Flanders Red has a deep complexity of fruitiness and malt. A sour or vinegary aroma may be present and there is often an oak aroma. No hop aroma. Diacetyl aroma moderately low to none.
Deep red to reddish-brown in color. Good clarity. Average to good head retention.
Malty, with fruity complexity and balanced toward complex sourness/acidity. Hop flavor is low to none. Hop bitterness is restrained. Diacetyl low to none.
Medium body. Some oak character is typical but not to the point of high astringency. The astringency should be like that of wine, but no more than a well-aged red wine.
A complex, sour, wine-like red ale.
Typified by the products of the Rodenbach brewery established in 1820 in West Flanders, but reflective of earlier brewing traditions.
Long aging and blending of young and well-aged beer may occur, adding to smoothness and complexity. More wine-like than perhaps any other beer style.