Rodenbach Grand Cru

Brewed by Brouwerij Rodenbach (Palm)
Style: Sour Ale
Roeselare, Belgium

Bourbon colored, clear body with off-white head. Aroma is woody, vinegary with some notes of malty carmel and fruits — plum and raisin. The flavor is heavily sour and slightly sweet. Thin body, watery texture. Lively carbonation. Enjoyed sipping this though it didn’t knock my socks off.

Pours an ruby brown colour with a small off white creamy head. Nose is very tart, cherries, red wine, sugar, and some vinegar. The initial taste is mouth puckering with a fizzy active mouthfeel. Tart cherries & cranberries blanket the mouth. Oakiness comes through with a unique funk that is enjoyable and doesn’t get offpace. Apon the finish a sharp dry bitter rhine with the tartness of the red fruits still linger in the background character. Acidity is definitely up there. Good head retention and lacing of the glass. Palate duration is average. Definitely enjoyable.

330ml bottle. Pours mahogany brown with an inch of white head that quickly subsides but leaves heavy lacing. Aroma is sharp, sour fruit with cherry & apple in particular notable. Great mouthfeel and a sour tang that makes you shiver. Lovely long finish too. Not too complex, but a great introduction to sour ales and a good beer to have on hand to pair with strong food.

Pours a rich, amber mocha color w/ a modest, shortlived froth yet leaving a lasting clumpy canopy of lace. Strong aromas of sour fruit. Medium nectar w/ good carbonation. Mildly sweet balanced by sour acidity. Flavors of sour grannysmith apples provide the essential groundwork. Other nuances of pomagranite , cranberry, strawberry, leather, citrus, and herbs. The finish is quickly dissipated leaving a fresh tartness to enjoy. Highly recommended.

750 ml bottle purchased at Metcalf Discount Liquor. Pour is brown-red, clear with a normal white head. Aroma of wood (oak), sour, vinegar and some cherry fruitiness. Taste is initially quite sour/tart though this settles in quite nicely into cherry fruit, oak barrel and a nice earthy sour funkiness. This paired very nicely with Thanksgiving appetizers (brie, raspberry chutney, olives, etc.)

11.2oz bottle, best by 4/25/08: Deep ruby pour with a smallish cap. The nose is sharp with notes of vinegar, plums, wood and raisans. The body is a bit thin and not as near as tart as I expected. The sourness does expand on the tongue as it finishes with extended notes of woody malt and caramel beneath the balsamic vinegar. Not a huge fan as I expected more complexity.

Sharp nose with sour raspberry balanced with some licorice and cocoa. After this, it all goes to hell and back. I’ve rated it neutral as I’m not sure how to take this beer - it’s kind of like a lambic but then also kind of like a sour sweet. I’ll give it time and try it again.

(Thanks to radiomgb) 330 mL bottle. (Best before 06/30/06!) Dark translucent orange-brown with a film of head. There is a strong, tart (fruit) aroma, comparable to a sweet wine or a good kriek. The taste is quite complex, suggesting again a red wine or a good, dry kriek, with the additional appearance of a little malt near the end, which adds some balance to the strong acidity. Nice tart finish and aftertaste, reminiscent of a gueuze. Carbonation seems, for some reason, to let up in the middle. Very clean and dry, and yet also quite full. Gimme more.