Monk's Cafe Sour Ale | ZE Beer Review

This was one of the very first sour ales I ever tried, and I remember really enjoying it. Would I think it was as good on a second go-around?



Zymurgical Explorations grade: B+

Beer Review, Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale

Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale

My first beer of this style.

Appearance: Opaque brown body, slightly reddish coloration. Small khaki-colored head that dissipates quickly. Leaves a small amount of lacing. 4.0/5

Smell: Sour, tarty aroma, a hint of that "mustardy" aroma I always get from lambics, has the aroma of a wild ale, probably due to the yeast. Slightly musky at the bottom. This seems pretty much what I expected for-style, so I'm giving it a 4.0/5

Taste: Strong notes of sourness up front. Breadiness in the middle, slightly malty and grainy. Underneath the sourness is a mild touch of apples and cherry. Finishes clean and dry with only a slight tart. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Fairly thin mouthfeel, no real carbonation, slightly chewy. 3.5/5

Drinkability: I'm dinging this a bit because I find it fairly undrinkable. I know the tartness and the sourness is to-style, but for my palate it's fairly overwhelming. I've given it credit in the higher categories, so I don't feel bad for dropping its score a bit here. 2.5/5

Overall: 3.8/5