Mestreechs Aajt

[fretlessman71]

This came highly recommended to my by one of the people at Wilbur's today, and I'm having a hard time getting my tastebuds around it. It's a Flanders Red Ale (see, I'm trying to expand my horizons here!), and it's a deep mahogany with a few ruby overtones. The head didn't last terribly long (guess I need one of those goblets with the etching on the bottom), but if I swirl it it comes back. There's a sourness that I'm not disliking, but I'm not used to it either. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Here's what I'm drinking. (http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/507/17879/)

[chazwicke]

If you are hankering for a Belgian red ale try the Rodenbach if your paint store stocks it. It is no longer the beer it once was but it still is a pleasant brew. I used to love the old Rodenbach Grand Cru.

[danno]

Flander's Red has it's very own BJCP style... (and in tonight's BJCP class, we're covering styles 16 and 17, so I'll probably get to taste a couple of these, I'm pretty sure the Oud Bruin is making an appearance...)

17B. Flanders Red Ale
Aroma: Complex fruitiness with complementary malt. Fruitiness is high, and reminiscent of black cherries, oranges, plums or red currants. There is often some vanilla and/or chocolate notes. Spicy phenols can be present in low amounts for complexity. The sour, acidic aroma ranges from complementary to intense. No hop aroma. Diacetyl is perceived only in very minor quantities, if at all, as a complementary aroma.

Appearance: Deep red, burgundy to reddish-brown in color. Good clarity. Average to good head retention.

Flavor: Intense fruitiness commonly includes plum, orange, black cherry or red currant flavors. A mild vanilla and/or chocolate character is often present. Spicy phenols can be present in low amounts for complexity. Sour, acidic character ranges from complementary to intense. Rich, sweet flavors range from complementary to prominent. Generally as the sour character increases, the sweet character blends to more of a background flavor (and vice versa). No hop flavor. Restrained hop bitterness. An acidic, tannic bitterness is often present in low to moderate amounts, and adds a red wine-like character. Diacetyl is perceived only in very minor quantities, if at all, as a complementary flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Low to medium carbonation. Low to medium astringency, like a well-aged red wine, often with a prickly acidity. Deceivingly light and crisp on the palate although a somewhat sweet finish is not uncommon.

Overall Impression: A complex, sour, red wine-like Belgian-style ale.

History: The indigenous beer of West Flanders, typified by the products of the Rodenbach brewery, established in 1820 in West Flanders but reflective of earlier brewing traditions. The beer is aged for up to two years, often in huge oaken barrels which contain the resident bacteria necessary to sour the beer. It was once common in Belgium and England to blend old beer with young to balance the sourness and acidity found in aged beer. While blending of batches for consistency is now common among larger breweries, this type of blending is a fading art.

Comments: Long aging and blending of young and well-aged beer often occurs, adding to the smoothness and complexity, though the aged product is sometimes released as a connoisseur's beer. Known as the Burgundy of Belgium, it is more wine-like than any other beer style. The reddish color is a product of the malt although an extended, less-than-rolling portion of the boil may help add an attractive Burgundy hue. Aging will also darken the beer. The Flanders red is more acetic and the fruity flavors more reminiscent of a red wine than an Oud Bruin.

Ingredients: A base of Vienna and/or Munich malts and a small amount of Special B are used with up to 20% flaked corn or corn grits. Low alpha acid continental or British hops are commonly used (avoid high alpha or distinctive American hops). Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces (and acetobacters) contribute to the fermentation and eventual flavor.

Vital Statistics:OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
1.046 - 1.054 1.008 - 1.016 15 - 25 10 - 16 5 - 5.5%

Commercial Examples: Rodenbach Klassiek, Rodenbach Grand Cru, Bellegems Bruin, Duchesse de Bourgogne, New Belgium La Folie, Petrus Oud Bruin, Southampton Publick House Flanders Red Ale, Verhaege Vichtenaar

[fretlessman71]

Yeah... I SUPPOSED I could have looked at that same link that steveh gave me, but I wanted to see if anyone else had tried this brew and had their own impressions of it. Sourness is pretty strong in this stuff. but it wasn't bad. I wonder if I'll crave it ever like I do a good porter.... Yum! But I did enjoy this.

