A classic Flanders Red Ale is a riot of flavors, from rich fruity notes of black currant and plum and berries, to bright acidity and dark funk, and even a raw-grain-and-biscuit malt background. Read on and get brewing!

A classic Flanders Red Ale is a riot of flavors, from rich fruity notes of black currant and plum and berries, to bright acidity and dark funk, and even a raw-grain-and-biscuit malt background

If you liked The Rare Barrel’s Golden Ale recipe, check out this one for their Red Ale.

is a genus of yeast traditionally associated with old stock ale from 19th-century Britain and well-recognized as being responsible for terti...

**Aroma:** “Some malt sweetness of caramel, biscuit, melanoidin malt, and toast up front. Next up is the dark fruits, including cherries, raspberries, plum, and raisin. The woody spice from the hops warms with light, pleasant spicy notes, and a hint of lemony tartness.” **Flavor:** “Sharp sour up front, with a bit of metallic character. Lemon juice sour notes are followed by malt notes of biscuit, toast, and a hint of caramel—a dark malt background that keeps the acidity in check. The finish is a bit tart and lingers.” **Overall:** “Interesting concept, but the strong metallic character and acidity make this a hard sell. The fruity complexity is amazing, with a sangria-like or mulled wine fruit character. There are individual characteristics within this beer that are nice, but the sum is slightly less than those parts.”

“Nose has a bit of characteristic acetic acid. Woody aroma and light notes of caramel malt. Smooth malt base in the flavor, with light acidity on top. Lingering malt sweetness balances the crisp acidity. Light woody and earthy background flavors.”

**Aroma:** “Pleasant fruity, tart aromas, with tart cherry, blackberry, and raspberry. The malt has some sweetness, with biscuit, caramel, bread crust, and very subtle coffee (but not burnt) notes, as well as some dried figs or currants. Low earthy hops, and the acidity comes through clean with a touch of lemon.” **Flavor:** “The berry fruitiness is pleasant up front, complemented with a nice malt complexity that includes bread crust, biscuit, and light toast. The moderate berry flavors are accentuated with a touch of *Lacto* and salt, nuts, and raisin. The malt backbone balances the fruit and tartness, which all linger just enough to remember the flavor.” **Overall:** “This is a slightly *Lacto* fruit sour with hints of nutty and toasty flavors. It’s very drinkable, with a nice crispness that’s smooth and well balanced as you parse out all the complexity of this beer. Very interesting and well executed, even while taking a lot of risk with the malt, fruit, and tartness. Great beer!”

Aroma: “Purple grape juice, vanilla, blackberries, spice, chocolate, and balanced vinegar. Red-wine-like character emerges with raspberries cherry fruit notes. Some dry tartness and a little phenolic.” Flavor: “Sweet and dry at the same time. Sweetness hits up front with red grape and cherry-like qualities. Fruit notes of raspberry and prune. A little lemon adds complexity and a slight tartness. Very interesting transition on the swallow—up front it’s light, with an apple-like fruit character, which changes to a deeper finish with hints of cherry and dark malt. The sourness complements throughout, the finish is dry and lingering with a nice tannic/wood character.” Overall: “A complex Flanders Red–style beer lightened up with grape and red-wine character. Red-fruit notes augment the red-grape notes, but it drinks lighter than the color and nose suggest.”

Light toasty/caramel malt. Low apricot and cherry esters. Cherry notes improve with warmth. Moderately high acidity in flavor, with a definite leaning to acetic acid. Bright sour-cherry flavor. Light toast. Mouthfeel a touch too light/watery. Finishes very dry, and acidity lingers.

What started as an attempt to brew a barrel-aged version of Stone’s Arrogant Bastard now forms the basis of Neil Fisher’s burgundy sour beers.

