Rodenbach Grand Cru - Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

4.68/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled..330ml crown top expirery date 06/06. Served at 48 deg.F in a thin stemmed tulip... it poured a brilliant ruby red-amber with a sticky off white cap that laces beautifully.Tiny bubbled ample effervescence. Aroma is a knock out!..concord grape, cherry tartness some herbal smells, acidic like dry cider. Taste? sure does!..glorious layers of berry like tarness, malty but herbal, some horse blanket... sweetness balances against sour cider tartness...what a ride! Finish is tart and dry like a strong cider. This is a remarkable brew...some will hate it some will love it (as I do) for it’s amazing flavor and refreshing fruity tartness. Recommended to those with no boundaries who want to experience one of the worlds most unique and well crafted ales...truely remarkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2004 00:39:21 | More by pootz

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

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

This beer pours an intriguing and mysterious mahogany with cherry glints which get bolder the more you look at the glass. The head is a pinkish cap the leaves a great network of lace. The aroma is of lemon rinds, grapefruit, red berries and sweet malts. These flavors are so rich and I know I havent done the aroma justice.

The taste is absolutely astounding. An initial pronounced tartness quickly shows its complexity. Theres sour cherry, and citrus notes. Theres a yoghurt like lactic tartness as well as slight vinegar notes. In the middle, a balancing maltiness makes itself present. Plums and green apple skins appear. Theres no alcohol or hop flavor perceptible. The finish is dry with a white wine acidity. An oaky character is also apparent. The mouthfeel is prickly from frenetic carbonation and wine like.

Now this is a cool beer. It has a very unique taste that is much like wine. One interesting thing is that corn is listed on the label as an ingredient. Viva adjuncts!!

I wish there were more commercial examples of this style available (in Canada). Its really incredibly.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2004 06:06:52 | More by CAMRAhardliner

chelovek

California

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

I was fortunate to sample this beauty complements of the famous Sam. Poured into my westmalle glass, apearance was a nice reddish brown with a small head forming at the top. First taste was a bit surprising and definatley pleasing. A bit sour but in a very good way, countered by a slight sweetness a la cherries. Although it may seem odd when describing a beer it truely was sweet and sour. The first swill coated my mouth and delighted my pallet as the sweet and sour played a beautiful symphony on my tongue. I know it sounds cheesy but if you have tried this beer you will know the rosy crap is from the heart. Every sip brought on a new appreciation for this beer. I was crying for more when finished and will definiatley have another go at this one. I had previously tried a "sour" tasting beer but didn't get it. After this beer I finally do. Those that have the privilige of trying this beer must do so at once.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2004 21:04:47 | More by chelovek

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I can't believe this beer came into BC but dreams sometimes come true. The dark red colour is quite a sight in a nice chalice. The nose is sour, old and very different from any other beer including Duchesse de Bourgogne. The taste is oaky,aged , fruity and most importantly smooth. You can feel the time that this beer has spent in barrels gives a cellared taste that melds all the flavours into a fine blend. Not as intense as Duchesse or as earthy as Goudenband, this beer is truly a class act.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2004 18:47:34 | More by canucklehead

TinusTime

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark ruby red with brownish highlights. Very small cap of head tops the beer. Smell is musty and vinegary. Smells of a German Cherry Vinegar i used once. Taste is similar, sour cherries, wine vinegar, pucker the cheeks. A note of horsey funkiness also creeps into the taste. Mouthfeel is nice, low carbonation. No real hops to speak of which probably wouldnt be to style any how. A nice beer with dinner or a salad. Definately not a session beer, but one that I would definately pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2004 20:41:51 | More by TinusTime

Naerhu

Japan

2.68/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Thin brownish head, dark ruddish body. No visible carbination.
Huge vinous aroma.
This is not beer, it is red wine vinegar made with malt. Sour with an earthy base. Low carbination, medium body. Sweetness is present to balance the sour, but this is not chinese food, so I will pass on the sweet and sour combination. Smooth on the palate, the beer says nothing, if it does not say sour cherries.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2004 14:04:55 | More by Naerhu

merlin48

Kentucky

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

I really like nomad's eloquent review of this classic. I poured my 11.2 oz bottle into a tulip glass, resulting in a dark, ruby mahogany body that reveals some magnificent garnet hues when held to the light. Small, tan head was short lived and left behind just a few patches of lace.

