Flanders Red

5 Stars, Brouwerij Rodenbach, Flanders Red

Rodenbach – Barrel No 145 – 2009 Vintage by Brouwerij Rodenbach

Deep mahogany with a small amount of rapidly dissipating nutmeg head. Rich cherry, plum, subtle vanilla balancing with the strong sour aroma. The intense aroma belies the mellow, well balanced beer hiding behind. I was expecting something on the more sour end of the Flemish Red spectrum and am pleasantly surprised by the beers approachability. Juicy sour cherry followed by a rich vanilla oakiness, tingly acidiccness and a nice dry finish

5 Stars

5 Stars, Br. Verhaeghe Vichte, Flanders Red

Duchesse De Bourgogne by Br. Verhaeghe Vichte

Pours a fantastically clear ruby red with a large dollop of tawny head. Rich fruit aromas of cherry with undercurrents of oak and vanilla. Intense fruit flavor, primarily cherry but ripe orange as well, balanced by the sourness and tannic bitterness. Much has been written about this beer but I will simply say, a true classic and my personal favorite sour beer. If you think you don’t like sour beers or have never tried a sour do yourself a favor, find a bottle (preferably a big one that is caged and corked) and savor a few glasses.

5 Stars.