Rodenbach Classic
Rodenbach Classic is the original Flanders red ale — 5.2% ABV, brewed in Roeselare, Belgium, and sold here as a 4-pack of 11.2oz bottles. It is a blend of three-quarters young ale with one-quarter beer matured for two years in oak foeders, which gives it its signature sweet-sour, wine-like character. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 5.2%
- Size: 4 x 11.2oz bottles
- Style: Flanders red ale (Flemish red-brown)
- Blend: 3/4 young ale, 1/4 beer aged 2 years in oak foeders
- Origin: Roeselare, West Flanders, Belgium
- Brewery: Brouwerij Rodenbach, founded 1821
The Original Flanders Red
The Rodenbach family founded their brewery in Roeselare in 1821, and the beer that carries the family name became the benchmark for the Flemish red-brown style. After a mixed main fermentation, part of the beer rests in the brewery's great standing oak foeders — hundreds of them — for two full years, picking up tartness, oak and wine-like depth before it is blended back with young ale. That 75/25 blend is what makes Classic the gentlest way into the range: all the character of the foeders, softened by fresh beer. Browse the rest of the range in our beer and craft beer collections, or on the Rodenbach vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Sour cherry, red currant and caramel with a light balsamic tang. Palate: Sweet-sour and refreshing — dark berries, green apple and grape over gentle oak and vanilla. Finish: Tart and dry, reddish-brown in the glass and distinctly wine-like.
How to Enjoy
Serve cold as an aperitif, or alongside rich cheeses, charcuterie and Flemish beef stew — its acidity cuts fat the way a red wine would, at a sessionable 5.2%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What style of beer is Rodenbach Classic? It is a Flanders red ale — a Flemish red-brown sour ale from Roeselare, Belgium, blended from young ale and beer matured two years in oak foeders.
Is Rodenbach Classic very sour? It is the mildest of the Rodenbach range: the blend is three-quarters young ale, so the tartness is balanced by caramel sweetness and fruit rather than sharp acidity.
How is Rodenbach Classic packaged? This listing is a 4-pack of 11.2oz (330mL) bottles at 5.2% ABV.
The benchmark Flemish red, straight from Roeselare's foeders — order Rodenbach Classic online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.