Founders Rübæus - Founders Brewing Company

bashiba

Iowa

2.63/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured bright pink with now head at all, lookes more like a wine cooler than a beer.

Smells like fresh tart raspberries.

Taste exactly like the smell, like raspberries, absolutely no standard beer flavors at all, no detectable malt, no hops, no yeast, just sweet and sour raspberries.

Mouthfeel is light and slightly slick

Overall the flavor isn't bad, but has absolutely no beer qualities, taste as much like beer as the Smirnoffs, Bacardi's, and Bartles and James of the world. I will avoid this one. The first let down I have had from founders.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2006 03:21:52 | More by bashiba

merlin48

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours from the bottle a reddish copper hue with a small offwhite head that quickly falls into a small ring. Some patchy lacing. Aroma is malty caramel and fresh raspberry. Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated and light medium bodied. Taste is tart raspberries and malty caramel and toffee. Not hint of the 6.9 % abv here. No hops presence. The raspberry tastes a bit artificial, but is much better than most of its ilk. A refreshing and tasty fruit beer that is much better than most American efforts.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2006 23:47:16 | More by merlin48

Brian700

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This one pours a....well raspberry-like shade of red, really it does. There is a very small white head that quickly becomes a ring around the glass leaving minimal lacing.

The aroma is pretty mild, there is some raspberry presence but not much else to speak of.

The flavor is heavy with raspberry flavor and there is little touch of sourness that enhances the raspberry. It tastes like this flavor rides on the back of some pilsner malt.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation, almost on the effervescent side.

The drinkability is pretty good. This is a tasty drink that would go down nice on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2006 04:20:10 | More by Brian700

nflmvp

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aggressive pour yielded a one inch, coarse foam head which disappated down to a light froth and creamy foam ring around the outside edge of the glass.

Smell was sweet fruit (but almost like soda or kool-aid).

Taste was sweet and tart with strong raspberry qualities, as would be expected. A little alcohol follows on the finish.

Mouth feel was moderate but full with just a slight hint of alcohol.

Drinkability was very nice. This one makes a good summer refresher and could be a nice session beer if you have the extra cash in your wallet.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2006 00:44:41 | More by nflmvp

dirtylou

Washington

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single, Riley's $2.99

appearance: pours from the stubby founders bottle into a chalice...body is a bright pink-ruby. light beige head with decent lacing. its interesting as it pours a bright pink but but establishes a richer ruby colour in the glass

smell: juicy and sweet fresh raspberries, syrupy, quite tart aroma with a noticeable malt presence, nutty, fruity an complex

taste: fresh sweet raspberries, a tart sourness, syrupy and sweet...toasted malt noticeable, vinous alcohol slightly apparent...Tasty fruit beer if you are a raspberry lover like myself

mouthfeel: tart, medium bodied and syrupy, light vinous alcohol presence

drinkability: pretty high

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2006 01:15:07 | More by dirtylou

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours brown with hints of pink/ruby highlights and a tan head.

Smell: Aroma of fresh raspberries, with hints of chocolate and caramel as well.

Taste: Incredibly quaffable! This is so easy and approachable I would be hard pressed to find someone who does *not* like it. WOW. Very tasty tart raspberry juicy flavor balanced brilliantly with chocolate malts.

Mouthfeel: Sheer SILK! The dark fruit flavors just slide right through the palate from beginning to end so easily.

Drinkability: Heavenly. I want cases of this stuff. You would never guess it was nearly 7% ABV! Simply tasty easy drinking, fruit beer.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2006 05:01:57 | More by Phatz

dreadnatty08

District of Columbia

2.63/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a ruby red color. Very effervescent with a white soda pop foam that dissapates to nothing. Aromas are mostly filled with raspberries, some biscuit malt, and a little alcohol. Hmm, flavor is super sticky, super sweet and basically an alcoholic raspberry syrup. Hops aren't particularly detected, nor are any malts used. Carbonation is too low; I feel a fruit beer should be crisp and light. This is quite a dissapointment, I expected something better. Alcohol and raspberry Italian soda, move on.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2006 20:06:39 | More by dreadnatty08

froggyfrog

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle. Beer served chilled in a Cabernet glass.