Inviting aroma beckons with tart cherries, and oak aromas straight out of an antique furniture shop. A note of vanilla is also picked up.

Mouthfeel is satiny, medium bodied, and has moderate carbonation. There is an explosion of tart fruit all over the senses.

The taste begins with a mouthpuckering, tart fruitiness which mellows, considerably, as it warms to room temperature. Intense, sour cherries, fresh pressed apple cider, and a hint of allspice. Much more mellow and complex near room temperature.

Absolutely a classic, and perfect for style. I could enjoy one of these any time of day, anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2004 23:15:14 | More by merlin48

Sigmund

Norway

4.2/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rerate: Drank it out of a proper glass this time, still a great beer! Original rating: 330 ml bottle, ABV 6%. Drank it out of a plastic "glass" (sacrilege, I know!) at cellar temperature. Cherry-like aroma with hints of cowshed and ensilage. Flavour is sour/acidic/red wine vinegar-like, with strong barnyard and ensilage elements (not that I normally eat ensilage, but still...). This was my first Flemish red ale, an exciting experience! It will not be my last beer of this style. (Okay, I know I wrote my rating of the Duchesse de Bourgogne a bit earlier today, but I actually drank the Rodenbach 4-5 days before the Duchesse).

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2004 22:06:44 | More by Sigmund

nomad

Kansas

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

Unknown Pre-Palm vintage, estimated as 1999

I recently had one of those lucky beer days that reward your hunting and attention. At a Sunday brunch at the Belgique Gourmande cafe in Occoquan, VA I perused their beer menu for something amber or dark in sorts to pair with my Flemish beef carbonade. What's this Rodenbach, and Grand Cru to boot? No longer imported, and since I wasn't picking up the check does the price matter? Had to try.

One of those beers you don't need to take notes to review, at least for me its flavor, scents, and appearance is tough to forget. Poured in to the correct Rodenbach flute-type glass, it comes an intriguing color: red in general but hazy near its center with brown hues lightly shading it. The head is soft and soapy and does not stay up well, though the lacing is more than sufficient on each and every tip to my lips.

Smell is just the definition of a wonderfully conditioned Flemish Red, as the oak and sour scents are toned and rounded, wrapped up in a gorgeous fruity scents. Strawberry juice, sour cherries, hints of vanilla (don't understant where that comes from), caramelized brown sugar, and lacto-bacillus yeast pepper the body as well. Beyond the exotic and extravagant smells is an actual sense of malt, reminding you that this elixir is made with barley and not just the magic of oak, yeast cultures, and Belgian magic.

Taste was amazing, truly the king of the style since the oak, sour, and fruity accents are rounded and impeccably integrated, flashing each without overpowering each other or the palate. The fruity flavors are the most awe inspiring, as this Flemish red goes beyond the sour cherry flavor into changing sides of raspberries, strawberries, and pomegranate. To make it more than a sweet beer was the earthiness of oak and hints of roasty and caramelized sugars. Minty Continental hops bring on the smoothest and quietest dry finish, impeccably cleaning off the full flavor of the beer. Mouthfeel was fairly moderate with just enough carbonation, evading the prickliness of a young Flemish Red.

Wow. Just one of those beers you remember like yesterday and informs every opinion of the Flemish Red style you've ever had. Gets the balance of sourness, fruitiness, sweet and cinnamon spice, and oak conditioning perfect for what the beer style requires. The bottle I enjoyed was past its "best by" date, and such aging was happily enjoyed. What an experience, who knows when and if I'll ever catch another one - only a trip to Belgium would make it possible.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2004 01:20:27 | More by nomad

connecticutpoet

Connecticut

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

This was a nice clear brownish ale with almost no head.

The aroma was of musty, sweet fruity malt.

