Raspberry Lambic - Upland Brewing Company

rlee1390

Indiana

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Clear pink while pouring, Deep bright ruby in the glass, highly carbonated.

S-Lots of raspberries, not much oak and a tad bit of funk.

T-Sweet raspberries, maybe some sugar, or just overly sweet raspberries. Slight tartness. The Raspberries really dominate here.

M-Medium bodied, a lot heavier than I was expecting, not much carbonation either.

O-I love raspberries but this was too sweet and didn't have enough funk/sour/tart whatever you want to call it.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 00:16:16 | More by rlee1390

Treebs

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

750 ml corked bottle served in a Half Acre tulip. Thanks to pmoney for the share. Bottled 3/17/12, batch 71-09.

A: Pours a solid ruby, grapefruit color with an off white head forming on the pour. Recedes pretty quickly to nothing, but you can still some life in the body. Probably a dirty glass after all the other beers sampled.

S: Very tart raspberry, lemon grass with a light malty sweetness. Restrained funk, but obviously the raspberry is the star of the show.

T: Sweet raspberry with a tart raspberry jam aspect to it. Cracker malts with a sweet, cracked wheat flavor to it. Extremely acidic and sour finish to it.

M: A ton of carbonation with a nice light body. Super drying finish with an enamel stripping feel to it. Lots of pucker with a saliva evaporating dryness.

O: Definitely one of the most sour lambic style beers I've hever had. I definitely enjoyed this one however as I'm a fan of raspberries and I enjoyed the sweet, jammy-like qualities to this one as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 13:42:24 | More by Treebs

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The lambic was sampled at Winterfest 2013 in Indianapolis on 1/26/2013. Props to Upland for bringing several lambics.

Poured into the sampler glass from the bottle, the beer was a reddish hue like Cherry 7up with a nice tinted white head. The aroma smelled of sour fruits with a variety of berry notes observable. In the initial taste, one can immediately tell this is a raspberry lambic. The acidity seemed to mellow toward the aftertaste as the beer became sweeter. One also could detect vanilla with the modest sour notes. The aftertaste further displays quite a bit of natural seedy raspberry flavor. It is easy to tell his is made with real berries.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 00:33:21 | More by JohnnyHopps

cfrances33

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a teku glass. Cork dated 3-11.

Pour: Murky ruby, with a finger and a half magenta head that fizzes out quickly. No lacing. Head remains in a faint rim. Quick a bit of carb grabbed onto the glass on the first pour.

Smell: Big raspberries up front, along with a faint pear and green apple. A light must and funk, but still quite light.

Taste: Lightly tart raspberry juice. Some tart pear and green apple. Fruit juice owns the majority of the taste until a light funk comes in on the back, especially as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Really nice a juicy, but lacking in tartness. Leaves quite a thick bit of coating. The most enjoyable aspect of this beer.

Overall: A bit of a disappointment, I must confess. I was hoping for more lambic qualities, but instead I got something very, very similar to Raspberry Tart.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 03:03:05 | More by cfrances33

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of the better American fruit lambics I've tried. Pours a vividly raspberry red color with a smallish, frothy pink head that settles quickly and leaves little in the way of lacing.

Aroma is full of fresh, tart raspberries, lemony acidity, and not a little cheesy funk. Oak and barnyard notes are subtle but present and are also detected in the flavor. However this one is all about the tart raspberry flavor. Medium strength sour power; acidic, lemon juice, minor vinegar, leaves the teeth a little bit squeaky. Again there's a fascinating musty funky cheesiness I really liked here.

Medium light bodied and a bit more aggressively carbonated than expected but the feel works and helps to make this almost refreshing. Overall this will be an eye opener for fans of Lindemans or Raspberry Tart but should really appeal to sour and funk fanatics.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 13:32:31 | More by tobelerone

brystmar

New York

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Joel! Bottled 3/7/2011.

Loud pop from the cork but no gushing. Murky red body, fresh raspberries in the nose. Sharply acidic, fruit is concentrated and delicious. Nails the taste of chewing on a handful of raspberries. Bite from the fruity tartness is reminiscent of LP Framboise.

Heavily carbonated, but while this is usually a turn-off for me, it works in this context. Upland nails it once again!