A: This beer pours a sexy and distinctly pink hue with a huge puffy white pillow of head.

S: Big puff of raspberry with a bit of malt.

T&M: A middle weight beer with a pleasing crisp taste and mouthfeel. Very sour and heavily prickly on the tongue. Raspberry flavors dominate the palate. The sourness from the fruit provides the balance in this beer with little discernible hop flavor.

D: An enjoyable beer. Best served cold.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2006 20:45:40 | More by froggyfrog

wingman14

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a bright Kool-aid red with hardly any head by the time it got to the table. It smelled very sweet, a small hint of hops, but mostly rasberry. Tastes like rasberry Kool-aid, the only reason I knew it was beer was for the alcohol. I was least impressed with this beer although it does have its own merits. Maybe I will try this from a bottle, but after having some of the strongest offerings from Founders, this one just couldn't hold up. A decent beer worth trying if you are into the fruit beers.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2006 02:58:03 | More by wingman14

shivtim

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A beautiful deep rusty red, with a huge foamy head. Nose is super-sweet rasberry. Taste is very tart at first, giving way to a heavily carbonated sweet rasberry flavor, complete with seeds. A very interesting beer (although not very beer-like). Perhaps too sugary-sweet to drink too many in one sitting. It's reminiscent of a sparkling rasberry juice. Alcohol is very well hidden, it's deceptive.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2006 02:40:44 | More by shivtim

maxpower

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle pours a pinkish-red color with a small white head that doesn't last long, leaves some lacing in my glass. Fruity raspberry kool-aid aromas, sweet, tart and sour raspberry flavors. Medium bodied with a spritzy, seltzer like mouthfeel, finishes sour. Unique and flavorful, gets even better as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2006 20:25:47 | More by maxpower

rousee

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful magenta pour. Small head. Smell is vinegar and sugarplums, apples also, and I guess some raspberries. The taste is absolutely amazing !!!

This is one of the finest American examples of taking a Belgian sour/Flemish red and blending it with a sweet lambic like Lindemann's framboise. An excellent combo. The mouthfeel and drinkability are excellent also.This one is really worth seeking out.

Tasting notes:(in addition to sour cherries/raspberries would be some real woody maltiness)

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2006 01:27:44 | More by rousee

tallar

Michigan

4.78/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Picked up a six-pack of these a couple of days ago. I'm on my last one right now, so I figured I write a review.

Appearance: Pours out a ruby red color. Very reminscent of cranberry juice, in fact, with a decent-sized pinkish head that eventually settles and leaves almost no lacing.

Smell: The raspberries used in this stuff was very apparent from the minute I opened the bottle. Very sweet and tart smelling with a faint hint of malt.

Taste: Like the scent, raspberries dominate. Sweet at first, quickly turning slightly tart. Finishes tart, but crisp and clean with a slightly noticable malt undertone. A very well-done fruit beer, especially if you like raspberries.

Mouthfeel: Pretty good mouthfeel. Kind of creamy. The carbonation seems just about right and is actually kind of reminscent of champagne.

Drinkability: Excellent! This goes down very easy, maybe a little too easy. In fact, I found myself downing three of these in one sitting the other day. A very good spring or summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2006 00:27:44 | More by tallar

Mitchster

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

$2.59/bottle at Jack's. I picked up a 6'er as I liked it on tap. "Fermented with Pure Raspberries"...thank heaven's they didn't ferment them with the regular old-fashioned, un-pure kind. Evidently about 24 IBU. 6.9% ABV. Raspberries were added at five different stages throughout the brewing process. Pours out to a semi-hazy deep crimson red, forming a soapy dark-pink head with average retention and scant lacing. The aroma is nice..the tartness of the raspberries really shines through and they smell like fresh raspberries, not some knockoff concentrate like most other fruit brews. The taste is akin to a raspberry champagne without the spritzy dry mouthfeel. It's well balanced and not terribly sweet, with a tart, crisp finish. Medium carbonation, medium-light bodied. Never cloying, but one bottle is a dessert in itself. Burps bring up a nice toasty grain note. Bitterness is mild, but combines nicely with the tartness and sweetness to create a wonderful package. Alcohol isn't tasted, and it's cleanly fermented with some apple and pear characteristics from the ale yeast.

