Rodenbach

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

Dark reddish-brown color, with a tan-colored head, but falls quickly, fruity, winey, wet oaky nose, with a toasty malt accent, with a note of sweet balsamic vinegar, and a passion fruit aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a yeasty, fruity cherry-like oakiness character, with a tart and sweet maltiness, a hint of iodized tanin, with some winey balsamic vinegar flavors, leading towards a fruity, oaky, winey, tart finish.

750 ml bottle. Pours a deep murky amber, almost purple color. A decent white head, but little retention. The aroma is quite complex; initially sour and woody, the sweet fruits and candies stand out also. The flavor is nice, but also very drinkable; an initial sourness, and lots of notice of the aging process, woody oak flavors throughout. The boy of the flavor is full of sweet chocolates and cherries, some light yeast also. The finish leaves quickly and clean. I found consuming a lot of this to be quite easy and fun. A good beer for sure.

Bottle. Reddish hued amber. Very effervescent. Sour fruity aroma, vinegar, cellar scents, floral. Tangy, sour, slightly acidic. Alcohol, breaad, super diverse flavor. Pilsner beer flavor, almost macro tasting flavor sneaks through in the finish.

250mL bottle, from regional. Pours red/brown. Nose is of oak, quite vinous, some cherry. Taste is quite sour initially with the cherry flavour coming through. Sourness lingers at the back of the mouth briefly but ends abruptly. Very similar to Grand Cru, but somewhat truncated flavours.

Strong oak aromas, fruits, tartness, and goodness. Look is red amber color with a decent beige colored head. Taste is tart, fruity, funk, and ok. Good aftertaste.

Bottle, best before some time in 2006. I think my bottle was a little old, so I will probably rerate this. Some unpleasant acidic and vinegar notes. Some nice fruity tartness, but I did not enjoy overwhelming vinegar taste. Some cidery flavors as well.

Bottle. Best before 8/11/06. Pours red brown with an off white head. Tart, funky fruit aroma. Acidic, but not in a harsh way. Nice subtle sourness, with hints of cherry or rhubarb, and musty, oaky, and earthy notes. Well balanced with a dry finish. Quite easy to drink.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 8.45oz or 250ml bottle into a snifter. Appearance: It had a deep reddish brown color with some visible carbonation. Its head was small and slightly pinkish tan color. The head slowly recedes, leaving some nice lace behind on the glass. Smell: The aroma has sweet and sour fruity notes with some sharp acidic cider vinegar notes. Taste/Mouth feel: Wow very interesting! The range of flavor is amazing. It starts off with sour apple cider vinegar notes over a light malty flavor. This quickly turns to a more sweet/tart fruity flavor with cherry notes and some hints of musty oak. Next up is a slightly dry, mild earthy bitterness. For the finish it turns back to a semi-dry, tart/sour flavor that slowly fades off the tongue. It’s about medium bodied and the carbonation feels light and a bit fizzy. Notes: This is a very complex and interesting beer. It is a slow sipper that is very enjoyable small amounts.