Rodenbach Caractère Rouge - Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V.

hotsudge

Ontario (Canada)

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

A - a beautiful deep amber colour with ruby undertones. A medium sized dark head that fades at a medium rate.

S - Malty, sweet, sour (a hint of vinegar), hints of citrus. Warm yet fresh and inviting

T - complex, sweet with acidity. The best of its class by far.

M - smooth with that slight hint of acidity.

O - an exceptional beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 14:45:26 | More by hotsudge

Jonada

New Jersey

4.74/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

750ml bottle served in a tulip glass

Appearance: Ruby red color. A finger and a half of a light pinkish head which dissipated to a thin collar. Slight haze.

Smell: Lots of red berries. Cranberry, raspberry, cherry, vinegar, green apple skin.

Taste: Tart cranberries, oak, some vinegar acidity, hints of vanilla and funk. Finish is tart and dry.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied. Crisp. Slightly creamy mouthfeel. Medium/high carbonation. Zero alcohol presence whatsoever. Incredibly refreshing

Overall: I had high expectations going into this beer and wasn't disappointed. The elements of the fruit and base beer work perfectly together without one overshadowing the other. I had to force myself to sip this, as I easily could have killed the whole bottle in no time. I will definitely be seeking out more.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 06:02:41 | More by Jonada

smakawhat

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass at Smoke & Barrel DC as part of the bottle share. Much thanks to jacewg for the bottle, been wanting this for ages. From notes.

A nice faint pink body, slightly clear, and makes a fizzy head picking up the red body color with a pink and tan sort of hue. Some bit of fizz sound when pouring just a "tad".

Oh that nose.. That bouquet is just magic. Wonderful sense of rushing cherry and red fruit bliss with a controlled warming sweet penny candy. It smells like humbugs candy in a glass, exactly like humbugs. Warming tartness but with great yeasty almost champagne/sparkling effervescence which creates a great minty menthol airy aroma. Truly a shove it up your nose brew.

It seems like after that it would be hard to get better. In a way it does, but it is by no means all downhill on first sip. An interesting light almost milky texture, but with classic Rodenbach fruity mid palate and explosive taste. Good sour and tart mix with a nice acidic edge. Carbonation is a bit fizzy but luckily doesn't distract.

Overall, just a pure joy to drink. The irony was I was going to buy a bottle of this overseas and pay for the nose, but thought after I had it I wouldn't have to. Now that I've already done it, I want the dam thing even more, and just may buy it just so I can have it again. Can't stop thinking about it, it's truly a winner.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 18:44:37 | More by smakawhat

tendermorsel

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I tried this twice on a recent Belgian trip. At 't Brugs Beertje and De Bistronoom. New rodenbach!

Rose colored with minimal head. Great looking beer.

A lot of funk on the nose intermingled with various fruit flavors.

You could taste the lactic fermentation from the Foder but it was by no means overwhelming. Tons of cherry rasberry and cranbery notes in the background. Awesome flavor.

I know little about this beer but I would assume that this a blended beer with at least a small portion consisting of 100% foder beer. Much more lactic than a regular Rodenbach but not as lactic as the grand cru.

Great stuff. I love the fact that they are experimenting at Rodenbach. Honestly I think that they should do more. Some of the wierd stuff that they have done over years the has been great (Vin De Cereale, Alexander) and I would include this one in that group.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 17:00:59 | More by tendermorsel

brystmar

New York

4.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Unlabeled bottle from batch 1 shared by Marcos last night, thanks!

Bright ruby red body, white ring of head on the surface. Aroma is loaded with ripe cherries and raspberries. Slightly oaky. Could smell this stuff all day.

Taste brings even more of the same. Liquified raspberry jam, a good amount of sweetness, intensely acetic too. Hits all of my sour buttons: fruited lambic, unrelenting sourness, flavors are highly concentrated & complex. So delicious!

