2009 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 145)
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

2009 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 145)2009 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 145)
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From:
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
 
Belgium
Style:
Flanders Red Ale
ABV:
7%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.33 | pDev: 9.7%
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
106
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 07, 2018
Added:
Oct 24, 2011
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  27
No description / notes.
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Rated: 4.75 by smithj4 from New York

Jan 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by AugustusRex from Canada (ON)

Dec 18, 2016
 
Rated: 4.23 by von_kaiser from Connecticut

Jul 16, 2016
 
Rated: 4.44 by Uconnelmo from Connecticut

Nov 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.56 by Liquidswordz from Texas

Apr 20, 2015
Photo of ljdrinksbeer
Reviewed by ljdrinksbeer from North Carolina

4.71/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
poured into a tulip.
No head, color dried blood, crystal clear.
smell is sweet and vinegar.
taste is incredible! sweet, with fruit flavors, cherry, sour, soft flavors from the wood.
even though its barely carbonated the sour makes up for it, mouthfeel is spot on.
Over-all drinkable as hell, softer and more nuanced than some of the standard flanders ales. As this is the first vintage Rodenbach I've had I'll have to come back to a fresher one.
Feb 21, 2015
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Tried side-by-side with a 2007 Vintage.

BOTTLE: 750ml brown glass. Black foil-ed over unbranded hood and wire cap over a cork. 2009 vintage; I think this was released in 2011? Best before: 01/08/14 (oh well; I trust it's fine, if not even improved).

Purchased at The Ginger Man in New York City and served cold into a tulip in Austin, TX. Allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Reviewed live. Expectations are sky high; I love this brewery and this style.

7% ABV.

Yields the softest cork pop I've ever heard upon opening - still carbonated, but age is evident.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: 1 head sticks around or a good 3-4 minutes. White colour. Creamy. Good thickness. Soft. Leaves no lacing.

BODY: Dark deep ruby-brown. Gorgeous. Translucent. Quasitransparent. No yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.

Great appearance overall for the style. Appears undercarbonated.

AROMA: Plump ripe cherry, acetic pie crust, oak. Nice subtle toatiness.

Aromatic intensity is moderate to high. Fantastic aroma overall. Sourness is near perfect for the style - about 4-5/10 intensity.

Not funky, yeasty, or boozy. No off-notes. Has no off-character from age or oxidation (e.g. cardboard). I think the oak has faded somewhat.

TASTE: Incredible. Boasts the signature Rodenbach acetic pie crust I love and can't get enough of. A subtle oak tone guides the flavour profile, replete with some subtle toastiness. Belgian red malts. Evocative cherry is perfectly integrated into this impeccable balance, and it's a bit more ripe than in the 2007 vintage. Gorgeous depth of flavour. Long flavour duration. Flavour intensity is moderate. The sourness is also moderate, which is apt for the style - about 6-7/10 in terms of intensity. How do they even brew this? The oak comes with some wine-like tannins that only enhance and accentuate the delicate flavours in this flavour profile.

No doubt a gestalt build; this beer is more than the sum of its parts and has incredible subtlety and nuance. Not quite as intricate as the very tippy top best beers in the style (most of which are brewed by Rodenbach!), but damned complex nevertheless.

Just great. I can't get enough of it. Shockingly expressive.

TEXTURE: Soft, delicate, and luscious. Smooth, wet, refreshing. Acetic and acidic but not puckering. Carbonation is perfect - even after 6 years of aging. Thickness (unlike the 2007 vintage) is aptly moderate. Great medium body. Ideal presence on the palate.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough, or scratchy.

Near perfect. Accentuates the taste beautifully. There's a rare harmony of taste and texture in this beer that creates an ineffable effect.

OVERALL: Rodenbach once again astounds with an incredible brew that is of the highest caliber. Easily in my shortlist of best beers in the style. It's aged incredibly and could probably continue to do so for at least 7-8 more years. I have to stop myself from just inhaling this, and part of me can't help but wish that I greedily kept this bottle to myself (I shared this with good friends). This will humble even the most discerning of drinkers. Stellar work. I tip my hat to the brewers. This is good as shit.

Low A
Feb 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by TomVerhofstede from Belgium

Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Corson from Canada (AB)

Sep 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by iL0VEbeer from New Jersey

Sep 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Erik-P from Canada (BC)

Aug 25, 2014
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Rated by Wobbly from Missouri

4.96/5  rDev +14.5%
I was truly fortunate to get my hands on a couple of these. Wow. Incredible.
Jul 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by huntermop from South Carolina

Jul 05, 2014
Photo of ThePorterSorter
Reviewed by ThePorterSorter from Oregon

4.16/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a murky mahogany brown with a thin blanketing of loose off-white head that fades into a thin cobweb of sticky lacing. The nose is tart cherries, muted acetone, bready caramel sweetness, and some plum. The taste is sweeter than expected, with notes of cherry and malt upfront and also lingering cherries in the finish. It has a medium body with masked booze, bready sweetness (sweet, but not syrupy), mild carbonation, and lingering semi-dry, tart cherries. This is a great beer - I prefer caractere rouge (esp for the price), but think this is more complex and delicious compared to the regular version.
Jun 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by hooliganlife from Missouri

May 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by aquazr1 from California

May 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.35 by atrocity from Virginia

Apr 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Caudalie from Canada (QC)

Mar 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by mrfrancis from Kentucky

Feb 19, 2014
2009 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 145) from Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 106 ratings