Topic Archives: Flanders Red Ales
Rodenbach Fruitage marks the brewery’s first cans in the U.S.
Rodenbach Fruitage the first cans in the United States by the Belgian brewery, debuts in March.
This new innovation by the world renown sour maker is blend of old and young beer. 25% of the final beer is 2 year old traditional Rodenbach foeder beer, and 75% young ale.
The blend was then aged on cherries and elderberries.
Rodenbach Fruitage is a sessionable 4.2% alcohol by volume, and be available in 8.5 ounce “slim” cans, in 4 packs. The price looks to be quite tempting as well, expected to retail around $6.99 per 4-pack.
Distributors are welcome to make orders in the U.S. ahead of the March, 2017 debut.
Style: Flanders Red Ale (w/ Elderberries, Cherries)
Availability: 8.5oz Cans
Debut: March, 2017
4.2% ABV
Really big rabbits and Odell Flemish Giant
Odell Flemish Giant, a future potential release in the brewery’s Cellar Series.
Consider this beer a tribute to the Belgian Flanders-style that is inspiring so many brewers in America. Odell Flemish Giant will have spent a year hidden a way in oak by the time you have this in your hands. Flemish Giant features flavors of raisins, figs and plum.
Recently, the brewery released Prop Culture in the Cellar Series.
Native to Belgium, the Flemish Giant is a breed of rabbit that dates back to the 16th century and tips the scales at 20 lbs. Burrowed in oak barrels for a year, Flemish Giant is our tribute to this prodigious hare and it’s homeland, the birthplace of the Flanders-style Sour Red Ale. Look for notes of tart ruby grapefruit and cherry to hop to the nose while sweet raisin, fig and plum favors thump the palette.
Ghent, Belgium is thank for one of the largest rabbits on earth – the Flemish Giant. First bred in the 16th century, the rabbit weighs on average around 15 pounds. (Honestly, there is a Monty Python movie sense that comes to mind.)
Odell Flemish Giant will be a 750 milliliter bottle release. The brewery has not yet announced this beer.
Style: Flanders Red Ale (Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: TBA
6.6% ABV
Short’s Hi-Dilly-Ho (Yeah, like Ned Flanders)
Short’s Hi-Dilly-Ho debuts in bottles on Friday, June 10th. What was once a Private Stache Series release is getting a larger release.
The base beer is a Flanders-style red ale (thus the Simpson reference), stocked with flavors of cherry, currant and oak.
If you aren’t around Michigan to pick up this beer, next stop is the 2016 Great American Beer Festival in October.
Short’s Hi-Dilly-Ho is a 16.9 ounce bottle offering.
Style: Flanders Red Ale (Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles
Debut: 6/10/16
6.6% ABV, IBUS
Rodenbach Alexander returning after 16 years
Rodenbach Alexander will be available to U.S. market in April, 2016.
Alexander is a blend: 2/3 is two-year foeder matured beer, and 1/3 young ale, with macerated sour cherries. The last time this sour was available in the states was in 2000.
“We were inspired to brew RODENBACH Alexander over two years ago, due in large part to the popular requests among beer connoisseurs, bar owners and beer lovers throughout the United States“
Alexander is a part of a special 2016 draft and bottle sour program. The brewery alludes to more releases coming to this series later this year. Look for 750 milliliter bottles and draft starting in April.
Style: Flanders Red Ale (w/ Cherries. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Return: April, 2016
5.6% ABV
The bottle features Alexander, one of the four Rodenbach brothers (Pedro, Alexander, Ferdinand and Constantijn) who founded the brewery in 1821.
Upland Sour Public Lottery: January, 2015
On January 29th, Upland Brewing Company (Bloomington, IN) will open up an online lottery for the purchase of five sour ales. Winners can purchase 2 bottles of each style. Details on the five styles are in the gallery below.
The five releases include: Upland Blueberry Lambic, Dantalion Dark Wild Ale, Blackberry Lambic, Vinosynth White, Vinosynth Red.
The lottery opens up at 12 noon, EDT and ends February 5th, 2015. Bottles are $25 dollars each, and must be picked up at the specified location by March 4th.
Click images below for descriptions.
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- Dantalion is our demonically named sour ale based on the Oud Bruin beer style. Medium brown in color, Dantalion has hints of chocolate, Munich malts, and rye. We also incorporate a spice blend containing ginger, coriander, star anise, grains of paradise, and black pepper to create a gentle halo of spice character. The beer is fermented on the same selection of yeasts and microbes as our base lambic, and aged for up to 8 months or more in white oak barrels.
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- Lambics have been made in Belgium for over 500 years, and we are honoring this tradition by brewing our own Indiana version. Upland lambics are fermented by wild yeast and aged in oak casks for over a year, which creates a tart, complex beer. We then add whole blueberries from Huber Orchard in Starlight, Indiana, giving the beer enticing aromas and flavors. The beer is bottle conditioned, which adds a zesty and refreshing carbonation. Upland lambic is the perfect drink to share with friends over a plate of good cheese and fresh fruit.
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- Our friends at Oliver Winery have had a hand in our Sour Ale program since the beginning. The first oak barrels acquired by Upland were purchased from Oliver. Now, many years later, we are excited to present this collaboration between friends that represents our Sour Program full circle. VinoSynth Red is a blend of 50% Sour Reserve and 50% Malefactor Flanders-style Red Ale aged on Catawba grapes. Catawba is a native North American variety, known for making jams and jellies, and distinctly juice, fruity, exotic wines. Malefactor was blended with Sour Reserve to develop more body, mild bourbon barrel character, and a layered acidity to complement the Catawba’s innate sweet, fruity notes.
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- Our friends at Oliver Winery have had a hand in our Sour Ale program since the beginning. The first oak barrels acquired by Upland were purchased from Oliver. Now, many years later, we are excited to present this collaboration between friends that represents our Sour Program full circle. VinoSynth White is 100% Sour Reserve aged on locally grown Vidal Blanc grapes. Vidal Blanc is a French varietal with hints of tropical fruit flavor, commonly utilized to develop ice wines. Our Sour Reserve lends itself wonderfully to enveloping the acidity of the grape with notes of lactic acid, and allows the polite pineapple and grapefruit character of Vidal Blanc to shine on the palate.
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- We like sour. Made with real blackberries
Wicked Weed Oblivion Returns Mid-January
Wicked Weed Oblivion bottles head back to shelves this month.
Oblivion is a sour red, aged with blackberries and dates in red wine barrels for 12 months.
Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Blackberries, Dates. Barrel Aged. Wine.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Return: January, 2015
8.5% ABV
Image via Wicked Weed
Upland Brewing’s Gilgamesh Now Malefactor
Upland Brewing (Bloomington, IN) has renamed the epic sour ale Gilgamesh to Malefactor. The barrel aged Flanders style red ale is released once a year.
Continuing our adventure into the realm of sour ale brewing, we designed a recipe to create an Upland version of a traditional Flanders Red. Melding flaked maize into a turbid mash and adding Belgian candi sugar during a long kettle boil, we prepared this ale for epic proportions. We then incorporated wild yeasts and other acetic and lactic acid producing microorganisms for a year-long oak fermentation in bourbon barrels, which had previously been utilized to age beer. The journey was worth the hardships.
Style: Flanders Red Ale (Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Availability: 750 ml bottles. Corked & Caged
Next Arrival: TBA