The taste was incredibly complex. It was tart and sour, somewhat fruity, and it very strongly tasted of red wine. There were oak notes hovering in the background. Truly a unique experience.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2004 04:32:45 | More by connecticutpoet

Crosling

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled at the White Horse in London, England. A beer bar with well over 200 beers and the best in London by far, this was my first choice. The one I wanted the most.

Murky Brown.

Cherries, lots of cherries with oak, a distinct tartness and dark fruits in the nose.

Deliciously sour and tart. Dryness from the oak aging and lovely oak notes in the flavor. Mouth Puckering. Aged. More cherries and other dark fruits along with a few notes of lemon. Lingering. Everything I look for in the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2004 17:30:59 | More by Crosling

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mouth-puckering sour. Due to expire on my birthday, June 21, 2004, it had noticeable sediment from the oak barrel which prevented the last drops, and takes away from its georgeous red-brown colour with lacing. Cherry and tart real vanilla that works through the roof of the mouth before eating, Ranked up in fresher bottle sampled a year later. Had again 6.3 years later an just as good. As good in the style as can be.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2004 05:10:41 | More by northyorksammy

Jason

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 33 cl bottle with a “consume before” date on the back label.

Appearance: Quick to foam though retains a healthy looking lace, deep reddish brown lets little light through.

Smell: Sour fruit; cherries, grapes and lemon. Hints of vanilla and malt husk.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Mild viscous smoothness, lots of tartness with fruity suggestions of cherries and plum. Mild flare of alcohol with a hollow vanilla flavor. Not much for hops though any kind of hop flavor would not be expected any way.

Drinkablity & Notes: A pretty exceptional brew, I have had better from this brewery in the past though this one still stands up to be a quality brew for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2004 03:46:49 | More by Jason

cypressbob

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.55/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle, poured into a T'ij brewery tulip

Pours with a deep red slightly burgandy body. Some thick ruby highlights supplemented with a tight off white bubbly head with good retention. Some thick patches of lacing up and down the glass.

Smell, thick sweet estery cherries. Sweet caramel and toffee covered dried fruit, some astringent acid along with a huge whack of phenolic undertones. Slightly spicy on the nose, a hint of mixed chiinese spice and a bit of estery alcohol

Taste, thick dry estery soaked cherries. A nice harsh acidic note with a hint of brett character, prickly carbonation with a winey syrupy body and a thick rich sweet port character on the finish. Masses of deep acidic red fruit, cherries and redcurrants soaked in rum along with a heap of lemon juice and sulphuric acid. Deep red wine vinegar profile along with a lasting slightly sugary and syrupy mouthfeel. Thick crisp biscuity body lying behind the initial sour fruit, some lasting acidity on the finish

A legend in the realms of the flanders red. Some sweetness but generally overpowered and knocked into touch by a whack of acidic fresh fruit. The quintessential flanders red, sour, slightly sweet and fruity.... perfect

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2004 16:04:21 | More by cypressbob

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a reddish colored brew with a nice bubbly head with standard retention. Aroma is nice mix of oak and cherry with some acidic and tart note also noticeable. Taste is an extremely complex mix of oak, sour cherry (without the sweetness) and some tart and acidic notes also mix in there. The finish is quite bitter; carbonation is average and body is medium. Overall, this is a very complex beer that is also very refreshing. Now, if I can get my hand on some Alexander I would be a happy man.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2004 14:48:12 | More by Phyl21ca

donnebaby

North Carolina

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

Looks similar to the Rodenbach Classic, but perhaps a little lighter in color and lighter in head. Looks like cherry juice, with a thin tan smattering of foam scum. Smell is sweet dark cherries, but light compared to the R. Classic.

Taste is an overpowering lemon cherry cough drop. Sour to the max, with a spicy grating of the throat. Lasting cherry taste in the throat, with notes of anise cookies and vanilla. Mouthfeel is creamy on the intake--but immediately changes to gripping lip-smacking sourness. It gets points for kicking my ass. Sort of the feeling when drinking vinegar, or eating something that has alot of vinegar. I love vinegar though, so it's all good fortunately.

