Category Archives: Euro Sour Ale

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij Het Anker, Euro Sour Ale

Het Anker Gouden Carolus Indulgence 2016 – Cuvée Sauvage

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Brewery: Brouwerij Het Anker
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9.8%
Style: Euro Sour Ale
Other Notes: Strong blond ale blended with Lambic from the Zenne valley. Limited Edition 2016

Brewer Description: (from the bottle and booklet around the neck) Gouden Carolus Indulgence [Indulgence, noun, \in-’dәl-jәn(t)s\ something that is done or enjoyed as a special pleasure] is a limited series of beers brewed every year with varying content. These ‘Indulgence’ brews are exclusive delights to be savoured at special moments or shared with special people.

Cuvée Sauvage is the 2nd taste to be produced under this label. Gouden Carolus Cuvée van de Keizer Rood was blended with 2- and 3-year-old Lambic (20%) from the Boon Brewery (Lembeek). This union combines the best of two brewing traditions: full-bodied and subtly flavoured, fruity and refreshingly sour.

The 2-year-old Lambic comes from oak foudre N°21 (9,000L). It offers aromas of apples, citrus fruits and oak.

The 3-year-old Lambic has aged in oak pipes (600L), and contains more volatile acids that give the beer a powerful, full-bodied and vinous taste with a slightly smoked touch.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, released in Summer ’16, with a best before end 2018 date. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy golden orange colour with a big almost three finger off white head that had pretty good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet champagne-y, sour fruit, peach, pink lemonade, sparkling apple cider, lemon zest, light oak and hints of funk.
Taste: Moderately sweet, champagne, peach, lightly sour, lemonade, lemon zest, apple, pineapple, Belgian yeast and a mix of spices.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, moderate to high carbonation and a dry finish.
Overall: Quite nice overall, but I’m unsure of the necessity to make the ABV so high. With its aroma and flavours, I would have preferred an easy drink rather than one that’s more like a sipper.

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4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Euro Sour Ale, Mikkeller ApS

Mikkeller Spontandryhop Mosaic

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Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Euro Sour Ale
Other Notes: Brewed by Mikkeller at De Proef Brouwerij, Belgium

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dry hop Mosaic Sour Ale.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.05
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 7th March 2022. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had pretty good retention and left some lacing.
Aroma: Tart, sour, passionfruit, unripe mango, berries, grapefruit zest, grape, grass, funk and oak.
Taste: Tart, sour, passionfruit, berries, lemon juice, citrus zest, grass and lightly funky and herbal.
Mouthfeel: Acidic, slightly astringent, medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: The Mosaic hop flavours come through nicely and was enjoyable.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, England, Euro Sour Ale, The Wild Beer Co.

Wild Beer Sourbeest

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Brewery: The Wild Beer Co.
Country: England
ABV: 5.9%
Style: Euro Sour Ale
Other Notes: Stout + Sour + Chocolate + Barrel-aging

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We believe exceptional brewing stems from imagination and passion. It’s not just a process. By embracing our environment and being free of rules and tradition, we can add a Wild 5th element to our beers – in this case a locally harvested culture of yeasts and bacteria from the famous Somerset orchards. We want to give you a truly memorable drinking experience. We want to alter your perceptions and thrill your taste buds. We want you to Drink Wildly Different. Sourbeest is a sour stout made by the magic of spontaneous fermentation and aged in oak barrels for over 9 months. We use the second running’s from our Imperial Stout, Wildebeest, as the base for this beer and let the yeast and bacteria in the air inoculate the cooling wort and start their own magical fermentation. The beer then goes straight into oak barrels to ferment and mature over many months until we deem it ready for your drinking pleasure. A taste of chocolate coated sour cherries fills the mouth. A proper treat!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 14th January 2018. Poured into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A moderately dark brownish red colour with pretty much no head, with any head that was there, dissipating almost immediately, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart and sour mixed berries, vinous red wine, cherry, oak with hints of chocolate in the background.
Taste: Milk chocolate, lightly tart, cherry, mixed berries, vinous, grape with perhaps some light oak.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: The tart and sour part was actually pretty good. However, the chocolate came through in the taste every now and then, and while it wasn’t overpowering, I didn’t think it combined too well with the sour parts. I also felt that the carbonation was too light.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij De Ranke, Euro Sour Ale

De Ranke Cuvée

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Euro Sour Ale
Other Notes: On base of old Flemish beer and Lambic

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 70% Belgian Sour Ale with 30% Lambic added.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 28th May 2020. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A nice clear copper orange colour with a just over one finger light beige head that dissipated fairly quickly and left some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Tart, oak, white wine, apple, herbal and funky.
Taste: Tart, but only mildly sour, red apple, lime, cork, oak, funk and maybe hay with only a hint of a herbal element and vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Acidic, medium to light bodied with good moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice and balanced blend of a sour ale and Lambic. Much better than the Kriek version in my opinion.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brouwerij De Ranke, Euro Sour Ale

De Ranke Kriek

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Ranke
Country: Belgium
ABV: 7%
Style: Euro Sour Ale
Other Notes: On base of old Flemish beer, Lambic and sour cherries (25%)

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 70% Belgian Sour Ale fermented with cherries with 30% Lambic added.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.55
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 750ml bottle with a best before date of 26th August 2021. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A very nice clear ruby red colour with a just under two finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sour, tart, funky, vinegar, musty with only hints of cherry.
Taste: Tart and sour, lots of lemon, lemon zest, vinegar and funk with only a hint of cherries.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate to light carbonation.
Overall: This was ok but the Belgian Sour Ale felt like it overpowered everything else, such that there was hardly any cherry in either the aroma or taste, which was not so good for a Kriek type beer.