Rodenbach Grand Cru

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

Aroma: vinegar, raisins, raspberry, cranberry, vinous. Flavor: raspberry, cherries, cranberry. Somewhat wine-like. Moderately sour, more tart. A bit too harsh.

Pours dark brown with a nice creamy head. Sweet sour cherry aroma. Delicious flavor that’s very sharply acidic cherries that a little woodiness. Not as funky as some sours, La Folie for example, but very well done.

Brown, cranberry appearance with minimal, consistent head. Somewhat heavy. Raspberry, grapefruit, vinegar, and acidic sour. Tannins from oak aging. A fun, festive drink that gets more enjoyable and desirable with each sip.

I understand that this is a well-made, well-respected beer, but I didn’t like it very much. That is just my personal opinion, but I like my beer to be beer, not wine. That said, the aroma and appearance are very appealing and the overall experience is certainly original. I just won’t do it again.

Cherry on the nose along with oaky notes and sourness. The taste is sour with sweet malt in the background, cherries and wood. Sharp as a razor but very balanced, refreshing and very unique.

Tap during my inaugural trip to Blue Palms. A nice deep red/brown/violet with thin head. An uncanny replicant of a grape Popcicle or Alexander the Grape Otter Pop in the aroma. This ushers in a flavor that is somewhat more fortified than Ommegang Rouge, but definitely in that vein. Grape, pineapple, unripe peach and green apple which is all nicely balanced. A standard for a reason.

Appearance (4 /5): dark ass reddish brown, minimal light tan head that fades pretty quickly. Aroma (8/10): great sourness with a bit of vinegar quality to it (which I don’t like) – notes of vanilla, oak, sour cherries, citrus, lemon, yeast, earthiness, etc. Flavor (7/10): Very solid sour flavor – a bit of vinegar quality upfront that fades into a sweet fruitiness that fades again into a medium dry tart oaky finish. (Addition after getting near end of bottle, this beer is really flavorful and complex, almost overwhelmingly so. This is a sour I couldn’t have more than one of in a night. The finish is long and has a serious barnyard funk to it that exhibits a flavor so reminiscent of something that I can’t manage to put my finger on. This finish is what makes the brew a bit overwhelming for me, causing me to retract a point. Still good though). Palate (4/5): A lot heavier body than I anticipated – medium to heavy body with active fine carbonation. Overall (16/20): Really good sour, would be nearer to 9’s and 10’s on aroma and flavor without that trace amount of vinegar in there.

With all its fame, and with all the grandour of its brewery, this beer somehow manages to be one of the most special in the world. The definite flemish sour ale, don’t believe any rumours that say otherwise. Truth be told, each bottle tastes a bit differently. And if you have the choice, go for the big ones. I once drank a 75cl bottle that made me cry.