Liefmans

Goudenband

ABV 8% • Vol 355 ml • bottle • Belgium • Expensive • Flavour 9.95
Other beers from Liefmans
Other beers from Belgium

Liefmans Goudenband is easily one of the world's most complex beers. The color is sort of amber/brown as you'd expect of a Flemish brown ale. From that starting point you go on to get loads of characters you might never expect from a beer. The nose has metals, blood, salty cheesy things like provolone/parmesan/feta, as well as tart fruity notes and hints of wood and maybe even smoke. You get most of these aromatic characters in the flavor too. Some other odd flavors you might find here include leather, rye bread (with caraway seeds), pomegranate, alfalfa hay, and a somewhat citrusy note like a cross between guava and passion fruit. Every time I try this beer I smell and taste several different metals but, believe it or not, this is a good thing. I taste copper, tin, and even rusty iron (thus the notes of blood, a similar taste) - I guess I must have tasted a bunch of weird things as a kid or I'd never be able to define some of these odd characteristics. Other friends whose beer taste I respect will sit side by side with me over a bottle (or pint) of Goudenband and come up with loads of new descriptions of things they're tasting or smelling. We usually agree on most of the characters but there will always be some that only you and you alone will get. I recommend drinking this classic with a friend, a pen, and a notepad. Don't rush this one, but do rush out and buy some.

Review submitted by: Alan Moum

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Review updated 06 September 2000

Comments

This is one of the best beers. Best when around 5 years overaged.
Ari Lemmke

Goudenband is well worth searching out (and very hard to get in the US). It pours with an orange-red hue and has a slight haze. It is VERY aromatic with complex aromas of malt, citrus, dark fruits, and I can understand the cheesy notes mentioned by Alan. It is moderately full-bodied, and has a nice amount of hops. It also has a slightly soured note on the palate, which it pulls off beautifully. It also has an extremely lengthy finish. I would give it an 8.5
David Levine

I'd just add the Goudenband is also difficult to find in the UK, outside of specialist beer shops. However, Liefman's Kriek (which uses Goudenband as its base) is sold in most branches of Waitrose.
Martin Brady

This is good shit.
Corin

Probably one of the most complex and easy to drink as well. 9.5/10 Beware: big bottles only (1.5 L)
GG

This beer seems to have an actual physical influence on your taste buds with incredible mouth feel and fullness, an experience
Tom

This beer is a thing of beauty. A true delight, something to be enjoyed over time.
Dan

We're all over the metals...especially tin...citrus Yes... papya/mango.. complex...shades of caramel It's intriguing like an elusive exotic woman.
mark/ron

I have never tried the Goudenband, but if it the base for Liefmans Kriek, I shall have to go on a mission to find some more 'pure heaven in a bottle'.
Roy McLean

Having tried this beer(Goudenband) for the first time the other day, I was amazed and delighted, For I am really a wine drinker. At my first sip, I exclaimed this truly is a "Wine-Beer". It was extraordinary and I must say, "The BEST beer I have ever drunk". And in reading the above mentioned description, (by Alan Moum), I was intrigued to find that it entirely matched that of what I had found to be true in taste, and smell. The Alfalfa hay and leather were the first I noticed in smell,and then there were the metals, wood and citrus. This truly is a remarkable beer. It is a beer that should be enjoyed slowly.
Charlene Dwyer

Well I cannot speak as eloquently as the others but I went to London for 6 weeks in 2001. I was the typical American Water beer drinker. Not anymore. I found a better taste for beer and it was definitly in the Goudenband. My girfriend loves the Franbrozen. But the beer is delightful. Like having a desert in every sip.
Mike Maciorowski

Even more splendid than the Kriek. Love it!
Mal

If you are looking for a place to find it, I run a fairly well known specialty beer bar in Nashville, TN and we still have 19 bottles that have been aged to perfection.
beerbarguy

This Beer is great. There is a lot of bad bottles out there. This beer should not be sour and should have a good head.
Tom

Great compliment to chocolate ice cream - any Belgo/Bierodrome restaurant in London would be good place to try this experiment!
Martin Brady

Brilliant beer!
Justme

Being born in Oudenaarde, Liefmans Goudenband has been one of my favourite beers of all time. Of course, here in Belgium you can find it easily, and at a normal price. Drank gallons of it over the years ! (I still drink it nowadays as much as I can). Give it a 9.
Alain

It's divine! Even better than Westvleteren or Rochefort, no matter how legendary these names might be.
Marcel Jacobs (NL)

I agree with the overwhelmingly positive comments. A solid 9! I would also recommend this with any CHOCOLATE dessert. Brilliant!
JRMarsh

Being Belgian, I can easily find this beer :-) I taste some tomato flavour in it. It's one of my favourites
Jan Van E

wow, this is some tasty stuff. A cross between a great beer and a dry white wine. awsome.
rob

Tokaj of beers, beer of Tokajs!!! ("WINE OF KINGS, KING OF WINES" Louis XIV about Tokaj in 1703)
Pawel

After trying Kriek at a bbq over the summer it changed my thinking of beer, being a student my normal tipple was the cheapest lager going but the Kriek was so different and refreshing! I'm really keen to try this Goudenband but where can i buy it in the UK?
Leon

Leon, I tried it in Sausage, Nottingham. They have the Frambozenbier & Kriek too - all served in a chilled glass of course! They've got a wide selection of beers from Belgium, Germany, Czech, France etc. You can check out their full range at www.sausagebar.com
Peter W

I discovered that one might wish (in retrospect) to drink this beer in moderation. These days I limit myself to two of these demons amongst several weaker beers. Unlike many of the highly commercial beers, the strength of this beer cannot be derived from its taste. One might readily drink several of these little monsters without realising their altered mental state. If you have not tried this drink then do so at the first available opportunity.
Haroeris Astrum

Easily a top 10
Goban

This is one of the many excellent Belgium beers with lots of taste...fortunately, I can find it in Canada:-)
Francis, Canada

Mmnn, complex with a definite bang of horse. Whoa, horsey 8%!
Johannus und Gerus, beer quaffers

the tastiest broon ale I ve ever drunk. nice taste but no blood please. cannot taste the volume so I dare say easy to get shit faced on.
ian h from livi scotland

Just a quick note to remind you: the taste is better in the bigger bottles (1.5 L). - and the more the merrier ! You can easily share it with numerous friends.
GG FWI

A Flemish brown ale that is fantasically drinkable but pretty dangerous at 8% ABV. The bottle conditioning allows the beer to mature and evolve if laid down in a cellar. Having tried the beer at various ages, it seems to peak at about five years old, although it'd be interesting to see what happens to this complex and satisfying ale after decades in the bottle. See here: http://stonch.blogspot.com/2007/01/new-years-eve.html
Stonch

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