Rodenbach Alexander

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

Bottle from the excellent tetrik.

I’ve wanted to try this beauty ever since the day that I joined the site. I started it out at refrigerator temperature. It pours a gorgeous red that flashes ruby as the sun shines through it, no head but the sunlight illuminates each of a thousand tiny bubbles rising in the liquid and all glowing yellow from within the crimson heart of the beer. From an oblique angle the orange-brown caramel tones emerge along the surface; complex and beautiful.

Big complex woody nose: tons of oak, sweet cherry juice, balsamic, hints of warm caramel, sherry, just a faint and very pleasant hint of musty stone-lined cellar. With the flavor, there’s so much going on in every sip. Of course the sourness, lemon juice over green apple, but it’s very restrained, one immediately picks up the sweet cherry juice again, all natural cherries, not syrup, but surprisingly sweet with caramels coming through to join the fruit. Funky Flemish sour flavors, recalling Duchess, but ever so much better integrated into the whole of the beer. Splendid dry/tart turn of tannic wood and cherry pits on the late end balances out the lingers sweet and sour leaving the palate overwhelmewd with breadth of flavor. The mouthfeel is really nice, not too sticky but plenty full, not bubbling but with enough micro-bubble carbonation to keep it lively.

I’m incredibly lucky to have tried this beer. Thanks, tetrik. I owe you one.

I need a bottle of my own, snuck a quick sample from a glass at a lacal tasting .. wow, cherry and slight fruity musk ... amazing mouthfeel, still full .. age, what age?, a class act all the way .. seriously, anyone reading this who has a bottle for trade, i’ll make it worth your while ..

Aroma was of cherries and a nice sour smell.Pours dark with a redish tint and a light head.Sour cherries stands out but is complimented by some earthiness as well.A medium body with a sourness in the finish.

#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.

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.

25cl bottle. Pour is deep ruby with no head at all. Aromas of cherries, sugars, and some sour. The flavor was very different than anything i’ve ever had. The beer was very smooth and was almost like a juice. Very mellowed out and just outstanding.

Got to sample some of this courtesy of, "hannont". I think this bottle was a ’96. Colour... cloudy brown with a beautiful garnet base. Nose... Sour pie cherries, slightly musky. Palate... A burst of tart cherries up front, acetic, the tang lingers for many minutes. Ethereal stuff without a hint of oxidation!

Finally got a chance to meet up w/ Styles for a few beers. Keep in mind I’ve only met Chris a few weeks ago. Started out w/ a Signature Ale which is a pretty nice beer. What does Chris bring out next….a frickin Alexander. Holy Shit I’ve wanted this beer for so long and I never thought I’d get to try it. I’ve thought about trading for it, but I didn’t want to give up half the cellar. I should have written down a rating when I was drinking it, but I’ll try to remember all the nuances (might be a little tough after all the beers me, Chris, ryan, and Pailhead had at our little tasting). It pours quite nicely in the La Fin tulip. It’s brown w/ some orange and red around the edges. There’s a thin white head that slowly fades as I sip on this beauty……looks better than I’d expect for a 10+ year old beer. Damn, what a nose on this one. Reminds me of a toned down Grand Cru w/ some sweet and sour cherry notes. Maybe a touch of tobacco too. This tastes even better than it smells. The cherries hit you right from the first sip. This is followed by a nice tartness and a few different spices. It’s a little thin, but that’s to be expected for a 10 year old beer. The flavors hang around on the palate for quite a while. I am so glad I got to try this beer. I continue to be amazed by the generosity of the beer community. I actually like to Redbach, but that doesn’t even come close to this one. We can only hope Rodenbach starts brewing this again. It’s just too good a beer to stay retired. Hopefully you get a chance to try this beauty….I’m sure grateful I did. Thanks again Chris