Samuel Smith's Organic Raspberry Fruit Beer - Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

Frosty80

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Color: clear, dark pink with an amber hue

Smell: raspberries and more raspberries. some alcohol and a hint of malt

Taste: lots of raspberry. pretty much nothing but raspberry. raspberry juice with sparkle from carbonation and alcohol. raspberry finish. its hard for me to get passed the juice and detect much malt and wheat. not too tart but probly couldnt drink too much of it.

Mouthfeel: low-medium body. moderate carbonation.

Notes: delicious! a very refreshing beer. maybe not very popular but definitely superb for the style

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2009 04:33:37 | More by Frosty80

josefnewsong

New York

4.72/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I picked this up for my girl because she's always asking for fruit beers and I was hoping this would be enjoyable for both of us, as I trust the brewery and a lot of other fruit beers have left me fairly disappointed. This was amazing. Poured deep, dark purple and you could immediately smell the raspberries. The bulk of the flavor was raspberry but it managed to still be a great "beer" if you take my meaning. Felt like a complex and well thought out brew as opposed to a syrupy fructose mess as many fruit beers tend to be.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 05:54:10 | More by josefnewsong

Tone

Missouri

4.58/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark purple with a more clear red near the bottom of the glass. 2/3 inch head of a pink color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, amazingly fresh raspberries, slight yeast, and slight grain. Fits the style of a Fruit/Vegetable Beer. Mouth feel is sharp and smooth with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, sugar, fresh raspberries, and very slight tart malt. Overall, as far as fresh, strong tasting raspberry beers - this is the best I've ever had. I downed this 18oz. in a matter of minutes.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2009 02:08:25 | More by Tone

mempath

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

i already reviewed the cherry, but this one is even better. very drinkable, nice body/mouthfeel (not too much carbonation...not thick and syrupy) which allows the raspberry flavor to assert itself in this beer foundation. the nose is fruity but in a refreshing way (unlike a cooler as some might expect). excellent alternative (for me) to the more expensive, tart lambics

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2010 23:20:32 | More by mempath

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I must be a slow learner since on Easter Sunday 2011, I was marginally a fan of the cherry ale and not a fan of the strawberry ale, both thanks to their being a bit too sweet for my taste. I did not have a bottle of the raspberry ale at the time or I would have reviewed all three at once. I have since procured a bottle of the raspberry ale and my review follows.

From the bottle: "Brewed at Melbourn Bros ancient brewery in Stamford, Lincolnshire and blended and bottled as Samuel Smith's Brewery, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire."; "Handcrafted at Melbourn Bros' tiny brewery set in a time warp in Stamford using the old manually operated brewing equipment. Finest organically grown barley and wheat are used to create a complex ale which, having undergone primary and secondary fermentation with different yeasts and extended maturation, is taken to Samuel Smith's small, independent British brewery in Tadcaster. There it is blended with pure organic raspberry fruit juice and a previously cellared organic brew - creating an unparalleled fruit ale. The smooth distinctive character of the matured ale serves as the perfect counterpart to the pure organic fruit juice."

The pour produced the prettiest two fingers of pink head ever! It looked like cotton candy atop the beer. The beer itself was a deep pinkish-red with NE-quality clarity. The nose smelled of red raspberry preserves, like my late paternal grandmother used to make from berries grown out back in her garden. Bliss! Mouthfeel was fizzy and big in the mouth and there was nothing sweet about this beer. I have long known that raspberries impart a tartness that may be overwhelming at times, but this was great on a hot, humid late-spring afternoon. I poured about three-quarters of the bottle into my glass, setting the rest aside for a blend with some Bear Republic Stout later. Finish was tart, not puckeringly so, but enough to let me know that I was alive and kicking. I have to give major props to a beer not only this tasty, but certified organic, to boot.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 20:43:12 | More by woodychandler

ChrisCage

Alberta (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A- Where to begin...the head! It starts out thick, but is weak looking underneath the puffy top, and quickly dissipates to a thinnish, but dense layer that is reddish, with a hue of plum purple in it. The color is a hazy raspberry red (go figure!) and there doesn't appear to be a ton of carbonation. My glass is really full but it looks like there is good lacing in this one...after a few sips, I can say that the lacing is thick on the glass, so huge props to that!

