Rodenbach Caractère Rouge
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

Rodenbach Caractère RougeRodenbach Caractère Rouge
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From:
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
 
Belgium
Style:
Flanders Red Ale
Ranked #1
ABV:
7%
Score:
99
Ranked #277
Avg:
4.46 | pDev: 7.17%
Reviews:
262
Ratings:
1,604
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2024
Added:
Nov 02, 2011
Wants:
  345
Gots:
  373
Flanders Red Ale- two-year ale matured in oak foeders, that is aged for an additional six months with cherries, raspberries and cranberries. Vinous and very complex with notes of wood and caramel.

The brewer allow the beer to macerate with fresh cherries, raspberries and cranberries. After this maceration in oak, the beer re-ferments in the bottle. The result is RODENBACH Caractère Rouge, an exceptional RODENBACH with fruit maceration and a 7% alcohol volume. The brew is more than unique and extremely exclusive, as only 900 75-cl bottles were produced (first batch). Geunes serves this wilful beer as part of his other unique range of beer varieties in his restaurant, ’t Zilte, at the Antwerp MAS museum.
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Ratings by cbnz:
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Rated by cbnz from Canada (BC)

4.75/5  rDev +6.5%

Oct 01, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of clintshivers
Reviewed by clintshivers

5/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Absolutely delectable. The smell alone makes me happy and I could smell this beer all night. The taste is rich and sour, packs a bit of a punch but only just enough to tease you into a sense of comfort then the raspberries march into the flavor wave.... oh my god. I would drink this all day if I could.
Mar 03, 2024
 
Rated: 2.52 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

4.4/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Review: 1996
Name: Caractere Rouge
Brewery: Rodenbach
Location: Roselare, Beligum
Style: Flemish Ale
A.B.V.: 7%
Date: 2020
I am drinking Caractere Rouge today using a tulip glass. I served it at 46 degrees. The pour created an airy, foamy, half-fingered, off-white head with poor retention. The color is light brown, with reddish hues, charting around S.R.M. 22. The beer is clear with bits of yeast floating. The dissipation left no lacing on the glass. The appearance is average for this style.
The initial aromas are cherries, horse blankets, barnyard funkiness, and fruity sweetness. Swirling the glass a few times, I smell lightly toasted malt, acetic acid, berries, and yeasty and lightly toasted malts. The fruity aromas are intense and compete with the sourness of the beer.
I thought this beer would have an intense sourness, yet the macerated berries mellow it out. I taste berries, lightly toasted malts, yeasty, barnyard, earthiness, and fruity sweetness. Well, balanced beer.
The mouthfeel is tarty, finishing crisp. The body is medium with medium-plus carbonation.
I have looked for this beer for quite a while. I found it a small town in Montana. This is an exquisite beer with bright, fruity flavors balanced with sourness. I am glad I picked this beer up.
Dec 29, 2023
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

4.35/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
750 mL corked & caged bottle from the LCBO; best before 02/07/2020 and served slightly chilled. This review is mostly for my own personal interest, given the fact that it's like 3 years past due.

Pours a foggy, reddish-burgundy colour with some flaky sediment that eventually settles at the base of the glass. Nearly an inch of bubbly, off white-tinted head dissipates within a matter of minutes; a thin collar is the only noticeable remnant. Potent aromas of cherry juice and raspberries, paired with hints of oak, baking spice, vanilla, cranberry and red grapes; restrained suggestions of balsamic vinegar and funk.

A masterful fusion of sweet red fruit flavours and sour, oaked red ale notes - the cherry and raspberry come through first, joined by notes of cranberry and red grape shortly thereafter, making for a decidedly fruity forefront. Hints of oak, vanilla, baking spice and subtle balsamic acidity develop later on, with a touch of earthy funk lingering into an aftertaste of cherry pit, apples, oak and red fruits, especially cranberry. Medium-full in body, with moderate carbonation that feels gentle and frothy; smooth, soft mouthfeel. Normally these 750 mL bottles of Rodenbach are overkill for a single person, but CR is so easy drinking, and the abv is so well-integrated, that polishing it off should be no trouble at all.

