Founders Blushing Monk

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Many thank to mkofron for this fine beer. Pours purplish copper with a fizzy pink head. The aroma has lots of raspberries - it even seems like you are smelling the seeds. The aroma is between dry and sweet and comes across as very natural. There is some rich malt hiding in the background. Medium / full body that is rich and creamy with subtle carbonation. The flavor starts with smooth rich raspberries that are very authentic. There is none of the metallicness or cough syrup that comes with many fruit beers. The finish has a lushness and some smooth spices with some sharp tartness. I have to wonder how this is 12.3% since alcohol is nowhere on the taste, but then the effects of the beer let you know it is there. Thumbs up for this delicious beer.

Shared growler from the brewpub. Pours a pinkish ruby color with a medium and fluffy white head with decent retention. Strong tart raspberry aroma with touches of citrus. Medium-bodied and fizzy with a very strong raspberry flavor that mellows pretty quickly. Unlike most tart raspberry beers, this one becomes easier to drink with time, which is probably due to the maltyness. The higher than usual ABV is well-hidden too. The finish is tart raspberry at first but finishes like sweet toffee. One of the best Fruit Beers I have tried.

Pours a deep violet pinkish red with a lasting thin head. Aroma is absolutely jam pakced with red raspberries, raspberry jam- very sweet, with a hint of tartness though, perfumy- also some very sweet sticky sweet malts. Great raspberry sweet and tart flavors, jammy, other fruity esters, some phenolic yeast but is mostly covered byt the fruit and sticky sweetness. Good fruit acidity in the end. I thought this was going to be way over the top and harsh, but it was surprisngly drinkable and nice.

Pours with a cloudy, red-plum body topped by a thin head with some lacing. It’s sweet and full of raspberry notes with a touch of tartness and an underlying bitterness. Light to medium bodied, dry and tingly.

Bottle. Deep copper red in color with a fluffy pinkish head. Caramel malty rasberry fruity aroma. Toffee notes. Fruity and sweet flavor. Chocolate and cherry notes. Tart. Smooth tasting. Finish is tart. Full bodied. Very nice beer. Wow.

Big bottle pours ruby red with a fizzing pink head that goes away quick. The aroma is of berries. Yes, that’s it, berries – red, blue, and black. The flavor is much like the aroma let on. This is sour berry. Sort of like the blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry mush I cook down for pies and preserves using no added sugar. OK, so we have tart sour berries, what else do we have? The alcohol is nowhere to be found. The palate is rich and lively. You cannot get past the fruit flavors in this and rate the flavor beyond the “A Fruit Beer” style. This is what it claims to be – A Fruit Beer. The fruit is not over the top sweet. Others have mentioned the artificial flavor; I taste what I cook down in my kitchen without adding sugar. This is what it claims to be. I like it for what it is. Will I buy it again? Perhaps not, but it is what it is.

tap at the brewery. this was great. the bartender actually overheard me saying i would like to put it side-by-side with the rubaeus. it’s so much better than that, there’s so much more going on. it’s maltier, a lot lot sweeter. smells about the same. probably one of the most well-rounded, balanced, drinkable fruit beers i’ve had. 10.3% alcohol is ridiculous, i didn’t really notice that much alcohol, but maybe i would have if i really paid attention. oh, and it was served in a massive snifter and it was really really red, similar almost to the raspberry tart. rerate: great appearance. super opaque and dark. looks like raspberry sorbet melted. really high gravity (density, not abv).. doesn’t have a tremendously powerful aroma. just raspberry sorbet. taste is surprisingly muted. or maybe it’s just me. unimpressive. alcohol is pretty well hidden. this was a lot better on tap.

Thanks to decaturstevo for sharing this one at the April Get Together. Clear, deep cherry body with a small white head. Big berry aroma. Sweet at the start, going tart into the finish. The extremely high abv comes across as a bit of cough medicine but it stays in check.