I could drink an entire case of this stuff. Time to trade for my own bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 04:37:37 | More by brystmar

Jason

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beertender at 't Brugs Beertje recommended it, 40 Euro for the bottle? Only around 900 bottles for sale from the batch.

Beautiful lacing, dark amber glow.

Perfume like fruit, some raspberry & cherry but the tartness of the cranberries and the house character come out more in the nose.

Tart pucker, soft malt, hint of caramel, bread, wood, bubble gum, cranberry tartness, faint raspberry & cherry, mint, pull of wood which leads to dryness.

Worth the try and the extremely higher price tag, by far one of the most interesting beers I have tasted this year. From the use of different fruits and the wood aging ... epic.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 01:15:49 | More by Jason

MasterSki

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by me at MvM's pre-Toronado showdown. Served in a taster glass.

A - White foam settles to a thin collar, leaving a few stray splotches of lace. Transparent red body.

S - The aroma is a ridiculously intense blast of cherries and other red fruits - perhaps some cranberry in the periphery? There's also some wet oak with a slightly leafy flavor to it, overripe fruit funk, and a sweet malt backdrop. Still, this is all about the fruit.

T - The taste isn't quite on par with the aroma, but it's still quite enjoyable. Lots of jammy fruits and cherry pie, complete with graham cracker crust and a dollop of vanilla. Some mild oak character and acidity in the finish.

M - Super dry and surprisingly light body. Very easy to drink, with refreshing, pleasant carbonation. Didn't realize this was 7% and would have guessed closer to 5%.

D - Awesome stuff - I probably should have ordered more. I crushed my glass and filled it up again before sharing the rest with the SF/Chicago hags. Nice to see Rodenbach stepping up and not merely resting on their laurels.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 13:34:20 | More by MasterSki

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Récolte 2010, though I'm unclear if that's when it was brewed, barreled, or bottled. This is apparently batch 1. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Light red body. Slight gusher of a bottle. Small, off-white head. Murky.

Smell - Bright fruit aroma. Cranberry is distinguishable. Cherry in the form of sour. Raspberry sweetens the nose bakc up. Great fruit acidity and a light malt.

Taste - Maybe a little less fruity than the smell. Still a wonderful fruit flavor. Quality over quantity with the acidity. Just a touch of vinegar, which I can accept in this style. Dry caramel maltiness at the end.

Mouthfeel - The fruit balances the acidity perfectly. Not overly sour, which I prefer in reds. Sufficiently soured, though, as the malt has dried out leaving a medium body and no residual sweetness.

Overall - Impressive all around, but especially the fruit character. Beautifully crafted beer. Don't expect a beat-you-over-the-head sourness.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 16:39:46 | More by Alieniloquium

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.48/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by thorpe429. Woohoo!

The beer is a gorgeous, radiant, dark ruby color, like a gem. A thin pink head rests atop the beer, leaving sparse lacing on the tulip. The aroma is wild and funky, like a fruit lambic. Smells very sweet. Huge raspberry presence, similar to a framboise. Sweet and teeming with berry flavor, balanced by a bit of tartness and wild yeast character. A great candidate for sharing, as the sweetness is a bit much after a small serving. Overall, very tasty, albeit a bit too sweet for me personally. While not my absolute favorite offering from Rodenbach, I enjoyed this. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 21:07:07 | More by Huhzubendah

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.48/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to jedwards for breaking this one out. Pours a beautiful raspberry hue with no head. Nose expresses raspberries and tart cherries. Taste consistent with nose - bold and fruity with a slight tart quality. Mouthfeel is light-medium with a mild, even carbonation, a slight acidity and easy easy astringency. This is a top notch beer, although not sure I would classify it as a Belgian Strong Dark. Not overly sour, very approachable to various taste and there's some definite cellaring potential here. I'd like to score a bottle to sit on for a couple years.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 23:46:37 | More by Jwale73

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.46/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Thanks seblp for offering up 2 bottles of this

