Redbach - Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

erica

California

4.45/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The label looks like a cute hip soda you might find in a nightclub, if there is such a thing. Suspicious for a beer, but I wanted to try it, since it combines Flemish Sour Red classic Rodenbach and cherries. Sounds like a winner to me!

Redbach poures a deep ruby red, crystal clear, with a thick light pink head. The beer is very effervescent, with constant streams of tiny bubbles rising to keep the head going for the entire glass.

Smells really great. More sour than Rodenbach, with a very fruity cherry pie scent and a little musty. Makes my mouth water. As for the taste, it is so very very good. It's actually kind of similar to New Glarus Belgian Red, but less intense and more funky. It is a perfect blend of Rodenbach and cherry juice, as the label says. A bit like a tart cherry pie, but one that's been left in a musty basement for a few days. There is also a slight metallic aftertaste, but it doesn't detract much from the rest of the goodness.

Mouthfeel is really fizzy, like soda but not so thin. Very refreshing. Drinkability for me is a 4.5, only because of the fizz. I could see it being really filling if I stuck to this all evening. Other than that, it is one of the tastiest beers I've had in a long time, and PERFECT for a hot summer night like tonight. Too simple and sweet for some, but I can't help it, I love it.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2006 23:59:03 | More by erica

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +11.1%

04-02-2013 05:01:59 | More by t0rin0

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

12-17-2012 15:58:50 | More by stereosforgeeks

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Rodenbach goblet. Pours a reddish-brown color without too much of a head. Nose is very heavy cherry Jolly Rancher character. Flavor is similar. Fairly tart. Not too complex. Interesting move with the twist off cap. Overall, an interesting experience, but this isn't worth seeking out for anything other than the tick value.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 19:33:29 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Beer shared by Thorpe at a recent tasting, beer is red, pink head, looks like soda.

Aroma is sweetness and cherries, bordering on cough syrup cherry.

Beer is way way too sweet, too many cherries, too much like cough syrup. I get the beer, I do but I just can't drink too much of it. Not a repeat for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 20:08:42 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!

The beer appears a dark crimson color with minimal head and sparse lacing. The aroma is sweet, offering cherries, hints of nail polish. Just OK. The flavor is sweet, almost like a Shirley Temple, with a pronounced maraschino cherry taste. Light in body, and easy to swill. The sweetness renders this best in small quantities. Still, always fun to try a new beer, let alone one brewed by Rodenbach.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 20:54:21 | More by Huhzubendah

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%

03-20-2012 01:35:33 | More by DefenCorps

nickfl

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

01-15-2012 21:22:33 | More by nickfl

bonbini26

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -16.7%

01-09-2012 21:36:40 | More by bonbini26

SummitVA

Maryland

2.5/5  rDev -30.6%

12-24-2011 02:23:18 | More by SummitVA

ajfrantz

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +25%

12-20-2011 03:02:37 | More by ajfrantz

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -16.7%

11-25-2011 23:36:27 | More by Rochefort10nh

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a deep cherry red color. The head what a light pink and didn't last very long. The smell of the beer was a little on the sour side. The taste of the beer reminded me of a cherry jolly rancher. It was tart and sweet at the same time. The mouthfeel wasn't too bad, it had a decent carbonation to it. Overall this beer was sweeter than most of the Flemish Reds out there. This is more of a dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 13:24:13 | More by Knapp85

metter98

New York

3.73/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is very deep red in color with no head or visible carbonation.
S: There is a mild sour aroma with notes of cherries.
T: The overall taste has a good amount of sourness, but it is not too strong, and is nicely balanced by the sweetness of the cherries.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and rather tart on the palate.
D: The beer is very interesting to drink and provides an interesting mix of sourness and sweetness--enough to make me want to have another one.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2010 10:08:34 | More by metter98

Gobzilla

California

4.38/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle courtesy of a74gent thanx bro

A: poured brown with red highlights with a thin head and left a little sticky lacing.

S: vinegar and lovely cherry aromas with some acidity that carried some oaky barrel notes with hints of sugar and slight faint malts.

T: great cherry tart flavors that hit the palate first with a vinegar base slight funk but very pleasent oaky notes that bring out the overall flavor of the beer.

M: medium silky body with a good amount of carbonation that accents the beer and a sweet a mild tart finish.

D: very good flanders red that drank great and wasn't too sweet but it definitely isn't a alexander. To me the alexander still takes the cake on the cherry flanders sour. Very good beer though.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2010 06:13:10 | More by Gobzilla

alcstradamus

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky red/brown with a finger of head.

The aroma is mostly cherry and chocolate, and there is a bit of a metallic nature to it.

The flavor is very cherry forward....basically that is all it is is cherry. Somewhat artificial and fruit-juice like, but not horribly so. I'm just severely disappointed by the lack of any sort of depth.

The body is medium and carbonation is proper for a fruit beer.

