, was aged in oak barrels until spring 2008, so about a year and a half. The label reads:

The “Hand Brewery” has always been obsessed with the original Scandinavian brew – ale made by farmers, aged in wood, deep, dark, and invariably, naturally, sour. So, when the boys got their famous hands on some oak barrels used for making sherry and rhubarb wine, everyone knew what would happen next…

And my notes:

Appearance: Opaque, dull brown-black, with an off-white head.

Aroma: Extremely tart, sour, acetic acid, cherries. Give it a good swirl and the aroma becomes more malty and oaky with fig and date notes.

Mouthfeel: Spritzy, light-bodied, champagne-like.

Flavor: Very tart and acidic, Granny Smith apples, cherries. It actually burns your throat! Finishes very dry. The aftertaste feels as if I was just eating Granny Smith apples.

Overall impression: Extremely complex. One of the most acidic beers I’ve ever tasted, a bit too extreme for me. I wasn’t exactly crazy about the feeling of acid eating through my tooth enamel. The aroma is the most interesting and enjoyable part of the experience. The brewers say this is their first attempt at this beer… I think they should try again and take it easy on the acidity.

Suggested pairing: Tums.

So there you have it, two sour ales at completely opposite ends of the sour spectrum. Sour ales can be light, luscious, and lovely like Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale. Or they can be heinously over-the-top and cause heartburn, like HaandBryggeriet Haandbakk.

Regardless of your acidity threshold, sour beer is a fascinating style that’s gaining popularity in America. If you’re looking to start getting into the style, I’d highly recommend Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale. If you can’t find that, look around for other Belgian sours, as there’s a whole slew of ‘em with a wide range of intensities coming out of Belgium.

Your best bet is to start with something mild, then work your way up to some really intense stuff until you find your sourness threshold (I think I found mine!).