Rodenbach Grand Cru

Have grown to love sours since the last time I had this when it caught me a bit off guard. A great sour ale, though for me this seems like a good benchmark for sours. Have had better and have certainly had worse. The way it clings to the palate and the texture is just amazing. I wish they oak aged the entire batch. It is close to excellence but falls a bit short.

Botle 0,33ltr: Reddish brown coloured ale with cherries and a well blanced sour taste.

Crimson with strawberry edges...this one packs a tightly packed 1/4 inch off-white head. Aroma is of oak, ripe cherries, lemon zest, and sweet vanilla. Flavors are dominated by red ripe cherry, unripened plum, and the sourness of lemon. Plentiful carbonation and medium mouthfeel. Enjoyed this one.

On tap, small snifter. Dark red-brown liquid with a thin off-white head. Aromas of honey and vinegar. Flavor initially vinegar-sour with a touch of honey sweetness, turning to vinegar-sour with hints of cherries and caraway seeds, fading to a long, sour, oaky finish. A bit of malty sweetness lasts to the finish, and takes the edge off an otherwise astringent mouthfeel.

Bottle @ Café Gollem. Reddish brown colour, off-white head. Aroma is tart, red fruits, vinegar. Flavour is sweet-sour at first, turning to sour. Red fruits, yeast, wood. Nice, but a bit too sour for me.

bottle best by 12/12/08: pours a dark crimson brown with a light tan head, good reds come through when held up to light. aroma is a tart and sweet, good amount of tart cheeries and a very woody aroma, slight flower honey and maybe a sweetness of brown sugar vanilla creme but light. flavour is very nice full of the cherries and plenty of wood accents, the vanilla cream from the nose comes out nicely and adds agreat sweetness to the tart fruits. finishes with a touch of tartness and a good sour finish. real nice beer.

Bottle. Body is brown with reddish highlights and a minimal head that dies quickly. Aromas are balsamic vinegar, tart cherries, etc. First sip reveals that it’s not quite as sour as I would have guessed. There is a kind of cherry/fruit sweetness that holds off the tartness until it blossoms in the late part of the palate and aftertaste. There is kind of a balsamic vinegar edge to it at that point in the game, but it is pretty welcome.

Pours a cloudy, darker copper with a rocky off-white head. Oak, cherries, sour yeast, an ethyl. All the Flemish sour tastes are there: cherries, funky yeast, oak. Nice blend with a sweeter malt which gives off a bit of a graham-cracker taste. Kind of like a very, very tart cherry pie with some funk. Thought this was better than their classic.