Ommegang Pale Sour Ale

Ommegang Pale Sour Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY. 6.9% ABV. Product of Belgium. (If that's confusing, it is instructive to remember that Brewery Ommegang of Cooperstown, New York is a wholly owned subsidiary of Duvel-Moortgat, and some of their branded beers are actually brewed in Belgium for sale in the U.S.) This one, actually, was brewed in collaboration with Liefmans.

Lightly hazed, pale golden coloring, slim white head.

In the nose: Big funk, big sour. Slightly vinegar-y. Wine-like, fruity, nice.

In the mouth: Sharp, tart, sweet, funky. Medium/ light bodied. Perfectly easy drinking, refreshing, and delightful. Just enough sour, just enough malt, great balance, go drink it.

I was going to copy off the words on the label, as I often do, but they used pretty much the same verbiage that I just did, and that would be embarrassing. Note that I did not read it first, however. Mere coincidence.

Here's more from them: Pale Sour is an elegant, drinkable sour beer, unique in that it’s not wood-aged. It has a well-balanced blend of sweet and sour. Liefmans is such a historic, iconic brewery and having the opportunity to work with them has been an honor and very enjoyable. 

Pale Sour begins with a mixed culture fermentation in open copper vats. Aged over several months in stainless tanks, master blenders blend new batches with older ones until the optimal balance of flavors is reached.

Liefmans Cuvee' Brut

Liefmans Cuvee Brut.

Called a "kriek", but not a lambic. Cherries are macerated with an aged Belgian brown ale, aged for a year, then blended with Oud Bruin and Goudenband for different ages. 6% ABV.

Dark, cloudy, reddish-brown coloring, small, pinkish head.

Aroma: sour cherries with a judicious jolt of sweet. Dark malt lies below. Little bits of chocolate. Lovely stuff.

Taste: silky smooth, with a brace of bitterness, followed by a storm of sour. Fruit flavor mixed with oakiness, swimming over a brown ale base. Great texture on top, nice tannin-like play on the palate. Tasty, tasty stuff. Sourness is mellow, not a puckering pounce, but a gentle message. Mmm. Velvety, luxurious, plain ol' delightful. So lovely and delicious, I've coined a new phrase: "Lover-licious."

Hm. I'm going to wait on that one. Don't quote me yet.

Great beer, though. Get one for Thanksgiving. Seriously.

Liefmans Oud Bruin

Liefmans Oud Bruin, old brown sour ale, Oudenaard, Belgium. 5% ABV.

Appearance: Opaque, crimson to plum in color, lovely, creamy tan head. Looks alluring.

Aroma: Ah, beautiful! Sour fruit, oak, funk, sweet malt. Love it.

Taste: Once in the mouth, the tart fruit bounces on the palate, then slides back down the throat, finishes nicely, departing without a fuss. Sweet, juicy malt makes friends with a touch of funky fruit. Cherries are the ripest association, and raspberry comes to mind, with plum hanging around.

Moderate mouthfeel, medium body, and an utterly pleasant flavor. Not terribly complex in the end, not overly sour (which is why this style is less favored among the beer geek crowd than the Flanders Red is), but ever-so nice. Simply beautiful.

The Goudenband is a more sophisticated, complex expression, but this is a satisfactory, less expensive version.

Liefmans Goudenband

Since 1679, Liefmans Goudenband…"one of the world's most complex beers. An aged Belgian brown ale. It is brewery cellared for many months until it matures. Only then is it blended and bottled. Historically known as 'Provision Beer', Goudenband is superb for further home cellaring, allowing the taste, aroma, and body of the beer to continue to evolve. A delectable treat for the beer connoisseur."

Regardless of that, I'm drinking it now, since I haven't had one in many years. I'll cellar another one later. 8% ABV.

Dark, clouded, deep burgundy brown, slim off-white head, gets tight, but hangs in there.

Aroma is where it's at: soft, yet sharp. Sour, and a little sweet. Raisins, dates, cherries, blackberries. Dark malts plunked down, mashed and maturated with deep, winey flavors.

Taste: beautiful. Enters the mouth a'blazing'…coats the palate with a great splash of sour, a supple coating of sweet, a flush of fruit flavor, the dark ones, the plump ones, the ones that grow on vines. A little bitter buzz butts up against the sour, then allis malty and mellow. Complex, but well-balanced. Luxurious, and satisfying. Sweet, succulent, wine flavors meld with full-bodied brown ale.

In other words, yummy, this is delish. Sourness never quits, and never dominates, either. You get a hit of it, it blends with the rest, and it's all easy on the way out. Long, fruity finish. Utterly delightful.