This is an awesome taste and creation, but I don't think I really want to have more than one at a sitting. That said, I certainly want to finish the one I'm having.

I'm also reminded of eating too many salt-and-vinegar chips at once...definite parallels.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2004 13:18:31 | More by donnebaby

ark57

Pennsylvania

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

It pours a beautiful clear, dark mahogany with a head that dissipates fast. The first thing I noted in the aroma was wood. There is quite a bit of it and then the maltiness and a lactic sourness can be detected as well. It is very complex and elegant to drink. It is tart with some fruity cherry notes, there is some wood notes as well as some wine notes. The perfect marriage between sweet and sour with a somewhat dry lactic finish. The amazing beer is truly the standard for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2004 12:58:49 | More by ark57

frank4sail

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Big off white head. The head is very sticky and lacing on the goblet. Lots pf carbonation (tiny bubbles) as well. Ruby color in the tulip shaped glass. Lively in the glass. The taste upfront is of sour black cherry with a thickish sweetness in the middle and a dry slightly bitter hop finish. Sour nose. Complex smooth mouth with a very dry tongued finish. Your tongue is left wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2004 03:40:09 | More by frank4sail

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Legendary. Pours a rubyish copper color with a generous beige hue. Small tuliped glass is recommended. Sour dark cherry notes and an intricate yeast profile as well as barrel aging is evident in the nose. Further dark fruit notes as well as the malt profile bordering on a chocolate-like profile. Lavish and extravagant. I'm not trying to hype the beer up at all, but this is the real deal. The right amount of sweetness balances out the lactic sourness of this beer. Complex; changes many times on the tongue with each sip. Really plays with you as it warms, I recommend the warmer end of the spectrum. Thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks go out to a friend whose parents live in Brussels and bring beers back from Belgium when coming back to the States. Quintessential; wish it was more widely available but I know the story.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2004 12:24:00 | More by crookedhalo

Bourre

France

3.93/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A totally opaque red-brwon color. The very fine head fades quickly but doesn't die. The smell is of vinegar. Sourness and tart, but with some fruity and sweet aspects. The taste is what the smell makes you expect. The tart and sour aspects are so strong that they're almost not unpleasing. I got an impression of baked cookies after a while (butter and eggs). The sourness fades as I got used to the brew. The mouthfeel is aggressive and thick. It overwhelms the palate and takes time to fade. I'll try to taste this brew again in a few months, to see if the evolution of my palate makes it more easy to drink for me. As of now, drinkable is not a word I could use for that beer, although I can appreciate its disturbing complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2004 19:53:40 | More by Bourre

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

33 cL bottle served chilled in a Brewer's Art chalice

Appearance: A clear brownish red liquid topped by a small tan head. Dissipates to a layer of foam after a minute or so. Small fingers of lace attempted to form, but ultimately stopped

Smell: Powerful aromas of funky brett, wood, vinegar, cherries, and raspberries. She's a harsh mistress and lets you know this upfront.

Taste: Mindblowingly tart cherries and raspberries with doses of balsamic vinegar, tannins, twigs, pits, seeds, oak, and heaps of funk. Hoo-yah! Aftertastes of funk.

Mouthfeel: Very light in body and quite puckering due to the high acidity.

Drinkability: If La Folie was using this as their model, they nailed it. High acidity = one a night for most peeps. I'll definitely try this one again. It's certainly an acquired taste, one I'm still working on. I hope my secret source still has some lying around

Other: I first tried this about 6 months ago without really knowing much about the style or the beer. An opportunity arose to try it again with slightly more experience under my belt, and I took it. Original review: 4.05

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2004 03:31:40 | More by ManekiNeko

