New Belgium Old Cherry

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Serve in Flute, Shaker

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It seems New Belgium has started packing some beers for exclusive purchase in Folly packs. I didn’t really want the accompanying brews, but I did want to try the new New Belgium Old Cherry, so I saved the rest for guests and company and indulged in this new and exciting offering. And then I realized that the Old Cherry was, like some other new New Belgium beers, a simple modification of the Fat Tire formula. Really, it tasted exactly like Fat Tire with unripened dark cherries bathing in it. Despite a hale dark red-amber color, and a thin aspen bark colored head, the aroma was a lackluster doppleganger of Fat Tire with a touch of black cherry, and the taste also mimicked Fat Tire but added some cinnamon, apple and cherry, which did little to suppress the signature Fat Tire skunkiness I know and hate. Suddenly I find myself reclaiming the bottles of 1554 and Mothership Wit. The guests can have the Old Cherry and Fat Tire.

12 oz bottle from their Folly pack. Pours a clear, bright, sparkling red with a very small, fizzy, off white head that dissipates immediately. Looks kind of like a strawberry soda. Aroma is dull, but very sweet and malty. Cherries...obviously. Taste is quick, sweet, and cherry tart. Malt dominated. Medium bodied and highly carbonated. Definitely cant taste the alcohol. I am a bit surprised to find out that this is actually 6.5 %ABV. Overall, a pretty lame beer. Nicely made and balanced, just not my style.

Bottle. Pour was light golden with a red hue. Aroma is light cherries and malt. Flavor has a bit of the beer bite and a hint of fresh cherry juice. A bit too many hops in this brew. Not bad but not great by any means.

Bottle from kyzr. Thanks Mitch. Aromas of light toast, roast, some moderate yeasty sweetness and light cherry that gets a touch stronger as it warms. Pours a hazy amber tone with no head. Has some toasted aspects in this one with a little roast and chocolate. Ever so slight yeasty esters combine with a little cherry. Maybe a little spice in this from the yeast too. A little tart cherry picks up as it warms. Finish is somewhat dry toasty and roasty with some sweetness too.

12 ounce bottle given to me by my buddy Kelley. He works for a distributor, so I guess he found this as a special beer for me. I had never heard of it. There is definitely a yeasty funk that is Belgian like. I also get some sweet cherry aroma as well as some light funk that may be a touch of brett. Transparent copper body with just a hint of an amber hue present. Good, creamy off-yellowish head is present with attractive lacing. Starts sweet with some graininess before it becomes horrifically buttery and loaded with diacetyl flavors in the middle. Light cherry flavors come in at the end with a little roastiness. This is like a Shipyard beer with light cherry flavoring. Not so good.

Sampled on 10/4/2008. This fruit beer pours a medium amber color from a 12oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head, with decent retention and good lacing. The aroma is cherry and caramel malts. A medium bodied fruit beer. The malts are fruity, caramel and sweet. The semi-sweet cheery flavors are kind of subdued, and they mix very well with the malts. The cheery flavor sort of rises up every once in a while to let you know its there and then goes and hides once again. I kind of like it, but its kind of subtle. Good carbonation. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

courtesy of russpowell. Pours light brown, white head. Aroma was fairly weak. The overall cherry was faint and malty. Taste, had a champagne - cherry like mouthfeel. A very nicely done beer, the use of cherries remains on the weak side. Malty finish.

Pours sparkling clear and orangey-amber-colored with an eggshell-colored, average, creamy head which is mostly diminishing and leaves minimal lace. Nose is dominated by the red cherries; other notes of cake, vanilla, and sweet breads (a bit like a cherry pastry). Flavor is very cake-like, cinnamon notes, vanilla, light nutmeg, cherry filling, brown and white sugar, and some doughy sweet bread. Palate is moderately light, lively, and a bit thin. Finishes mostly sweet with some cinnamon and vanilla but lightly tart with cherries. Similar to frambozen with a fruity cake-like beer. I thought the cherries were a great complement to the cake flavors fo the base beer. Not something I would want all the time but great for a lighter desert beer.

Pours a red/amber with a soft off-white head. Kinda stinky nose of macro brew with soft cherry note. I can’t say I’m a big fan of the base beer. The cherry adds a nice character, solid tartness gives this beer a bit of depth with just a touch of a sour finish.

On tap @ Falling Rock poured a clear reddish copper with a lingering creamy off white head. Aromas of bread dough, light cherry and yeast. Palate was light to medium bodied and crisp. Flavors of light cherry, bread, wood and light straw with a smooth dry fruity finish.