Liefmans Frambozenbier

I don't know why, but I just LOVE this beer. It's hardly a stone's throw from the Goudenband, and in my opinion miles ahead of their kriek beer. Sour masking what sweetness there is, a fascinating mouthfeel to the carbonation, thick raspberry aroma. Many of the beers I love best I love for their interesting flavor and complex this, that or the other, but this beer simply compels me to drink more, more, more. Complex, interesting, sure, but most of all seductive. Could be genetic, though: My brother and I both found the beer to be astounding, while others drinking with us thought it unexceptional (the fools...)

Re-rate (6/6/04) - draught at Out of the Vaults, Leicester. Even more delicious than I remember: this blows most beers away with its intense, sweet flavours. It looks, tastes and smells absolutely superb. // Draught, at the Dovetail, London. Maroon/brown colour, with a nice frothy head. This is sourer than many raspberry lambics I've tried, and seems closer to a more recognisable beer flavour (hence it's classification as a sour ale, I guess!) This was delicious when chilled, with a piquant flavour and icey, yoghurty quality to the texture. (original score 3.7)

Sampled from a 12 oz green corked bottle this beer poured a black cherry color with a huge light pink head. Well carbonated - you can hear the foam crackling like rice crispies. The aroma was a lovely tart and sour cherry and raspberry mix. The flavor was tart and sour with an intense raspberry element and a tangy, yeasty middle followed by a long tart berry finish. Intense yet strangely subtle. Outstanding.

I had this at the ’Beer Bistro’ restaurant in Toronto on June 21, 2007. My particular beer was a Liefmans Frambozenbier, 375ml, 4.5% abv, and wrapped in a paper wrapper. This poured a beautiful maroon colour right out of the bottle with a beautiful raspberry aroma. The mouthfeel was crisp with some carbonation on the tongue. The beer started with a malty flavour with a lot of rasberry in it and finished with a crisp taste with a hint of raspberry. A truly wonderful experience for a fruit beer.

Presentation: It was poured from a tap into a pint glass. Appearance: The body has a deep dark, nearly opaque presentation with slightly reddish/purple hue. There is some visible carbonation near the edges of the glass. At the top there is sits a tall thick pinkish/tan head. It is long lasting and make for some great lace rings on the glass. Smell: Its aroma has hints of raspberry, malt and some good funky yeast. Taste/Mouth feel: The flavor has a nice natural fruity raspberry taste mixing with a lightly sweet malt that gives a nice balance to the slight tartness of the raspberry. The touch of yeast adds some light earthy/funk and complexity. Its medium bodied with soft lightly fizzy texture and carbonation. Notes: I found this to have good balance of flavor and overall character.

I’m a big raspberry freak, so I dig this luscious sweet and sour raspberry aroma that drifts across the room. Gorgeous nose. Beautiful dark garnet ruby color that has some duskiness to it with a huge light tan head. Beautiful. Sweet fruity raspberries to start with an ever so slight malty chocolate note in the middle before turning slightly sour and astringent to finish. Nutty, woodsy aftertastes. I thoroughly enjoy this stuff. 2003 bottle.

Red and purple w/ brown hues. Lasting head and slight lacing. The nose was nothing but raspberries! The mouth had soury fermented fruit, raspberries, and vinious. Major effervescence and tart. Light bodied.

This beer poured a dark red color with very little head at all and left no lacing on the glass. The aroma was very nice: raspberry and sweetness with a bit of musty. I was worried about the flavor because I really don’t like the sour flavor of Lambics and I tend to stay away from them because of that. But this was great. It was lacking that extreme tart/sour characteristic that I don’t like in the Cantillon styles. Very sweet and smooth. Extremely well done.