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 17:56:22 | More by brystmar

libbey

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

reviewed from notes: 2012 vintage a great extra from Rempo.

A: The beer pours a lovely murky cranberry ruby red. Zero head this beer pours completely still with tantalizing chunks of raspberry seeds floating on the surface.

S Oh my goodness what a nose. Big blast of tart/fresh off the vine raspberry puree. Hint of the funk that becomes more pronounced as the beer warms. Awesome.

T: Shockingly sour blend of tart raspberries and barnyard funk. Hints of lemon and touches of oak come out as they dance with the raspberry body. Super juicy.

M: Carbonation was actually fairly present throughout and was bright and vibrant for this medium bodied blend. The finish was super dry and punchy. Excellent.

O: Overall this is a wonderful lambic from Upright. Admittedly I'm very partial to all things raspberry and this guy did not disappoint. fantastic stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 05:19:31 | More by libbey

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazed reddish pink color with a tall light pink head. Intense raspberry aroma. Lightly acetic with a very intense lactic acidity. Lemon juice, lemon zest, and plenty of fruit. Mild oak with a touch of sweetness. A bit of a funky blue cheese thing to it, too. The flavor is really very sour. Heavy on the lactic acidity and quite a bit of raspberry flavor. The blue cheese funk is there, too, which I like quite a bit. A touch of oak and maybe a bit of must.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 22:45:06 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle pour courtesy of UnknownKoger at Woodshop 7 held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a murky dark red with no head and no lacing on the drink down. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with lots of raspberry and raspberry juice aromas. Taste is much the same with an acidic quality with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is super tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 01:23:05 | More by UCLABrewN84

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

500th review.

Bottled 03/17/2012. In a Rodenbach Grand Cru tulip.

Pours a very cloudy, sediment-riddled, vibrant mulberry color with a fizzy pink head that fell to a thin ring. The color is halfway between red wine and fruit punch. 3.5

Huge smacking sourness with loads of tart raspberries, funk rot, oak, and light acetic aroma. Great trio of fruit, Brett, and sour. 4.5

One of the most sour beers I have had to-date. Rifling acidity and a sturdy load of barnyard funk is the big intro. The oak brings out a very vinous cabernet quality that is excellent. The raspberry character is unripe and full of skins and stems, which really works for the tart profile. Some stalky/reedy notes in here, too. 4.0

The pucker is pretty intense. It's short-lived on the tongue yet very drying and puffy on the insides of the cheeks, but there's a burning in the back of the throat from this kind of acidity. It's actually really awesome. However, swallowing it the wrong way can be very unpleasant. Medium-bodied with medium carboantion. 3.0

Very nice framboise. So cool that it was brewwed in Indiana. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 04:07:30 | More by thecheapies

claspada

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pale, dark pinkish-purple color with a white spritzy, fizzy head.

Aromas of tart raspberries mixed with stonger than expected distinct vinegar, acidic notes that emerge more and more as it warms.

The tastes begin with sweet, fruity raspberry with ever-growing amounts of sour tart flavors. Funk and acidic flavors also join the party and continue to grow and begin to overpower the fruit sweetness.

The mouthfeel has a medium-thin body with medium to high champagne-esque carbonation. Finish is slightly tart and acidic.

Overall a very good lambic but by no means the best from Upland or anywhere close to the best Raspberry fruited one. Upland seems to do a much better job with their lighter fruited lambics than the darker berried ones from my experience.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 17:08:01 | More by claspada

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle poured into large snifter

Pours a clouded, burning bright red color with some pinkish hues. A thin tuft of bubbled white head rests on top before fading into some wispy film. A few spots of lacing are left on the glass.

A pleasant blast of funky, sour raspberry in the nose. Faint sweetness from the fruit with plenty of natural sourness. Notes of oak with some lingering wet funkiness.

Starts off with a liquified raspberry feeling, mixing the lactic sourness along with some more natural fruit flavor. Tart and funky notes build throughout the profile with some underlying oaked tannins. Raspberry sourness towards the finish with a light fruit sweetness. Finishes funky and dry.

Medium body, slightly higher carbonation, dry and lingering on the tongue. I'm beginning to like these Upland lambics more and more.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 00:24:18 | More by xnicknj

Pencible

Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

March 2011 bottling.

