Rodenbach

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

Most refreshing beer in the world? Probably not, but a world classic nonetheless. It pours reddish brown with a khaki head that shrinks slowly. Looks nice in the glass. The aroma has some rich maltiness that you don’t get from most wild fermented beers. Almost a bit nutty. It also has some sweet and sour berry notes with more emphasis on the sweet. The flavor is mild with good balance between the brown ale maltiness and wild character of the mildly tart fruit and sweet backbone. Easy to drink with some minor barrel notes in the finish. Very nice beer that’s a good introduction to the world of wild fermented ales. Also great to cook with.

Bottle, smells very sweet and sour. the beer is amber in colour and the taste is very ruff and the finish is not smooth, the sourness is not blended well with the malts and the taste is just not very good. I wouldnt recommend this beer

11.2oz bottle, best before August 22, 2012. Served at cellar temperature. My first Flemish Sour Ale...

Pours dark red with a small beige head that doesn’t leave but a few spots of lacing but does maintain a foamy ring and wispy cap.

Aroma is vinegar, some dark fruit such as cherries or raspberries as well as golden apples, some funk, acidic, a hint of oak. Very good strength.

Flavor features sour cherries, some acidity and tartness, vinegar, a little oak. There is also some decent sweetness...definitely volleys back and forth between sweet and sour. Minimal alcohol detected.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, creamy with good carbonation.

As a relative noob to sours and a total noob to this style, I can still see how this is considered a classic. Does everything I expected it to do and does it well. I can’t really say if styles such as this are my cup of tea as I’m just in the experimental stage right now but I get the appeal.

(25 cl) Le liquide a une belle robe rouge. La tête mousseuse qui est petite persiste quelque peu. Des traces restent collées au verre. Le nez est invitant avec des notes aigres et des notes douces en équilibre : les céréales grillées rencontrent des petits fruits qui sont manifestement touchés par la barrique. Les notes aigres et douces sont en équilibre. Le goût est agréable, finement suret avec des raisins et des cerises. Le fût laisse indéniablement des traces. La douceur des malts caramélisés étouffe le bruit des notes aigres. En bouche, le liquide est tout en finesse avec un pétillement efficace et une texture très légère. La finale est à l’image de la dégustation : pleine de fraîcheur et tout à fait amicale. En résumé, une bonne bière charmante.

Small bottle purchased in Brussels. Poured light brown with little head. Not very sour with smooth, sweet finish.

3/5 in darkness. Smells sour, hoppy. Sour, abit sweet taste with a sour sweet finish.

This is not quite as good as the Grande Cru (duh), but this is still one of my favorite beers that I can’t get. I’d drink daily if I could.