Boon Framboise Mariage Parfait

Formerly brewed at Brouwerij F. Boon
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Lembeek, Belgium

July 2006, an aperitif at our garden party, and most were in awe that this was a beer. Bronze with a red hue and a huge head, that is difficult to pour without a lot of foam. The 200 grams of raspberries pr. liter beer really is known in both aroma and flavour. It’s a really nice Framboise with a perfect balance between the sour and the sweet notes, and it’s one of the better, I have tasted.

750mL bottle, 2004 from cgarvieuk--thank you Craig! Clear pinkish red with a one finger slightly pink--though more white--head, fair retention. Lemon acidity with light vinegar notes, and both crushed raspberries and raspberry jam in the background. There is a little bit of hay as well. The flavor has slightly bitter raspberry skins, and doesn’t come off too sweet, even by the aroma’s standard (which wasn’t that sweet to begin with). Not too funky at all--dry finish with acidity peaking around a 3 or so. Very nice balance between the sweet and sour characteristics. Light carbonation with a light body. A very approachable lambic.

Pours a light orange hue with a sustaining thin layer of white foam. Nose is apples, pears, peaches, big barnyard funk with a slight lactic sour kick. Flavor is light fruits and beers up front followed by a bittering and lactic sourness thy quickly fades, a bit of funk and grassy chalk fills out the drying finish. Medium body, watery thin texture, mild carbonation. A solid fruit lambic with lasting tart puckerness but short-lived fruit flavors, good example of the style.

750mL 2004 vintage bottle from Regional. Pours hazy deep red, with a fizzy off white head. Fruit, fruit and more fruit on the nose. Obviously it is mainly raspberries, smells like a punnet freshly picked. Also a definite sour note reminiscent of Rodenbach. I was expecting a sweet flavour from this, but instead my tongue received a beautifully balanced fruitiness and sourness. Surprisingly fruit isn’t the first thing you taste, but sourness. This is quickly backed up with subtly sweet raspberries. The flavour is bold, exciting and challenging. And I love it. The finish is somewhat sour and dry, would prefer more berries which are only barely detectable in the finish. As one of my first lambic beers rated, it has set a very high bar for others to follow.

Although this has been retired, big bottles of this stuff keep popping up in Japanese stores. I bought this one at the SOGO department store in Yokohama. Classy bottle...classy brew. Popped open the cork on this 2004 Lambic and savored the sight of the misty mouth signaling a nice treat. Noticed the colour to be a shimmering bright pink while pouring but once it settled into the glass it transformed into something darker and resembled a deep rouge. The head was amazing...not so much for it’s size, but for it’s colour...a lilac tinted beauty that also reminded me of Sakura blossoms. The smell was of Sakura, too...wildflower, honeysuckle, lemon peel, cherry, also detected some sort of soft cotton candy notes. Taste was mellow and slightly sweet, slightly tart, very low in acidity (probably due to it’s age) and walked the balance between cherry lemonade and a fine champagne.

75cl, exclusive brew anno 2004, from De Hopduvel Gent, very complex fruit brew, balanced, hazy, good head, good brew, the best of the Boon-range

Huge pink head, cloudy red body. Aroma is moderately sweet, fruity (strawberry, raspberry), light sour. Taste is sweet, raspberry/strawberry, some sourness. Light-medium body, some tartness, minimal acidity.

Vintage 2000 edition. Clear reddish colour with a big foamy pink head. Tart fruity aroma with sweet raspberry hints. Sweet raspberry flavor, short dry light tart finish.