Brouwerij Strubbe Ichtegems Grand Cru

I love to try everything I can across the board, every color, every style, every country.  The Dobie sometimes brings me home beer he thinks I'll like, what a sweetie, and he brought me this a few weeks ago.  I've been on a sour kick lately, trying everything from traditional to historical styles.  I actually had a lichtenhainer the other day - now that was interesting!

Beer: Ichtegems Grand Cru

Brewery: Brouwerij Strubbe
Style: Flanders Oud Brun
ABV: 6.5%

Glass: snifter

Appearance: Pours a medium red-brown with a slight haze that may be a chill haze, it's a little cold.  Small to medium tan head that sinks quickly without much trace.  

Aroma:  Has a nose much like a sweeter red wine, with sour notes that are just barely detectable.  Would call the wine smell a grape skin-like aroma.

Body & Texture:  Light to medium body that honeys over the tongue before exploding with carbonation and then hitting the drinker with a surprising alcohol or carbonation burn on the way down.

Taste:  Taste reminds me of nothing quite like it does a highly carbonated red wine.  Sweet grape skin flavor start with a slight breaddiness in the middle from the yeast and just a touch of vinegar, earning it the sour name.

Overall: 4/0  My first time with a Flanders Brown!  More sweet and much less sour than its cousin the Flanders Red, I would have to say this particular example of the style is much akin to a carbonated sweet red wine.  My mind searches for an oak flavor in it while drinking.  If you've got an interest in sours, I recommend checking this one out.  It's more towards the sweet end of the scale, with sour notes being much more delicate and subtle, but as a sour lover I have to say the different experience is challenging to the palate.