Rodenbach Original
Since sour ales began as a mostly Belgian niche brew, I thought it fitting to try a Rodenbach. This brewery, which began as a family-owned operation in Belgium (it’s now owned by the Palm Breweries company), specializes in barrel-aged sour beers.
The Rodenbach Original is a good place to start. The finished product is a combination of ale aged for 2 years in barrels (25 percent) and “young” ale, or freshly brewed ale (75 percent).
The tartness and even a bit of vinegar start right in the aroma. The flavor combines cherry, raisin and plum and a good shot of fig comes with the finish. It’s a nice introduction to sour ales.
Comments
Petrus Aged Pale Ale should be listed as well, not to mention Duchesse de Bourgogne and Vichtenaar.
Jul 04, 2012 at 1:41 PM
where can I get the sour beers in your article
Jul 04, 2012 at 3:55 PM
Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic is my favorite Gueuze. Such a great job of blending of the various lambics. Not saying it has to make 'the list', just one I personally enjoy.
Jul 04, 2012 at 6:32 PM
I'm very happy to see this. I've been wanting to find out try other sour beers. I'm a big fan of Duchess de Bourgogne. Merci.
Jul 04, 2012 at 7:53 PM
Goggin-
Sivits
Hi all -- thanks for the comments! Cubanazo, I purchased these beers at a Whole Foods in New York City. Unfortunately, I'm not sure where they would be available near you but I certainly encourage you to keep an eye out for them.
Jul 05, 2012 at 11:18 AM
To clarify, the Woods by Cisco is a series. Monomoy Kriek is only one of several beers that are released throughout the year. My personal favorite is Lady of the Woods, which is usually available in late winter.
Jul 05, 2012 at 2:18 PM
forbes
Obviously impossible to cover all the bases in an article like this, but I would like to throw in Cascade Brewing in Portland as one of my favorite sour brewers. They have a wonderful range of barrel-aged beers that when assembled together is beautiful both in range of color and taste.
Some of these are not for the uninitiated; I remember offering a Duchesse de Bourgogne to an Englishman at dinner and he practically spat it out.
Jul 06, 2012 at 12:18 PM
ldBeersAre
Nice article and another thumbs up for Cascade out of Oregon. Cheers, Jeff - WHERE THE WILD BEERS ARE
Jul 09, 2012 at 12:25 AM
Some other breweries that make great sours (some have already been noted): Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, Verhaeghe, Cascade, Russian River, Allagash, Panil, etc.
Jul 23, 2012 at 12:45 AM
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