Final Grade: 4.35, an A grade. I honestly don't think Caractère Rouge is the #1 example of its style... however, there's a strong argument to be made that it's the best *introductory* Flemish red available. Its ample red fruit flavours add a prominent juicy-sweetness to the profile, counteracting the innate sour/funky qualities of the underlying red ale. It's also worth mentioning that the base ale itself is much less assertively acidic and funky than, say, Rodenbach's Grand Cru or their Vintage series, making for a more approachable & drinkable glass of beer (though perhaps not as complex). Still an excellent sour - likely not worth cellaring, but based on this experience a (properly stored) 5-6 y.o. bottle will hold up fine. Highly recommended.
Sep 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.33 by HarlotBronte from District of Columbia

Feb 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.74 by Jslamas

Nov 28, 2022
 
Rated: 3.75 by iftcoach from Germany

Oct 08, 2022
Photo of mvogt
Reviewed by mvogt from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
375ml bottle, can't find a bottling year or best-by date.

Look: beautiful clear ruby red, but points subtracted for the visible sediment at the bottom of my half pour. Basically no head. No carbonation visible.

Smell: red wine, dark and fruity and tart.

Taste: Cherry changing to raspberry, with a sweetness that comes and goes. The cranberry appears most in the aftertaste. Not as dry as my nose was expecting; in fact, it's pretty sweet. I took this out of the fridge but I'm not getting the complexity I hoped for.

Feel: a little tingly even though I can't see any bubbles. Moderate mouthfeel, not particularly light or heavy.

Overall: tasty and fun, good balance between tart and sweet, but I have to admit I was hoping for more. I have no idea how old this bottle is or how it has been stored. I'm perfectly willing to believe that a well-stored bottle would have more to say for itself.
Aug 28, 2022
 
Rated: 4.34 by Tmappin from Canada (NS)

Aug 22, 2022
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750ml bottle into a tall glass. Bottled 2/19/2018 after 30 months on foeders, the last 6 resting on cherries, raspberries and cranberries.

Looks good in the glass. Dark reddish brown body. Small off white bubbly head fizzes away quite quickly, no lacing.

Splendid mixed berry fruit aroma.

On tasting, the cherry and raspberry tart sweetness comes through very cleanly before the drink effortlessly moves into a drying sour berry fruit taste.

Mouth between medium and full, finish sour tart and drying with a nice berry residue.

Overall, another suberb Flanders Red from Rodenbach. The care and time that goes Into producing this beer is worth every penny to this drinker.
May 31, 2022
 
Rated: 4.39 by not2quick from Missouri

May 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4.19 by wisegreensoul from Idaho

Mar 27, 2022
Photo of mwilbur
Reviewed by mwilbur from Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Poured from 750 mL bottle into tulip.
A: Pours a clear red amber hue with essentially no head.
S: Loads of fresh cherries, raspberries, and cranberries. Sour and sweet with a hint of earthy spice and soft oak. Lovely!
T: Closely follows aroma. Sour/sweet cherries, fresh raspberries, and cranberries. Earthy spice, soft oak, and subtle Belgian yeast.
M: Light-medium body. Nice balance of sweet and sour. Soft oak. Dry throughout. Lingers nicely on the palate.
D: A superb brew and example of style.
Feb 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.04 by DruC4 from Michigan

Feb 14, 2022
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Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours a nice reddish color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has generous cherry, raspberry and cranberry hints
The taste follows the nose with a wonderful complex cherry, raspberry and cranberry flavor
A light bodied well carbonated beer
A great Flanders red
Jan 16, 2022
 
Rated: 4.17 by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

Jan 06, 2022
 
Rated: 4.12 by Oleg85 from Russian Federation

Jan 01, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Nov 23, 2021
 
Rated: 4.57 by arzt from Germany

Sep 24, 2021
Rodenbach Caractère Rouge from Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
Beer rating: 99 out of 100 with 1604 ratings