2014 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 192)
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

2014 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 192)2014 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 192)
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From:
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
 
Belgium
Style:
Flanders Red Ale
ABV:
7%
Score:
96
Avg:
4.42 | pDev: 6.33%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
64
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 21, 2022
Added:
Oct 14, 2016
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  13
No description / notes.
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Ratings by biegaman:
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

4.43/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Rodenbach 2014 Vintage has candy-apple highlights and medium clarity; it's got a vibrant and warming complexion that makes it look deceivingly gulpable. There's a fair amount of foam that takes up residence in my glass, which is a welcomed feature though somewhat surprising given the beer sat for a full two years in a porous oak barrel.

2014 is an especially stinky vintage (I'll remind you that when it comes to sours the stinkier the better). Whatever little critters crept out of the wood or dropped in by air, they smell absolutely lovely. Sourness is typically a quality associated with taste but sometimes it can be detected by the nose alone - and this is definitely one of those occasions.

Barrel No. 192 is over-the-top generous with those lip-smacking cherry balsamic flavours - is this made in Flanders or Emilia-Romagna? - and is also equipped with a good supply of chestnut honey, pomegranate molasses, cider vinegar, rose petals and leathery tannins. If Rodenbach revealed they used a Solera method I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

Sours are fantastic - unless you suffer from acid reflux. When it comes to Flemish Reds it's not typically the alcohol you have to worry about, it's the pH; the best of these beers - and Barrel No. 192 is among them - don't taste anything near their strength but have a rip-roaring acidity that makes it hard to drink all through the night... as much as one might want to.

Rodenbach is what I call a "northstar" producer: constant, reliable and remarkably bright. The concept of a "Vintage Ale" is not just clever marketing but really quite sensible given the nature of working with wild yeasts and barrel-aging. 2014 is yet another exceptionally, outstandingly fun, funky offering that's well worth whatever the asking price and is a top example of the style.
Dec 17, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750ml bottle into a teku. 8 years old.

Really nice look to this one. The body is red wine, crystal clear when held up to the light. The head fizzes away quite quickly, but carbonation bubbles continue to pop on the surface.

Lightly dark fruit aroma, clean, a faint sourness as well.

Just a delightful drink. Initially there is a clean light sweet berry fruit flavor. This moves effortlessly into a mild sour tartness, and is quite drying, allowing for a lasting finish.

Mouth just about medium, finish a dry sour tartness.

Overall, really appreciate the care taken to produce this Flanders Red. Very complex, delicate, clean, light, but with good strong flavors. The finish is lasting.
May 21, 2022
 
Rated: 4.4 by PSU_Mike from Pennsylvania

Dec 07, 2019
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

4.14/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle from Market of Choice.

A clear deep mahogany red with a short lived beige head that leaves no lacing this looks good. The nose has the classic sweet and tart Rodenbach character, a blend of mildly oxidized brown sugar, dark honey, red wine, a mild acetic acid note, some vanilla and dark fruit ( mild date and brandied raisins). A little leather and grape skin is present as well.

The palate opens sour with a noticeable acetic sharpness tempered by a fruity and mildly sugary sweetness. Red wine vinegar, a little balsamic, grape must, raisins plumped in Brandy and rum, brown sugar, dark brown sugar and a kiss of vanilla. Deep and complex. Despite my dislike of overly acetic beers, this one's got a semblance of balance and a definite structure that allows the beer to pull it off. Mildly sweet and moderately sour on the finish, this beer is medium light in body and moderately carbonated. Vanilla and vinegar linger on in the finish, along with some grape must. Quite excellent.
Jul 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.4 by 4ster from Canada (ON)

Jun 18, 2019
 
Rated: 4.9 by jason_nwx from Oregon

May 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.89 by dpgoblejr from New Hampshire

Oct 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.8 by Shaun_S from Maine

Sep 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.49 by -steve- from Canada (ON)

Jul 11, 2018
 
Rated: 3.19 by Icka31 from Ohio

May 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by StormAles from Canada (ON)

Apr 17, 2018
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

4.47/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5
Already back into the Rodenbach with yet another tantalising brew: Vintage 2014 Foeder No. 192. Yes, I’m a huge fan of their Grand Cru, that said whilst I did enjoy the beer I reviewed for #1,000 (Caractère Rouge) the tartness of that beer did end up leaving my jaw a bit sore afterwards. Now I’m not too sure what happens to sour beers when you age them, but I’m hoping/suspecting that the sourness drops a little and gives way to that overall grape character I found in Grand Cru. If this is the case I will be both elated and disappointed - elated for obvious reasons - disappointed because this is probably the last bottle I will ever see of this vintage (this was the last bottle at my local). Well, as they say in Belgium: Santé! (or Proost!).

Poured from a 750ml corked and caged bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Hmmm, more bruin than rogue, not unlike the Grand Cru, with a hazed brown body and a thin beige head that drops back to a nice lace ring - looks tops, though (like Grand Cru) I would probably classify this as an Oud Bruin instead. 8/10.

S: Yep there’s no mistaking the base beer of this being Grand Cru with an aroma of: pungent, funky grape must, grape Hubba Bubba™, musty yeast, acidic vinegar and sour cherry. It’s almost a carbon copy of the Grand Cru I had recently, except maybe a bit more vinegar acidity and a touch of woody character. 9/10.

T: Once again Rodenbach gets my “acid reflux trigger warning” award for being brazenly acidic - luckily this time I have some Gaviscon handy! Wow, what a crazy Hubba Bubba™ nightmare [in a good way]! Flavour profile is front and centre with an almost balsamic vinegar intensity, grape must, grape Hubba Bubba™, hint of sour cherry, musty yeast and that slight woody note. Finish is sour, though not quite as intense as Caractère Rouge, with a slight drying character. It’s sweet but not OTT, balance (apart from the obvious acid bulldozing) is great. 9/10.

M: Mouthfeel is again a weak point with Rodenbach (if it can even be considered a weakness here): Mid to light, slightly denser than Grand Cru, with a borderline aggressive carbonation. 7/10.

D: So evenly matched with Grand Cru that the scores turned out the same - this is the slightly bigger, more acidic and woody version of Grand Cru. The only big difference is the size of the bottle and the fact that it’s limited release (hence rarer). Not sure if I’m missing something but I don’t see the nuance that makes this any better than Grand Cru though (which is already exceptional). 10/10.

Food match: You’re gonna need a big cheese platter for this bad boy.
Apr 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4.26 by PatrickCT from Connecticut

Apr 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by steverx8 from England

Mar 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.48 by JakerLou from New Hampshire

Mar 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Mar 11, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by ChrisG523 from Massachusetts

Feb 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.39 by epyon396 from Pennsylvania

Feb 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by MaxOhle from Illinois

Jan 30, 2018
 
Rated: 4.55 by darkfruits from Virginia

Dec 31, 2017
2014 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 192) from Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 64 ratings