My Ommegang Rouge with CBX growler. Yum.
Charleston Beer Exchange’s weekly “Rare Beer Tuesday” feature provides a welcome respite from day two of a harrowing workweek for Candyvan and me. Our local craft beer Mecca somehow gets their hands on some of the most hard-to-find brews in all the land and offers them up to us humble, hops-loving fans. We don’t know how they do it!
This week’s rare beer was Ommegang Rouge, a Flanders red ale usually brewed in Belgium, which is right up this Cooperstown, NY brewery’s alley. According to CBX owners Scott Shor and Rich Carley, Ommegang Rouge is pretty difficult to come by. I didn’t ask too many questions, feeling privileged at the chance to cleanse my palate with such remote, liquid deliciousness.
Flemish red ale is typically sour ale, with hints of fruit flavors in addition to a crisp tartness. Average alcohol by volume is normally 4%-8%, according to Beer Advocate. Rouge has a 5.5% ABV.
I didn’t know what to expect with this beer. It looked like a Pinot Noir, smelled like verdant citrus, but went down like a lambic on crack. I enjoyed my Rouge with some spicy, curried shrimp over mixed greens. The tangy ale cut the spiciness of the dish adequately, without compromising its own savory identity. As I continued sipping, I tasted hints of cherry and more citrus. Its reddish hue defined vitality in a tulip glass.
To create this authentic ale, Ommegang brewed with their Belgian partner Bockor Brewery. The beer is fermented twice and then aged in French oak casks for at least 18 months, which produces its passionate color and distinct tannins.
After a few glasses, Candyvan and I, both into the Rouge and the springtime weather, painted the town red on Tuesday.
Flanders red ales aren’t the most common brews to dwell on beer shelves. CBX does have Monk’s Café Flemish sour ale, but according to Carley, Flemish red ales are so special and so sour, that the closest thing they carry would be the Cantillon lambics. Stop by CBX, and they’ll help you find what you’re looking for.
If it’s authentic Flemish red ale you crave, check out Rodenbach Klassiek, Rodenbach Grand Cru, or New Belgium’s La Folie, if you can find them.
Cheers.
- iBelle
