Beer Spotlight!
Brouwerij Liefmans Goudenband
$16.99 for the 12oz bottle four-pack
Oud Bruin
Liefmans Goudenband is one of the great beers of the world … but, that and four dollars will get you a latte. Despite what we’ve all been told, exceptional quality doesn’t always garner commercial success. For that reason, the world almost lost this brewing treasure.
The origin of Liefmans Brewery can be found all the way back in 1679, but it didn’t become “Liefmans” until 1750 when Jacobus Liefmans set up production in Oudenaarde, perched on the banks of the Scheldt River, in the southwestern Flanders region of Belgium. The Liefmans family held the brewery for almost 200 years until selling it to the Van Geluwe family in 1905. Eighty-five years and they, in turn, sold to Riva Brewery in 1990. Riva, 20 km north, would boil the malt to prepare the wort and then ship it down to Liefmans for beer making.
Understand, by this time Liefmans was internationally lauded for its quality Flemish sours, having been led there by Rosa Merckx, the first (and, for decades, only) female brewmaster in 20th Century Belgium. Unfortunately, by the end of said century, the Liefmans brewing facility was too outdated to match quantity with their quality. Sadly the cost of upgrading was more than either Liefmans or its parent company could handle. In 2007, Riva succumbed to its own struggles and folded. Just when it looked like Liefmans would go down with that ship, beer giant Duvel-Moortgat turned its mighty conglomerate gaze and said, “This one … this one shall also be ours.” They purchased Liefmans, paid for its remodeling, and we still have their beer today.
The Gouendband (HOW-den-bond = Golden band) developed from Liefmans regular Oud Bruin (a Flemish sour brown ale) into something special. A mixed fermentation beer, its wort is fermented with a combination of Saccharomyces yeast and Brettanomyces yeast. It’s then infected with Lactobacillus bacteria. However, these brewing shenanigans turn out to be merely the first act, as blending becomes the key.
Once brewed, and aged, the Goudenband is blended with versions of itself that are anywhere from four months to a year old. This blending sparks a secondary fermentation that ends up raising the alcohol level a couple of points higher than the Liefmans regular Oud Bruin. As current master brewer, Marc Coesens, explains. “Every tank matures differently, and it's the task of a master brewer to blend the different beers into a consistent end product with constant quality. It's crucial to be able to give that guarantee.” (Liefmans website)
It’s a credit to the master brewer that the Liefmans Goudenband is so smooth. You get the sourness from the Brettanomyces yeast and the Lactobicillus bacteria, but it’s woven into the overall package. The malt provides a rich yet mild off-dry foundation, and, although Liefmans doesn’t say anything about adding fruit to this beer, it is kissed by deep cherry notes. On top of all this, you can age the Goudenband for years and taste how it changes over time.
The whole thing is a gift to your palate. One of our favorite beers, we’ve been unable to get it for the past two or three years. Now, it’s just come back into the area, and we’re so glad!