The Bard's Yards, Vol. 2 - An unexpected indoctrination into the world of Flanders

For years, I'd seen this beer in stores around Tokyo that I frequent when I'm on the hunt for non-Japanese beverages. I'm not quite sure why I always passed it up - the label is pretty interesting, and the Japanese descriptions, though I periodically don't understand some words here and there, made this beer seem like a good bet. But in the end, I always ended up going for something else. This time, though, with options limited, I decided to make a leap of faith and picked it up.  

Well, I have to say this beer caught me off guard. Any of you who are familiar with this beer might be laughing a little right now.  As soon as I opened the bottle, there came rushing out a distinctly sour and fruity aroma. It wasn't unpleasant, but rather totally unexpected. 

And then the pour. I'm often complimented on how I pour beer (no matter the style), but this poured a massive, caramel-cream head, so out of control that I had to stop twice in order to let it settle enough to fit most of the bottle into the glass. Maybe somebody shook the bottle on me when I wasn't looking? 

The surprises didn't stop there. My first sip was a shocker, as was the second, third, fourth, and so on.  I have to confess that it took me awhile to wrap my mind around this drink. The beer was so intensely sour that I seriously wondered if I had a bum batch in hand. I even checked the dates on the label. But then the tang began to step aside a little to allow some other flavors to come through. I found myself starting to catch some oak, green apple and red grape flavors.  Anyway, the comedy ends here - the rest is in my notes below.  

So I'm happy to say that I learned something today.  This type of beer is called a "Flanders Red Ale". Here is the BeerAdvocate's description:

"Flanders Reds are commonly referred to as the "red" beers of West Flanders. Belgian Red Beers are typically light-bodied brews with reddish-brown colors. They are infamous for their distinct sharp, fruity, sour and tart flavors which are created by special yeast strains. Very complex beers, they are produced under the age old tradition of long-term cask aging in oak, and the blending of young and old beers."

If you'd like to learn more about Belgian farmhouse ales (Flanders Red Ale included), this book currently has my attention:

In closing, I'll draw your attention back to something I wrote in the first paragraph: 

"...the Japanese descriptions, though I periodically don't understand some words here and there, made this beer seem like a good bet." 

Perhaps one of the words I never got was "sour"? 

:-P

And now, the notes I made as I drank. Cheers! 

DATE: 8.21.11

COUNTRY: Belgium

Duchess de Bourgogne (Flanders Red Ale)

ABV 6.2%

APPEARANCE:  Rich amber color, caramel-cream colored giant head with endless lacing

SMELL:  Sour, fruity, black or balsamic vinegar

TASTE:  No bitterness; Sweet; absurdly tangy; red grapes!; green apple; strawberry; blueberry; like the smell it also tastes of black or balsamic vinegar; mellow oak and a tangy aftertaste that really lingers;

MOUTHFEEL:  Smooth, light, slightly crisp.  The carbonation is refreshing but mild.

COMMENTS:  I think I drank this beer slightly too warm. It probably would taste better if served very cold, which might help to draw attention away from the sourness, though you might lose some of the subtler flavors that make this a nice beer.  This is probably just me, but this beer is making me want to eat something salty – salty potato chips!! Am I American, or what?

OVERALL:  Easy to drink, something I would recommend for when someone is in the mood for trying something new, and definitely not for when you’re in the mood for a more “typical” beer.