Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Rodenbach Grand Cru

Style: Flanders Red Ale
ABV: 6.00%
Purchased: 11.2 oz. bottle acquired by a friend for an unknown amount.

A+
/ 4.6
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | drink: 5

Thanks a million to Aaron for this freeby. Dark brown with streaks of auburn, a snap crackle pop head that settles along the edges of the glass. The aroma is light but complex. Oak and fruit with dark chocolate malts and a bit of dubbel-like raisin and yeast character.

Holy crap, there is no shortage of flavor here. Admittedly I'm still new to sours, but this is the best I've had so far. The fresh, clean, sweet wine taste finishes with a mouth-puckering tartness. Glorious.

Perfect carbonation matches the tartness, producing an acidic, crisp all-encompassing mouthfeel devoid of any slick or syrupy sensations.

Incredibly drinkable, I find it hard to savor for very long. At 6% you could drink them as long as you could afford them.