Rodenbach Fruitage
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

8oz mini-can purchased at Total Wine in Spokane Valley, Washington. No obvious freshness date,

Murky, brownish red color, with a very short-lived, thin, pinkish white head. Said head dropped at a deeply impressive speed, leaving spare, spotty lace.

Cherryish, fruity nose, with whisps of vinegary sourness.

Sourness is more closely matched in the taste than in the nose. This is good, because the initial taste is pure, sweet red fruits juice, so the sourness immediately keeps it from getting too cloying, and adds a nice dryness to the proceedings, especially at the finish.

Fairly light bodied, which is no surprise, given the low abv. Never having had a low abv Flanders Red/fruit juice hybrid like this before, I suppose the carbonation level was alright.

Surprisingly very drinkable. Although there's a fair amount of sweetness to this, the light body, low abv and the small serving size could all combine to help convince me to have two or three in a session. Still, I don't think this would command my attention better than a Rodenbach Grand Cru, if one were available. Perhaps this could work as a gateway Flanders Red for a newbie.

Ruby color. Big, pink head. The aroma of red fruits( cherries, raspberries, gooseberry)and malt. Sweet/tart taste. Delicious fruity beer, maybe a bit simpler than others from this brewery.

 

Pours a dark red with fine, pink head.

Smell is sweet and a bit tart with notes of cherries, raspberries and yougurt.

Taste is sweet with notes of cherry jam, rapsberries raspberry jam and hints of wood and youghurt. There's a very slight tartness as well.

Mouthfeel is medium, well carbonated.

Overall, this doesn't quite compare to the "real" Rodies, but it's not supposed to. Easy to drink instead of a soda.

 

 

Appearance: Pours a tawny amber color with a two finger orange-tinted head; good retention and streaky lacing

Smell: Sweet and slightly tart jammy plum and cherry tones with a hint of elderberry and oak

Taste: Moderately sweet fruit tones, up front, with plum, cherry and elderberry; a bit of tartness through the middle is a prelude to a somewhat dry finish that is brought on by the oak

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: Much more approachable than the other Rodenbach beers but I prefer the depth of flavors in the others

8.5oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $2.50. Best By 02/28/2023. There's a code on the bottom of the can CDR0 11710L, but I don't know what it means and it probably doesn't matter much for this type of beer.

Look: Pours a deep reddish brown, almost mohagany color with near clarity. I wouldn't call it hazy but not so easy to call it clear either. It's perfectly translucent, that's for sure. There was a one and half finger tan head upon the pour that slowly reduced to a very thin layer on the sides of the glass. Very nice lacing on the glass. Looks pretty overall.

Smell: This has a very bright, fruity aroma. Reminds me a bit of cherry lifesavers or cherry Luden's cough drops. I also get the elderberry aroma too (I know this well because my wife's family drinks elderberry extract to ward off colds). Not much else to the nose than that - maybe a bit of woody notes / mustiness from the aged beer as a secondary note. Smells simple yet nice.

Taste: Very crushable and delicious. The addition of the red fruit gives this beer such a nice brightness that it almost doesn't feel like I am drinking a beer. Up front, it's very fruity and a bit sweet. On the back end, there is a nice finishing note of juicy cherries along with some mild tannins and a long lingering acidity and tartness. For a 4.2% ABV fruited flanders ale, it's hard to find someone else do something like this better.

Feel: The mouthfeel is medium - not thin at all. Very full for a 4.2% ABV beer. The addition of the fruit and the aged beer give it a nice complexity and weight.

Overall: This is a very nice, refreshing beer. I would really enjoy drinking this on a very hot day. Like I said about Ommegang Solera, I would totally recommend this type of beer to someone who enjoys wine but doesn't think that he/she cares much for beer (Duchesse De Bourgogne is another good recommendation). This beer would pair very well with so many foods - breads, cheeses, chocolate, desserts, etc.

De Labirratorium. En copa Teku. En almuerzo, con pastas rana + acedias + pescadilla/pijotas. Sobresaliente si buscas una cerveza de frutas. La acidez está muy contenida y el perfil es más maltoso y afrutado que ácido. A pesar de su bajo abv se nota con mucho cuerpo. El sabor de la cereza es marcado y natural

90,5

A dirty, cloudy ruby with a thin tan head. Some clingy lacing.

Fruity cherry smells.

Taste is very fruit forward. Lots of cherry. Very slightly sour.

Medium body and carbonation.

Very smooth. An entry level Flemish Red.

March 24 2025

Pours a hazy orange/red with moderate head. Smells faintly of cherry. Light mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Tastes like cherry and other berries, not too sour. Excellent fruity taste.

Bright red, surprisingly hazy though it could be chill haze. Fluffy foam with a pinkish purple color, rising over the rim slightly convex and looking like a macaroon. Lasting coverage and a ton of chunky lacing around the edges.

Aroma of tart red fruit, cherry and berry, sweet and not really acidic.

Tart taste, cherry and oxidized malt, menthol cherry cough drop, finish is semi-dry but there’s a sugary sweet note upfront that gets a little cumbersome the more you drink it. It tastes and feels more like some kind of cocktail spritzer than a Flanders Red. Seems to have befallen the same fate as sweetened lambic.

Case in point, this is Rodenbach trying to compete with Liefmans candy beer on ice. Can’t say I prefer this over regular Rodenbach, and for a better cherry Flanders try Barbe Ruby. If you miss Four Loko, try this...

Flanders Red #68

Amber red color with a thin slightly pinkish head.
Aroma with notes of raspberries, cherries and grapes.
Flavor with notes of raspberries, cherries, grapes and a mild tartness from Rodenbach beer. Dry aftertaste with a friendly tart finish.
Light body with appropriate carbonation.
Refreshing and easy to drink fruity red ale. Traditional Rodenbach notes are only on the background here.

 

 

 

 

8.5 fl oz can
Served in a goblet
2017

This beer pours a reddish tea color. It is topped with a fleeting beige head that disappears quickly.

The smell is sweet cherries with a little funk. It has a cherry cobbler smell.

The taste is sweet with cherry flavor. The is light tartness.

Lighter bodied with a juicy mouthfeel

The label does not lie when it says refreshing. I could crush 16oz cans of this.