A wonderfully done fruit beer, amongst the best I've had. Despite this it still has that "wine-cooler taste" that may shy some people away, especially when you could buy a raspberry wine-cooler for cheaper. Still, Founder's delivers on their promise of making kick-ass beer. What style haven't they conquered yet? Hrmmm...Imperial Rye Dopplebock. I would drink that!

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2006 22:02:15 | More by Mitchster

gmcfarre

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into heineken half pint - bottle is undated by legible means, but the notch is far to the right side of the label if that means anything to you...

A - Pours with a tremendous head that lasts and lasts, reveling in its bubbly thickness. Head is a nice light candy pink color. Lacing is as you might expect with such a strong head. Color is a slightly cloudy deep red (basically what Killian's might look like if it were craft-made and actually good). Lots of carbo bubbles.

S - Smell is all tart & sweet raspberries. The malt/hop underpining of this beer is overshadowed by the fruit

T - Again, raspberries completely dominate, but it is a much more natural and pleasing taste than I've gotten from some other fruit beers. The tart sensation and the fruit sweetness complement each other nicely. The Founder's website claims that they use "fresh raspberries" which I might conclude to mean that they don't use a syrup. I think the difference is noticable.

M - Highly carbonated yet light with a nice tart aftertaste/finish.

D - As with many fruit beers, I could see this working nicely as a dessert beer and pairing nicely with a variety of desserts, from chocolate to ice cream. Alcohol is fairly high for a non-stout fruit beer, but it is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2006 03:11:48 | More by gmcfarre

ClearDog

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance -- It really looks like Cranberry juice in my pint glass with the exception of the one finger, red tinted head. The head dies down quickly. If there's any lacing, it's very thin and wet.

Smell -- Like raspberry syrup . . . real concentrated smell. It also reminds me of Leinenkugle's Berryweiss.

Taste -- Super tart, syrupy tasting raspberries. Very concentrated flavor. Again reminds me of Leinenkugles's Berryweiss, but heavier.

Mouthfeel -- Heavy for a fruit beer in my opinion. Very wine like.

Drinkability -- It's different, that's for sure. I'm having a hard time finishing the bottle. It's just a little too sweet and tart for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2006 03:32:07 | More by ClearDog

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance- Pours an eggshell colored head with good retention. A little spritzy looking, but thats ok. Leaves islands of foam in the center and outskirts of my drink. Colro is a bright yet slightly muted ruby.

Smell- A good amount of real rasberry smell with hints of lemons and wheat.

Taste- Starts out with some rasberry seltzer water notes, but quickly get a good syrupy pop of real rasberry flavor. Intermingled with said rasberries is a seltzer quality that I can't ignore along with some natural notes.

Mouthfeel- The carbonation allows for a pleasant and refreshing tonic water beer. Good for deserts and night caps. Especially with the ladies.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2006 03:53:13 | More by scruffwhor

CortexBomb

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rubaeus pours out like cranberry juice with a slight white head that quickly dissipates. The smell is mainly soft wheaty tones and raspberries. The raspberry aroma is fairly powerful, but it pales in comparison to the super razz Blushing Monk that I just had on tap at Founders, and the score is marked down a bit because of it.

The flavour starts out with a tart raspberry tone with a creamy malt body underneath. The finish has a distinct malty twang. Not a lot of depth here, but if you like raspberries, like I do, this is a good flavour.

Mouthfeel, some tingles in the right place and full carbonation effects...good stuff. Drinkability, rock solid. A refreshing, juice-like aspect make this an easy beer to quaff.

Overall, Rubaeus is an excellent spring or summer choice for beer lovers who happen to also like raspberries. I think the new Blushing Monk at the tap room outshines it (based on the heavier flavour due to increased fruit content) but Rubaeus is a smoother drinking beer and still maintains a lot of the things I like about its bigger brother. All of this said, I generally have a fair bit of Rubaeus throughout the year because it tastes wonderful with the nitro tap Oatmeal stout stacked on top of it. Just one more reason to visit Founders again, and soon.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2006 00:46:42 | More by CortexBomb

BigDaddyWil

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a oversized wineglass.
Founders secret bottling code notch suggests April/May 2006.

