For someone who considers himself a somewhat of a beer conessiour, I haven’t had too much experience with sour ales. My wife and I enjoy the lambic ales brewed by Lindemans that come in different brews based on specific fruits like raspberry, peaches, or cherries. Outside of those I’m hard pressed to recall any others.
What a treat it was to pick up a bottle of Rodenback on a whim to try! This is truly a complex beer that lends itself to descriptions that critics would use in describing a good bottle of wine. The ale is a beautiful medium dark brown with strong red highlights. Because it was unlike our American beers, it was full of debris floating around - and I knew I was into something good.
The nose was stinky. The kind of stinky that is good. The kind that an excellent cheese would have. The one that smells like toe jam and buttermilk. Or maybe like a great bottle of wine from Bordeaux that while it smells like cat urine or cow patties, it has a phenomenal character and elegant taste. Rodenback has a sour smell that conjours up dry, dirty, old athletic socks that some weirdo stuffed with yeast and left in a closet. The taste lived up to the sour ale description on the bottle. The beer was very tart, crisp, and lively. It was very easy to drink and surprisingly light bodied. There were definitely fruity flavors that were reminiscent of cherries and/or granny smith apples. It is a beer that is definitely worth picking up when your in the mood to try something different, and, honestly, I can see enjoying the ale frequently as the taste would pair well with some foods that a more ordinary beer may not go well with. So embrace the bizarre smelling brew. I think you’ll be glad you did.
drinking Rodenbach Sour Ale Grand Cru as I write this. Pleasantly tart from the bottle, very much affected by the aroma after you pour it. The sourness is not something I am accustomed to, but will certainly grow on me. Great new selection. I’ll drink it regularly, just to be chic.