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We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
Old Foghorn etc.
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esprit
- Seasoned Drinker
- Posts: 1677
- Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2001 8:00 pm
- Location: Esprit Agencies-Toronto
As you all probably may remmeber, VINTAGES did on a number of occasions purchase the Rodenbach Alexander but even they thought that Grand Cru was a bit far out there in terms of style to have any broad appeal. Needless to say, today the General List people would not consider it for a moment so that just leaves Consignment or Private Ordering. I just may make an offer of the Grand Cru to our customer base and see what sort of response I get in order to judge whether we should bring some in. FYI, we represent Rodenbach in all Canadian provinces with the exception of Quebec.
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dhurtubise
- Posts: 269
- Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2001 7:00 pm
Governator:Not the same kind of beer at all. Sounds like a typical hoppy american IPA.
Just a note on the Grand Cru's intensity. The sample I had this summer was almost as intense as any of the traditional lambics I had, so I would have to guess that what you tried was a Palm brewed bottle.
Rodenbach was bought out by the relative macro Palm a few years back. For a while they tried to brew the Rodenbach beers at the palm brewery which is more modern and has much greater production capacity. Unfortanately the beer they brewed there lacked the unique, acidity - thirst quenching character of the traditional Rodenbachs. So now they are trucking the wort to the old brewery and conducting a lengthy secondary fermentation in the original oak cask where the lactic acid producing bacteria (and others) reside. Now, the beer should be about the same as previous crus.
There are presently two Rodenbach beers brewed - the Rodenbach original - which is probably a ghost of it's past greatness (not a compex beer anymore) and the grand cru which is still an incredibly complex thirst quenching mysterious brew. The Alexander has not been brewed since Palm has acquired the jewel of a brewery (6 years ago). So the bottles that Cass has are effectively valuable, almost extinct collector items. I imagine that they would age like a lambic and therefore would have bottle lives up to 20 years, if the seal maintains it's integrity. The few bottles I encountered in belgium were selling for 10 Euro's this past summer. I have a couple at home too. This summer, there was alot of talk about the possibility that the Alexander might be resurected.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: dhurtubise on 2004-01-06 16:43 ]</font>
Just a note on the Grand Cru's intensity. The sample I had this summer was almost as intense as any of the traditional lambics I had, so I would have to guess that what you tried was a Palm brewed bottle.
Rodenbach was bought out by the relative macro Palm a few years back. For a while they tried to brew the Rodenbach beers at the palm brewery which is more modern and has much greater production capacity. Unfortanately the beer they brewed there lacked the unique, acidity - thirst quenching character of the traditional Rodenbachs. So now they are trucking the wort to the old brewery and conducting a lengthy secondary fermentation in the original oak cask where the lactic acid producing bacteria (and others) reside. Now, the beer should be about the same as previous crus.
There are presently two Rodenbach beers brewed - the Rodenbach original - which is probably a ghost of it's past greatness (not a compex beer anymore) and the grand cru which is still an incredibly complex thirst quenching mysterious brew. The Alexander has not been brewed since Palm has acquired the jewel of a brewery (6 years ago). So the bottles that Cass has are effectively valuable, almost extinct collector items. I imagine that they would age like a lambic and therefore would have bottle lives up to 20 years, if the seal maintains it's integrity. The few bottles I encountered in belgium were selling for 10 Euro's this past summer. I have a couple at home too. This summer, there was alot of talk about the possibility that the Alexander might be resurected.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: dhurtubise on 2004-01-06 16:43 ]</font>
dhurtubise wrote: "Governator:Not the same kind of beer at all. Sounds like a typical hoppy american IPA."
No doubt.
As far as Flemish sour ales go, it would be nice to see Liefmans Goudenband back at the LCBO -- been a few years, hasn't it? Any chance of a return visit, or is it too extreme for the mainstream as well?
No doubt.
As far as Flemish sour ales go, it would be nice to see Liefmans Goudenband back at the LCBO -- been a few years, hasn't it? Any chance of a return visit, or is it too extreme for the mainstream as well?
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Wheatsheaf
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2003 7:00 pm
- Location: Midtown
- Contact:
Regarding the Grand Cru, I think dhurtubise is basically correct. I take it the beer is brewed at a new brewery and then transported back to the old brewery (now a conference centre apparently) where the oak tuns are still kept. The general consensus seems to be that the beer has improved after taking a bit of a dive following the Palm acquisition. Maturation takes about two years, so it's understandable that it's taken a while to work out the problems and bring back some of the beer's classic character.
But for those doubting that Rodenbach has a new commercial attitude go to their website http://www.rodenbach.be where a pop-up will inform you that the regular Rodenbach is now conveniently available "en canette".
That being said, I'm sure that an offer of Grand Cru would be well received by consignment customers.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wheatsheaf on 2004-01-07 17:05 ]</font>
But for those doubting that Rodenbach has a new commercial attitude go to their website http://www.rodenbach.be where a pop-up will inform you that the regular Rodenbach is now conveniently available "en canette".
That being said, I'm sure that an offer of Grand Cru would be well received by consignment customers.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wheatsheaf on 2004-01-07 17:05 ]</font>
I wouldn't mind a bottle of the Grand Cru if you have one to spare. Whats in Winnipeg?Cass wrote:Does anyone remember this thread? We discovered that Manitoba stocks both Rodenbach Grand Cru & Old Foghorn. Well, guess where I happen to be going tonight? That's right, Winnipeg! I'm bringing an extra backpack to carry home beer.
Yes, A is much more fanatical than I. But the show was a lot of fun, and it was an extra bonus to bring back all the Grand Crus.A wrote:No, Cass actually saw the second Pixies show. Only *I* saw the first one, in Minneapolis (and then drove up to Winnipeg to meet up with Cass).
Manitoba, considering its market size and composition, actually has a pretty good beer selection available to them. Besides the RGC and the Foghorn, they also have the Hopback, I noticed a Fuller's I've never seen before and some other various brands. And since it's right in the middle of Canada, they get brands from both the West (Cannery) and the East (Unibroue).