Mestreechs Aajt (5% ABV, unsweetened)
This is the version sold in the US. The brewer’s original intent was for a beer of this strength but limitations proprietary to the Dutch market led to him brewing a lower alcohol, sweetened version there. When he started exporting to the US, the original concept of the beer was chosen.
Produced at Gulpener’s De Zwarte Ruiter (Black Knight) brewpub, Mestreechs Aajt is a blended beer in which one of the component beers is subject to a wild yeast fermentation and is aged for a year in unlined wood. Very refreshing, traditional style brew.
Produced at Gulpener’s De Zwarte Ruiter (Black Knight) brewpub, Mestreechs Aajt is a blended beer in which one of the component beers is subject to a wild yeast fermentation and is aged for a year in unlined wood. Very refreshing, traditional style brew.
3.5
209 reviews
Gulpen, Netherlands
Community reviews
Enjoyed on tap at Blue Monk. Very dark head with lots of lace and a quarter inch of retained head. Sour cherry and wood aroma. Medium bodied. Comes across most as a mellowed Flanders Red. Satisfying, very good drinkability.
Tap at Paradiso Old Town. Pours a clear, deep ruby. Larger tan foam. Thick sheety lace. Nose is similar to Monks Cafe Flemish Red- sharp vinegar, heavy raisins and dates. Just too much acetic acid to take seriously. Taste is very sweet up front, loads of thick raisins. Drinkable. No hot acetic. Lots of sweet tea with sugar cube. Eh. Comes across as weird no sugar black cherry soda.
This was a draft pour at THE LOCAL beer bar in Eureka, CA. It came a clear rich copper color, with mid-sized white head and light lacing. The nose is a is full of tantalizing aromas with sour fruit. Full bodied with a lively yet satisfying mouthfeel. The flavor is really intriguing with sour fruit. The finish is that sweet and sour combination I love. This is a really enjoyable and outstanding beer.
Draft… Pours clear and dark with a beautiful copper hue and a mid-sized, wispy, white head. The funkadelic, fruity aroma offers a mélange of funky acidity, sour cherries, a hint of caramel and a trace of acetic acid. Medium to full-bodied with prickly carbonation. The flavor is crazy good up front - funky, fruity, sour cherries and plenty of acidity. The backside is all about caramel and black cherry sweetness. Nothing really wrong with that. I love both, but anticipated the caramely sweetness first and then an acidic, dry, lightly acetic finish. Doesn’t matter. Very enjoyable... nearly world class.
Granville Moore’s, DC tap ($13): Pours a brown with a nice head. Aroma is sugar, expensive candy, and vinegar. Taste is somewhat sour, but not extreme. Fortunately, it is not too subtle either. Somewhat sweet, but not too much. This is straight up oud bruin taste. I kind of wish the sourness and the maltiness were a little bit more intense, but this is still a very tasty brew.
Black cherry, oak, and faint chocolate hints on the nose, totally sour though. Garnet brown, medium tan head with good retention. Much sweeter than expected, tart cherries and shortbread cookies, musty. Hints of cranberry and apple core. Soft carbonation, low alcohol presence. Wow, if this is the unsweetened version, I don’t think I want the sweetened one. This isn’t cloying, but it isn’t very sour either. Elegant and complex, but if you’re looking for gueuze type sourness, you will disappointed.
Oud bruiny with notes of sweet vinegar dark red/brown sweet vinegar aroma decent flavor... MIld carb light wood sweet
Draft. Deep amber color. Sweet. Almost like a fruit, but has a slight tartness. Decent, but forgettable
From notes: Draught @ Jose Pistola’s, Philadelphia. Poured deep red, with a small tan head. Aroma was a mix of yeast and tart cherry. Deep, with a slight thickness and a dry finish. Tart cherry flavor, mixed with some yeast. Woody note in the finish. Very good, though the style is typically one where one or two at most is enough due to the sourness and dryness of the finish.
Draft... Light brown dirty but clear, really nice head that is light tan, great retention and lace...nose is light cherries but a bit watery, light oak and vinegar, ok but not exciting... Tastes really really sweet you can tell they just dumped in a bunch of sugar, a touch tart but not nearly enough, finishes a but generic... Amateur sour
Tap. Pours opaque with a medium, fizzy light tan head, medium retention with good lacing. Aroma is acetic, brown sugar, dark fruits, farmhouse yeast, plums, and sour notes. Flavor is caramel and toast malt, sour dark fruits (plums), no hops and a dry finish. Medium body and carbonation, low warmth.
Sampled on draft at BeerRun a while back. Pours a very dark near black deep chestnut highlights and not much head. Spicy nose almost like vinegar and almost like foot cheese. Flavor is perfect blend of wood and tart cherry acidity. Clean and effervescent. One of the best examples of the style that I’ve had.
