Rodenbach Alexander

Formerly brewed at Brouwerij Rodenbach (Palm)
Style: Sour Ale
Roeselare, Belgium

1992 vintage, bottle into Rodenbach glass, Heeren van Liedekerke. Crystal clear ruby amber with off-white dusting of a head that extends its dense lacing up the side. Smell: is this a barley wine? Sensuous aroma of brown sugar and plums soaking in port wine and chocolate sauce, mixed in with a bit of the warm alcohol and cherry I was expecting to smell. The smell reminds me of Samichlaus too, in the chocolate and port elements. This bodes well, friends. The flavor: never has a beer had a more perfect warm cherry taste. Even after 14 years, this tastes fresh, like I plucked a cherry from a tree in the Garden of Eden; it’s still sweet, though not as sweet as it would be if fresh in the real world; it’s tart, but not sour. Everything in perfect balance, with sweetness and tartness only accents to the warmness of the fruit flavor itself. Wonderful. Tartness intensifies to low-level sourness right before and after the swallow, when the cherry flavor gets darker and mixes with chocolate on the sides of the mouth; there’s also a yeasty layer of soft bitterness, like a darker and chewier version of brett, which adds to the Samichlaus impression (because of the chewiness and it’s vaguely plumy character). Finish is a lingering sweet and sour cherry that’s only a little dry. Glittering gliding layer of lace not too sticky, but leaves an archipelago on the side when it does stick. Racing is quick but deep. I don’t know how anyone could think this isn’t delicious. Almost better than dope. Really close.

330 ml bottle. Poured slightly cloudy deep amber in color with a small off white head. Aroma of cherries, vinegar, and mildly sour notes. Tastes of grape skins, cherries, mild vinegar, slight artificial sweetener taste as well. Little oak also present. Very nice and I think this has held up pretty well for being over 10 years old.

Wow, I never expected to be able to try this. Pantanap cracked it open in the parking lot right before the winter beer fest. Happy 400th! Big aroma arose out of the glass. Great sweet and sour going on. Tart cherries at the front. Taste is big and delicous. Definitely sour, but doesn’t overwhelm. As I continued it somehow got more drinkable. I don’t know how time has effected it, but the taste really filled the mouth and heightened toward a perfect and lasting finish. Overall, a masterpiece of a beer.

Oh yeah,ruby red,nice head.Leaves great ring,lacing. Rusty,sour(cherries),woody,vinous,oxidized malts,aroma. So creamy mouthfeel,great carbonation.Big woody,weird malt flavors.The rusty,sourness is balanced in perfectly.Finish is sweet,very fruity(cherries),and just a bit sour.Maybe became a lttle to sticky(syrupy) as it warmed,but other than that.. This bottle has to be a few years old.I had to get the bottle cleaner out to get the stuff off the bottom of the bottle.

Murky amber brown with no head. Nice cherry nose w/ sourness and faint oak. Medium mouthfeel with sour palate and dry finish. Flavors of sour cherries, vanilla, and light oak, in all a sweet flavor with powerful sourness that cleans the palate. Might be a bit old but heck I love it!

A splendid day it is, the long wait for this beer. Many thanks to a trade from good ratebeerian. 33cl bottle. Pours a dark ruby hued brown color with a small cremay off white head. Nose is tart, raspberries, cherries, vinegar, butter, vanilla, with sweet undertones. Mouth feel like is light to medium body, silky, velvety smooth. Carbonation is slight and almost airy. Initial taste of ever so gentle tart raspberries creeping up which get splashed and turned of sweet caramel. Cherries become more apparent with some citrus lemon in the background. At first the acidity appears to be low, but the acidity is abolutely perfect. It’s so well balanced with the sweet notes that counter play. Mid palate displays some herbal notes possibly freshed brew tea. Oak is definitely present but in a mild manner. Finishing vinously, touch of cocoa, lemon rhine, raspberry and cherries continuing on the palate. Palate duration is above average. Head retention is decent with side swipes of lacing across the glass. Absolutely perfectly balanced, delicate and delicous. Unsure on the date on this one, I would love to find out. I would love to drink this every day. The taste and aroma is absolutely inviting to instantly finish this beer. Thank you for this great treasure.

Intense aroma, cherries, vinegar, light caramel, cinnamon, a bit of old wet hay. Ruby amber color, wispy off-white head. Wonderful flavor, sweet and sour, cherries, apricots, flowers, light caramel, pepper, with oak and grapeskins coming through in the finish. Medium body, little to no carbonation, a bit syrupy (as is typical for the style). Really nice. Thanks JCW for sharing.

#500. Shared with therealbastard. Poured hazy amber with a small white head. Aroma of sour cherries, sweet malt, and caramel. Beautiful. Complex flavor of all of the above. Thanks Brenton for this one.