S- Raspberries, raspberries and more raspberries! It really smells like I've just been picking them off my mother in laws' bushes in the garden late in the summer! There is a bit of a cloying sugary sweetness that gives the aroma a bit of a jam like character. Really nothing else is detectable here, so it has this area nailed down really well!

T- Mmmm, this is really good! There is an upfront fresh raspberry juice flavor that hits the palate with all the tartness it can muster, yet has that ripe berry sweetness to help balance this out...just like the perfect berry! The finish is surprisingly clean, with a very modest hop presence. I really like the flavors presented here!

M- Along with the richness of the berry flavor, this has a full body, and has a very creamy bread like quality to it. The carbonation is there but is very well absorbed into the beer itself that it just helps bring out the tartness. Very nice indeed!

D- I have given a lot of brews a very high mark, but I'm going out on a limb and saying that it'll be hard to ever top this as my favorite fruit based beer! Samuel Smith, as always, does an excellent job with their product! The alcohol is so well hidden that you don't even know it's there....and even though this is an excellent beer, one pint is plenty for me....but on a hot summer day on the patio, I might be up for seconds!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 22:44:34 | More by ChrisCage

eggodoom

Tennessee

4.5/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer poured with a pink tinted head. Color is red/orange where the light comes through on the side and cloudy brown in the center. Smells of strong raspberries (not artificial either.) Backed by a sweetness of some kind. Taste is sweet and thick berry flavor. Tastes like a mouthful of raspberry juice with a bit of crisp finish that is accentuated by the carbonation. Great fruit beer same caliber as Samuel Smith's other organic fruit beers, which I can't wait to drink at this point. Bought these for my fiance and had to give them a try. Like everything I've tried by Samuel Smith so far.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 05:19:04 | More by eggodoom

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Samuel Smiths Raspberry Fruit Ale is made by blending a base beer with fruit juice (or concentrate, in this case), giving the beer an intense pinkish-red hue that matches the colour of the raspberries sold by my local berry farm in pinkish-red intensity. Topped by a mountainous cap of foam in a lighter shade of pink, this is a pretty tasty looking beer. The aroma is rioutously loud blast of sweet & sour raspberry candy. It might be one note, but it's one hell of a big note. Without added sugar like Fruli, this blend of beer and fruit juice comes across as less sweet. I'm not saying this is sweet, just that what sweetness it has is easily balanced by the tannin and tartness provided by the raspberry. That raspberry flavour is as big as it smells too. This is one seriously fruity fruit beer. The use of natural raspberry extract in addition to the juice concentrate amplifies things just a little bit. Medium bodied with a sticky, slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Intensely fruity with no artificial chemical flavours, and thats all I expect of a simple fruit beer. I'd love to pair this with some decadent brownies or devils food cake for dessert. I bet you could make an awesome reduction out of this and use it as a sauce on cheesecake. I assume it doesn't contain hops since they aren't listed as an ingredient, so there isn't any bitterness to worry about concentrating.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 02:37:11 | More by mintjellie

avalon07

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a brownish-red color and a cloudy consistency. There were two inches of pink colored, creamy, fairly long-lasting head. Pretty good lacing.

S: Lots of raspberries here, with a hint of malt.

T: Tasted of raspberries (no surprise there), and some malt. This beer won't win any prizes for its complexity (fruit beers rarely do), but it is very good at what it does.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a somewhat slick finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

O: Granted, I don't drink fruit beers all the time, but this is definitely a good choice if I did.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 14:03:58 | More by avalon07

mdwalsh

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a big pink-white bubbly head that's very effervescent. The beer is a blend of pink and brown, distinctively not red IMO, but my wife says it's red. The head started big but faded leaving very little lace. THere's some a/c but not much, and it's sort of translucent, not really crystal clear at all.

S: Well, raspberries obviously. There is some grainy-malty sweetness as well. The smell is very powerful as soon as you open the bottle it fills the air with a wonderful bouquet. No hops. I am oh so tempted to give a 5 but something is missing.

