Rodenbach Classic (Red) - Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

macrosmatic

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 750 mL bottle into a CCB snifter.

A: Crimson brown, hazy, with a thin off-white head and medium visible carbonation.

S: Vinegar, acetic, dark cherry, and moderately sour and tart.

T: Follows the nose, but grape and a light cherry are the fruity flavors I get, and it's not as sour as expected. There is a mild oak and vanilla in the background. Has some dry tartness in the finish.

M: Lighter body than expected, good carbonation sensation, and minimal alcohol presence.

O: Tasty, but doesn't rise above the crowd of sours. Still, it's a good one to grab off the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 23:26:52 | More by macrosmatic

tdm168

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark brownish amber with ruby edges; big cap of thick, soft, off white, brownish head that fades to a thin lacing

S - tart cherries, a bit sour, some lactic aromas

T - tart, fruity, a lactic creaminess, some caramel malt

M - medium bodied, crisp, well carbonated, a bit dry

This is a decent beer. It has all of the hallmarks of what I expect a Flanders Red Ale to be. It's highly drinkable and refreshing while being a bit tart. I prefer the Grand Cru to this, but this is definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 23:24:02 | More by tdm168

schoolboy

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I am not sure how this is supposed to taste. I have had others of this style and I've had others that had similar characteristics.

As soon as I opened it I knew I had something interesting. The wild yeasty sour taste was in the air. As you start to drink it that sour subsides quickly. Too quickly - it made me long for a good Flemish sour. This is kind of like that only milder.

Based on the way this is made (25% 2 years matured and 75% young) I think it is ready to drink immediately. This is a good example of beer/food as culture.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 19:41:51 | More by schoolboy

mactrail

California

4.01/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The color is that distinctive red-amber in the narrow Saxo tulip. A pile of foam, coarse bubbles, and lots of lacing. Aroma is woody, nutty, fruity. A touch of sweetness on the lips and a pleasant sudsy mouthfeel. And at 5.2%, a great quaff! The slight acidity is more like ripe cherries. It's actually less sharp than most IPAs. No hint of hops, apparently. Warm malt and that unique fruity mix.

Why are so many sours so vinegary? What's so wrong about the modest malty sweetness in this stuff? The Rodenbach mix of older and younger beers is so much more drinkable. Anyone curious about the sour styles of the Belgian tradition should try a couple of these.

From the 12 oz bottle in a six-pack bought at Liticker's Liquor & Deli in San Diego for a quite reasonable price. Interesting to discover this brewery is now owned by Palm of Belgium, which makes some hack beers of no distinction at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 05:15:48 | More by mactrail

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From a 12oz bottle.

Appearance: deep, deep ruby red with a small white head.

Nose: Really can't get much off the nose. A bit of sour cherries and some bready malts.

Taste: Bright, fresh sour black cherry tartness up front followed by nice sweet caramel-y malts. It's very simple and very easy-drinking. This would make a great easy-drinker on a colder night.

Mouthfeel: Perfect carbonation, just enough body to give it some substance without being overbearing.

Overall: A nicely tart very cherry forward easier drinking Flemish red. Nothing like the super complex and sour ones with more old beer in the blend. The young beer gives it a nice a malty base while the small percentage of old beer in there provides just enough funk and sourness.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 20:54:52 | More by fdig23

wedge

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best Before: 10.23.2013

Pours a very dark mahogany color with only a small, fleeting bubbly head. Deep, acidic aromas of vinegar, black cherry, berries, red wine, and wood alongside a nice, rich creaminess and a touch of vanilla. Tart, fruity flavor with some oak, and a balancing malt sweetness. Medium bodied, acidic, and crisp. Very drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 23:37:55 | More by wedge

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.25/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Server in a pint glass.

Appearance: ridiculously dark amber, very light bubbles on the body. Off white head maybe 1/10", I'm not crazy over the way it looks but it's still attractive.

Smell: strong woody taste, you can inhale the malts and cellaring.

