 Belgian
red-brown sour ale, or 'Flemish old brown' is a unique
style produced in the region of Roeselare, in the South-West of
Flanders. The colour comes from reddish barley malts used for its
brewing, and from a long maturation in oak barrels. Red beers have a
raw and fruity taste, sometimes not so far from Lambic and the derived
fruit beers, although the manufacturing of these families of beers are
completely different. They are often filtered and pasteurised,
with an average ABV around
5.5%. They are very refreshing and must be drunk cold. |
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This
very peculiar type of beer, probably the closer in taste to a wine, is
brewed in a high-fermentation type process, with the fermentation
involving a complex mix of ale yeasts,
Lactobacillus and acetobacteria, all contributing to the flavor. The
beer then undergoes a maturation of 18 to 24 months in oak barrels.
Finally, it is filtered and sometimes blended with young beer to soften
it as aging red ale tends to make it very tart. The
malty sweetness some have is generally because more younger beer has
been
blended with fewer aged beer.
The most representative breweries that produce Flemish Old Brown make
two or three different versions of their beer, including an
unblended one, a blend, and sometimes a "fruit" version made with added
cherry juice or essence, and sweetened. |
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