Rodenbach Alexander

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

UPDATED: SEP 29, 2008 My first serious rate: Vintage 2000. For the last batch of this, some bottles made it to Ontario. Word of its demise was already out by the time it hit the shelves, so I stocked up as much as my broke ass could. In September 2008 I sampled my last bottle with Beershine and Kimchee. It was quite sweet up front, but got drier as it progressed through a rich cherryish body towards a lingering tart finish that eventually grips the throat. It’s got a deep rodenbachy aroma with abundant cherry still, even after 8 years. The body is starting to show a bit of thinness - it’s an old age for such a light beer. But otherwise, this is still going strong, the sense of balance undisturbed and the quality still evident. RIP Alexander.

UPDATED: FEB 4, 2011 2011-02-04, bottle from De Heeren van Liedekercke, vintage 1995, bb 11-05-97, 16 years old, 8-5-10-5-19=47
The bottle is in good conditions; the cap is not rusty, just the rubber has some bubbles. Beautiful color, ruby and amber; the head is small, but a few bubbles are persistent on the surface. The aroma is strong; sweet caramel, red fruits and moderate sourness, with a touch of wood and acetic; later there is some aroma of prunes. The mouthfeel is very smooth; the blend of caramel, sugars, fruits and sourness is a symphony; the woody character and tannins are very attenuated; the final, although still balanced, shows some more sourness and a light astringency.
Compared to many other beers, this one excels also because of the sweetness that balances the acidity, the correct body strength, and the absence of a strong acetone note.

2003-05-16, 5 years old, 8-5-9-4-18=44
Beautiful ruby-amber color, creamy head. Deep acetic aroma; vinegar, wood, sugar, light fruitiness. Beautiful mouth sensation, wrapping, velvety; perfect balance of sweetness and sourness; delicate cherry note, developing lately. The palate is less persistent than other similar beers.
Perfectly brewed!

UPDATED: OCT 21, 2007 Date: 07/11/1998
Mode: Bottle
Source: Sam’s, Chicago

red, sweet tart malt aroma, flavor starts tart, followed by fruity cherry sweetness, then finishing with a wincing tartness

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 3.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***4

UPDATED: AUG 31, 2004 (Bottle) Pours a deep ruby-brown with a rim of small white bubbles. Aroma of cherries and caramel. Flavors of cherries, plums, raspberries, and passion fruit. Complex, but well balanced. Well worth the wait and expectations!

25cl bottle at HVDL BBE 94 made in 1992. Beautiful blood red colour. Stunning aroma. Flemish sour with great tart fruit. Little musty on aroma. Flavour is stunning. The cherries are so intense, but wonderfully balanaced. Sour/sweet blond. Flavour is so juicy/tart/sweet. Musty aroma just lets it down. Bit of candy sugar toffee to in mouth.

Reddish amber colour with a big off-white head. Sweet sour aroma with hints of wood. Sweet malty and sour flavor with hints of fruit and wood. Long sour aaftertaste with some hints of cherries.

UPDATED: AUG 15, 2009 dark red with lttle white head. Average carbonation.- Sweetness and sourness goes great together. Cherries/Vinegar. good and pleasant finish. Funky fresh & quite easy drinkable! Too bad this is no longer brewed! Rerate June 09. After several vintages. Wonderful. Refreshing, dusty, cherries, wood vague balsamic vinegar.

Clear red brown body with almost no head. Aroma is cherry, both sweet and sour, wood. Taste is very cherry, sour more than sweet, though both parts are evident. Very flavorful, but lacking complexity. I prefer the Grand Cru.