T: Raspberry lollipop I think describes it best. The beeriness of it seems to make it taste less like an actual berry and more artificial though, deliciously artificial. Its very sweet, just a little tart. Still no hops, which is a shame. I think some florally ones could compliment it well.

M: Bubbles. It really feels like pop, which is good in a fruit beer. It's biting with the flavor and works very well nice and cold.

D: Great, but I think with all the carbonation it would start to make me burpy in not a long time and I HATE that.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2009 23:25:31 | More by mdwalsh

Jay48

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I enjoyed this beer very much. The raspberry works well with the malt/chocolate flavors. It is as if I drank a liquified raspberry truffle. Seems like a dessert beer to be enjoyed on special occasions.

I like the fact that it is organic too. I'll have a few bottles on hand this holiday.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 06:13:54 | More by Jay48

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep murky ruby tinted boy with a pink colored head forming thick, 500ml bottle this could be a whole lot of fruit beer. Fine even lacing dispersed nicely, aroma is full of tart raspberries and fruit jam with an earthy seed based accent. Light airy fruit with tart perfume like notes of raspberry fruit, a very nice smelling beer. Flavor wise it's extremely tart bordering sour, finishes dry after the fruit sugars subside with the sweetness. Much like fermented fruit juice, in this case tart raspberries. A bit of lactic yogurt like flavors amongst the fruit and malt interplay absolutely no hop profile to speak of. Dry finish, body has sturdy champagne like carbonation, medium bodied a bit cloying. Overall a very drinkable fruit ale, I don't find many out there, but this one is enjoyable natural fruit flavors provide for a nice beer experience.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 18:57:01 | More by WVbeergeek

gobias

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a nice dark fruity lager that has a sweet taste. The color is almost like a cloudy red wine. The taste is fruity with a sweet raspberry flavor, not too strong, but still noticeable.
This would be a nice dessert beer. And with an alcohol content of 5.10%, it is one of the stronger fruit lagers. Also it is Organic if you like organic foods and drinks.
I really enjoy this and look forward to tasting their other fruit beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2009 06:22:48 | More by gobias

armock

New York

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured a red color with a pink head that leaves lacing behind

S - Smells like a raspberry soda pretty much

T - I really don't taste anything other than the raspberries but it tastes good so thats ok

M - This beer has a light body with higher carbonation to it

D - When I was buying this beer I had huge doubts because its organic and a fruit beer but I have been blown away by this one I think I tastes very good for a fruit beer worth getting some time to try

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 23:10:40 | More by armock

chickencoop

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Proud and not ashamed, I love this beer. Not all the time, and not for every occasion, but maybe once every month this is ok to pull out and put a few down. The pour is rasberry candy red, small pinkish head. The flavor and mouthfeel is a strong rasberry flavor, nothing fake or vitamin like, full flavored rasberries. This beer is to drinkable, but also an ambiance brew, has to be the right time, but overall solid stuff if you like the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2010 03:08:37 | More by chickencoop

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful and bold dark fire-red color leaning toward a deeper burgundy sort of look. Pink head is packed firm and insanely creamy, leaving a ton of pink lace on the glass in its wake.

There's no denying this aroma. It's big, full, sweet, tart...and yes, a crazy raspberry overload. It's tempered by an extremely earthy character, something I can't put my finger on but reminds me of words like "dirt," "grass" and "basement." All in a good way.

Flavor is bursting with raspberry, but the beauty of this is that it never gets too sweet or too tart. The balance seems achieved by an earthy (that word again) grainy/bready element, keeping the beer from being one of those too-typical and too-one dimensional fruit beer novelties. Mildly tart in the finish, this beer is quite the opposite of dry...I guess "wet"!

Full, creamy mouthfeel has plenty of weight and carbonation to it. Just right for what's going on here.

