Rodenbach Vin de Céréale

Brewed by Brouwerij Rodenbach (Palm)
Style: Sour Red/Brown
Roeselare, Belgium

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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2004 bottle @ kulminator

head: none
colour: blond/gold
smell: barlley , grainy , very sour, wood chips , skunky ( good way ) , citric , and a slight subbtle bitter note
taste: start is malty , then comes in a very skunky sour taste with a bitter / dry background, main palate runs from citric/vinegar to woody/skunky , texture is oily and stinging for the tongue , end is sour/bitter , a very very good sour beer , but not for the beginning "sour beer" drinker

375ml Bottle, bought at Brugs BF 09, shared with Nate2g. Clear golden amber colour, no head. Aroma of a vinegar like sourness, sweet malts, honey, wood, marzipan, very nice. Flavour is sour at first, quickly turns sweet, malty, honey, some cherry/marzipan, sweet alcohol (no burn), sweet-sour finish. You can tell this is a very sour beer, but the sweetness balances it excellently. Medium to fullbodied, slick, very soft but light prickly carbonation, like an acid tingle. I am not a sour beer lover (understatement), but this is really good.

Pours a still honey/amber color. A sour note is present in the nose, with a subtle sweetness that is almost honey-like. And a slight acetic-ness that let’s you know that this is a sour beer. There is a tartness when you first sip it that makes you think it will be sour throughout. It’s not. The tartness is quickly overshadowed by a sweetness that I can only describe as honey mixed with grain. Both of those flavors seem distinct, yet they are not so pronounced as to take away from the fact that this is still a sour beer. There is a mead like layer of sweetness left on the tongue and on the corners of the mouth. But it isn’t sticky. It’s just right. This is a great beer that I wish there could be endless amounts of. I’m regretting sharing this with the wife. I should have quaffed it in silence.

Great beer.

Honey color with no head. Wonderful sweet and sour fruitiness. It’s vinous and with a great caramelliness of the likes that I’ve never encountered in a sour before. Very complex! Holding up very well. Might need to lay my hands on another bottle.

Trevlig syrlighet, mycket frukt, lite fattoner, brunsocker, kola och helt klart trevlig.

500, capped and wrapped. Thanks, Mark! Pours a slightly hazy dark straw color with no head, lace, or legs. Looks dense and viscous (and is dense and viscous), but other than that doesn’t show much life visually. Nice tart and tangy lacto nose with wood aromatics, plenty of sweet malty caramel as well. Sticky thick body, but not tongue-buckling goo, very approachable. Tart, tangy, sweet, caramelly, woody, just a completely singular combination of these elements in one place--such forward acidic tang from the crazy innoculations, but such intense cereal presence as well, and all balanced by all that barrel power. This one is worth revisiting.

Ruddy red pour with an off white head. Aroma of caramel, tart light fruits, brown sugar. Flavors are sour, with a caramel sweetness, fruity as well. Medium body, sour/malty with a sour dry finish.

2004 bottle shared by Ryan at beerloco’s tasting. Pours extremely clear dark copper. Nose of oak, tart dark fruits, brown sugar and yeast. Taste of tart dark fruits, deep caramelized chocolate cherries, vinous grapes, grains, and oak.

Thanks again to ygtbsm for sending this in a long ago trade. Shared at Capone’s with a bunch of folk. Pours a dark golden copper/ruby orange color with burnt orange hues when held to a light source. A thin white head makes a faint appearance before fading away but otherwise this is almost still. The aroma of this beer is wonderful with a strong bonus character and oak tannis. There’s a good bit of tart funkiness in the nose along with some sweet fruit, mostly apple, grape and other berries. Slight vinegar presence as well. Slightly sweet tart puckering mouthfeel with lots of vinous dark fruit notes and oak tannis. After all ofthese years the fruit, oak and vanilla are still prominent and the fruit flavors haven’t faded at all. Again, I’m picking up apple, grap, cherry and other dak berries. At 10% this beer is very quaffable with practically no heat at all. Slightly vinegary with a tart, puckering finish that leaves me salivating for another sip. Excellent!

2004 bottle from the brewery. Deep ruddy amber color with good clarity and no foam. Rich toffee, dried cherry, almond, and vanilla aroma. Lots of rich sweet and sour fruit in the flavor. Dried fruit, mainly cherry, mixes with a powerful acidity. Full mouthfeel with no carbonation. This is really an awesome sipping beer, and really is the wine of grain. Proof that Rodenbach still owns the Flanders red beer style, even if they have dumbed down the regulars a bit in the name of "changing palates."