Belgian Flemish Red is a type of beer first popularized by the legendary brewery Rodanbach, approximately more than a century ago. The Flemish red, also known as the red beer, is created by producing a fermentation using a number of ordinary yeasts together with a lactobacillus bacterium which are left to mature all together in oak. Its taste can be characterized as strong, mildly acidic, yet a little fruity. This type of beer is also related to another beer type called Oud bruin.
"Rodenbach" Flemish Red Belgian Beer
Though always seen as closely similar to lambic and fruit beers, their fermentation process are very different from each other. Belgian Flemish Red beers are pasteurized and filtered and undergoes a very elaborate fermentation process which involves leaving it on the barrels for 18 to 24 months. After it has fermented, it is mixed with younger beer to soften its taste, giving off its popular malty taste.
Many consider Belgian Flemish Red beers as one of strangest and unique types of beer because of its taste which is closely similar to that of wine. Nowadays, popular manufacturers of this beer create three different versions of their liquor to fit the different tastes of their consumers. The first type is the un-blended kind in which no younger beer is added to the fermented liquor. Beers falling on this type have the strongest of flavors. The second type are the usual blended types which have softer flavors because of the younger beer added to them. The last type is the fruit version which is known for its sweetness because of the added cherry essence or juice on them.
Some of the most popular brands of this type of beer are the Rodenbach Grand Cru and Classic Red, Duchesse De Bourgogne, and La Folie. Both the Rodenbach Grand Cru and the classic red are complimented for their sour yet fruity flavor with the Grand Cru just having a little tinge of bitterness at the base. Professional wine testers say that the type of glassware used in drinking this label highly matters for this type of beer. The use of tapered glasses like flutes can give the drinker a concentrated aroma while using flayed glassware like the tulip glass can lighten smell. Both types are best served with cheeses like cheddar and fontina and any type of grilled meat.
Duchesse De Bourgogne, on the other hand, is described to have an appealing sour taste that washes away the immediate apple and cherry flavors. The malt taste also effectively mixes with some soft woody and oak notes. Despite of its many flavors, however, this wine does not taste too heavy and can effectively be used to clean the palate.
For the case of La Folie, its primary flavor is that of acid vinegar that miraculously does not come off as overwhelming to the taste. Other fruit flavors like cherry are also added to soften the acidic taste. It also has some spicy tones which makes it not too strong but not too bland either. Its flavors float best when consumed with salty food.