A: This poured an opaque pinkish garnet with fizzy white head.
S: It smelled like super tart raspberry with sweet jam and funky oak and apple cider vinegar.
T: It tasted like sweet and tart raspberry, with lots of funky oak and apple cider vinegar. It had a clean and puckering tart aftertaste.
M: It was oily and very bubbly. Nice champagne-like body.
D: This was one of the best framboise I've had. It was perfectly balanced between sweet and tart with delicious natural raspberry character. The body was just right for the style, and the finish was nice too, so it was great to sip. Fresh, this beer might be too fruity, but it was wonderful after a year, and could surely keep aging forever. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 18:32:50 | More by Pencible

zhanson88

Montana

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy ruby color with 1/2" of off white head. Decent head retention that eventually reduces to nothing, and no lacing.

Smell: Smells of sweet and tart raspberries, lemon tartness, and some funkiness/grassiness.

Taste: Mostly tart, and fewer sweet raspberries hit up front. Some funk and grassiness comes out, as well as some lemon tartness. I enjoyed this quite a bit, but when comparing to some exemplary beers of this style, it just doesn't have that pungent and intense flavor that make them so good. It's definitely sour enough, just lacking in some of the other areas of complexity. This beer is good, but not great.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Light bodied with very high carbonation; nice feel. Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit. Pretty good effort at brewing a lambic by Upland. I would definitely have again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:56:34 | More by zhanson88

jnn4v

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark red color, bordering on garnet but not quite burgundy.

S: Burns the nostrils with the natural carbonation. The scent behind it is a delicious blend of tart acidic raspberry, oak, and hints of yeast.

T: Very tart and dry flavor. A light raspberry flavor is pervasive from start to finish, but it really is light (almost reminiscent of Crystal Light?). Seriously tart and acidic, though.

M: Puckers the mouth with a combination of acidity and almost tannic characteristics leaving a chalky feeling. Very ample carbonation, bordering on champagne levels of bubbliness.

O: If you want a very puckering and tart, not overly sweet lambic that is undeniably raspberry in origin, then this is for you.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 18:24:33 | More by jnn4v

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

poured from 750 cork and cage into snifter glass.

vintage 3/2011.

Appearance: It looks like liquid raspberries! Amesome medium red bodied beer with a huge white head with a red hue to it. Easily 3 fingers head after a gentile pour.

Smell: You get lots of fruit and funk with this one. Raspberries still smell fresh!

Taste: moderate funky and sour notes. Get just a little bit of hay. You can get a decent taste of the fruit, but it is not the predominant flavor in this beer. Finishes with a sour note.

Mouthfeel: Super light beer that is crisp, clean, and delightful. Super easy to drink. High carbonation levels in this beer and the carbonation levels are near perfect.

Overall: Another wonderful Upland Fruit lambic.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 17:10:50 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

ehammond1

California

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle

Acquired via trade
Thanks, barkingelectron!

Careful all, this one's a gusher!

This beer pours a murky, hazed pink and light ruby with a pillowy, thick, quickly forming pink head that eventually leaves webs of lacing down the glass. A bit lighter in color than Upland's Cherry Lambic, but similar in appearance.

The aroma is bright and acidic and very fruit-forward, with lots of authentic raspberry aroma. There's a mild hint of funk, but the sour acidity and raspberry aromas are dominant.

As has been my experience with other Upland sour lambics, this one is hugely sour. Along with the aggressive sourness is a lot of bright raspberry flavor, and little else--exactly what I was hoping for.

Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation. A joy to sip on.

Delicious raspberry sour, though not as complex as the cherry variation or simply delicious as the persimmon.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 21:08:17 | More by ehammond1

Bendurgin

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks for this one Alec. Poured into a chalice. Pours a vibrant ruby with a huge quickly dissipating head that has a nIce pink hue.

There is no hiding it. This is a raspberry bomb. Tons of sweet and tart raspberry flavor with a little bit of a doughy aroma in the background. The flavor is nice and rich with great rapspberry flavors. Nice and sweet with a good tart finish.

