Beer – #1,091 – Rodenbach – Vintage 2016
Rodenbach Vintage 2016 (Foeder No. 222), I was drawn in by the gold wrapping, like a Magpie to silver foil. Because I’m only having one beer tonight the idea is to make it a good one, right? (Also might have another beer later, it’s that kind of night)
“Foeder” (say it “FOOD-er”) is the Dutch word for what is essentially a large, vertical oak vessel in which beer is fermented, in many sizes, but the line is often drawn at 600 liters, which is around 160 gallons, or roughly three times the size of the average oak barrel.
long and nicely balanced
Rodenbach Vintage 2016 (Foeder No. 222) is in a lovely gold wrapped 750ml bottle, beer that is 7% ABV which makes it around 4.13 standard drinks in NZ, and around 210 calories a serve size (355ml)
Rodenbach Vintage 2016 is brewed by Brouwerij Rodenbach (Swinkels Family Brewers) who are based in 🇧🇪 Roeselare, Belgium and this if in the style that is a Sour Flemish Ale – Flanders Red / Oud Bruin
Vintage
Rodenbach Vintage 2016 is an unblended Flemish Red-Brown ale that has matured for 2 years in 4,000 gallon oak casks. It has a unique balanced sweet-sour taste and a long, fresh, fruity aftertaste
Rodenbach Vintage 2016 is a unique unblended Flemish Red ale that is matured for 2 years in standing oak casks (foeders). Brewmaster Rudi Ghequire hand-selects the best beer from a single foeder for each Vintage year.
Rodenbach Vintage 2016 has an acidic, appley fruitiness combined with caramel, wild honey and oak with a touch of vanilla, cherry and licorice.
The aroma consists of touches of caramel and oak, as well as green apples mixed with honey and chocolate.
The slightly sour, fruity aftertaste is long and nicely balanced, just like a Grand Cru wine.
So, What could possibly go wrong?
Well the clumsy fingers I’ve aged into made it a fight, one that I hope is worth winning. It has the appearance of cork and cage, certainly cage, winder if it will be a cap though, which would be more normal I expect. And it’s a cork! delight! Then there’s the cork, what a fiasco it is having these fingers, but I won out.
Glory in a Glass
The aroma from the newly opened bottle is lovely light sour fruitiness.
The pour is a lovely golden bright red that settles into a much darker shade of red in the glass, where it is septs as expected a muddy reddish brown with a memory of head but is now a scant film atop.
The aroma in the glass is much deeper and has a tonne of wine and deep fruit notes, and a hint of something like a bubblegum if I’m being fanciful and wordy.
This is drop dead gorgeous to drink, there’s an outstanding level of bitterness that is carried on a much lighter fruit cushion with quite a high sugar hit to finish and fall away easily, to a smile. Making my lips I can’t help but pucker and squint a little at that sourness, in a good way not that one of aghast and horror. This is really enjoyable beer.
On the Untappd app this came out as my 2,000th unique beer that I’ve checked into, I’m sure I’ve had more beers, but who can remember those. I’m happy that this was a milestone beer in some respects, although 2,000 unique beers isn’t something that you could be proud of.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 of its things from the thing. It I a most excellent beer with a great aroma and lovely sourness and a journey of tastes. They never look the best but this has great colour. I’d of course have liked more fruit notes in this, but it’s only a wish on an otherwise glorious beer.
The double dip review
- Where did I get it? The local Liquorland has some, but I checked on-line and they are in a few good places.
- Am I enjoying it? I really am, it’s lovely and a favourite style.
- Would I have another? Yes, easily and readily.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Absolutely yes, this is nice easy drinking beer despite the underlying sourness that it promises, there’s plenty of sweetness and enjoyment to be had. That an a conversation about 4,000 gallon wooden Foeder’s
Music for this: ”Giants of All Sizes by Elbow Which I have on Vinyl, a horrible green colour it is.
SOUR RED/BROWN
The sour red/brown beers of Flanders can be considered as two different styles, or two ends of a single style continuum, depending on how you choose to view the issue. They are a clearly–defined sour ale subtype, one with strong historical traditions. Their character blends rich malt with tartness, and usually some fruity character as well. Oak aging is common in the traditional production of the style and therefore is often evident in the character. Many examples are also aged on fruit. At the red end of the style, the classic is Rodenbach at the brown end it is Liefmans, and there are several very good examples in between.
A life just as ordinary 