Taste: This taste is not for everybody, strong sourness to it that makes the rest of the beer very hard to enjoy. Wood, almost cedar like...but a notch sweet. I don't hate it but keep my words in mind before sipping and judging.

Mouth: an easy medium to full, strong after taste of rye sticks to you like black to the night.

Overall: good beer but the hype it definitely does not live up to. Honestly this is probably my first flander's red ale, and I want to try more before I put them on the "beware" list. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 03:47:20 | More by BlurryVisi0n

BrewMaven

New York

3.89/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Sal for this donation!

First time trying a Flanders Red Ale.

Pour a deep , clear red and has an off white head that dropped quickly leaving a ring and partial cover. Lace is abundant but also recedes after each sip.

Smells a lot like wine..cherries without the awful sulfer stink that most wine has.

Taste is of tart cherries. thin mouthfeel and mild yet biting carbonation. Dry finish.

Interesting style..I may have to hunt down a few other examples of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 17:23:34 | More by BrewMaven

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.04/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into crooked stave tulip. Best before 7/25/14.
Pour is much darker than anticipated. ..deep ruby brown with slight white lacing. Smell is so complex. Lots of sweet toffee english malts and oak but a huge cherry tartness is dominant. Taste is nicely tart cherry but so balanced with the sweet toffee malt and oak. Its super dry as expected and easy to drink. Its a great is example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 01:33:46 | More by DrinkSlurm

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.01/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked up a bottle of Rodenbach's Rodenbach Classic last month for $2.69 at The Lager Mill. Flanders Red Ale is one style I have never had before, I've been making an effort to check out some new styles of this beer, so I decided to take a chance on this one, so let see how it goes. Best before 3-20-2014. Poured from a brown 330ml bottle into a tulip.

A- The label is ok, it's pretty simple but it had a clean look to it. It poured a nice brown/dark red color that took on a nice and dark ruby color when held to the light with a fingers worth of light tan head that died down to a thin ring that eventually disappeared and left hardly any lacing behind. This was an ok looking beer, the color was pretty nice but the head and lacing were lacking a little.

S- The aroma starts off with loads of tart and sour smelling fruit, there's some cherry's, plums, and some raspberry's along with a higher amount of sweetness. Next comes a little bit of oak and a slight funky aroma. This beer had a good aroma is was very fruity with some nice sour and funky notes to it, I like it.

T- The taste doesn't seem to be too similar to the aroma, it starts off with some malts and a light amount of medium tartness followed by some of the fruits that I got in the aroma, they aren't nearly as intense as they were in the aroma and the cherry's seem to stick out the most. On the finish i get a slight bit of Belgian yeast followed by a slight oak flavor and hardly any bitterness just some lingering tartness that is slightly sour. There's also a high amount of sweetness with a sweet, cherry, and tart aftertaste. This was a good tasting beer, I wish the fruits showed up a little more but other than that it was pretty enjoyable.

M- Pretty smooth, crisp, slightly puckering, medium bodied, with a nice amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was good and it worked well with this beer.

Overall I thought this was a good beer and from what I can tell it's a good example of the style, but this is my first of the style, so I don't have much experience with this style at all but it seems to be close to the description BA provides for the style. This beer had decent drinkability, it was smooth, and the flavors kept me interested, but the high amount of sweetness would prevent from having another, one of these small bottles is the perfect amount. What I liked the most about this beer was the aroma it was pretty nice with lots of tart fruit aromas. What I liked the least about this beer was the appearance, a little more head and lacing would make this beer look pretty good. I would buy this again when in the mood for a nice and tart beer, it's not too expensive, especially for a beer from Belgium, I recommend this to anyone who want something with a little bit of tartness to it. All in all I was pretty happy with this beer, it had just the right amount of tartness to it, and the cherry aspect was pretty nice. This beer made for a good first impression for this brewery and it has made me want to try more of the style, good job guys, this is a pretty tasty and unique brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 04:46:40 | More by StoutHunter

davewlfpckfan29

Connecticut

4.41/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This is such a beautiful, drinkable beer. I was so happy to have this on draught.
We had two glasses at Moan and Dove in Amherst Mass.

