#flanders red

670  Duchesse de Bourgogne de la Brasserie Verhaeghe. 

Une bonne bière rouge de Flandre refermentée 18 mois en fut de chêne et mélangée à une bière de 8 mois. Vaguement acide, boisée et fruitée.

Brewery : Noon Whistle Beer : Swanky Smack Style : Flanders Red / Flanders Red Ale / Sour / Sour Red Variance : None

8.5 / 10

Man, Hilary Swank has basically fallen off these past few years but just because she won two Oscars, she deserves her own beer? I don’t know about that Noon Whistle. I mean, I still can’t tell if she's hot or not and Boys Don’t Cry (don’t judge me) and Million Dollar Baby were just OK movies but I guess those little golden men pull some serious weight even in the craft beer world. As usually, I’m being told that I am way off base with this whole Hilary thing which sucks because I just saw those pictures of her with short hair and I was this close to being fucking sold on her and possibly even getting off… but that’s besides the point. This beer has an almost tart cherry start to it with a nice mix of sweet and sour before that sour and funk really ramps up bringing a nice jaw tightening pucker that’s still sessionable enough to take human sips of before ending with some more of that borderline fruity flavor with a little more sweetness. This beer is definitely one of those sours that you want to take your time with for the simple fact that it’s delicious and smooth and you don’t want to rush through it. You want to savor it like those pictures of Hilary Swank with short hair… uhhh…..uhhh…..uhhh…..ok I’m finished now. If this is your first time venturing into the sour category you are a lucky fellow or lass because this is a super solid jump off point for you first timers out there. As for you pros and masters of the craft universe, raise the can in the air and scream “I Have The Power!” because this beer will have you feeling like you could defend Eternia in no time with it’s great flavors. Also, I made a He-Man reference so 10 points go to me. Cheers!

One of these was exhibited in the San Diego County Fair.

Brewery : Steel String Beer : Shady Grove - Raspberry Edition Style : Flanders Red Ale / Sour Variance : Aged in Pinot Noir Barrels for Months then Fruited with North Carolina Raspberries

9 / 10

Holy shit this is sour! You never really know what you’re going to get when it comes to this style because the pucker ranges from a silly tickle of tartness to a whole body convulsion of intensity and this one sits proudly on it’s throne of the second option. I’m so glad that sours didn’t just become a beer fad that faded out and kept their popularity because this really is one of the most unique and complex styles out there and this is a damn amazing example of it. A fresh raspberry flavor and tartness starts things off with a nice underlying sweetness before a super strong sour pucker joins in making your face feel like you just looked at either Medusa or Sandra Bernhard (same thing right?) before ending with more raspberry jammy flavors and sweetness to really make this one killer brew. If you are looking for a style that will absolutely own your taste buds and basically serves as the Dictionary’s definition of the style, snag this and enjoy because it is some serious but delicious drinking. If you are new to the style keep your distance because this is definitely going to be a bit too much for beginners but for you pros out there, dive right the fuck in and enjoy because this is so damn good.

New from https://noladrinks.com/broadcast/noladrinks-show-beer-on-my-front-porch-apr20ep4/

NOLADrinks Show – Beer on My Front Porch – Apr20Ep4

On this week’s The NOLADrinks Show with Bryan Dias, we’re drinkin’ beer on my front porch! We welcome back our resident (and unpaid) beer experts, Matt Horney and Sal Mortillaro. Maintaining social distancing, of course, we sip on some brews and talk shop on the porch!

Pictured above from left – Sal Mortillaro, grand master beer judge, Bryan Dias of The NOLADrinks Show, and Matt Horney, brewmaster Old Rail Brewing Co.

NOLADrinks Show – Beer on My Front Porch – Apr20Ep4

Out of the gate, we let you know what’s on tap (pun intended) for this week’s show. We also make note of the passing of New Orleans blues and R&B great, Alton “Big Al” Carson, whose tunes you’ll here in and out of the breaks.

Then, we head out to, well, my front porch for our featured interview. We’re joined by our regular beer experts, Matt Horney, brewmaster at Old Rail Brewing Co. and certified beer judge, and Sal Mortillaro, grand master beer judge with the Beer Judge Certification Program.

Pictured above from left – Sal Mortillaro, grand master beer judge, Bryan Dias of The NOLADrinks Show, and Matt Horney, brewmaster Old Rail Brewing Co.

About once a quarter, Matt and Sal join the show to talk about beer – whether it be styles, techniques, ingredients, history, etc. for our theme. Often, we dovetail into interesting segues (these guys are walking beer encyclopedias…)

So, I figured, why not make this week’s theme nothing more than “drinking beer on my front porch.” Seemed to fit the current situation well!

We sip on several things and talk about them (and other things.) We also discuss mead and enjoy a tasty mead cocktail put together by Sal. As always, it’s an interesting, fun, and tasty chat!

Sal and Matt stick around for “Another Shot with NOLADrinks,” our podcast-only segment. Our main conversation there centers around the effects and potential effects of the coronavirus crisis on taproom-driven breweries.

Pictured above – Here’s what we imbibed on the show! Some were discussed on air and some weren’t – but, all delicious! Not pictured is the fantastic “Hobo Helles” crafted by Matt at Old Rail Brewing Co.

We close things out with our “Parting Shot” with some thoughts on the restaurant and bar industry during this time.

The map below shows the location of Old Rail Brewing Co. in Old Mandeville. They’re currently open for go-food and you can also get growlers of beer, too! You can subscribe to, stream, and download the podcast of The NOLADrinks Show with Bryan Dias using the links and player at the top of the post.

Cheers and Be Safe, You All!

~ Bryan

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