One of now three beers by a new microbrewery in West-Flanders, part of the Brew Society and located in the same spot but operating separately, specializing in the local beer style traditionally linked to the south of both the Flanders provinces: oud bruin, or Flemish sour ale as the Anglo-Saxons tend to say. The name 'SOSAB' is an acronym meaning Science Of Sour Ale Brewing. This XII is the actual, typical oud bruin in the range, namely a blend of young and old 'foederbier' further blended with young brown beer brewed especially for the occasion. Very thick and frothy, thickly plaster-like lacing, pale greyish-beige, irregular but dense and very stable head, initially collapsing with a loud fizzing sound but settling at about five millimeters eventually, for a long time; crystal clear caramel brown beer with ruddy-vermillion hue and lots of visible sparkling, remaining clear till the last drop so clearly filtered. Aroma of blackberry, freshly cut red apple, apple vinegar indeed, dusty attic, old oak furniture, autumn leaves, slight passionfruit, brown bread crust, cassis, blue plum, whiff of red wine vinegar. Sour and sweet onset, clearly 'cleaned' by the filtering and sweetened with dark sugar (not unexpectedly - Rodenbach, Duchesse de Bourgogne and other 'traditionals' have been doing this for decades too), but still unfolding enough fruitiness of sour cherry, plum and apple peel, cassis and blackberry with a faint dash of passionfruit; finely but fiercely tingling carbonation, supple body. Lactic sourness runs strong through the whole beer, with a fruity effect, but also drying, with a light amount of - appropriate - astringency; caramelly malt core, slick wheaty presence underneath, very faint metallic accent on the sides, with that candi-sugary sweetness persisting till the end, where it contrasts with the lactic sourness as well as with pronounced oak wood tannins. Light effects of dust and sweat appear retronasally, while hop bitterness, as is traditional in this style, remains very low and 'hidden' - it is, instead, that yoghurty sourness combined with tannic woodiness that provides the balance here. Lots of apple-, blackcurrant- and sour cherry-like fruitiness linger afterwards. Very traditionally executed: the classic Rodenbach, the epitome of this style, has spawned many an epigone since the eighties (when its popularity was on its peak), but since then, creative craft breweries like Alvinne and Verzet have basically reinvented oud bruin - making this one, being sweetened and filtered, a weird echo from the past, a bit of an anachronism even if you look at it that way. It does, however, deserve praise that the Brew Society managed to create such an archetypically tasting, twentieth-century style oud bruin - I would even prefer this over (classic) Rodenbach itself, if the latter is to be taken only in its current industrialized form, of course. Have an extra point for managing to brew a more than credible example of an essentially difficult style.

Tan-cream head, small, over cola coloured beer. Shards of lace from rather stable head. Lactic acid in wood a mile out. Quite a point of acetic acid too, and quite vinous, fruity. Red fruit and lots of sweetness, compared to the nose. Cherrychocolate/pralines. Again vinous in character, laden with fruit/acids. Tart, serious dry-out effect and acidthinning. Good carbonation. De facto, excellent (West)Vlaams Oud Bruin. NB this beer constitutes a total novelty - as the front label claims 6% ABV, whilst the backlabel only delivers 5.2% Remarkable. Thanks to Stef!

33cl bottle from Prik & Tik Dranken Marlou. F: thin, tan, quick gone. C: brown with coppery hue against the light, clear. A: sour fruity, caramel, plums, dark cherries, bit chocolate, vinous touch, woody. T: medium malty base, sour fruity, woody, bit vinegar, chocolate, plums, caramel, bit puckering, nice balanced for the style, fully enjoyed.