Its a dark maroon, ruby color, poured into a tulip glass.

The smell is a pleasant tartness smell, maybe some cherry. The oak is faint.

And the taste, the wonderful taste. Its a great blend of sourness and tartness. A little bit of fruitiness, as well as malt. And the oak again is in the background.

A local package store has Rodenbach in 6-packs, and I want to GO BUY IT NOW!

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2013 04:30:56 | More by davewlfpckfan29

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.65/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a 330 mL bottle into a pint glass, red brown colored almost like cherry cola with a short red tan head that dissipates quickly leaving little lacing, clear

S: sweet and sour fruit aroma, sour cherries, plums

T: very sour up front with complex flavors of malt, fruit, and yeast, slight bitter hop flavor in middle combined with a sweetness from the malt, followed by a sour finish, cherry, oak, tart apple

M: feel is silky smooth with just a bit of carbonation, good lingering sour aftertaste

O: if you are in to Belgian sours you will like this beer, sweet and sour elements are well balanced

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 18:48:59 | More by M_C_Hampton

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.11/5  rDev +2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

11.2 oz bottle into a Samuel Smith pint glass.

A: Pours a dark red color with nice clarity. Typical of a sour, there isn't much head, a one finger eggshell color that fades quickly.

S: I love how the cherries intermingle with the oak qualities the aroma provides. Sourness is subtle, enough to create a delicate interplay between the other aromatic notes. Not explosive, just wonderful to inhale.

T: A bit of a letdown from the nose, which isn't really saying much. Immediately, cherry flavors combine with a balanced lactic tartness. I love how cherry forward this comes across without going overly sweet. The finish is mostly grainy malts and some diacetyl; however, after a few sips some of the cherry qualities bleed past the midtaste to drown out the buttery notes - exactly what I want in a Flemish red. Keep in mind this is about 3/10 sour, so those looking for an enamel beatdown won't find it here.

M: Light and crisp. A very light tannic quality appears in the aftertaste, but this isn't particularly dry. It's well carbonated and refreshing, and goes down quickly.

O: One thing that deserves to be mentioned is how inexpensive this bottle was - about $1.75 for a single 11.2 oz bottle. It's not the greatest sour ever, but as a refreshing thirst quencher, I'd take this over many standard fruit beers any day. It's cheap (for a sour), it's well made, and it's a panty dropper. Enough said!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 22:14:31 | More by ThisWangsChung

Efay

Illinois

4.49/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought this from Chris Quinn of the Beer Temple. I went to his new store based in Chicago and was asking for recommended sours for newbies, and this was his pick for me.

A- Poured into a pint glass, and it seems like there is lots of carbonation and lots of foam. That foam recedes to about 2 fingers worth of head, where there was a great retention rate. Beautiful dark amber color with extremely small foam bubbles from the head, which were cappuccino colored.

S- Cherries dominate, with hints of raspberry as well. Very acidic smelling and sweet, which to me was a great combination.

T- Initial dark malty taste, with a tad amount of oak. Tastes of tart cherry are welcoming to my palate.

M- Moderate to high carbonation, with moderate weight which goes down surprisingly smooth. Ends with a tart dryness.

O- Wow. I was very skeptical about trying sours but this thing was just unbelievable. This was highly drinkable and very enjoyable, and I am excited for future sours if they're anything like this.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 21:57:15 | More by Efay

MUSHROOMCLOUD

Texas

3.74/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Reddish-brown color - clear...1/2 inch beige head falls to a cap quickly - no lace.
Sour fruit (cherry?), wood, spice in the nose. Malty and clean with a nice amount of refreshing sour middle to the end. Not an overly long or complex finish to it - clean entry, light sour hit, and gone.
Medium weight and medium carbonation in the mouthfeel. This is enjoyable overall - has a nice nose and the sour adds a good profile to the flavor. Good.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:28:39 | More by MUSHROOMCLOUD