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

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

Straight from Winnipeg, thanks piscator34 Rodenbach grand cru appears ruby brown with a vague haze. It wears a delicately laced beige head that, while diminishing, is more persistent than it's usual for sour ales. Sticky leftover. Deep, intense and complex aroma. Magnificient old cask wood and oak gently complement malic and acetic acid. Sharp maderized cherries and vinous blue grapes are blend together in the most virtuous cookie/toasty malt. Moist and old cave yeast in which you've spilled a few drops of vinegar and let a few apples rott. You don't get much more complex than that. The first sip surprises me. I have very high expectations you see? This is a good bit sweeter than anticipated and less tart. Multiple flavors come and go: vanilla, grapes, caramel, green plants, vinegar, mint, oak(!)... Mouthfeel is thin-medium and proposes above average effervescence. Very dry eternal grapes and cherries from the wood aftertaste, astringent, delicately lactic. I hoped to have found a first 5, but this is not quite there, the quest is not over. I can only desire I had a chance to bask in the glory from the pre-palm versions era. Ahhh, desire... Fabulously complex and a nice souvenir from glorious times. How could you ever grow tired of a good flemish sour ale?
After having this 4 times in the last 2 weeks, I indeed can't see myself ever growing tired of it and raise the rating one point overall and there might be more to come!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2004 04:50:37 | More by Rastacouere

RockyTopHeel

North Carolina

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

There were only two of these left on the shelves when I walked into the store. I'm incredibly happy I managed to get one for myself, and kicking myself for not buying the other.

This beautiful beer poured a bold, chestnut red with a foamy, off-white head. A full aroma wafted up from the beer, with notes of sourness, a touch of fruit, and some oak wood and yeast elements. One taste and I'm hooked. The taste is all of Belgian beer greatness in a glass--crisp, refreshing lambic-like sourness, fruity sweetness and yeasty elements like in Belgian pale ales, and an irresistable drinkability for a darker beer I know well from Belgian dark ales. It finishes dry and refreshing, a little like a light red wine.

Bottom line: ridiculously good, and a possible new favorite. Just amazing.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2004 02:54:11 | More by RockyTopHeel

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

4.55/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep cherry with a 1/4 inch tan head. Smells of sour cherry, vanilla, oak, hints of port.

Taste is quite sour and cherry tart. The fruity tartness overpowers most of the other flavors. Lots of cherry flavors in here. Hints of oak and vanilla way back there. My only complaint is that with the sour aftertaste there is also a strong coppery aftertaste which I don't find appeaing. Don't know if that is indicative of the style or this bottle is past its prime. Full bodied and flavorful beer. This was the flavor explosion I was expecting from the Rodenbach Red. Not nearly as balanced but still amazing.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2004 17:03:49 | More by ViveLaChouffe

jed

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: Comes in a brown, 33 cl bottle. The front of the label has a picture of casks and text boasting of "2 year muturation in oak casks" in four languages. The back of the label has a longer description of the beer, a series of numbers that appear to be a bottling code, and a best before date of 11/19/05.

Appearance: Pours a very dark, ruby color that lets through only a small amount of light. The head is very small, with average head retention and a small ring of lacing. Solid color, but nothing amazing.

Smell: A more refined version of the Rodenbach classic, with a similar but deeper smell. Wine-like acidic fruit aromas, followed by a hint of sweetness. As the beer warms, more pronounced wood aromas and a small amount of mustiness.

Taste: Again, a much better version of the Rodenbach classic; similar flavors but they taste more developed. Toasted malt nose followed by a wave of what seem to be sour fruit flavors, mainly cherry — I'm shocked to learn that this beer doesn't actually have any fruit in it. If the flavors come from the oak, it shows the pour of the long maturation process. A hint of malt vinegar. Aftertaste of smokiness, oak flavor from the casks. Very dry finish due to the oak and tart "fruit" flavors. I tried tried paring this with from sharp cheese and a pear, which really drew out the oak flavors.

Mouthfeel: Noticeably smoother than the Rodenbach classic, very nice.

Drinkability: The sour "fruit" and the high carbonation hurt the drinkability of this one. An excellent flavor, but not something you'd want to have a lot of.

Rodenbach Grand Cru has a vasty different flavor from what most people imagine when they think of beer. This isn't something I'm going to start drinking daily, even if I could afford to, but it's a still a very interesting and challenging beer I'm glad to have tried.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2004 09:52:46 | More by jed