The beer pours a dark, slightly dull rusty brown that shines crimson in the light and provides a fizzling pink head. Although the head fades quickly with minimal lacing, it leaves a thin blanketing/halo throughout drinking. The nose is potently fruity with prominent notes of strawberry and cherry (and celery?) followed by a very refined oak acetone. The taste is Flanders red to the max with huge amounts of description-promised strawb/cherry fruitiness, a touch of caramel and wood. Its medium bodied, effervescent, modestly dry and acidic, fruity, bold, and downright drinkable as hell. I highly recommend this brew for those that enjoy a good Flanders and have had the Rodenbach predecessors. It's an excellent beer, one of the best I've had in a long time actually.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:03:35 | More by ThePorterSorter

spdyfire83

Ireland

4.45/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

246th Review
75cl (corked and caged) bottle poured into long-stemmed wine glass
Vintage: Batch 1 - produced/bottled sometime in 2011, I think

Enjoyed at DHvL in early June 2012. Somewhat unfair to drink/rate this immediately following the Alexander, but that's how it goes.

A: Medium amber. Half (off-white) fingernail head on vigorous pour.

S: Sour, tart cherry/cranberry, and some funk/must. Oak and raspberry sweetness. Classic Rodenbach nose that is very inviting and rich.

T: Bold sourness up-front with cherry and oak. Vinegar overtones along with tannins/leather as well as raspberry and cranberry punch (soft sweetness)! At times, the acidity was somewhat overpowering (I think it will age extremely well), but all in all a tasty beer.

M: Medium bodied with low carbonation.

O: Overall a very good beer, but it needs some time to age/mellow a bit (so the tart acidity can work itself out). I think the long-term potential for this beer to be wonderful is very high. I'll be curious to see how Batch 2 (approx. 10k bottle production) drinks compared to this (Batch 1, 900 bottles).

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 10:55:47 | More by spdyfire83

UCLABrewN84

California

4.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Wowcoolman for sharing this one at drewone's place.

Pours a hazy dark red with a foamy reddish-white head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with some raspberry, cherry, cranberry, and raspberry vinaigrette. Taste is much the same with a nice fruity finish and a slight acidic quality on the finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is really tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 01:54:42 | More by UCLABrewN84

dgilks

Australia

4.35/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear red-mahogany colour with no head. Still good with great clarity.

Rich raspberry and strawberry aroma. Quite sweet. Some nice acetic acid and funk. Almost jammy. Interesting.

Tart and refreshing on the palate. Becomes a little sweeter later in the mouthful. Nice berry character and touches of funk. Really well balanced. Wonderful tartness.

Medium-light body with moderately-high carbonation. Good.

A fantastic beer really. I wish it could get some head retention but it is nonetheless a very tasty beer and exceptionally balanced.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 10:28:49 | More by dgilks

kscaldef

Oregon

4.23/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No bottle number I saw, but apparently one of only 900. Consumed at De Heeren on 6/7/2012.

A reddish copper color, poured into beautiful wine-style glasses. Cherry aroma dominates. The beer is quite tart with lot of cherry flavor and an immediate mouth-watering effect. Medium-low carbonation and a slightly sweet linger.

I gotta say, the Rodenbachs killed it on this particular day. #2 beer of the afternoon (after Alexander Rodenbach).

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 22:12:10 | More by kscaldef

Sean9689

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish/brown color, light tan head, thin ring, spotty lace. Nose is fruit-forward with a nice mix of tartness and oak. Flavor is a bit more tartness with a nice sweet berry note that follows. Cherry, oak, and some light vinegar is what I pick out most from the flavor. Body is light to medium, good carbonation, dry tart finish.

A really nice beer from Rodenbach that I will have again, no doubt. I'm going to stock up on bottles, as I think this even has additional room for improvement. Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 00:25:49 | More by Sean9689

HopHead84

California

4.15/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

10/06/2012

Bottle shared by Tim a couple weeks ago and again tonight by Cameron. Thanks!

A: Deep maroon with a big pinkish white head that lingers for some time.

