Review: Oud Beersel Oude Gueuze Vieille and Founders Red's Rye

Yes, I know. Yet another review of a sour. I've just been on an extreme sour kick lately. However, I am running out of sours in my beer stash so this might be the last one you see for awhile. I do have a bottle of Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic I plan on opening around August or September. I also have a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru and a couple Jolly Pumpkin sours (La Roja and Oro de Calabaza) that I'll be holding on too for awhile. So as I run out of sours and the temperature outside rises you can expect a variety of reviews from lighter styles (everything from pale wheat ales to IPAs). Having said that, that brings us to the second half of this review with Founders' Red's Rye PA. The West Coast usually dominates hoppy ryes so we'll since if Founders can hold their own.

Oud Beersel Gueuze Vielle

As far as Belgian sours and gueuzes go, this isn't exactly everybody's first option. This beer is priced right around better gueuzes like Girardin's Black Label so the obvious choice is to pass on it. However, because I have never tried it I couldn't help but pick it up. Well, let's see how it holds up against its Belgian counterparts.

Presentation: 2011 vintage 12.7 oz bottle poured into a tulip.

Appearance: Hazy golden color with a huge white head and no lacing.

Aroma: A big sour sour presence with a bit of funk and vinegar. As far as the sourness goes, it seems to be focused on tart green apple and lemon. There's also the characteristic Belgian yeast aroma with a little oak and floral character, which was surprising.

Taste: Sour up front, but pretty tame as far as gueuzes go. It's sour, but hardly puckering. I also pick up the tart apple and lemon from the nose. I could even pick up the lemon after licking my lips from each sip. It's also not as dry as most gueuzes. It's actually slightly juicy/fruity in the finish, which was confusing.

Mouthfeel: Thin body with tons of carbonation. Pretty much what you would expect from this style.

Overall: This is good, but not great. It could be a bit more sour and it's not all that complex. I still can't complain much because it's under $10 a bottle, but I will take Girardin Black Label over this any day.

4/5

Founders Red's Rye PA

As far as Founders go, I certainly have the schema of dark beer, although I have had a number of their lighter styles. Their stouts, porters, and old ales (Curmudgeon's Better Half is damn good by the way) just seem to stick out more in my mind. However, I will rarely pass up the opportunity to try a hoppy beer that I've never had. Well, let's see how Red's Rye PA compares to its West Coast competition.

Presentation: 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Amber color with a one inch head. There is a constant stream of bubble rushing to the top of the glass, which is indicative of the high carbonation in this beer. There was only a modest amount of spotty lacing.

Aroma: Tons of hop and rye with a bit of fruity/citrus notes. I notice orange and maybe a bit of grapefruit. Not much complexity going on here.

Taste: Just like the aroma, there is tons of hop bitterness. It's hard to believe that this beer is only 70 IBUs. It seems a bit more bitter than that. Other than that, there is a juicy (orange) quality to it and just enough rye to tie everything together. I really expected the rye to be more present.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with quite a bit of carbonation.

Overall: This is certainly one of the better rye beers that I've had, but there are many more that are better. I realize that this is from Founders and that the expectations are high, but I don't know that I will be coming back to this. There are better offerings from the west coast that are just as affordable. I'll take Bear Republic and Sierra Nevada over this any day. I don't want to give the impression that this is bad though. This is a damn fine beer. I was really close to giving this a 4, but it seemed to open up a bit more as it warmed so I feel confident enough to give it a 4.5.

4.5/5

- Jeff