Rodenbach

[warrenr]

Will someone please agree with me that Rodenbach is now a horrific imitation of a once glorious beer? I've been trying to find someone to affirm this, but none of my friends have tried the original beer before the buyout and none of the beer websites I know are saying anything about it.

[adylan76]

Glad to hear someone else has noticed the difference. As it wasn't exactly the easiest beer to find, I had tried it only twice (and one of those was in Belgium) before the buyout (news to me that there even was a buyout - but that explains the change). About 2 years ago, I saw the Grand Cru on the shelves at my local store, albeit with a different label, and I proudly brought over my "favorite beer" to my in-laws for dinner. After much anticipation, my in-laws all puckered their lips and glared at me, like this was some kind of joke. It was like red wine vinegar. Really awful stuff masquerading in the guise of a once-great beer.

[Scott V]

I don't think you can blame this on a change in ownership. Sounds like you got some poorly stored beer.

[Josh]

Rodenbach is a sour beer, deliberately so.

[adylan76]

Possible that it was stored poorly, but I bought it from a good gourmet store, with a staff of dedicated "beer guys." Never had an issue with anything else purchased at their store.

[JessKidden]

"I bought it from a good gourmet store, with a staff of dedicated "beer guys." "

The problem with basing the freshness and condition of a beer on the retailer is that you (nor they) have no idea of the beer's history from the brewery to importer to the local distributor, etc. I recall seeing a UK beer that I hadn't seen in years when a new "gourmet" upscale liquor store opened (the place still reeked of new carpet and wet paint, shelves were still being stocked, etc). Checked the date and it was about 3 years past it's "Best By" stamp. Finding old, stale beer is just as common in "good" stores as it is in discount warehouse joints (maybe not as dusty, that's all). The "beer guys" *will* shrug their shoulders when you mention it to them, rather than the "blank stare" one gets at the discount place.

Sadly, it seems to be getting worse, with the great variety of beers being stocked in some states (do I really need 4 mediocre New Mexican craft beers in NJ? What happened to the concept - one of the FOUNDING concepts of craft beer- of drinking "fresh and local beer"?) and the fad for "aging" beers that just don't benefit from it, IMO. Beers sitting out in the open, at room temp., under florescent lights are not being "cellared", they're going "stale".

[Chinon00]

How did it taste different to you when it was "great beer"?

[adylan76]

The first two times that I'd had it, it was complex. Sour, yes. But balanced with a wine-like flavor, showing notes of cherry and orange peel (at least that's how I remember it). And even if I'm a bit off on the specifics of the flavor profile - there's no question that I loved what I was drinking.

When I had it more recently, under the new label, in the larger bottle (750 ml?), it tasted like vinegar. No complexity - just palate-destroying sourness. I couldn't believe that it was the same beer.

[JessKidden]

Here's a website that said something about it a few years back (when the controversy was raging, due to the recent Palm purchase and the dropping of Rodenbach Alexander)-

http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/1...

[Josh]

Interesting, thanks for that.

Apparently Oud Beersel is once again producing gueuze. Just saw it at a local pub. I am interested to see if the new owners have altered the recipe any.

[Josh]

I've only recently had Rodenbach. How is it different? From what I've read, it seems like they merged with another brewery, but still make the beer in the same place.

[Kevin B]

Yes, but with reservation. (I have 2 bottles of pre-Palm Grand Cru and 2 regular that are now on my too damn special to open list.) While I agree that the new version is a big step down, it's still better than 90% of the "Flanders Red" or "Oud Bruin" style beers that are out there on the market. So I still think it's a very good beer, but not the incredible benchmark beer that it once was. I like Vichtenaar better now but it's harder to find and it's not as good as Rodenbach was.

[warrenr]

I knew I wasn't crazy, thank you! I didn't necessarily say that the new Rodenbach was bad, just a "horrific imitation" of the original. I guess that can be taken as a negative opinion! You're right about it still being better than other Flanders Reds. I'll have to try Vichtenaar. I recall reading something about a domestic (USA) beer made in this style, but I can't recall what it was.

[Kevin B]

Peter @ New Belgium is formerly a brewer at Rodenbach. I highly recommend his La Folie but it's not really a Flanders red but a VERY excellent sour beer made by someone who really knows what he's doing with funky yeasts.

What I loved most about Rodenbach was a malolactic, almost buttery, effect when it got a little warmer than cellar temp. It's still there to a lesser degree in the new Grand Cru but I don't get it at all in the new standard Rodenbach. No good explanation why that would be unless maybe the length of age in barrels has been shortened or maybe in cleaning up the brewery some native "funk" got lost.

Rodenbach Alexander is back (sort of) as Redbach which I haven't tried yet.

[JessKidden]

"Rodenbach Alexander is back (sort of) as Redbach which I haven't tried yet."

"Sort of" is right. Redbach (just from the label design alone compared to Alexander) is going after a different market than the older beer did (think "malternative"). The alcohol content is much lower than RA was (3.5 vs. about 5 for RA) and the "cherry juice" content is a whopping 24%.

http://www.rodenbachusa.com/index.php...

(I usually don't care for most fruit beers but this one was a "WOW" experience- from pouring out the very red beer to tasting it. OTOH, I bought two bottles when I first found it on the shelves and haven't touched the second one yet.)