FLima

Brazil

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice brown ruby color. Poured just one finger beige head with medium retention that left a thin ring.
Predominant aroma of grapes and hints of wood, caramel and condiments.
Taste is more bold with lots of flavors, oak, tons of grapes, and an elegant spiciness to it and a pleasant and mild sourness at a perfect level. Perfect balanced and with a refreshing feel even at room temperature.
Aftertaste is astringent with a residual red wine taste.
Medium body that is enlarged by an effervescent sensation.
Amazing Flanders Red Ale, just behind its older sister the Grand Cru. A beer that keeps growing through the tasting session, simply excellent.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 02:17:45 | More by FLima

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from a 750 Ml into a tulip

A- Hazy dark brown with a one finger of an off tan colored head.

S- Dark fruit. Molasses, sugar. A little sour. toffee. belgian yeast.

T- A slight sour tang at first. A pop of carbonation and intense dark fruit flavors. A lot of raisin. Fig and molasses. A lot of caramel and very sugary.

M- A nice thick and smooth body. Very drinkable and not too intense.

O- A solid beer. A lot of feel for the size. A great introduction to the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 23:50:25 | More by TwelveOunces

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 250ml bottle with a BB of March 2013. Picked up from a Belgian supermarket back in May while on a trip over there. A Flemish red ale matured in oak vats - should be interesting.

Poured into a Delirium chalice. A deep rusty red-brown hue with good carbonation. Yields a decent head of fine off-white foam that lasts for a minute or two before subsiding to a patchy surface layer. Aroma of fruity sweet 'n sour - notes of cherries, raspberries, red fruits, vinegar, malt, dried fruit, brown sugar, mild caramel, subtle funk, yeast and a hint of wood. A solventy whiff of alcohol lurks in the background. Complex and enticing.

Tastes of sweet 'n sour; fruity and acidic at the same time (not unlike wine). Notes of cherry, red fruits, vinegar, malt, dried fruit, caramel, brown sugar, wood and mild funk. Sour and tingly, but balanced by the sweetness. Lacks the depth of the aroma. A sharp, vinous finish, accompanied by a faint warming hint of booze. Mouthfeel is smooth, decidedly dry and very tingly. The carbonation combines with the acidity to deliver a pleasant sensation on the tongue. Body seems thin and a tad watery. Rather astringent, with an aftertaste of fruity sourness and malt vinegar.

An impressive brew - this is certainly one of the more idiosyncratic styles to come out of Belgium. It fascinates me how allowing a beer to become innoculated by a range of microorganisms and then aging it in wood produces such a complexity of character. The smell is just as you might expect, though the flavour seems thinner and less intricate than the aroma. The body is also somewhat watery and insubstantial. Good, but falls short of greatness (I suspect that the lack of bottle conditioning might have contributed to this). Nonetheless, a classic beer that is well worth trying; grab one if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 23:44:47 | More by jazzyjeff13

AxesandAnchors

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Very little head, maybe a half a fingers worth (dissipated almost immediately). Very murky looking. More of a brow with a red hue, than a typical red. Lets hope this tastes better than it looks.

S: Smells slightly skunky...this is starting to worry me. Raspberries, cherries, a touch of wood, apple cider, plum, zest, candy sugar, a bit tart.

T: Nice first wave of a mellow tartness. Definitely a raspberry/cherry mix. Hey, with a bit of malt. A really faint oak flavor in the background. The funkiness that was in the nose is much better in the taste.

M: Smooth and dry on the tongue. Just the right amount of carbonation.

O: I was a little worried in the beginning, but where this beer lacks in first impressions it more than makes up for in the end. Not all that complex but it is a solid brew none the less.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 02:58:37 | More by AxesandAnchors

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 split between 2 people. Served in a Tripel Karmaliet tulip

A - Pours a murky brown with a creamy tan head. Lacing is speckled.

S - Old fruit, pears, apples, currants, old barn funk, dusty yeast, very malty, caramel, burnt sugar, earthy minerals, acetic lemon, dank wet wood.

T - Malty upfront with various fruits layered in. Pears, apples, lemons. Old and funky. It has an overall green apple skin tartness. Loads of yeast present with faint banana note on the finish.

