Beer Styles

Oud Bruin is the style East Flanders is known for. It's dark brown, with notes of malt, raisin, and caramel, and a fine, mild acidity in the background. It's less sharp than the Flanders Red from West Flanders and leans more fruity-sweet than purely sour.

How much alcohol does Oud Bruin have? The style guidelines leave plenty of room, ranging from 4 to 8% ABV. That's an unusually wide spread, and it explains why two glasses of Oud Bruin can taste so different from each other.

Alongside Goudenband, the Liefmans brewery in Oudenaarde also produces Kriek, a cherry beer made by adding fruit to the brown beer. This is a variation, not a separate style within East Flanders.

Delirium Tremens is a Golden Strong Ale. This style is pale, strong, and dry, at 7.5 to 10.5% ABV. The color is deceptive, since golden strong beers pack far more punch in flavor and effect than their appearance suggests.

According to the maker, Kwak from Bosteels in Buggenhout comes in at 8.4% ABV and has an amber hue. It belongs to the Belgian strong beer family but doesn't fit neatly into any single style category. The difference from Delirium: Kwak is darker and maltier, while Delirium is paler and drier.

And what sets Oud Bruin apart from an ordinary brown ale or German Dunkel? The long aging and mixed fermentation. A Bavarian Dunkel is bottom-fermented, smooth, and free of acidity, while an English Brown Ale is top-fermented and nutty. Flemish brown beer, by contrast, draws its depth from time, bacteria, and the blending of old and young.