 kepano (239), Meudon, France
Nov 30, 2005
There is a festive aura about this beer perhaps from unveiling the bottle of its delicate wrapping or popping the cork to release fragrant puffs of air. Something about fruits in beer bids for a joyous celebration. A cautious pour produces a fizzy beige head which dissipates to a light sheet covering the dark but reassuring red mahogany body. Raspberries always have a comforting odor to me, reminding of home and picking them in my grandmother’s garden. Like my own Proustian madeleines, the scent of this beer conjures such warm memories that may immensely amplify my appreciation of the simple liquid. The nose itself is of course dominated by the aroma of authentic fresh raspberries, not jam nor juice but the smell of a real raspberry bush. Sour cherries and rich brown sugar provide complexity and balance to the bouquet. The flavor is light and more beer-like than I expected, especially in comparison to Lindeman’s effort which felt syrupy and forced. Beneath the berries appear a soft citrus flavor not unlike ripe clementines. For my taste, this is by far the most enjoyable fruit beer I have had. Refreshing in the summer, merry in the winter, I think Liefmans has produced an excellent ale which I am excited to enjoy again.
KyotoLefty (1371), Kyoto, Japan
Nov 6, 2009 7/3/8/4/15
2007 vintage. Medium to dark brown with an orange tint. Looks nothing like raspberry! Head quickly goes to lace. Huge, jammy, very fruity raspberry aroma. Under that, a bit of chocolate. Sweet and sour flavor, lots of raspberry, with a nice sour touch to balance. Underlying caramel. Very nicely balanced indeed—sweet and jam-like but not cloying a bit. Slightly spicy as well. Nice. Sweeter and milder than the lambic framboises, more of a full-on dessert beer, but lovely.
eManu (174), Brussels, Belgium
Nov 5, 2009 37.5cl corked bottle wrapped in red paper. Pours a dark red color with a thin off white head. Strong sour raspberries aromas. Flavors are soft and creamy raspberries, sweet and some sourness. There is a sugar candy feel, with little carbonation. Easy to and light to drink, but maybe too much sweetness finish.
Wim (1278), Turnhout, Belgium
Oct 17, 2009 dark red coloured body with a white head a sweet fruity ( raspberry) aroma a sweet little soury fruity (raspberry) sweet taste with a sweet fruity bitter finish
17thfloor (1403), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Sep 19, 2009 375ml bottle 2006 cork. Pours a weird raspberry tea color, glowing but dark, small fine frothy head. Aroma is raspberry and tootsie-rolls, actually smells exactly like a grape tootsie-pop. Flavor is sweet raspberry juice with medium/light sourness, light vinegar, some tootsie-roll, very sweet, quite different from the kriek. Quick finish. Medium bodied, some hard-candy feel, sparse corse sharp carbonation. Raspberry hard-candy. Somewhat thin.
TheJester (694), Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Sep 13, 2009 375 mL bottle. (bb Feb 20, 2016.) Wrapped in paper, no label. Clear, transparent red with a mild, sweet-sour raspberry aroma. Natural, sour raspberry flavour. Of course. Not bad. Kinda wish I had another.
faroeviking (6024), Republica Vikingo de las, Faroe Islands
Sep 10, 2009 Botella. Unclear dark brown bit red colour. Nice raspberry fruity cellar like aroma. Good mouthfeel. Dark fruity cellar like raspberry flavour, tart and with a pleasant though short lasting bitterness.
Pinball (2694), Allerød, Denmark
Sep 9, 2009 bottle shared by faroeviking, thanks mate.
clear dark red, small smooth offwhite head.
fresh raspberies, cellary notes, sourness, citrus in the aroma. very delicate.
flavor is sour, raspberries, well blended, also some sweet fresh raspberries, celleary or mouldy flavors.
beastiefan2k (1592), Lawrence (formely NYC), Kansas, USA
Aug 9, 2009 BB 2005, date on cork, so I am guessing 5-7 years old at this point, not that one could really tell. I found this a random bodega in Astoria. Its been kept in a fridge all this time and the warping paper was still intact. I used to drink this all the time back in the day, or whenever I wanted a sweet, fruity beer, ala Lindeman’s. I am rating it now for the sour tick, and I guess its cool cause it is retired and a bit old. It pours with a small head that fades quickly not leaving any trace of its existence. Color is a muddy brown,dark, not clear, gets progressively murkier with each pour but is never overtaken by sediment. After the last pour, I could see a nice layer of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Aroma is sweet, sweet, raspberry. Pretty natural smelling, not artificial syrup but its hard to believe since its been this long and this seems to be a bottle conditioned beer. Either way it is natural, strong, sweet raspberry. Flavor is similar, its not all juice like an alco-pop but its getting in that area. I guess a little bit of mustiness but I am pulling at straws here. Nothing sour, straight up fruit beer. Age has done almost nothing here it seems. So, it is what it is.......
750mL, New Belgium globe goblet.
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