Brouwerij ‘t Verzet Oud Bruin Hip Hops Sour Brown Ale (Flanders Oud Bruin) at 6% ABV (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #20, 330 ml, bottle date 4-Jul-2016, best before 4-Jul-2026, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 20-Dec-2016)
Appearance: clear deep amber with a short beige head diminishing to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: vinous red fruit, green apples, oak, umame. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high tart. (9/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, lingering tart and gently warming finish. (4/5)
Advent day #20 (first day of winter!) brings one of my favourite styles, the Oud Bruin (Flanders Brown). I’m fairly sure this is actually just a slightly renamed version of their Oud Bruin, but I haven’t had that one, so I could be wrong. Certainly, I’m not getting a lot of hops, so I don’t know how relevant the name is. This is a nice beer, but that’s hardly surprising given their founders include a former head brewer of Omer Vanderghinste, a former employee of De Proef Brouwerij, and a former employee of Van Honsebrouck and New Belgium – a fairly impressive pedigree, to say the least. This beer reminds me of Rodenbach, or maybe Vichtenaar, and definitely tends more to the tart than the more traditional sweet and funky like Duchesse de Bourgogne. Still within spec for the style, but at the sour end of the scale, if you will. It’s actually so sour that I can’t tell if there’s any bitterness or not – but if there is, it’s low. I like this a lot. (17/20)
8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
