Belgian Red Ale (aka Flanders Red Ale)
What You Need To Know
If you are not sure if you have ever had a Belgian Red Ale, then you haven’t. These Beers are very distinctive and for many they are not typically loved at first meeting. (I carefully avoided calling it an acquired taste as I loathe that expression.) These Flanders Reds are sometimes referred to as “Sour Ales” as they are certainly sour and dry with perhaps more wine like notes than any beer that is typically encountered. As the name would suggest, the color is most typically red, while deep amber is found, with an intense sour fruit note reminiscent of cherry, passion fruit, and citrus.
While the fruit notes are unmistakable, the red hue is due to the malt that is kilned to a brick red color (often referred to as Crystal Malt) and very long boiling times, which further caramelize the sweet wort. No fruit is added to this style of Ale. The fruity notes are achieved from extended aging in wood which encourages the development of lactic acid in the Ale which in turn encourages the production of sour fruity esters that give this style its telling characteristic.
Blending is very important to the style as a bottle of purely old Ale, (typically about 18 months in wood barrel) would be far too tart to be considered pleasant. The classic blend for bottling includes roughly 70% of young Ale and 30% aged Ale. If you have yet to try a Belgian Red, a bottle or two should be sought out. Perhaps you will fall in love at first sip but more likely you will do well to spend some time with it coming to a mutual understanding being either positive or negative. Without a doubt the most famous Beer of this style is Rodenbach, which can be found in the US and much of the Beer drinking world.
Classic Examples of the Style
Rodenbach, Belgium
New Belgium "La Folie", USA
Duchesse de Bourgogne, Belgium