Rodenbach Grand Cru - Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

theo692

California

3.68/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served chilled, though not terribly cold. Aroma is wonderfully full, carmel-ish, and not sour. Refreshing initial taste, though perhaps too sweet for some. Flavor really opens up after the first sip -- cherries, I think, though certainly some citrus taste, as well. Finish is clean and even tart. Very easy to drink, not heavy at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2004 02:13:55 | More by theo692

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Deep ruby brown color with a tan head leaves behind webbed fine belgian style lacing. Aroma: Vinous and effervescent some tart cherry or raspberry tones to it leaves a woody almost cedar like finish to it an Oud Bruin in all of it's glory. Taste: Whopping array of tart tones but it's multilayered a tartness forms on the back of the tongue then sweet fruit grapes again the wine like tone very vinous and mild chocolate tones soften the mouthfeel by applying some sweetness to the overall profile of the flavor. Mouthfeel: High carbonation in that it's spritzy on the back of the throat but it still tends to be smooth going down a medium bodied masterpiece, a step above Petrus Oud Bruin in my opinion. Drinkability: The tartness does a lot to the palate and I believe this one should be enjoyed slowly in small portions there's alot going on relax and explore this beer there's no rush.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2003 20:03:07 | More by WVbeergeek

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: Tall slim brown glass 33cl bottle, the usual dispensing method for Rodenbach. The label wasn’t the usual modern day one, but an older style from a time past that I was used to when I visited Belgium years ago, there was even some foil surrounding the crown cap. Myself and fellow BA Davo each enjoyed a bottle each of this masterful beer during a recent visit to the Stuffed Sandwich in San Gabriel – in fact we both spotted it in the Cooler at the same time and told each other in unison that this would be our next beer sampled. Great minds think alike.

Appearance: Beautiful transient body that alters with light. A brown beer with red hints, or is it red with brown hints, hmmm. I know that the many Grand Cru’s that I have had ALL exhibit a crystal ruby red shine when backlit. The head was limited in size but always returned when swirled thanks to the carbonation, or it was replenished when more beer was poured from the bottle into our tasting receptacles. The light tan head is smooth and ever present.

Nose: Oh yes. One smell can immediately send you back into the past to the last time you drank this Ale, such is its distinctive character. Vinous, sour and acerbically minded. Wooden casks soaked in Acetic Malt vinegars pungently invade your nostrils. Damn this smells good.

Taste: The hairs on the back of my neck always stand up when I drink this beer; it just has that effect on me. It is without doubt one of the finest. The cask aged Flemish Red is demonstrated in all its sheer mature brilliance in this offering from Rodenbach. Sourness dries the tip of the tongue and pulls the cheeks; acetic malt vinegar traits layer the tip of the tongue whilst the lactic malts mingle in the back-end of the beer. It finishes sour with an oxidized mouth puckering quality – it never fails to impress with its complexity. Amazing.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth in the mouth, oak aging lends this Flanders Red a rich, smooth, deeply enticing and quaffable feel. Swirling this beer and letting it soak in the mouth for a few seconds it has chance to reveal all of its character gained whilst aging.

Drinkability: Gimme an old crate of this someone please! I dearly, dearly, dearly miss it.

Overall: It was great to visit the Stuffed Sandwich again and even better to have BA Davo’s company – but it was simply fucking awesome to have this World Classic beer on our table whilst we chatted beer.
**Highly Recommended**

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2003 06:47:26 | More by TheLongBeachBum

diablo14

Australia

2.8/5  rDev -34.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

have to say, i really didnt enjoy this beer at all. maybe it was too old, tho it wasnt past its use by, but it was just way too tart for me to enjoy it on any level.

superb reddy brown color with a voluminous head, it looked like a fair dinkum ripper. ordinary smell, alot like red wine vinegar, with some hops and a bit of citrus. tasted alot like vinegar too, and also resembled blood oranges and grapefruit. the malt and sweetnees was completey overcome by the tart acidic nature of the beer. finished really dry and cloying. the subtle presence of wood didnt help much either. not as full in body as id hoped for. couldnt help but think if i wanted something that tasted and felt like this i would have just grabbed a carton of succo rosso or a bottle of pellegrini.

i was utterly disappointed with this beer, the alexander is so much better. definately an acquired taste. it wasnt total crap, but i was wanting a lot more, and i can find it much better with numerous other belgians. worth a try, but again, its going to be one of those beers you either really love or really hate. im heading toward the latter.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2003 13:27:43 | More by diablo14

Realale

Missouri

4.93/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Slightly hazy reddish brown. Fine beige head settles to a thin, incomplete cap.