M - Medium body, thick luscious feel, dry.

Complex malts, somehow it's sugary without being sweet. Subtle tartness with more funk than I was expecting. This is a solid Flanders that focuses on malt and fruit more the tartness/sourness.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 01:40:37 | More by StaveHooks

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.45/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 11.2oz bottle into a Grimbergen 0.33l goblet.

Appearance- Very murky/cloudy copper with no head and no lacing around rim.

Smell- Beautiful cherry/raspberry smells. Some oak and a little alcohol. A little yeast and malt as well.

Taste- Same fruit as above. Sourness at the sides of the tongue. Oak. Floral flavors as well.

Mouthfeel- Nicely carbonated. The sourness makes the mouth salivate a little. Flavor lingers around the mouth for 30 seconds or so.

Overall- Very good Flemish Red. Not too sour and not too sweet. Very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 18:08:32 | More by Seanniek91

KajII

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a dark cranberry red with an average (1-2 finger) light brown fizzy head that fully diminished in a short time, leaving behind virtually no lacing at all.

The aroma was quite compelling with some sweet malts and a tart Brett yeast, along with notes of dark fruit (black cherry, raspberry and cassis), candi sugar and a slight port wine presence.

The taste was bold and flavorful with a malty sweet tartness and a good fruity note along with some candi sugar to start, then became nice and yeasty with a strong sour port presence towards the end. The flavor lasted an average duration following the swallow, with a fruity sour wine taste fading ever so slowly.

Mouthfeel was a about medium in body and dry in texture with an almost medium carbonation.

Overall this brew creates a fruity sour explosion on the taste buds, which I personally love. It has tons and tons of flavor, a fantastic drinkability and possesses a low ABV. Damn it's good...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 16:59:11 | More by KajII

mjtiernan

New York

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

330ml bottle poured into a flute. Best before 10.23.2013

A: Looks great. Reddish-brown body and two-fingers of tan head. Nice lacing on its way down.

S: Very acetic. Strong vinegar aroma. If I hadn’t had this beer already, I’d be in serious doubt at this point. Some dark fruit and woody notes as well.

T: Sweet and sour. The vinegar is there but it is cut by wonderful cherry, raspberry, plum, lemon, biscuit, some tartness a touch of spice...maybe clove and cinnamon? Almost forgot my favorite part...the slight oak flavors.

M: Super easy to drink once you are accustomed to the style. Body is light-to-medium and carb is lively.

O: Complex, yet refreshing. The first time I had this beer a couple of years ago I thought it had turned bad. Now it’s a beer that I return to over and over.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 03:56:37 | More by mjtiernan

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Snifter Glass

Appearance - Clear Dark Crimson with a brownish 1 finger head which loses its volume fairly quickly. The clear crimson color that shines through when put up to light is very nice.

Smell - Apple Cider, Yeasts, Plums, Mild Floral Hops and Malts. Very sweet malty scent to this beer.

Taste - Wow, that's tart! Apple Cider, Oranges, Floral Hops, Oak, and Malts. Very Sweet and Grassy Taste that I would be inclined to call this a desert beer. Flavor really starts to shine after it warms up just a bit. Very good!

Mouthfeel - Body is fairly light and the carbonation is very subdued after the first couple of sips. It also is very crisp when you drink it, which totals helps when trying to drink this.

Overall - The sweetness and tart flavor will for sure surprise those who are not familiar with this style (Like myself) or turn them off completely. All of that aside, this is a good beer that I throughly enjoyed and I look forward to trying out more from Rodenbach in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:59:52 | More by NuclearDolphin

yamar68

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Murky ruby brown, slight clarity, a light khaki head that laces nicely.

Earthy woods, faint vinegar, fainter tart qualities, not as pungent as I expected.

Acidic vinegar bits, subtle barnyard twang, apple cider, subtle paper notes.

Very drinkable. I wish this had a bit more funk as it's a tad papery for me. Still good stuff though.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 22:47:37 | More by yamar68