Boon Framboise

Brewed by Brouwerij F. Boon
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Lembeek, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

12 oz/355 ml bottle pours cloudy ruby red color with white head. Initial aroma was intense sour acid that dies off in a few minutes. What’s left is more raspberry and oak smells. Has a very thin palate with not a lot of carbonation for the style. Flavor is way too sweet. Not enough funk. Not enough sour components. Would have been better if it focused more on the funk and sourness than the sweetness. Should be more carbonated to for my liking.

Date: 5/2/09 Beer info: Bottled in green 750ml corked bottle 6.2% abv BB 18/12/2011 Sampling Notes: Served chilled in pilsner glass. Dirty reddish-tawny coloured body with a creamy white head. Nose is much more upfront, tart raspberry jam followed up by a hit of dirty, sweaty, horsy funk, getting more prominant and cheesy as it warms. Once again palate is bit disappointed; smooth, somewhat syrupy, lively palate but a bit heavy going with the acidity a bit sudbued for me. Dirty, sweaty funk makes a brief appearance at the start of the palate, followed by what is essentially an enslaught of raspberry jam. Dries out quite quickly as it warms with a hint of saltiness and citrus on the finish. Better than the Kriek, possibly due to the developed funk, but still a sweet lambic overall. Needs more acid!

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
Earlier Rating: 7/20/2008 Total Score: 3.4
38cl, brew anno 2006, from Geers Oostakker, complex, yet easy to drink, clear, small head, little sweet, good balance

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.

Pours a cloudy pinkish brown with red hues and a white head. Smells strongly of raspberries, slightly sour. The flavour is also very sour, but not necessarily in a bad way. It is a very carbonated beer and raspberries dominate, as expected, but there is a touch of malt and an odd metallic taste near the finish - this could be the alcohol flavour mixing with the fruit. Although I am a fan of sour flavours when it comes to lambics, this could benefit from a touch of sweetness, perhaps just to mellow the intensity of flavour. On saying that hwever, the palate is left with a lingering berry sweetness that begs for another sip.

[Sampled with the trio: Svoger, Svogergylp and Adenila Foged at EBF, 2008.] Although it is long time I’ve tasted this I remember some good dry notes, fine acidity, good fruity noseand it must be one of the best fresh real lambics for a hot summerday. Perfect balance and indeed one to hide and forget in the cellar!
Earlier Rating: 7/6/2007 Total Score: 3.8
[Sampled at DØE-festival, Valby, 2007 with svoger.]
A Nete-øl!!
Framboises are a hit here in this house. Like kids lemonade, but with acidity, then it has some ability for adults. Wellbalanced. Some syrup!

Bottle from Cracked Kettle. Little better than the others I had as it was a bit less sour. Cherry red with slight head. Nose and taste of fruits, raspberrys mainly. Quite tart. Easier to drink than the other Boon beers I tried.

bb 06/03/12 Pours cherry red with small head. Aroma of rasberry with an acidic balance. Taste is a very good balance of rasberry and acidity, not to sour or lactic. Overall a very good beer, not as acidic as lambics.