Nose is sour tart fruit over slightly bready malt. Simply makes the mouth water. Some woody/musty/earthy notes develop as it warms in the glass. Very well-balanced and beautiful.

Medium weight in the mouth with an outstanding balance of sour fruitiness and malt. The earthiness is there again to add complexity. Unbelievable length, and excellent bottle-conditioned mouthfeel. Great drinkability on its own, and incredible with food.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2003 16:41:22 | More by Realale

francisweizen

Australia

4.85/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served in it's correct glass at the Bier Circus in Brussels, Belgium. This beer is Rodenbachs big brother. This is a darker, nearly brown coloured ale with a reddish/beige cap of foam. The aromas are just like that of regular Rodenback....but intensified to a new level. A new level of lactic, a new level of sour, a new level of cherry, and a new level of smooth. The taste is sheer perfection as fresh cherry flavor dances with the flavors of oak and tart sourness imparted into this beer by some unknown forces. The mouthfeel is excellent....creamy, smooth, great. The drinkability....once again WONDERFUL

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2003 19:53:42 | More by francisweizen

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Sourness from the start, as my nose merely glides over the open bottle neck. Once poured into a tall, slender glass, the aroma pervades the atmosphere, sour cherries, rich and pungent, with a nice side-saddle dose of fruity sweetness A deeper sniff offers melodious complexities that dance freely in the caverns of the senses, a resonant aura of unearthly delights.

Color is a light leather-brown, but cloaked with cherry-red tinges, at side, bottom, and trickling in from behind.

First sip...AMAZING! I stop, pause, seep in the immediate pleasure of this initial sampling. Tasty tart texture...low hops, just-perfect malt ballast...long, luxuriant finish, grips the tongue, lips, even teeth, senses and brew caught up in amorous embrace, locked up too tight to untwist....sip after sip, sweetness and sour, a recurring, relaxing joy!

A mellowing effect is applied to the body and the soul, for this is that plush armchair ale, to swish in a snifter in the dark of night, leafing through the works of Voltaire, Old Dog Blue at your feet, while all is well with the world, and the mind can slip from serious matters and perambulate the corridors of less than lofty philosophy, epicurean ambitions, and bacchanalian designs.
This is that beer.

Sadly, the drink left the glass too soon...can I get a magnum, please?

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2003 23:05:26 | More by feloniousmonk

Gusler

Arizona

4.65/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A somewhat nebulous ruby red to almost brown color, the head modest in size and frothy in consistency, light tan in color with some decent lace to coat the glass. Nose is tart cherries with sweet hints of maple syrup, yeast and a real dream of a nose. Sweet and sour start, the top middling in its feel, finish prickly in its acidity, hops perfect in their bite, very dry, vinous almost, wow what a great beer guess if I want any more I will need phone Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2003 19:44:32 | More by Gusler

GreenCard

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle best by date: 5/16/05

Appearance: dark amber color, a thick rocky later of ever-present tannish head, great clarity, some lace

Aroma: lactic, almondy, oaky, minerally, strawberries, a hint of Brett horsiness, very interesting and hard to nail down

Flavor: a syrupy sweetness pervades but is slightly countered by a firm lactic tang and some lambic character (musty, horsey, earthy); a bit oaky and seemingly corky, vinous; finish is somewhat sweet but a pleasant sourness lingers in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: medium-full body, zesty carbonation, slightly slimy residue feel

Overall Impression: Having finally acquired a taste for geuze (and the like), I can definitely see the appeal of this beer. And why it's a "hallmark" of its style. Would be great to cook with in place of wine, too.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2003 16:40:45 | More by GreenCard

beerguy101

California

4.8/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Reddish color, slightly cloudy, small head. Very vinous nose (wine-like esters). Vinous taste, normal for Belgian red ales. Despite the vinous taste, there is a malty sweetness to the beer. Rich, full flavor that gets better the more you sip it. Definitely an acquired taste, but it is the best of style. Finish is clean, vinous and sharp. Aftertaste has a hint of cherry.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2003 01:14:21 | More by beerguy101

marburg

Michigan

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One of my favorite beers of all time, and the beer that made the Flemish sour ales my favorite style of beer. This brew single-handedly changed my English ale-centric view of beer and started me down a path of Belgian love. In some ways, it's the reason I'm part of this website, so I'm pleased to have it again tonight to review.

