Ommegang Rouge Grand Cru

Brewed by Bockor
Style: Sour Ale
Bellegem, Belgium

Rating #100 (king me!) On Tap at FFF Brewpub. My first venture into the world of sours, and I am very impressed so far. Pours red with a strong cherry, red fruit nose. Taste was more sour than I could have imagined. I was instantly reminded of a candy from my childhood, something called "atomic warheads" I think? This one makes you pucker big time. Alot of sour funk and cherry, raspberry flavor. If you like sour flavors, this one is for you.

FCBF 09 Too sour for my taste. The color was red, and aroma was of cherries which was alright.

Ommegang Rouge is a clear red ale with a dense off-white head. The retention and lacing are great. It smells like bret. There are notes of green apple and sour cherry. It’s medium bodied with a mineral texture. The finish is sharp. It is roundly sour. Again, notes of green apple and sour cherry. It’s a very tart affair. [Sampled at the 2009 Flower City Brewers’ Fest at Frontier Field, Rochester, NY]

FCBF 09. Shockingly sour with some sweetness in there too. Nice looking red. I had difficulty pinpointing what was in the beer due to the sourness and yeastiness. Very interesting, would try again.

(draft @ 2009 Flour City Brewer’s Fest - Frontier Field - Rochester, NY) Deep ruby red color with a light red head. Aroma is loaded with tart and sour cherries and a lot of really good sour funk. Some sweetness from the oak. Flavor is a blast of tart and sour cherries mixing with some light sweetness and vanilla. Finishes tart with a load of cherry flavors. Outstanding.

Pours a very dark deep ruby red with a small amount of head. Hard to see through really in the low light here at the bar. Light bodied mouth feel. Side note though i am new to sour ales but I must say there are a lot of complexities going on here. On the aroma i am getting a subtle cherry smell there along with a slight bitter sweet smell also getting a hint of the French oak there as well. On the palate I am getting a very tart upfront bite with the finish mellowing off into a sweeter fruit taste. Cherries seem to dominate. Loving this one!

There occasionally comes a time when I loathe the keg-only beer releases. Why? The beer is unadulterated toe-curling orgasm-inducing ecstasy. Period. Nuff said.

She came to me in a glass snifter stained a deep burgundy with nothing but a mousse-pink comforter covering her bareness below. She has born all for me to see, to smell, and to taste and I shall ravage her body with the most gentle and appreciative caress possible. Her mousse-pink head never fully dissipates, choosing to linger as a pink necklace. As we draw ever closer, I breathe deep her perfume. Deeply vinous, sour, and bursting with crushed red grapes and wood tannins. Tart cherries which pucker as you bite in to them. Your teeth meeting the pits inside, you make sure to suck every last piece of tongue-tingling tart cherry meat from her dry earthy pit. Vanilla bean is ground before me as red and green apple skins crunch. A touch of lactic acidity rounds out her nose which has me cupping my glass, eyes closed, and every fiber of my being soaking in the experience. Goosebumps. Our first kiss is orgasmic. Soft and creamy smooth, she glides over my tongue like soft velvet before bursting in an explosion of tart black cherries, old oak soaked with red wines, grape skins, pits, and vanilla bean tainted lactic acidity. A beautiful palate pleasing and palate cleansing experience, she lingers with tingling tart cherry and grape skins and thirst-inducing vinous wood. Clean and vibrant, the dryness of her body offsets her smooth creaminess. As passion builds, she soothes, teases, pleasures, and satisfies my palate like no other beer has done in a long-long time. I am left with esters of a sour cherry and raspberry tart topped with vanilla and cream and ending with dry wood.

Ommegang is a little piece of Belgium in Cooperstown, New York. I can say with nary a doubt that their Ommegang Rouge one of the best Flemish Sour Red Ales available, second only to the Rodenbach Grand Cru. I am elated and depressed at the same time because just as she swept me off my feet, she disappeared in the middle of the night, leaving me with only the warm memories of our time together and a fated promise of a reunion a year later in the future. I’m not exactly religious, but if prayers were to be answered, this would be one.

On tap at Collins Pub. Pours a ruby brown with a thin beige head. Aromas of vinegar and stone fruits. Perfectly balanced sour with just enough carbonation.