Monk's Café Flemish Sour 750ML

Monk's Café Flemish Sour 750ML is a Belgian Oud Bruin sour ale blended from young and oak-aged beers, bottled at 5.5% ABV in a 750ml format. Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge — a recipe with roots spanning over 300 years — this expression earned an 87 on BeerAdvocate across more than 3,000 ratings, placing it firmly among respected examples of the style.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.5%  |  Origin: East Flanders, Belgium  |  Style: Oud Bruin (Flemish Sour Ale)  |  Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

Production & Heritage

Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. operates out of Ertvelde, a village in East Flanders, Belgium. The Flemish Sour is one of the oldest recipes in the brewery's portfolio, with a lineage traced back over three centuries. Production involves blending young beer with oak-aged older beer — a hallmark of the Oud Bruin tradition — and the beer is brewed only once per year, making each vintage a limited annual release.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Sour cherry leads immediately, followed by a luscious layer of caramel and a subtle lactic tang. There is a faint nuttiness underneath, reminiscent of aged malt, with hints of balsamic vinegar adding depth.

Taste: The palate opens with tart cherry and green apple, shifting into balsamic fruitiness at mid-palate. Sweet caramel malt balances the acidity, creating a push-and-pull between sour and sweet that stays well-integrated throughout. The carbonation is moderate, giving the medium body a lively texture without overwhelming the nuanced flavors.

Finish: The finish is moderately long, with lingering sour cherry and a gentle malt sweetness that slowly fades. A final trace of lactic tartness keeps the palate refreshed and ready for the next sip.

How to Drink Monk's Café Flemish Sour

Pour into a tulip glass or goblet at cellar temperature (50–55°F) to allow the full aromatic complexity to emerge. This sour ale also works surprisingly well in beer-based cocktails. In a Berliner Sour, it replaces conventional sour beer with richer oak-aged character. A Flemish Shandy — mixed with fresh lemonade — softens the tartness for warm-weather drinking. It also anchors a Cherry Lambic Spritz variation, where the sour cherry notes harmonize naturally with a splash of elderflower liqueur and sparkling water.

Best For

• Introducing a curious drinker to the world of sour ales
• Pairing with a charcuterie and cheese board at a dinner gathering
• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who appreciates traditional Belgian styles
• Adding a seasonal highlight to a curated beer tasting lineup

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Monk's Café Flemish Sour taste like? It delivers a well-balanced interplay of sour cherry, balsamic fruit, and caramel malt sweetness, with moderate carbonation and a medium body. The tartness is pronounced but never aggressive, making it approachable for those new to sour styles.

How does Monk's Café Flemish Sour compare to Rodenbach? Both are traditional Flemish sour ales blending young and aged beer, but Rodenbach is classified as a Flemish Red Ale while Monk's Café is an Oud Bruin, which tends toward deeper caramel-malt character and a slightly less sharp acidity. Drinkers familiar with Rodenbach will find similar oak-aged complexity here, with a rounder, more malt-forward profile.

Is Monk's Café Flemish Sour good for beginners? Yes — at 5.5% ABV with a balanced sweet-tart profile, it serves as an excellent entry point into sour ales without the intense acidity found in more aggressive lambics or gueuzes.

Where is Monk's Café Flemish Sour made? It is brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. in Ertvelde, a village in the East Flanders province of Belgium. The brewery has been producing traditional Belgian ales at this location for generations.

What foods pair well with Monk's Café Flemish Sour? Aged Gouda or Gruyère cheese complement the malt sweetness. Duck or pork dishes with fruit-based sauces echo the cherry and balsamic notes. Dark chocolate desserts match the beer's caramel undertones. A classic Belgian-style carbonnade flamande (beef stew) is a natural regional pairing, while a simple charcuterie board with cured meats and pickled vegetables mirrors the sour-sweet balance.

What sizes does Monk's Café Flemish Sour come in? The standard format is a 750ml bottle, which is the traditional large-format size for sharing Belgian sour ales.

Is Monk's Café Flemish Sour worth the price? It positions as a mid-range Belgian sour ale, and the fact that it is brewed only once a year from a recipe with over 300 years of heritage gives it a distinctiveness that justifies its place in the category against more widely available options.

Why Monk's Café Flemish Sour?

Few Oud Bruin ales available in the American market carry a recipe lineage exceeding three centuries. The once-a-year brewing schedule adds genuine scarcity, distinguishing it from year-round Belgian sours. Its 87-point BeerAdvocate score and over 105,000 ratings on Untappd confirm broad critical and consumer approval. For anyone building a sour ale collection or seeking an authentic taste of East Flanders tradition, this remains one of the most accessible and historically significant examples of the style.