Deep brown color, the shade of freshly carmelized sugar, still liquidy, with a faint red glow: Brilliant hints of garnet shine through in the light. Potent aromas of brown sugar, sweet cherry juice, and a sense of violent countertop fermentation. A flirtation with sweetness, fruity flavors, and a cherry essence is kicked aside by the perfect level of tartness -- simply brutally delightful in its sourness. Any real hop presence is muted by this sourness that seems to bring balance to the Force.

No beverage should be this damn good. It's a thing of divine inspiration and may very well be the best beer in the world -- well, certainly one of my two or three favorites.

I consumed the second half of my bottle with pickled herring in a white wine sauce with some sweet onion. They matched perfectly. The meal cost next to nothing, but I felt like I should have paid an arm for the joy I got to experience. It definitely never gets old.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2003 23:52:22 | More by marburg

ALEBOY

Australia

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Devine!! ....Exceptional!!...A true classic. This is an incredibly challenging and assertive beer. I sampled it at around 8 or 9 degrees C . The lovely reddish colour and woody aroma are very inviting. It has a very oily and tart taste and the use of oak casks is quite obvious. There are also hints of fruit ( sour plum/cherry) and some slight vanilla notes. You must try this beer! Forget the port, have a Grand Cru.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2003 07:08:03 | More by ALEBOY

putnam

Michigan

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Smell: Toasted maplewood. Dry. Meaty. Cured, caramelized, cocoa-scented beef. Clean. Pretty. Like a Persian or Romance-tongued beauty, folded over with exotic perfume.
Red fruit explodes on the palate. Cherries. Red currants. Marzipan. Bitter chocolate.
The texture is chewy and tart, yet transparent, with a paper-thin layer of concentrated, dried fruit that melts in the mouth, building easily in a steady crescendo...cocoa and allspice waft in cartwheels along the way. It is loud as thunder in the end but the flavors rinse beautifully across the palate like rain.
This is perfect, soulful, emotionally wrenching beer. It must be ranked above all other beers I know.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2003 14:38:03 | More by putnam

dmarch

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours with a garnet hue and a white head. Aroma is mostly sour cherries. The taste is quite winelike with a cherry flavored tartness. This has to be the most under-rated style in the world. With beers like this out there I wonder why we don't see more flemish sour ales.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2003 05:53:17 | More by dmarch

RBorsato

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reddish brown (bright red to light) with a full light brown head, good carbonation, and sheets of lace. Sour dark fruit and winey aroma. Malty and tart fruitiness with light sourness. Light-medium bodied and airy.

There are not many Flanders Red Ales out there but this one has been my favorite so far - well worth getting again.

Label states: "Mixed fermentation beer" & "Aged in Oak barrels for two years"

Best Before: 09/13/04
Tasted: 06/27/03

($3.59 / 33cl)

===

Label states: "Flemish Sour Ale Aged in Oak for 18 months"

Best Before: 09/21/07
Tasted: 01/24/07

(25.4 oz / 750 ml tall green champagne style bottle, corked, caged, and wrapped with gold foil)

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2003 07:22:22 | More by RBorsato

marc77

California

4.63/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Deep garnet hue with a slight murk. Thin, but well retained light tan head leaves sparse lace.

Aroma: Pungent barrage of vinous sherry, tart, fermented plum along with heaty ethanol. Secondary notes of cheesy old hop, musty oak and chunky lactic tartness. Mellows and morphs as it breathes, with both licorish notes and bubblegum esters surfacing to provide a candyish contrast. Very enticing and uniquely intense aromawise.

Taste: Coating wash of thick, aged balsamic tartness bathes the palate initially, then widens into a melange of balsamic drizzled sour cherry, lightly tannic oak and yeast must. Sweetens somewhat mid palate, with notes of caramelized raisins and old fruitcake providing addition depth and additional contrast. Tartness reemerges late, this time of a clean, green apple nature. Finishes with a thirst inducing combination of tart, lightly salted lemon.

