2007 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 230) - Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

sjccmd

Minnesota

4.73/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours really quite murky. It might be chill haze. Almost mud like red/brown with a thin light tan head that slowly erupts and quickly recedes leaving a ring around the glass for quite some time.

Vanilla, oak, and tart cherries in the aroma. Sweet bread in background. Lactic sourness and basement-like funk. A touch of warming alcohol. Very effervescent. It practically filled the room with the aroma after popping the cork.

Wow, it was quite unexpected how much more depth the flavor has as compared to a fresher Grand Cru. Sweet and sour accompanied with massive oak flavor especially on the finish. Tart cherries as well as mild milk chocolate. The finish is crisp and dry. Actually quite refreshing despite the sourness and oak flavors.

Carbonation is a little less spritzy than other (probably fresher) Flanders Reds, but this is made up for with a slightly creamier mouthfeel. Cleans out of the mouth quickly, leaving just a bit of tartness on the tongue.

Overall, quite an awesome beer. Except for the murky appearance, practically flawless. I was surprised how much the single barrel and age had an effect on it. Ridiculously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 23:45:09 | More by sjccmd

MCImes

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

05-12-2013 17:58:49 | More by MCImes

seplo

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev -3%

04-27-2013 23:15:45 | More by seplo

oldedog

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev -3%

04-27-2013 22:43:05 | More by oldedog

fsck

Washington

5/5  rDev +14.2%

04-13-2013 07:30:48 | More by fsck

BartMcStout

Belgium

3.5/5  rDev -20.1%

04-07-2013 10:01:04 | More by BartMcStout

samEBC

Belgium

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

04-05-2013 22:58:57 | More by samEBC

MystikCelt

New York

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

04-05-2013 04:13:48 | More by MystikCelt

MeowMixz

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

03-30-2013 04:28:45 | More by MeowMixz

ericlawton007

Connecticut

4.95/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Shared with a friend, and poured into two tulip glasses. Reddish color with a fair head retention. Smells deliciously sour, with many fruit notes. Tastes very fruity, with cranberries, pears, and apples alternating presence. The oak barrels takes away some of the sourness, and the age hides the bite making this an extremely smooth beer that drinks like juice. Absolutely loved this beer and will buy the remaining 2 bottles at my local store.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 03:14:46 | More by ericlawton007

nzerbe

New York

5/5  rDev +14.2%

03-04-2013 09:30:23 | More by nzerbe

Jspriest

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

02-25-2013 22:09:53 | More by Jspriest

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev -3%

02-16-2013 03:40:27 | More by mendvicdog

EdelweissDad

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

01-23-2013 01:29:08 | More by EdelweissDad

claspada

New Jersey

4.31/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a clear, deep red color with a small pinkish/tan head of bubbles that recede to leave some minimal spotty lacing.

Aromas begin with a great deal of dry dark, tart cherries and cranberries. As it warms there is a light caramelized maltiness but the tannic cranberry and dark cherry is quite strong. Some oak and earthiness emerges moer and more as it warms.

Th tastes begin with a small amount of caramelized maltiness and brown sugar but soon after the tart berries really pop and take over. A great deal of cranberry and dark cherry (not artificial like some krieks can come across as but really dark mascerated cherries). As it warms you get more oak, tannic and light vanilla flavors but the sour fruits are still the dominating flavor contributor.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a medium to low amount of carbonation. The finish ir fairly fruity but still pretty darn tart and sour to balance.

Overall I really enjoyed this beer and was super surprised and impressed with the shelf vintage beers. It was the last one on the shelf and I had no real expectations, but this really shocked and impressive me with it's complexity and dialed in flavor. I am not enamored with fresh Rodenbach (it's not bad I just really doesn't wow me), but this aged/vintage edition is really stellar and I will be looking to add more of these or either of the '08 or '09 to my cellar in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 13:54:28 | More by claspada

bmf0

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -3%

01-08-2013 23:56:36 | More by bmf0

scootny

New York

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Clear garnet brown with a thin head. Some nice lacing as I drink. Smell is rich in vinous notes with a healthy amount of oak and alcohol. A hint of vanilla. Some funk and fruit with cherries being the biggest part. Taste is superb. A healthy malt core with a light toasted caramel malt sweetness. Sour and dry with lots of cherries, oak, and vanilla. Really a subtle complex blend of fruits. Finish is dry and juicy with a sour puckering. Feel is medium weight with a mild effervescent carbonation. This went exceptionally well with a special New Years Eve chili and the after dinner cheese a crackers. A superb Flanders Red.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 04:40:30 | More by scootny

Damian

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a 1 pint 9.4 fl.oz./750ml bottle purchased at Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits, West Hartford, CT
Best before: 10 08 12
Served in a tulip

The beer poured a dark crimson-amber color. Nearly crystal clear. A spotty film of large, tan colored bubbles topped the liquid, but they quickly dissipated.

The aroma was outstanding. Cherry pie notes came through strong. Lots of vanilla. Good dose of brown sugar and caramel malt sweetness. The sweetness played well again the moderately tart and acidic balsamic vinegar notes. Rich and robust. There was also an unexpected sweet, brandy-like character. Remarkably well balanced.

The flavor profile was very similar to the nose. Sweet up front with a rich, stiff, malty backbone. Strong vanilla notes. Vinous in the center. The beer drank more like a fruit-forward red wine than a "typical" beer. Strong sour cherry notes. Mild oak. Balsamic vinegar came through on the tart and moderately acidic finish. At 7% ABV, the alcohol was incredibly well buried.

The beer was medium bodied. Rich, frothy and creamy. The liquid contained a finely bubbled effervescence and it turned light and fluffy once it hit my palate.

All in all, this was the best Flanders red ale I have ever tried. The Rodenbach 2008 Vintage Oak Aged Ale I had recently was quite impressive but this was even better. Definitely grab a bottle or two if you can still find them sitting on shelves.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 05:25:16 | More by Damian

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.73/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked bottle (as the one in the picture) served in a Snifter glass.

A: Pours a dark and cloudy reddish to brown color forming a small yellow to beige bubbled head. A thin layers remains forever on the tops and a lot of lacings are formed and left in the glass

S: Smell is simply delicious. A mix of cherries, strawberries, grapes, vinegar, sweet malts, yeasts and oak. Absolutely great woody notes in the nose. A Flanders Red to the bone

T: Taste is just perfect. Slight sweet malts upfront followed by a soft vinegar sourness. Strong fruit notes, mainly cherries, strawberries and grapes. Belgian wild yeasts and a light hops bitterness can finally felt in the very end

M: Medium body and carbonation. Aftertaste is mainly made of a smooth which is also a bit sweet and fruity

O: Excellent drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 12:16:07 | More by eduardolinhalis

guillemiro

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

11-25-2012 06:16:31 | More by guillemiro

bastu

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

11-14-2012 08:35:41 | More by bastu

Zach136

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev -3%

11-11-2012 22:16:16 | More by Zach136

GeoffreyM

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

10-22-2012 04:45:14 | More by GeoffreyM

Kreizler

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +14.2%

09-09-2012 07:38:32 | More by Kreizler

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev -8.7%

09-08-2012 22:31:15 | More by t0rin0