The Bruery Oude Tart
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Tasting Notes
Oude Tart leads with a complex nose of red wine vinegar, dried cherries, oak, and a faint vanilla undercurrent from barrel aging. On the palate, sharp lactic acidity anchors layers of tart stone fruit, leather, and a mild caramel sweetness that keeps the sourness from running wild. The body is medium, with a slightly tannic, wine-like quality from extended wood contact. The finish is long and drying, with a lingering tartness that invites the next sip.
About the Brewery
The Bruery is based in Placentia, California, founded in 2008 by Patrick Rue. They built their reputation on high-gravity, barrel-aged, and Belgian-influenced beers at a time when that space was far less crowded on the West Coast. Their lineup skews ambitious — long-aged stouts, complex sours, and experimental blends — and they operate a members-only reserve program that gives devoted fans access to limited releases. Oude Tart is one of their flagship sour offerings and has become a benchmark in the American Flanders Red category.
Food Pairings
Hard, aged cheeses like Manchego or aged Gouda work well because their salt and funk mirror the beer's tannic complexity. Duck confit or pork shoulder with a fruit-based sauce pairs naturally since the beer's cherry and vinegar notes cut through rich, fatty meat. A charcuterie spread featuring cured meats and pickled vegetables lets the acidity act as a palate cleanser between bites. Dark chocolate with high cacao content provides a bitter counterpoint that softens the beer's sharper edges.
Style Guide
Flanders Red Ale is a sour beer tradition rooted in the West Flanders region of Belgium, most closely associated with producers like Rodenbach. It's defined by a wine-like acidity derived from mixed fermentation — often involving lactic acid bacteria — followed by extended aging in oak barrels or large wooden vessels called foeders. The result is a layered tartness with notes of red fruit, vinegar, and oak, sitting at a moderate strength typically between 5–8% ABV. It's distinct from a Lambic in that it's brewed with a more controlled fermentation process and tends to show more red fruit character and less funky barnyard quality.