Jon Walker wrote: Wow! It's your opinion these two beers are two of the most wonderful in the world. In the case of the Rochefort I would agree (IMO) and Ratebeer would seem to back you up (it's #5 in the top 50).
If you check on your celebrated website, you should see that the Grand Cru stands as the example of choice in it's style (by merit of higher ratings). As for my opinion, I stand by it by my resolve alone, although you can find such esteemed beer experts as Michael Jackson who agree with me on this matter.Jon Walker wrote: But the Rodenbach, as this entire thread speaks to, is much more a topic of debate. I hope you don't mean to imply that liking the Rodenbach means having a trained palate versus not liking it meaning we don't. That would be arrogant and more than a little condescending...IMO
As for the debate in this thread: it is a debate by mostly beer virgins with regards to the big red flemish (sour) ales. It's not our fault: the beer hasn't set foot in Ontario in about 5 years. As I have mentionned elsewhere in the thread, it is customary to need a couple of full samples before you start to enjoy it - it's just part of the process. Naturally, I am not surprised that many first time drinkers found it objectionable. You would not expect to see this debated in an area where the beer has already been established.
There are several other flavours that I have educated my palate to over the years and yes I do beleive this to be a worthwhile endoevor. For example, I disliked coriander but love it now. As a child I hated tomatoes, but love them now; there are countless examples like this that I can state from my own experiences (not to mention the sour ales) and that you can probably come up with also. So why the hell should it offend you or surprise you that the taste for this much sourness in a beer can be acquired (and thus requires a little palate education)?