Good light body with nice carbonation. A little bit of a dry finish. Real enjoyable. So far all of the Upland lambocs I have had have been real enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 04:40:12 | More by Bendurgin

andrewinski1

Maine

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Ben for sharing this tick! Poured with a giant rose pink head that disappears immediately. The color is a nice deep red color.

The aroma is full of raspberry, with a hint of dirt.

The taste starts outwith lots of sweet raspberry. The finish injects a dose of tartness; balancing out the sweetness.

The carbonation is very subtle. The body is medium.

This is tasty. It is a full on raspberry bomb.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 04:33:57 | More by andrewinski1

camil1mj

Michigan

4.48/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received from Fvernon as an extra. Very generous.

A: Cloudy, light red. A good amount of white head. Some lacing.

S: Lots of fruit and vinegar.

T: Very tart. This one is a mouth-puckering blend of sour and raspberry. Very tasty!

M: Light and refreshing. Very well carbonated.

O: Great sour-fruit lambic. Upland knows what they are doing.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 15:13:40 | More by camil1mj

DigitalDude

California

4.75/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to ajzy for the trade. 750 ml bottle poured into a goblet.
A: Dark reddish/maroon color, medium cloudiness. Nice 2-3 fingers of light pink head that settles rather quickly.
S: Raspberries, raspberries and raspberries. A little funky on the nose.
T: An aggressive tartness on the front. More raspberries. Carbonation really stood out in this one. Sweet, but not overly so. It's a shame I couldn't pick up the oak from the barrels.
M: Big carbonation. Very full with acidic finish that lingers.
O: Great beer. If you're a fan of sours, this one's for you.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:28:50 | More by DigitalDude

Spider889

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice red color with a tall rosy head.

Aroma was very tart with little sweetness which I liked. Whenever you encounter an American fruited lambic you need to assume super sweet until proven otherwise imo. This one succeeds here.

So so sour, but not overly acidic. There's the bitterness I always associate with green strawberry leaves. The raspberry flavor is obvious (when many fruits are not in other beers) - and it has the flavor characteristic of fresh wet fruit.

Overall nothing phenomenal (little nuance or development over time), yet a very satisfying sour. Would be happy to take another crack at this one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 08:55:20 | More by Spider889

sweemzander

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a tulip. 03/07/11. 52-09 Batch#.

(A)- Pours a deep blood red color. Some white froth and lace.

(S)- Big burst of ripe raspberry jam. Subtle dry oak and tartness.

(T)- Plenty of raspberry fruits with mild funky oak and acidity.

(M)- A rather high carbonation level. A good balance too, though primarily sour fruit and oak.

(D)- A solid example, though the carbonation level could be toned down a bit. Otherwise, a great sour fruit profile despite it being very straightforward. Could maybe use more oak and funk to balance the scales, but time could certainly help that.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 17:21:29 | More by sweemzander

russwbeck

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this in a trade from Soonami at the Dark Intrigue Release

A: Muddy red pour with a very fizzy pink head. No retention or lacing at all. The head gushed out of the bottle a bit upon popping the cork 4

S: Very oaky smell with a nice amount of raspberries and barnyard funk mustiness. The balance is quite nice, but seems to be a bit on the sour side 4.5

T: The oakiness seems to hide underneath the funk and raspberries. The fruit isn't particularly strong, as this seems to be a bit more funky than anything else. I very much like how the taste develops: fruity, then a lot of funk that finishes off the taste dry with oak and booze throughout. 4.5

MF: The body is medium with an extremely dry finish. Perhaps a bit over carbonated, as shown with the gushing bottle (that I remember, in hindsight, occurred with the Peach Lambic I had before). The bite of sour-ness I didn't find offensive at all. 3.5

O: This was very good. I thought it would be a bit more fruity, but the overall taste is well above average. Easily enjoyable, very glad I tried it. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 20:08:39 | More by russwbeck

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from the most recent release. Bright pink with a huge light pink head. SOUR POWER! The lactic acid is ridiculous in the nose. Biting and sharp with a underlying raspberry. The sourness in every sip stings the tongue. Swishing makes my eyes water. Super carbonated. Hate to sound like a broken record but Upland has nailed it again. I will be collecting these like a hoarding douche bag next time they come out.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 15:37:29 | More by beerwolf77