Hi,
A new beer has been launched by beer firm Buitenlust Bier VOF.
The name: Totentrekker.

Totentrekker is brewed at the 'Proef'brewery in Lochristi. (www.proefbrouwerij.com)
Brewmaster Dirk Naudts has achieved a new sour-sweet 'Oud Bruin' type of beer.
Brewed for nv Montech Beringen with Münchner, caramel and pilsener malts, local Poperinge hops, and sour cherry juice !!!!
Wrongly classified as Lambic on http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/totentrekker/66575/
This beer has undergo a mixed fermentation (Saccharomyces cerevisae (prim.ferm.), Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus (compl. fermentation)), and is not "only" spontaneous fermented at all.
So, 'Oud Bruin' would be a more suitable classification. Although no barrel ageing. Flemish Sour Ale would be THE classification. Only, the back label mentions clearly 'Oud Bruin'.
This is a dark 5.5 vol% beer with refermentation in the corked 75cl. bottle.
Addition of 0.5% natural fermented lacto-acid and saccharine(!).
I suppose, the saccharine is used to avoid over-fermentation inside the bottle. A technique that was used in old times with Gueuze/Faro too.

The name 'Totentrekker' is a Flemish dialect.
Two meanings can be defined.
First, 'Totentrekker' means someone who makes grimaces (wincing the face) when drinking a sour beer for example.
A face expression as result of tasting something very sour. The dialect word "tote" means "face", "trekken"means "wincing".
Translated literally, "Totentrekker" would mean "Facewincer", which ofcourse is as unexisting English expression as can be.
The second meaning of Totentrekker has to be taken figurative, and means a person who is not honest.
He doesn't show his real face. Yes, a betrayer.
In case of this beer, the first meaning would be the most appropriate.

Anyway, great new mixed fermented Oud Bruin.
Oud Bruin is doing very well lately, as the Struise Brouwers also made something quite  new:  Earthmonk.
But, that is for a next message....

Also do notice that the use of Brettanomyces is not at all new at the 'Proef'brewery.
I can clearly remember two wonderful results, named "Flemish Primitive" or in Dutch "Vlaamse Primitief".
See message: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/belgianbeer/message/7762
And also that other masterpiece Zoetzuur Flemish Reserve
See message: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/belgianbeer/message/4139
This last beer is not the same as Totentrekker, therefore the alc.% doesn't fit. 

Wild yeast experiments at the 'Proef'brewery have become common practises.
A  wonderful evolution if you ask me !!!!!

Note that Totentrekker is still in an experimental phase.
The color still has to be tweaked somewhat into more  perfection. More red this means. The taste OTOH has been reached already.
At this moment, this beer can only be bought at
http://www.drankencentralemimir.be/product3.htm
and http://www.bierhandelwillems.be

Buitenlust Bier VOF (De Proefbrouwerij, Lochristi)
Strijdelle 28, 3360 BIERBEEK
Website: www.buitenlustbier.be 

Cheers,
Filip

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