Oud Bruins are delightful blends of old and new brown ales, which range from puckering lactic and vinegary sourness to a soft sweetness with the incorporation of fruit juices. Although they originated in Flanders, Belgium, many breweries have adopted their take on the unique style. I find this style an appropriate one for the warming spring and even hotter summer months of Florida in reminiscence of refreshing (and tart) lemonade.

I have a Petrus Aged Pale, a world class beer specially brewed for the late beer guru Michael Jackson (I’m sure the king of pop would have enjoyed it too). It is aged for 18 months in oak barrels. The brand Petrus is brewed under the umbrella company of De Brabandere, which brews other very fine brands including Wittekerke and Bavik. I tell people if you like Blue Moon, you would love WIttekerke and if you like a Pilsner style, definitely go for Bavik. Both are in cans and very refreshing. Petrus also offers an aged red, taking their pale and adding sour cherries to give just the right amount of sweetness to quell the pucker. But now on to the tasting!

Appearance

It pours a hazy burnt orange color with a nice foaming head, which hugs the gold rim of my Chimay goblet.

Smell

A faint sourness tickles my nose and whispers of tastes to come. Pithy oak wafts up giving way to a vinous quality.

Taste

The tartness pulls my lips and mouth and does not let go. The oak brings out subtle tannins. After the sourness subsides, the malt raises its hand and comforts my taste buds with a slight sweetness. What a wonderful taste!

I warn you novice beer drinkers, this one can hit you hard, but if you do enjoy a nice tart beer, dive right in. I recall when I was a fledgling beer drinker myself I tried anything and everything--I got my hands on a can of Berliner Kindl Weisse. At the time, I had never heard of a Berliner Weissebier and obviously did not understand the style. I eagerly poured the beer into a glass (I actually had the wherewithal to do that at 23) and took a big gulp. To my dismay, I thought the beer had gone horribly bad and poured it out immediately. Everybody now:  awwwwww, fail. That was certainly not my first craft beer, but it abruptly introduced me to the world of sours. Later I read that was a perfect example of how a Berliner Weissbier should taste, and the gnawing sourness was exactly what I should have expected.

I encourage each of you to delve into the world of sours, one of my favorite styles of beer. A good starter would be Bell's Oarsman Berliner Weissbier. It has just the right sourness. Even go with a shandy and add some low sugar lemonade to your favorite lager, sit back and enjoy.

Adam Shugan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits beer consultant - Gainesville

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