Rodenbach Gran Cru

Redweasel · 05-18-2008, 06:38 AM

Rodenbach Grand Cru

Never had a Flanders Red but planning on brewing one soon.

Small pure white head that dissapates quickly.

Deep crystal clear garnet color verging on brown

HUGE sour red cherry aroma that I could smell througout the room without even sticking my nose in the glass. The sour senses in my mouth are already reacting if that makes any sense. Picking up a bit of oak also.

Very tart flavor up front with a hint of fruit bitterness in the finish, definate sour cherry/black cherry flavour. Very complex with a small hint of oak in the finish also. Very crisp and refreshing. Quite dry also. Mouthfeel is zesty, medium-high carbonation.

VERY IMPRESSED!! This is a refreshing beer that would go great in the summer after a hard days work. I'm not very good at describing flavours, and I am already quite drunk, but you are definatley going to get some major sour/fruit flavors from this one, very nice.

42/50

**the_bird** · 05-18-2008, 10:36 AM

I didn't like it.

I think it's just that I don't like the style. Too much vinegar character for me; I don't mind sour, per se, but I don't like drinking vinegar. I still have a few bottles to try again down the road... but all the complexity in the world isn't worth jack when it's so aggressive up-front with the vinegar.

**niquejim** · 05-18-2008, 05:27 PM

I love Rodenbach and Duchesse, but the Grand Cru is a little too much vinegar for me. I'll drink it but would prefer something else.

Redweasel · 05-18-2008, 09:19 PM

I can see how the vinegar bite in this could turn people off but for my taste it is excelent.

**sause** · 05-18-2008, 10:21 PM

BEST BEER EVER!!!! I really love this beer. I'm dong a clone of it right now. I have a year to go on it though. If you like it buy it when you can since it is being discontinued.

**Dude** · 05-18-2008, 10:23 PM

I think it is one of the best I've ever had too. It has moved into my top 10 for sure.

Great stuff.

Evan! · 05-18-2008, 10:26 PM

yeah, I've had it once, on tap, and I gotta say I'm with Sause. The vinegar isn't overpowering IMHO, and it's one of the best commercial brews I've tasted. You want vinegar, try Monk's Sour on draft at Monks. Whew!!!

My Roselare Blend should be delivered tomorrow...and my next brew is gonna be a Flanders Red. Not sure how close to the mark I'll hit RGC, since this'll be my first sour beer and I'm pretty much going by JZ's recipe, and it'll be a year before I know how things turn out...but either way, I'm hype on getting into the sour game.

Question to those who have brewed Flanders Reds: do you blend with a new unoaked batch after a year? Or just stick with the original batch alone?

**sause** · 05-18-2008, 10:33 PM

Personally I wouldn't blend since I like it more sour. But you could if you wanted to stretch it further than just one batch.

Evan! · 05-18-2008, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sause

Personally I wouldn't blend since I like it more sour. But you could if you wanted to stretch it further than just one batch.

Well blending with a "new" batch of soured beer wouldn't really make it less sour I wouldn't think. I wasn't suggesting blending it with straight ale. I was more talking along the lines of Geuze, where they take a young and an old batch, both sour, and blend them.

**sause** · 05-18-2008, 11:01 PM

The older stuff is more sour than the younger stuff. That is why they blend them. The younger beer still has some sugar left in it that the bugs can eat and that is what carbs them. The older stuff have most of the sugar gone from the bugs and they are more sour.

Regular Rodenbach is a blend of the grand cru and unoaked young rodenbach and is IMO less sour than the Grand Cru.