Mouthfeel: Deceivingly light and crisp on the palate, due to the high attenuation. Soft and smooth.

Drinkability / overall: A delicious, intensely flavored, beefed up Old Bruin. Concomitantly rich and satiating, yet teasingly whimsical, beckoning the palate for more to attempt comprehension. This deserves to be in a 750 ml bottle. Outstanding. "Best before 9/13/04"

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2003 07:26:14 | More by marc77

Wildman

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured a very dark amber color and formed an off white foamy head that coated the glass with lace as it subsided. An aroma of chocolate, caramel and cherries. The flavor was of cherries and some malt and the sourness of it is definately there in the finish of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2003 17:22:43 | More by Wildman

jcalabre

California

3.85/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Originally sampled 19 May 2003. Rodenbach Grand Cru is brown/reddish in color with a vinuous aroma. the sourness on the tongue is quite pleasant. This is a complex brew not for a beginner; however, it is certainly a beer that any serious beer drinker should try.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2003 18:43:48 | More by jcalabre

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

While this is undoubtedly a finely crafted beer, it smells and tastes similar to a finely crafted sparkling apple wine. It pours a red tinted Oxford. A long-lasting, complex earthy aroma of malt, hops, green apples and a hint of alcohol are unusual for a beer. The medium malt body is thinner than it appears. There's a trace caramel flavor and a light sweetness to meekly counter the strong lemony citrus and acidic bitterness. Tart green apples, pear and oaky wood round out the flavors. A lemony dry clean finish leaves a slightly puckered mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2003 18:51:49 | More by BeerResearcher

stcules

Italy

3.93/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Burgundy colour, compact head.
The smell is acetic, but fresh and with some notes of fruity.
The taste is sparkling, fruity (it seems "fragolino"). Cherry, sour black cherry, lime, apple.
Notes of tannin.
Good aftertaste acid and woody.
Well rounded body.
The result of ageing in wood barrel is manifest in the complexity of the smell and taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2002 12:10:29 | More by stcules

aracauna

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Mostly brown body with some reddish characteristics. Head is cream colored with fairly large bubbles. Aroma is very sharp and wine-like. Fruity, but I don't know if it's cherries I'm smelling or just something about the beer that makes me think cherries. Even with that, the fruitiness is much more subtle than in the Alexander. The beer has stinging carbonation that gradually numbs the palate. There's a crisp tartness and again the flavor is very wine-like with some sweetness. The alcohol is pretty assertive in both the nose and in the flavor. I found it hard to believe that this beer was only around 6%. I could easily learn to enjoy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2002 10:00:32 | More by aracauna

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

4.97/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Just an amazing beer, and really really complex. Well balanced sourness and hints of cherries, chocolate, and extremely smooth and refreshing, very yummy.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2002 18:23:54 | More by rastaman

jreitman

California

4.72/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I first had this beer on the recommendation of the bartender at Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia and was immediately intrigued. The beer has a tart, sweer and sour character that comes across in the smell as soon as you start pouring the glass. One of the most unique and enjoyable beers I have had. Hopefully, it will be available in the states again soon.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2002 17:43:11 | More by jreitman

Todd

Massachusetts

4.95/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Presentation: 33cl European-style brown bottle. Foil neck and an illustrated label of their famous oak casks.

Appearance: Hazy dark red, almost deep brown in colour with a nice whisp of a white laced head.

Smell: Acidic, sharp fruity aroma. Hints of caramel notes and oak as the beer warms.

Taste: Crisp, dry and refreshingly tart. Has a very intense sourness and a raw cherry juice fruitiness about it. Body is perfectly balanced, full and gentle. A subtle background malt sweetness provides balance. Hops are masked by the instense flavours. Light malt grain and oak flavours as the beer warms. Finishes semi-tart, clean.

Notes: Grand Cru is probably the most famous of the West Flanders red ales. It's made with Vienna malt and 5 yeast strains. It's then aged in massive unvarnished oak casks for over 2 years. Then, it's blended with other 2 year old ales, no young ale addition. There's no fruit in this beer. All fruit flavours are imparted by its unique house blend of yeast strains.

Dear beergod, thank you. This is indeed one of the most refreshing beers on the planet. An absolute must try.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2000 15:39:08 | More by Todd