Zoetzuur

Upon pouring, a good-sized beige head of small bubbles quickly fades, topping a hazy, copper-colored liquid. The aroma has slight bready notes, a background tartness and a fairly light combination of fruity esters including plums, cherries and orange zest. The typical Flanders Red has a complex fruitiness and sourness that this example does not. The first taste shows the cherry fruit as almost a background, with a bit higher orange juice and zest dominating the fruitiness. A bit of bready malt, a very light tartness -- definitely not the sourness that you typically get in a Flanders Red -- and a low level of floral and spicy hop character with a low bittering produces a slightly malty finish that is quite dry. This beer features a medium body with a fairly high carbonation -- some carbonic acid creates a prickly sensation, but the lactic acidity is missing in action (as is a light touch of acetic acid vinegar that some examples have). Basically the acidity is a bit too one-dimensional; this beer is missing what you get using the Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces that is typical of the style.