Flemish or Flanders ales

In 1860, Belgian Eugene Rodenbach went to England to learn brewing. At that time, the most popular beer there was the London Porter. It was aged in giant barrels of 100,000 liters. The more it was aged, the drier and more sour the beer became. Not everyone could afford to drink beer that had spent several years in a barrel. That’s why in pubs they mixed beers of different ages into one glass.

On his return to Belgium, Eugene reproduced the porter production technology at the Rodenbach family brewery and obtained the first samples of Flemish ale.

The essentials about production technology

Basic facts you should know about the production of Flemish ales:

— When brewing, predominantly light malt is used with a small addition of dark, roasted varieties.
— Unflavored, old hops are used. It is added at the very beginning of brewing so that it does not give bitterness and flavor, and does not interfere with the balance of the ale.
— Mixed fermentation is used. After brewing, cultured brewer’s yeast and lactic acid yeast are added: the former converts the sweetness from the wort into alcohol, the latter adds sourness.
— The beer is aged in a barrel or tank. From 8 months to 3 years the wort is kept in special oak tanks. They give the beer wine notes.
— Aged and young beer is blended. After the beer has been in the barrel for more than a year, it is mixed with less aged beer. This is how you get the perfect blend of flavors.

FlandersRed

Flemish red ale is produced using red-brown malts and aged in oak barrels for two to three years. As a result, the beer interacts with sour bacteria, which imparts a characteristic sourness to the flavor. To reduce the tartness, younger, sweeter beers are added, which increases the flavor and complexity of the finished brew, and adds carbonation (carbonation) to the final product.

Flemish red ales tend to be pungent and bracingly tart, with a fruity and winey flavor. The aroma is winey, with hints of fruit. The flavor is dominated by vinegar sourness, plum, cherry, currant and orange. Also in the red ales one can feel the oak barrel. It opens with notes of vanilla, wood, spices and tannins. Red Flemish ale is produced with a small addition of dark roasted malt, but still the base is light. The fruity and sour profile of the drink dominates.

Oud Bruin

Another mixed sour ale from Flanders is called Oud Bruin, or flanders brown — a Flemish brown ale. Although it is often considered the equivalent of Flemish red ale, these styles are quite different (also, Oud Bruin originated in East Flanders, not West Flanders — this matters to the Flemish).

While Flemish red ales have a pungent flavor, Oud Bruin tends to be more malty and somewhat sweeter, with notes of ripe plums and raisins, and much less tart. As in Flemish red ales, the fermenting bacteria traditionally come from tall oak barrels where the beer is aged. But many modern versions are fermented in stainless steel vessels, with yeast and bacterial cultures added.

In brown Flemish ales, more dark, heavily roasted malts are added. Therefore, bread notes and caramelization are felt in the flavor. The flavor and aroma of brown Flemish ales is fruity and malty with sourness. It contains plums, dates, dried fruits. Maltiness is expressed in hints of caramel, chocolate and molasses. The longer the brown ale is aged, the more distinct the acidity is felt.

It’s interesting

Despite its Belgian origins, the inspiration for the Flemish red ale is likely to have come from the sour blended porters that once dominated the English beer market. The godfather of the style is considered to be Eugene Rodenbach, who trained in brewing in England and brought porter blending techniques to Belgium. Rodenbach created the first examples of Flemish red ales at his family brewery. Rodenbach sour ales, with their deep red color, are characterized by a berry and plum flavor with notes of balsamic vinegar and an inherent sourness that is created by the bacterial fermentation of the wort in oak barrels.

There are many articles on the internet that say roughly the same thing, yet one says Flemish ale and the other says Flanders ale. And any person, even a biergic, might have a question: what is the right one?

Both red and brown Flemish ales are produced in Flanders, a region in the north of Belgium. But Flanders is inhabited by the Flemish.

If we talk about the Rodenbach brewery, and they are the originators of this style, they have «FLEMISH» written on the bottle. The BJCP (world beer style chart) also has a section for «Flemish ales.»

The most famous Flemish ale that comes immediately to mind is Bourgogne des Flandres. It is made using a different technology from the classic Flemish ale. It’s also labeled «lambic» or «brune» on the bottle.

To find a classic Flemish red ale on the store shelf, look for «flemish» on the label and read about the beer’s production. It should be aged in barrels. If you want to find a brown Flemish ale — the label will say «oud brun».

And you can try it in any beer restaurants of the Lambic chain. We are waiting for you!

Date : 16 May

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