S: A ridiculous amount of fruit. There's a really strong cranberry presence (skin and flesh) with some raspberry and a little cherry. Nice vanilla aroma with notes of cherry pie, crust and all. Restrained leather profile with a light mustiness and some oak. Smells like Ocean Spray. Lots of brown sugar. Moderately lactic with some vinegar.

T: A fruit explosion: lots of cranberry with an even blend of cherry and raspberry. Lower moderate acetic acidity with restrained vinegar flavor. Light vanilla with brown sugar and a little oak. The beer is quite sweet with a low level of tartness and a firm lactic presence. The beer finishes with a mild acetic burn

M: Medium body with upper medium carbonation. Sticky, dry, and creamy mouthfeel.

Overall: A nice fruited Flanders-style beer. Too sweet for me to drink a lot of but there isn't a lot to drink so I guess that's not a problem. Reminds me a lot of Ocean Spray or Cran-apple Cider.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 19:36:49 | More by HopHead84

womencantsail

California

4.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks, Jer.

The pour is a lightly hazed ruby color with a pink head. Very nice nose of berries. Cranberry and raspberry are strong, but the cherries are not quite as pronounced. A mild sweetness, not all that vinegary. The flavor has a very strong raspberry note and a more subdued cherry and cranberry profile. Hint of red wine vinegar, a definite sweetness, light oak and must. Really nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 18:17:27 | More by womencantsail

Dennoman

Belgium

4.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

75 cl bottle, batch 2, poured into a tulip glass.

A: Visually stunning. A sea of deep ruby red that gets darker as you go up into the glass. Semi-clear. A true work of art when light refracts through it. Absolutely beautiful.

S: The dominant aroma is freshly picked berries. Raspberry tartness, light sweetness and distinctive cranberry bitterness. This aroma is carried by the classic Rodenbach aroma: refreshing acidity with a touch of creaminess.

T: Beautiful raspberry tartness and puckering cranberry that clings to your tongue. Aftertaste is lactic acid, lingering long on the palate after the swallow. Sweetness goes away completely, making for a strangely sadomasochistic experience that has you yearning for more.

M: Relatively high carbonation, but this is necessary to neutralize the otherwise overly acidic quality of the berries. Though it is very light, it isn't anywhere close to watery and fits the style perfectly.

O: Although I usually don't go for this style, this was an absolute joy. Bags of flavor that keep delivering with every sip, and I would swear something new pops up every time you put this near your nose and lips. Exciting to the senses and perfectly balanced. Everything that's good about summer in a glass.

Inspiring.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 20:37:35 | More by Dennoman

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I drank this at Matt's birthday tasting last night. Thanks for sharing this, Matt! Add this to the list of beers I never thought I'd drink this soon.

Reddish pink, crystal clear with no head, this looks nice (despite the lack of head). The nose is super fruity, with ripe red cherries along with the sour Rodenbach base. There is a little bit of acetone, but it does complement the rest of the nose. The cherries are super bright, reminding me in some ways of the Cable Car Kriek.

The palate opens clean and sour with a big, bright cherry character, super bright and refreshing. A little bit of a raspberry-like character is present too. There is a little bit of acetone, but it works on the palate too. Medium light in body, medium high in carbonation, this beer is just fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 00:16:11 | More by DefenCorps

claspada

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a super clear, deep ruby-hued color with a small rapidly dissipating, effervescent light pink head.

The aromas begin quite fruit forward with ample amounts of dark cherry, various berries and the largest amount of cranberries. The acidic vinegar, leather and earthy oak notes emerge more as it warms.

The tastes begin super fruit forward as well with a crap ton of cranberry and blackberry flavors, really reminds me of cran-raspberry juice to be honest. Intermingled amongst the sour cranberry fruits are some tart vinegar and acetone that lends to some woody oak and some caramel maltiness but it is all super overwhelmed by the cranberry tart flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium to light bodied with ample fizzy carbonation. The berries hang around well into the finish with a moderate dose of sourness.

