One of my favorite places to visit when I’m in Philadelphia is Monk’s Café . It’s really and truly a little bit of Belgium plunked down on an unassuming Philly street corner. And a great place to enjoy some great food and wonderful draft beers brewed in Belgium or locally. Monk’s even has a beer of its very own, Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale.

They don’t make the beer themselves, of course. It’s brewed for them in Belgium by the Van Steenberge brewery. I recommend enjoying a glass if you’re at Monk’s. Of course, you don’t have to go to Monk’s to enjoy this beer, since it is now bottled. You can therefore enjoy a visit from Monk’s whenever you please.

Be forewarned: Flemish sour ales are not for everyone. Generally aged in oak and subjected to a bacterial fermentation, they have a distinctly sour flavor, especially in the finish. Many beer enthusiasts (myself included) fine this particularly appealing, but not everyone will. That sourness can be extremely refreshing, and makes the beer very quenching.

The classic example of the style would likely be Rodenbach. In fact, Monk’s version compares very favorably with the latter. I think I still prefer Rodenbach, but only slightly. Van Steenberge has done an excellent job on this beer.

Beers of this style tend to be a bit one dimensional, I think, if only because the sourness is so dominating in the brew. Still, they are beers of great character, and have the presence to accompany a great array of dishes just as a fine wine would.

Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale pours to a deep reddish brown color with a thick and creamy head formation and a tart and sour nose. Even before you take your first sip the beer assaults the senses with its sour intensity.

Once you sip, you’ll find a medium-bodied brew with a firm mouthfeel and gentle maltiness. But that’s all secondary by a mile to the tart, sour character. It’s quite acidic with hints of green apple and a truly mouth-puckering quality, and as stated previously, it gets even more intense in the finish.

This is one of the world’s greatest, if perhaps least understood beer styles. The acidic quality, somewhat akin to malt vinegar, may make one think the beer is spoiled. In most beers, this would be the case, but here the sourness is intentional.

Update 7/5/2018: Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour! I've had this beauty in the bottle before but never on draft. Malty and funky nose with hints of grape, a hint of dark malt, more grapes and sour cherries, green apple, lightly vinous with a tart sour finish. $6.75 is a deal for 11-ounces.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 



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