A month or so ago I was pleasantly surprised at how good Samuel Smith's Cherry ale was--I had to try another. Glad I did. In my world, fruit beer greatness is not purely owned by New Glarus and the Belgians...not anymore.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 22:24:22 | More by Metalmonk

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - a beautiful two finger foamy head with patchy lacing - slowly subsided to a half finger long lasting head that could be regenerated with a quick swirl of the glass - cloudy bubbly sparkling raspberry juice

S - Raspberries wafting out the bottle before it was poured - not some syrupy knock off but real raspberries picked from the backyard - slight malt and wheat notes

T - Again huge raspberry flavor that is not overpowering like a cooler, more like raspberry juice without the extra sugar in a cooler, still an undercurrent of wheat and some malt - just enough to balance this ale perfectly

M - lots of carbonation in this medium bodied brew - if I ever become a raging booze hound this will be my breakfast beer on a warm sunny morning - has that refreshing champagne feel with a nice dry finish

O - definitely the best fruit ale I have had - although it was not cheap - from begining to end I savoured the flavor and refreshing mouthfeel - and even my wife loved it!!

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 02:41:41 | More by Stocean1

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Me and my friend shared a 550ml at my local Gateway Grill.

A - Looks of a ruby like liquid with a quickly retaliating pink head. Man what a cool looking beer.

S - Best part of the beer! Smells of fresh ripened raspberry's, juices, and cocktails that provide a sweet yet sour smell. Crazy!

T - The taste is exactly what the smell was but to a fault. Sure it's sugary and delicious but should you finish 16oz to yourself? Not really. This is really the only beer that the flavor became cloying to me after 8 oz and is really was "sweet"

M - Light and refreshing. Session-able in small doses.

D - They really are much to drink more than a bottle and more likely to be shared than drank alone

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 03:42:30 | More by DrDemento456

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

550 mL bottle from the LCBO; bottled on Apr 11 2012.

Pours a deep reddish-bronze colour, with a bright ruby-red tinge under the light. Atop the surface, nearly two fingers of dense, pinkish-beige head is seated. It wilts away over a period of a few minutes, smearing the glass with a ring of lacing, and leaving a thin cap on the surface. Potent aroma with lots of sweet tartness; it really reminds me of raspberry jam, but there are also notes of cranberry and red vinegar.

One thing's for sure, they certainly didn't skimp with the fruit flavouring - the taste is just as intense as the aroma, with jammy raspberry juice being an ever-present factor throughout the profile. A little wheat malt sweetness, but mostly quite tart with a pronounced sourness that vaguely reminds me of the only framboise lambic I've ever had. Some slight earthy, vinous notes toward the finish, with a tart aftertaste. Medium-bodied, with moderate carbonation and a fairly crisp mouthfeel. Not very sessionable... one bottle is plenty, after that I imagine it would get cloying for most people.

I've been on a bit of a fruit beer binge over the last week or so, and of the whole lot this is definitely one of my favourites. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone - obviously if you don't like raspberries or fruity beer in general, this will probably be either unimpressive or unappealing to you. As for me... raspberry brews tend to rank among my favourite fruit beers, and this one is much more of a pleasure to drink than any of the domestic counterparts I've tried.

Final Grade: 4.23, a very respectable A-. Samuel Smith's Organic Raspberry has a nearly overwhelming fruity character to it, one that I enjoyed immensely - though I can certainly understand why another drinker might not have the same reaction. It isn't for the faint of heart, nor is it for purists who dislike the style in general. It is, however, one damn fine fruit beer that I'd love to have again some time. Definitely worth a try - a great summer refresher. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 04:42:19 | More by thehyperduck

scratch69

Missouri

4.23/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Cloudy, dark ruby color with two fingers worth of fizzy, reddish colored head. Fair amount of lacing.

Smell- Raspberries and a hint of malt.

Taste- Sweet raspberry flavor with some malt. Slight tart finish.

Mouthfeel- On the light end of medium bodied. Crisp with a moderate amount of fizzy carbonation.

Overall- This is one of the better fruit beers that I have had. Very good , but if you are not into sweet fruit beers stay away from this.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 18:40:29 | More by scratch69

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: high carbonation, 1 inch head, dark red in color, clear

Smell: tart raspberries and sugar

Taste: big tart raspberries...a bit of caramel malt, and sugar.