Wine like looking brew, deep amber red, with bright ruby highlights. A thin off white head with pinkish highlights forms, but not for long, leaving very spotty lacing. At first there was some chill haze, but quickly became crystal clear as it warmed. Not heavy on aromas, mostly rasberries and malt. Smells kinda like a Jolly Rancher candy. Taste mimics the smell, not as sweet as other fruit beers I've tried, but good. Finishes with a nice tartness on the tongue. There is some bitterness in there too, very faint. Decent amount of carbonation and medium bodied, make this fruit beer pretty damn easy too drink. A good Spring time sipper from Founder's!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2006 00:50:32 | More by BigDaddyWil

taez555

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured a reddish brown body with a small off-white head.

Nose has a sweet tart, raspberry or even natural cranberry type smell. The carbonation almost gives it that fruity soda sort of smell.

Medium bodied with a syrupy sweet fruit flavor. A big carbonation gives it a very soda like quality at first. Fresh Raspberries, natural tart fruits and some muted sugar. An interesting overlaying earthy bitterness that adds to the natural fruit flavor.

It is what it is. Sort of the session beer version of Dogfish head's fort. Not quite a lambic, but could be nice paired with chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2006 00:15:57 | More by taez555

mcallister

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very dark bland red with hints of brown. Slight white pinkish head with some lacing.

Aromas of sour raspberries, with a sweetness also. Even a little cherry aroma to it. Some hops in the smell also somewhat hidden with a yeast drop.

This is a great fruit beer. Upon entrance is a succulent sweet raspberry that melds into some slightly sour notes. On the back of the palate and throughout the long long finish is a wheaty hop flavor that leaves a great feeling in your mouth. Makes you want more. Makes it taste more like a beer.

On a warm day I could drink quite a number of these. Tasting great after just mowing the yard.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2006 20:47:25 | More by mcallister

nmyers

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer had a light ruby color to it with a nice pink head on it. Raspberries with a hint of hops is the best way I can describe the aroma of this beer.

The taste of this beer starts out sweet raspberry and the quickly turns into a tart raspberry taste. The taste of this one lingers on long afterward.

Almost champagne like feel in your mouth, really felt like and reminded me of a Lambic style beer.

Other than this beer being on the sweet side, I found it rather enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2006 23:18:13 | More by nmyers

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - A hazy rhubarb color with an explosion of pink foam everywhere. This one has quite the head on it. It is real bubbly in the beginning almost like champagne.

S - All raspberries in this one, a little tart, some malt aroma, not sweet or syrupy at all.

T - Starts of as sweet raspberry and then quickly transitions to tart raspberries and a slight bitterness. Slight malt backbone through the whole thing. It leaves quite an after taste.

M - Just like champagne. Crisp and very bubbly/carbonated with a very dry finish.

D - A good fruit beer that would probably be even better on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2006 02:07:50 | More by brewcrew76

Crosling

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Raspberry juice in color with a small and quickly diminishing head. Medicinal fruit aroma, raspberry mainly, but a hint of cherry as well, with light hints of malt and hops barely showing through the fruit aroma. Flavor is overwhelming with raspberry and although it is quite vibrant, I can’t say I enjoy the malt and hop combo. Light caramel and cookie-like malt is present on the palate as well. Overall, I found it to be a nice alternative to American wheat beer

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2006 00:35:56 | More by Crosling

kmo1030

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pink hued hazy brown with an out of control faint pink head. fortunately it dies pretty quick to a loose and large bubbled thin layer.
smells of fresh tart raspberry with an almost perfumy quality. sometimes i get a faint yeasty aroma, but it's very faint.
the taste is sweet pulpy raspberry at the front and gets fairly sour towards the middle and back. it's obvious there is some malt in here judging from the caramel that shows up if you really look for it at the end. probably some wheat in there too.
highly carbonated and not quite light body. no complaints it suits this one.
overall a solid raspberry fruit beer. drinks easily enough and is satisfying for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2006 02:25:41 | More by kmo1030