Overall I was slighlty underwhelmed by the offering to be honest. I was super pumped for it but the sour profile and high effervescence made this seem like a carbonated fruit juice than a Flanders Red Ale. Base beer is really mitigated by the sweet fruity berry flavors with lower tartness than I was expecting/hoping for. Maybe with time this could develop into something but right now it is merely good and not elite as I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 19:40:03 | More by claspada

Gobzilla

California

4.08/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: pours a bright ruby red in color with a very thin head and left virtually no lacing sticking to the glass.

S: A variety of berries were noticeable upfront in the nose such as cherries, blackberries and cranberries but with vinegary character, a little oakiness some acidic notes but honestly has a lot of juice qualities.

T: again plenty of berries like the nose suggest consisting more of cherries and cranberries but once again is more of juice quality more so than real fruit. It did have good oaky character, a little vinegar alongside hints of must.

M: the brew was light to medium in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a sweet, fruity, juicy, slightly oaky, vinegary and tart finish.

O: it was just a decent flanders. I honestly would prefer alexander better and have real fruit flavor than juice type taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 04:26:35 | More by Gobzilla

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle split with friends. I decided to do a side by side tasting and open this along with the classic red and the grand cru to analyze the differences in each. Poured into a cervoise, the brew appears pink to a ruby clear color. It displays a polished clarity with orangeish tints around the edges. A finger of pink head sits atop composrf of big bubnly effervescence. A light swirl revives a finger that is quick to dissolve that leaves spots of lace on the glass.

The smell opens big with a fruit quality immediately reminescent of cranberry. Other fruity scents mingle forming a scent that is mildly medicinal and goes right back to fruit especially cranberry with some earth. The aromatics are bright fruits that fills the nose with something almost citrus-like and mixed with orange. A bit of vanilla essence and barrel aging is an afterthought.

The taste is tart with a solid fruit inclusion. Raspberry comes to mind when focusing on the tartness and mild citrus conponents. Lots of funky earth, wet wood/cork keep the fruit in check. A little bit of medicinal quality carries over with acidity. The aftertaselte has more citrus almost like lemon.

This is a medium bodied and modestly carbonated offering. The alcohol is well hidden but the hints of medicinal aspect keeps it from being stellar. I am really taken back by how fruity this is and how much it has altered the base beer. Straight from the pour, it looks fruited and it captures a fruity aromatic quality that filled the room we were sitting in while enjoying this. It was nice to try it and say I had it, but i think i give the nod to the gramd cru as being what I would rather spend my money on. Maybe with some age, as the fruit mellows out my opinion might change but as-is this is a fruity medicinal bugger.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 19:51:35 | More by stakem

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to cmrillo for sharing this one during the One Year Anniversary of My Wreck Tasting! Served from bottle into a Crooked Stave ‘Crooked Line’ tulip. Poured a deep ruby red-orange with a half finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, cherry, sour, tart, wood, and funk. The flavor was of sweet malt, tart, tart cherry, wood, subtle funk, and sugar. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. In typical Rodenbach fashion, they knocked this one out of the park. Really complex, tart, and sour all while be refreshing at the same time. While there wasn’t a huge amount of complexity going on here, it was just the right about in my opinion for the style. This made it quite easy to drink and extremely enjoyable. Definitely worth trying if you get the chance, you won’t regret it!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 11:44:03 | More by thagr81us

Thorpe429

Illinois

4/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Etre Gourmet. Served in a Rodenbach goblet. Pours a fairly-bright cherry-red color. Short pink-hued head that dissipats quickly. Heavy cherry with mild raspberry and cherry. More cranberry in flavor. Super fruity. Moderately tart. High carbonation and super dry. Too fruity at this point, though hopefully that calms down and brings out the base a bit more. Also didn’t have that nice yeast-driven acidity of most Rodenbach yet. Could also use a bit more body.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 19:33:46 | More by Thorpe429