Mouthfeel: tart and sweet. The sweetness never gets to the cloying level, high carbonation, light body

Overall: The Sam Smith organic fruit line all seems to follow in the same pattern. Very good, fruity, sweet beers that all taste like beer still as opposed to wine coolers. This one has a bit more tartness than the others and is my favorite of the pack, but all make excellent dessert beers. I will be having this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 14:35:31 | More by tigg924

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: very hazy, almost opaque red. Lots o raspberry bubbles.
Smell: sweet and tart raspberry. This isn't just a hint, this is like Nehi raspberry and I like it.
Taste: After Blushing Monk thought for sure this would be a letdown but not at all. Tasty, refreshing, quaffable raspberry.
Overall: wish I had tried this earlier in the summer. Very refreshing and since Blushing Monk isn't exactly readily available, this one's goin in the regular rotation.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 00:12:49 | More by cindyjeffsmith

Cubsfan1087

Iowa

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Samuel Smith does it again. Their raspberry isn't quite as good as their cherry, but it is still very good. It's a very dark red color, almost no head. Strong smell of raspberry. Tastes like raspberries, but not overly sweet. It's almost a little tart. Very easy drinkability. Great fruit beer for anyone who likes fruit beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 03:58:49 | More by Cubsfan1087

Kerrie

Michigan

4.16/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I reviewed the Organic Strawberry last week and loved it, so it's time to give this one a shot!

A- Looks dark copper with a pinkish head (one finger or so, which doesn't last too long) and some decent lacing.

S- Smells like tart fruit, thankfully not artificial. Not sure if I'd be able to tell it was raspberry simply due to the smell, though.

T- Tastes like tart raspberries. The aftertaste is pleasant and lingers for quite a bit.

M- Light and fruity, but not thin or watery. Perfect for this type of beer.

Overall, I like it, but I was far more impressed with the strawberry. I suppose it depends on your fruit preference, though. That said, the Organic Strawberry had more of a strawberry/sweet flavor than this does a raspberry one.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:25:17 | More by Kerrie

WinthrHOPHEAD89

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 1pt. 2.7 FL. OZ. bottle into a Irish Style Pint Glass

A - The appearence of this beer is nothing like I have ever seen before. The way that this thing poured out was almost like a soda. From a straight pour the mass amounts of carbonation from this beer formed a solid 4 finger fluffy pinkish head, with still a good 1/3 of the beer left in the bottle. The color of this beer is straight up red, but the way the glass tapered on the side created this cool effect, which made the beer seem even darker in the middle and towards the top. This beer is also not transparent at all. Very hazy with no sediment. The head dies off, but the remaining head does leave some very unique lacing.

S - The aroma of this beer is not as potent as most fruit beers Ive had (Wheats, and Hefs), but still very very pleasing. Its hard to pick out any other characteristic other than raspberries.

T - The taste comes almost as a suprise in comparison to the smell. The taste of this beer is very stong, tangy and jam-like. The best way to describe this beer is a rapsberry jelly. It doesnt taste generic either. The tartness seems to linger on the "bitterness sections" of the tounque for a while, and coats the back of the throat nicely. This beer is definitely one that would be refreshing on a hot summer day, or some thing to have after dinner, with maybe a cheesecake. OH THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL!!

M - The mouthfeel on this beer is very... sticky. The carbonation of this beer does die off slowly, but feels rather soda-like on the tounge througout. This is the heaviest bodied fruit beer ive had, and to tell you the truth, it actually makes it more enjoyable.

D - The drinkability on this beer is a little bit strange. Its not difficult to drink, but its definitely a sipper. The tangy aftertaste and the sticky composition of this beer seem to slow down the consumption, but that is in no way a downfall.

Final Thoughts: Samuel Smith's has yet to let me down. This is by far the best fruit beer I have ever had, and to top it all off, ITS ORGANIC!!! This is certainly a beer that I would recommend, and one that I would buy again. Two Thumbs Up!!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 02:57:16 | More by WinthrHOPHEAD89