Ommegang Rouge Grand Cru

Brewed by Bockor
Style: Sour Ale
Bellegem, Belgium

On tap, Roadhouse. This beer is a standout, and tantalizingly different from Ommegang’s other offerings. Appearance is clear, dark ruby with a fluffy white head that sat nicely in the tulip glass it was served in. Aroma has immediate tartness mostly of the sour cherry variety, but there is also cranberry, watermelon, and earthiness. Flavor also lends immediate sour qualities, made crisp and quaffable by a full but effervescent palate. The primary flavors are surinam cherry, strawberry syrup, and unsweetened cranberry, and earthiness. Sweet fruit/malt sits content in the background, present but never asserted. Overall, this beer is close to perfection for me, and totally unassuming given the name, alcohol, brewery, etc. Perfectly balanced, perfectly drinkable.

Draft at blind lady; huge lacey off-white head. Brownish fluid beneath. Glorious sour cherry nose, clean as all hell, effervescent and candyish. Sour, unsweet cherry goodness in the flavors...finish was tart and pointy...clean as well. Flavors have vinous twang and a little spontaneous funk riding along underneath. Shit, I’m out of the loop and didn’t even realize this beer existed, but now that I do, I’m a fan.

draft poured mini growler from halftime. poured an amber red in color with a thin layer of frothy white foam. aroma has wild yeast, oak, dark cherry, sherry vinegar, tartness, and grapes. nice brown funky sourness. crisp mouth feel with low carbonation. flavor has nice sourness, dark cherry, soft oak, bretty yeast, medium acidity, and nice dryness. this is not a tongue buckler and it allows the flavors to come through and the wood level is soft sorta bringing things together. very enjoyable and the flavors seem to linger on the tongue for a while.

Draft. Poured transparent dark ruby with a ring of white head. Aroma was great - strawberry fruitiness, tart and sour cherries, subtle oakiness, slight vinegar acidity, vinous. Flavor is much the same sweet, tart, oak, vinegar, subtle vanilla, and very yeasty as well. Palate wasn’t very heavy but definitely smooth, and a had a little peppery carbonation in the back of the throat. Finish is tart and slightly puckering. The taste of tart cherries and tannins linger. Really nice beer.

Draft at redlight redlight. Pours a dark crimson red color with a small, begie colored head that settles to a thin film. The aroma shows really tart and sour cherries, oaky tannins, a good amount of acidity, and some oaky vanilla to smooth things out. The flavor follows the same theme with the sour cherries coming through with the citric oaky tannins, and sharp acidirty. Some balsamic vinegar comes through too. The oak laden vanilla pushes through to smooth things out. Awesome flavor in this one. Medium bodied and very well carbonated with a slight dry and puckering mouthfeel. The finish is tart with the sour cherries lingering for awhile. This is a really good flemish sour and one that is well integrated with the oak. Awesome beer to have on draft.

Draft at Beer Engine. Pours dark copper with almost no head...just a few bubbles rimming the glass. Aroma is sour cherry and some barrel. Flavor is quite tart with some vinegar. Don’t taste a ton of barrel but it is there. Nice palate and a smooth beer. This is pretty awesome and one of the better sours I’ve had outside of Belgium.

Draft at Tyler’s in Apex. Dark brown, light red hints, thin off white head. Big cherry aroma, lightly woody, some vinegar. Taste is sour black cherries, nice and tart.

Poured Ruby hue Moderate tan head Lots of fruit on the nose, sour cherries and berries. Tastes very strong of cherries, very tart, not very funky at all, just very tart. Nice and tart, dry finish