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In the medieval County of Flanders, beer was traditionally flavoured with a blend of herbs (gruit) instead of hops. Because this beer was more susceptible to spoilage, it was left to mature and sour in oak barrels. The matured beer was then blended with young beer to allow it to be stored longer and to make it more refreshing. This is how, in the original County of Flanders (west of the River Scheldt), the basis of Flanders Red Ale as we know it today came into being.
Flanders Red Ale is a beer of mixed fermentation. First, a base beer is brewed and fermented like a top-fermented beer. Then the whole or part of it continues to mature in large, upright oak foeders.
In those foeders, a second world comes to life. Various micro-organisms continue the fermentation and maturation, gradually developing the typical mildly sour, fruity and complex flavors. Each foeder evolves at its own pace and acquires its own character.
That requires patience: maturation takes months and can extend to more than two years, depending on the size of the foeder. After that, the brewmaster selects and blends the matured beers to achieve the desired flavor profile.
Brouwerij Rodenbach
Rodenbach Classic is the original Belgian sour beer that traditionally matures in oak barrels. This Flanders Red Ale owes its unique fruity sourness mainly to mixed fermentation. The finishing touch comes from blending beer that has matured for two years with young beer, creating an average maturation period of six months. A classic and versatile beer: “The most refreshing beer in the world,” according to beer connoisseurs.
Brouwerij De Brabandere
Petrus Roodbruin is a typical Flanders Red Ale with 5.5% alcohol and a clear reddish-brown color. The blend of top fermentation and 33% foeder beer creates a mildly sour, refreshing taste with pleasant malty notes. A beautifully balanced beer with a subtle, characterful tartness.
Brouwerij Strubbe
Ichtegem's Grand Cru is a Flanders Red Ale with a pleasant balance between complex fruitiness and refreshing sourness. The spontaneous yet exceptionally complex microbiology inside the oak foeders results in an extremely smooth, sour beer, ready to be blended with a young top-fermented beer.
The Brew Society
The XII Flemish Red Ale is a characterful beer with 5.2% alcohol, blended with young and old foeder-aged beer and young brown beer. This combination creates a fine balance between fruity, slightly sour, and malty notes. This beer has matured for 12 months in wooden foeders, which gives it its characteristic barrel-aged aromas. The flavor is beautifully rounded, with an alternating interplay of sweet and sour that complement each other nicely.
Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste
VanderGhinste Roodbruin is a typical Flanders Red Ale with mixed fermentation. The beer is brewed with barley malt, wheat, caramel malt, hops and water. It is then blended with at least 18-month-old spontaneously fermented beer, matured in oak foeders. This creates a nice balance between fruity notes and a soft, pleasant sourness.
Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck
Bacchus Vlaams roodbruin is an authentic Flanders Red Ale, aged in oak barrels, with aromas of caramel, toffee, dried fruit and roasted malt. Its fresh acidity and vinous notes create a perfectly balanced, dry finish.
Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Duchesse de Bourgogne is a Flanders Red Ale that matures 100% in oak foeders. This lengthy maturation gives the beer its full, complex character, with a refined interplay of sweet and sour notes.
Brouwerij 't Verzet
t’Verzet Oud Bruin is a characterful Flanders Red Ale with a distinct, slightly sour taste. Aromas of red fruit, wood and green apple are complemented by wine-like notes. The beer is a blend of young and old beer, aged in various wooden barrels. After at least six months of bottle conditioning, delicate aromas and extra finesse develop. A complex and refreshing red-brown beer with a beautiful, characterful finish.
Brouwerij Rodenbach
Rodenbach Grand Cru is an exceptional Flanders Red Ale that owes its fresh sour taste and complex fruitiness to its 18 months of maturation in oak wooden foeders.
Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Vichtenaar is a Flanders Red Ale and a typical beer from West Flanders. Vichtenaar is brewed using deeply roasted malts, spicy hops, and fruity yeast. Its flavor can be described as slightly sour and complex, due to the long fermentation in oak foeders.
Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck
Bacchus Raspberry is a reddish-brown beer with a full, light beige head. The aroma is enticingly fresh and fruity, with pronounced notes of raspberry and subtle hints of caramel malts. The soft sweetness gradually gives way to a fruity wave of ripe raspberries, followed by a refined tartness.
Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Duchesse Cherry is a fruity Flanders Red Ale, brewed with real Belgian sour cherries from Sint-Truiden. The beer matures in oak foeders and undergoes a second, wild fermentation. The cherries provide a fresh, sweet-and-sour and fruity taste, with a subtle bitterness. After about 24 months of maturation, the beer is fully developed in flavor.
Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste
Cuvée des Jacobins Rouge is a dark red Flanders Red Alethat matures for 18 months in oak foeders and is spontaneously fermented. The long maturation results in a complex, smooth and refreshingly sour taste, with notes of vanilla, dried cherries and cocoa. A characterful beer with a fine balance between wood, fruitiness and acidity.
Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Duchesse Cherry Chocolate is, as the name suggests, a cherry and chocolate beer. This beer is a tribute to Belgian know-how. The beer is a refreshing kriek beer aged in oak barrels, with the addition of 200 grams per liter of only whole cherries and natural chocolate aroma.
Brouwerij Rodenbach
Rodenbach Alexander is one of the most sought-after beers in the world. It is a foeder beer macerated with sour cherries. A legendary cherry beer with a unique, balanced palate, fruity notes, and a complex finish.
Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck
Bacchus Kriek is a beautiful burgundy-red beer with a lacing, rosy-brown foam head. The fruity aroma of Oblacinska cherries is supported by subtle woody notes and a light almond-like touch derived from the cherry stones. The tart freshness blends seamlessly with softer, sweet nuances enriched by lightly roasted malts and a subtle hint of caramel.
Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Duchesse Red is a characterful Flanders Red Ale of 7%, aged in oak wine barrels and macerated with cherries. The beer has a fruity and slightly sour character, with aromas of ripe fruit, cherries and a hint of almond. The taste is initially sweet and fruity, followed by a fresh, elegant finish.