[chazwicke]

I can vouch for the Rodenbach, Duchesse de Bourgogne and the Petrus Oud Bruin. I love these beers.

[fretlessman71]

Does the sourness take some getting used to? I can see where I'd like it a lot down the road...

[chazwicke]

Depends. That is actually what I love about these beers. Perhaps, they like the Lambics, take some getting used to. The tartness is what is most of the appeal for me. Try one of the others and I'll try the Mestreechs Aajt If i run across it. My hunch is that you will grow to love them.

[Wilson]

The Duchesse de Bourgogne is exactly what I thought of too. I'm not a big fan of Lambics. But this Flanders ale is more tolerable to me. I've got one at home, I might have some tasting notes on it somewhere. But it seemed to me to have a good maltyness to counter the sour; as compared to the Cantillon Kriek I had that, mistakenly, I thought had gone bad.

I tasted another lambic the other day, cant remember its name, but it was a mix of old and new lambics and had a very sweet taste to it. Pretty good.

[chazwicke]

I prefer the tart lambics. They can be very similiar to the red ales. very winelike.

[studentofbeer]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Does the sourness take some getting used to? I can see where I'd like it a lot down the road...

i think it grows on you. the first flanders ale i had amazed me, but i could barely get through it. now i am more used to it, though i haven't had one in a while.

[BluesHarp]

I had a beer new Year's Eve described as a "Flemish sour"...is that similar to what you are referring to here?

[fretlessman71]

Sounds about right. I don't know the stylistic differences between a flanders and a flemish, but I bet steveh would fill us in....

[steveh]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Does the sourness take some getting used to?

In a word. Yes. I got through most of a bottle of Gueuze the other night -- maybe I'm getting better, but never been a fan of the Belgian sours.

S.

[steveh]

Originally posted by BluesHarp
I had a beer new Year's Eve described as a "Flemish sour"...

Probably a marketing tag - Flanders is a region, Flemish is a language. What was the brew Blues?

S.

[chazwicke]

Which one was it?

[steveh]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Which one was it?

The Gueuze? I knew someone would ask...cain't remember. Was one from the beer club... Mort Subite Gueuze (looked it up).

S.

[Beaver]

Hey Fret, have you ever had New Belgium's La Folie? It is similar. It does take some getting used to...very surprising at first.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by steveh
The Gueuze? I knew someone would ask...cain't remember. Was one from the beer club... Mort Subite Gueuze (looked it up).

S.

Ah yes. Sudden Death. Morte Subite. I have had this several times. Brickskeller usually has it or at least did.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by Beaver
Hey Fret, have you ever had New Belgium's La Folie? It is similar. It does take some getting used to...very surprising at first. I was supposed to buy several bottles and try to trade them, but I just haven't had the funds. Don't know if I'd get an extra one and lay it down or not. Seems like every time we want to make a big purchase, one of us gets sick, or something major on the car breaks, or something...

[Beaver]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
I was supposed to buy several bottles and try to trade them, but I just haven't had the funds. Don't know if I'd get an extra one and lay it down or not. Seems like every time we want to make a big purchase, one of us gets sick, or something major on the car breaks, or something...

I hear you. $17 is quite a bit to spend on one bottle o beer. The only time I had it was a free sampling at the brewery quite a while ago. Not sure if they still do that though.

[BluesHarp]

Originally posted by steveh
Probably a marketing tag - Flanders is a region, Flemish is a language. What was the brew Blues?

S.

I'll try to find out...

edit (after an email to bluesnbrews) -

it may have been Duchesse de Bourgogne