Pours clear dark brown with densee, super-retentive khaki head. Aroma is candied malt vinegar, must, cherries, lemon tartness. Taste is sweet malt vinegar, cherry, green grape, raisin, funky bready finish. Body is medium, low carbonation, oily/thin, approchable acidity, dry tart finish. Overalll, ok.
Draft at the Birch. Dark mahogoney. Full fluffy head. The initial aroma is definitely sour, but this drinks with a unique sweet and sour aspect, not at all expected. Still good. (#4369, 11/26/2011)
From the tap poured a brown color with a small amount of head. Nice light sweet flavor with a quick malty finish.
Draft at iTap-Soulard, served in a snifter. Pours a super dark ruby-mahogany color with amber highlights and a finger-thick off-white head that leaves a good deal of lace in the glass. Aroma of berries, oak, earth, wet leaves, brown sugar, and a faint hint of balsamic. Flavor of grapes, sweet cherries, caramel, and sugar. Not really any raspberry to speak of, despite what the iTap menu suggested. Medium-bodied, with a sweet, sugary mouthfeel with just a slight hint of tartness and moderate carbonation. Finishes quick and dry. Interesting beer.
On tap at Capone’s. Pours a deep mahogony color with a tart fruity aroma. Flavor of blackberry, raspberry, plum with a tart ending. Really nice beer.
plum with a moderate cream head, heavy lacing. Nose is quite sweet, grape koolaid in a flat, empty way, bit of Barky chocolate, sweet lingering koolaid flavor. Almost no sourness here, short sweet finish, light balsamic but pretty empty throughout. I’d say this is in fact the sweetened 3.5% if that wasn’t Europe only and for Max’s penchant for mixing up the beer names. Can’t imagine the sweetened variety.
On tap during Thirsty Fest at the Thirsty Monk in Asheville. Pours dark reddish mahogany with small beige head. Nose of cherry skins and pits, sweet malts. Light brett notes on the nose. Hint of balsamic. Taste adds too much sweetness and not enough tartness for my preference.
draft at Lion’s Pride, Maine. dark cherry pour. sweet dark fruit, cherry, ludens cough drops, red wine. sweet tartness, raspberries, sour cherries. sweeter than most flanders but damn good
Draft. Mahogony beer with a dark cream colored head. Tart and dusty aroma with raspberries. Sweet raspberry flavor with light earthiness. Medium bodied. Sweet sugary raspberries lingers tih light malt.
(draughts at monks cafe) clear deep ruby, frothy lasting tan head. Nose of metal, wood barrel, light funk and a bit of spoiled cream. Maybe some light berries as well. Taste of Artificial sweetener (despite the fact they say it’s unsweetened), fake fruit cocktail, wood tannins, cream, earthy berry (maybe goji), and mild tartness. Just tastes like someone dumped several packets of sweet n’ low in here. Linger indicates that as well. Creamy body and lightly prickly carbonation.
Dark Brown pour at Ebs. Aroma is sour cherries, brown sugar, raisins, pineapple. Flavor is very cider-like, berries, more brown sugar, low acidity flemish. Tasty and very quaffable.
Served on draft at Beer Run in Charlottesville, VA on 6/18/11. Pours a clear brown color with a large creamy tan head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma of tart cranberries, citrus, burnt sugar and spices. The taste is berries, cherries. tart citrus and a bit of sugar. Medium bodied. Quite nice.
Black pour with a tan head. Tons of acetic acid, cherries, raisins, cider, and over ripe apples with hints of vanilla. Interesting...
Very dark brown pour. Nice nose of sour funky fruit, dried apple, candied sugars, and pineapple. Flavor is lighter with cidery undertones, but still a nice drinkable Flemish red. Good stuff.
Deep brown pour with a bit of light brown head. The aroma is a little bit sweet with a bit of tart balsamic sweetness. Fruity with some date and plum sweetness over a light tartness. Almost blackberry-like with the combination of sweet and tart. Tasty stuff really, if a little bit simple. Too sweet to be a sour, but sour enough to not be sweet.
Draft at redlight redlight. Spicy Brett on the nose with raspberry. Pours very dark brown with a huge fluffy white head. Tart fruit upfront, over ripe berries, with molasses and a sweet sour malty finish.
On draft at Issacs. Dark burgundy pour with a fruity and vinegar aroma.
Taste was a tart cherry bite with a mild wine flavor. Normally not my style , but good.
Draft at Churchkey. Dark maroon color. Aroma of subtle, smooth dilute coffee. Taste is an interesting sweet sour combo.