Family Sour Beer Style Flanders Red Ale
Country Belgium ABV 6.2%
Producer Verhaeghe
Price $$$$ Packaging 11.2oz/330ml, 25.4oz/750ml bottle
Characteristics Malty, sour, unusual, yeasty

Overview This intense beer is named for the 15th-century Mary of Burgundy, who ruled that region and much of the Low Countries until she fell off a horse while hunting. The beer is aged in enormous oak vats, where it gets its balsamic character, and like most soured beers, it’s a blend of older and younger beer.

Flavors and aromas An epic, complex affair, this beer has an earthy nose, with aromas of cider vinegar, mild fruitiness, and nuts. In the mouth, there are pronounced sherry notes, and the vinegar component is more balsamic than cider. There’s mild sweetness, lots of soft nutty character, and the whole package is strikingly drinkable for all of its unusual, nontraditional flavors.