beerstodiscover wrote:Anyone try Rodenbach Alexander?
I am debating getting this vs. more Caractère Rouge.
Caractère Rouge: $8.70, 100% aged beer (30 months) with cherries, raspberries and cranberries, 7% abv
Alexander: $11.95, 66% aged (24 months) with cheeries, 5.6% abv
I am sipping one right now. It's been over twenty years since I last had this beer. As many know, it was discontinued, and more recently revived. When I first tried it, it was in my top 5 favourite beers. Although my palate may have changed since then, I can say the revived Alexander is similar to the ones I had so long ago. The only difference I can tell is perhaps a stronger cherry flavour. This is and was my favourite of the Rodenbach beers.
The Caractère Rouge is good, but I was a little let down with it. I found it more muted in taste than the Alexander. Alexander has a stronger lactic and acetic acid presence, but this is balanced by a stronger maltier fruitier taste. The stronger acidity is probably due to the fact it isn't completely aged. Think of a gueuze versus a straight lambic, and this approaches the kind of difference between Alexander and Caractere. I think the Alexander is well worth the more expensive price. All IMHO, of course.