Rodenbach Classic (Red)
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

What a great beer. A sour that isn’t overly sour, yet is definitely more sour than not. It tastes of wonderfully oaked cherries and pours a nice foamy head that quickly dissipates. A great sessionable beer that would also pair well with a burger and fries.

 

OK, Flanders sours aren't in my wheelhouse but many publications say beer fans should try Rodenbach Classic & Grand Cru at least once as they're exemplars of the style so here goes. Tart but not puckerpuss sour with good mouthfeel, a fruity/malty flavor & a slightly lingering, sweetish, vinous-belgiany-yeasty aftertaste. I'll admit it's probably one of the standards for the style but after getting down a few swigs, it's still marinade to me, your mileage may vary. Next!

Clear body, falls somewhere between a red and a rose color on the wine chart. Large but fast fading beige head that left traces of lace. Interesting aroma. Finding notes of dark fruit, vinegar and a bit of oak. Taste is tart but not overly sour. Sweetness is kept to a minimum but more noticeable in the aftertaste. Fruit continues to stand out. Sharp, medium bodied acidic mouthfeel

16.9 oz. can poured into vertical tulip

L: murky brown with a red tint, 1/3-inch tall head of beige foam that dissipates quickly, minor sticking, keeps a thick collar of beige foam but no skin, minor lacing

S: cranberry pie, cranberry or raspberry kolache with some breadiness, hints of vinegar

T: similar to the nose but leaning way more sour than sweet with the vinegar pushing into fingernail polish remover

F: fantastic ... light, crisp and quaffable almost to the point of being dangerous; the carbonation level is high enough to help fill out the lightweight watery arrival

O: very good beer, not as good as their Grand Cru but a solid Flanders red that I would happily drink if/when the Grand Cru isn't available

 

Somewhat opaque reddish brown color with a decent pinkish tan head and some nice lacing.
The aroma is tart cherries, apple cider vinegar.
The taste is also tart cherries and vinegar with some notes of oak, leather, red wine, cranberries and brown sugar, interesting combo.
The body is light, good carbonation, crisp and very drinkable.
Altogether, this is a tasty and interesting brew if you like sour beers, which I do, should go well with salads and seafood, very well done.

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 500mL in a pint glass. From the Huron Church Rd. LCBO in nearby Windsor. Best before April 17/26. My 3rd beer from the Roeselare, Belgium brewery, and for 2025. Adamantly appreciated by Sundae the cat...

 

Tamped down version of Rodenbach Grand Cru. This is a delicious beer - Moderately sour, light oak, dark cherries. Really nice, like your mom.

 

 

 

 

L:
-pours a clear cherry juice Red with a small,frothy,off-white head
-low carbonation visible
S:
-sweet,strawberries,cherries,juniper berries,light Balsamic vinegar,lightly leathery,soy sauce
T:
-sweet arrival,cherries,strawberries,juniper berries,lightly tart
-Finishes dry
-low bitterniss
F:
-medium carbonation
-light-to-medium body
O:
Surprised i haven't had this one yet.
Probably the most "accessible" Flanders Red due to its low sourness.
This provides a decent variety of flavors but isn't all that complex for the Style.

 

Hanging out in Belgium again and I have the Rodenbach Classic sour ale in my hand, one I've been wanting to try for awhile. Now, I'm not a huge fan of sour beers, but I've been hearing enough about them from friends and family to want to test my palate. So this one is in a can with the code 51436 R. I have no clue what it means. I'm just gonna drink it. At recommended temperature of around 45F, a medium-aggressive pour into a pint glass resulted in a 2-finger very fizzy white head sitting on a medium brownish-mahogany colored ale. Loads of carbonation attacking and killing the head pretty swiftly. On the nose I pick up a tartness there, sour cherry, a bit of malt, some sweetness to it as well. Nothing really jumping out at me though. On the taste, upfront it's tart, cherry-cranberry...like an Ocean Spray Cran-cherry fruit juice. Do they even make that? I get some sweet maltiness on the palate as well. On the finish, it's dry with leftover cranberry tartness and a cherry sweetness there that doesn't linger very long as the dryness strips it away. Flavors linger just a little longer on the finish the more you drink it, and the sweetness of it gives me an impression of a dry red wine as some red grape peeks around the corner. The carbonation feels great while sipping, driving the sweet-n-tart flavors throughout the mouth. It is a very refreshing Belgian sour, and the finish on it demands you take another sip. This is a bit more sweet and drinkable to me than the Duchesse De Bourgogne I had a while back in that, I could drink a few of these on a hot summer evening. It just drinks easier the more you drink it. The Duchesse had more depth of flavor and was a bit more rich and vinegary-tart than this one, so one was enough for me. So I would chose between these two based on where I was and what I had planned. However, for me, I would most likely chose a different style all together, as the sours are not exactly my cup of tea. To drink one of these again, I'd really have to be in the mood for it, or I had nothing else to choose from. Cheers!