__Aroma:__ “Bright spritzy blend of the three fruits, almost smells like a juice cocktail. Raspberry and cranberry, and a little bit of cherry. Sweet and fruity with some sherry notes.” __Flavor:__ “Each berry carries a different part of the flavor. The tartness from the cranberry balances well with the delicate sweetness of the raspberry and the richness of the cherry. The base beer is a bit of a mystery, but is likely a sour brown of sorts. A supporting roasty malt profile that definitely supports the fruit flavors. Good balance and complexity. Very drinkable with a great finish.” __Overall:__ “A good complex beer that has both the fruit and malt characters that support each other, but it would be good to taste more of the base beer to help balance out the intense fruitiness. This would only add more complexity. Nice beer!”

__Aroma:__ “A bit of raspberry, but a lot of chocolate malt. Roasty and toasty. A bit of caramel. Intense tartness from the raspberry with a toasted malty background.” __Flavor:__ “Chocolate malt is in the forefront with raspberry just behind it. Well-blended raspberry and toasted malt character with a moderately acidic and tannic finish. Complexity from the wild fermentation provides some nice Brett funk without being overpowering. Some toasty light caramel and bready malt in the background. Tart dry tannic finish with a touch of sour.” __Overall:__ “Nice raspberry flavor that is complemented by the malt and the tart, slightly sour finish. The malt complexity seems to lean heavily on roasted malts, which—combined with the acidity—make it a bit acrid. The combination of tart and dark fruits makes this beer worth tasting to tease out all the various flavors.”

“Hints of toasted bread and roast malt combined with tartness of cherries and some delicate, but present, lactic tartness—like a baked sour-cherry tart. Drinks like a young Flanders red. Finishes sweet and sour with a barrel-like tannic character.”

**Aroma:** “Black pepper spiciness, funky barnyard, lactic tartness, and clean hay. Oak up front with a touch of vanilla mixed with a moderate sourness. Very interesting berry-spice-aroma/acetic sourness. Floral and cloves.” **Flavor:** “Very fruity cherry and vanilla with seriously tart lactic flavor. Blueberry and plum and a rocking bread toast build complexity. Lactic and acetic are well-balanced. High tartness up front with a bittering cherry or lime note that creates a puckering. The linger has a bright fruity sourness that is long lasting.” **Overall:** “Very fruity but not overly sweet. Acidity is fairly high but balanced by the wood/oak character. The high sourness has a citrus-like character similar to lime. There is a big _je ne sais quoi _throughout that keeps you coming back trying to crack the code. Great example of the powerful side of sours. I could sip on this beer for a long time. ”

is a specialty of the northwestern province of Belgium, West Flanders. The beer is characterized by a red to brown hue and a balanced but as...

is a Belgian brewery located in the town of Roeselare, West Flanders, famed for its sour red ales. In the mid-18th century, Ferdinand Rodenb...

Aroma: “Tart apple sourness with underlying dark malt, dried fruit (cherry and black currant) notes, dark unsweetened chocolate, and a pleasant woodsy character. Perfect for a Flanders reddish/brownish old ale.” Flavor: “The malt complexity has dried cherries, prunes, black currants, chocolate, and tobacco but comes across relatively dry on the finish. This is balanced by a pleasant underlying sourness that adds to the fruity character. The woodsy character adds nice astringency on the finish and adds to the perception of dryness.” Overall: “A fantastic example of a complex, dark, sour beer with wild- fermentation character. Great balance throughout. Subtle complexity from the initial sniff through the lingering swallow that gets better as it warms. Expertly crafted Oud Bruin–style beer.”

You don’t have to be Irish to make a great Irish Ale. Follow these guidelines, and you’re well on your way to brewing this easy-drinking red ale.

Skip the green beer and leprachauns. Irish red ale is a surefire crowd pleaser and among the easiest beers to brew.

“Mecha Red is a modern amber ale intended to be malty and caramelly, but not a sticky caramel bomb,” says Van Havig, cofounder and master brewer at Gigantic in Portland, Oregon. “It’s mildly fruity from hops and esters and finishes with a hint of chocolate.”