Rodenbach

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

250mL bottle. Pours a dark, reddish-brown color; medium-tan head with medium-sized bubbles in the lacing. Pleasant amounts of tartness, sour cherries, balsamic vinegar, and red fruits in the aroma; slightly tannic, with some toasty oak and bright citrus showing through; very nicely tart, red fruit aroma. Medium mouthfeel: solid levels of carbonation and tartness; not overly sour, but tasty presence of tart cherries and red fruits, relaxed in the vinegary aspect, some citrus and tannic red wine notes; I could definitely drink a fair amount of this and enjoy it; nicely sour, pleasant toasty oak and citrus in the mid-palate; dense, flavorful beer, if a touch of sugar showing through, mostly in the finish. Medium finish: tart cherries, brown sugar, and a nice level of acidity; some breadiness comes through at the far end.

5/7/08 notes: bottle. Pours brown with a shade of ruby red and grape. Smells of fermented fruit, with a sharp tart/sourness. Aroma really reminds me of a light fruity red wine. Tastes of sour cherries and grapes, with a malty touch that balances this brew with a little sweetness. Lightly carbonated, and the finish is slightly sticky. Overall, a very interesting and well balanced sour ale; I am anxious to try Rodenbach’s Grand Cru. Just a note: I felt this beer could have had a little thicker mouthfeel in order to set it apart as a chewy, bold and ultimately decadent experience. 3.8

250 ml bottle. dark red hazy colour. almost no head. taste is sweet and sour and bit nutty.

Bottle pours deep ruddy brown, like the color of cognac, with a thin, tan colored head. Nose is woodsy and white grape like, with cherry & raspberry like tartness. The flavor is smooth and a bit thin, until the finish kicks in, which is rich, nutty &fruity. I’m liking the sours more every time I try ’em!

2006 bottle, dark red amber color with no head, nose of red wine vinegar and roast beef, flavors of dried cranberries, sour cherry and oak, dry finish

My expectation have begun to temper when it comes to Rodenbach. For every excellent beer I try with them (Grand Cru), there’s the Redbach. I guess you could say that this was somewhere in between those two. While not nearly as complex and scintilating as the Grand Cru, it was definitely better than Redbach. The beer pours out a dark red color, almost like black cherry juice with a sudsy pinkish head. Aroma is sour cherries and something that reminded of almonds (maybe that’s the oak?). The flavor is sour cherries but that’s balanced between the acidity of the beer and some sweetness, like cherry juice. Tart, fizzy and metallic in the finish. Not bad. It would be a nice beer to start someone down the road of "sour" beers.

Tasty, refreshing and unique beer often overlooked at average Belgian pubs. Pours a dark ruby-brown with receding beige bubbles on top. Nose is sweet and tart with notes of sour cherries, cola and wood. Initial tartness in flavor, giving way to a light sweetness and lively carbonation. Not as complex as Grand Cru but high drinkability is a fair trade. Excellent for nice weather and seafood.

Pours a ruby hued brown, carbonated with a tan/ off-white foamy head. Aroma of malts and fruit. Taste is fruity/ berries and malts with a mild sour aftertaste. Mild for a sour ale, but very enjoyable.