Overall this one would be better if it was just labeled as a cherry beer, but the fact that it is supposed to be Rodenbach with a hint of cherry is just wrong....there is no base to this, it is straight Juicy Juice. Not bad though I guess.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 22:24:34 | More by alcstradamus

CampusCrew

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

appearance: beutiful red copperish color, looked liek a glass of red wine

smell: sour fruity, grapes and cherries

taste: not extemelely sour enough and slightly swetter than other I have tried. The chery is not dominate and brings a very compelentary flavor

mouthfeel: high carbonation and light

drinkability: very easy... but too much of a fruit beer for me. It;s my wifes favorite beer ever though.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 20:51:49 | More by CampusCrew

mhatters

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a straight-sided Harpoon glass from a bottle at my house

Pours a dark amber with rose highlights, minimal to no head.

Cherry comes out right away in the nose, no malt whatsoever

The sour cherry rolls off with a sweet ending note that separates this from "traditional" kriek beers. Pleasant, good, sort of a cherries jubilee taste rather than a tart cherry flavor.

Thin, easy to drink, I have had many of these at one time and they do not drop of at all. Quite good, nothing spectacular, but worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2009 00:26:06 | More by mhatters

UDbeernut

New York

4.03/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into pint glass

A: light red with small pinkish head with slight retention

S: sweet malt, cherry

T: sour cherry flavor backed with sweet malt. Interesting flavor combo

Md: very drinkable somewhat buttery mouthfeel

Good choice for a summer session beer.

Cheers!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2009 22:13:07 | More by UDbeernut

LilBeerDoctor

New York

4.43/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed on 9/19/08. Bottle courtesy of sloth (thanks Bert!). This was my favorite beer when I just started getting into beer. Pours a deep red with a pretty, foamy pink head. Aroma of cherries, sweettart candies. Flavor of tart cherries and more candy. Nice tartness with just the right amount of cherry and sweetness. Ah, heaven...I'm so glad I got to try this again. A pity this beer is retired.
8/5/9/5/19 (4.6/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2008 17:53:04 | More by LilBeerDoctor

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a dark cranberry-mahogany with a light beige head.

S: some sweet cherries and a tart fruity sourness.nice and simple.

T: The initial flavor was strong cherries and a big sugary fruit sweetness. Once again a very smooth, silky body with an even tartness that was easy to consume. Not a lot of complexity, just cherries and a lot of them.

M: very light, silky, smooth and moderately carbonated.

D: A recognizable sour finish with a good deal of carbonation makes this at times consume like a cherry mountain due. Good desert beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 00:17:33 | More by beerthulhu

brentk56

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a murky raspberry color with a luscious pink head that caps the liquid decoratively; curtains of lace

Smell: Primarily sweet cherry jam, but there is a vuague hint of something funky lurking underneath

Taste: Tart and sweet up front, with a growing cherry jolly rancher flavor developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, the flavor becomes more jammy and lacks any of the funky hint I detected in the aroma

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly full-bodied, with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Aimed at a specific market in the US, but it never took off and is now hard to find (and, I believe, discontinued); a decent stab at the alcopop beer style but not something I would likely re-visit

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2008 04:06:02 | More by brentk56

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on the terrace of my condo overlooking the Atlantic while vacationing in Florida, so perhaps my scores reflect how perfect this beer was for the occasion. Poured brown with an orangish/red tinge and with little head. Smells sweet and sour with aromas of sweet cherry, balsamic, and molasses. Taste is similar- sweet and sour with dark brown sugar and spicebox flavors. The mouthfeel was smooth, tart and creamy. This beer is a bit sweet, but delicious and the tartness definitely helps keep it in balance. You don't get huge cherry flavors, rather you taste them as a component of the beer as a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2008 02:53:47 | More by Georgiabeer

kinger

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Off the beaten path, I was slightly blown away by this beer. Tangy, sweet, sour and tart rolled together. My tastebuds were tickled by this great brew. Now this is my first flemish sour and it has real cherry juice blended in to it so I can't judge this per the style but rather by my enjoyment. Mild sweet & sour aroma faint and subtle. Light mahagony with a light pink head, little lacing was left. Mouthfeel is perky and tart, absolutely different than any other I've had. Flavor is amazingly quenching. Very hard to describe it needs to be sampled personally. Almost like the homemade wine I remember my pops making. Unique and really good.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2008 20:02:05 | More by kinger

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Redbach

Thanks go out to Sudsdog(Ted) for this tasty beer!

A-deep reddish brown with a small foamy head.
S- tart and tangy cherries.
T- Sweet tangy cherries. Slight sugary tart grape and strawberry flavors detected as well?
M- Tart, sweet, and tangy but never too overpowering. Honestly, this is a jolly rancher in beer form.

Overall- So tasty! Excellent dessert beer.
(Thanks Ted!)

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2008 14:03:25 | More by NJpadreFan