Founders Rübæus - Founders Brewing Company

bignick

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Purchased at Bauer Wine and Spirits in Boston. Poured into a pint glass.

This beer pours a deep, cloudy pinkish-red. The head is out-of-control to the point that pouring it is very difficult. I will give this beer the benefit of the doubt, even though its a bit sweet for my liking, because it seems to really capture the essence of rasperries. It is sweet and tart, with a sour finish. It is pretty full-bodied and with a creamy mouthfeel. Definitely worth a try, but I can't imagine drinking this one regularly.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2006 01:13:42 | More by bignick

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance - massive pink foam on the pour. Look like a purplish cream soda! Very nice. The head recedes pretty quickly, leaving some stray dots of foam around the glass, not even enough to really call it lace.

Aroma - fresh raspberries are about all I'm picking up. It fades in intensity as the head melts down.

Taste - nice raspberry flavor. The beer component is there but relatively neutral, perhaps some very distant hop bitterness at the back of the mouth, or that could be sourness of the fruit. On the whole it starts out sweet like a wine cooler but ends up with the more serious bitter/sour piece at the end, a touch medicinal.

Mouthfeel - very upbeat and refreshing, the sweetness gives it a heavier feel, the carbonation tries to balance that out.

Drinkability - tasty but not one I'd go for generally.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2006 03:09:32 | More by brewdlyhooked13

Franchise

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Founders does it again, this offering poured a dark red body with a huge tinted head even with a soft pour. The body is fully carbonated, the aroma is fresh ripe raspberry, green apple, horse blanket, wheat, peppery spice, similar to aroma of a dry fruit wine. The taste starts sour, not as powerful as a lambic but very suttle. It also has a sweet tart chalky mouthfeel. The raspberry taste is very apparent, some sweetness in there for balance. The carbonation is perfect for a refreshing clean feel on the palate. This is a fantastic fruit beer, I couldn't drink it all night but it would be a perfect after dinner drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2006 19:42:09 | More by Franchise

francisweizen

Australia

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

On-tap at the tap room in Grand Rapids. This one is a dark ruby red colour with an off-white pink-tinged head of foam that held up pretty nicely. Aromas of artificial raspberries and booze as well as some earthy/musty hints way in the background. Taste is cookie malts with a nice boozy raspberry syrup sort of taste. Drinkability is good, although the mouthfeel is a little coating and overcarbonated. A decent enough, higher abv fruit beer. Scarily many of the regulars were mixing this in half and halfs with the breakfast stout, imperial stout, and even devil dancer!

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2006 15:43:25 | More by francisweizen

UncleFlip

Alabama

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

OK, so it turns out the one I gave UnionMade was NOT my last one. Found it in a box in the beer closet. :)

Very strong pink head leaps up from this one on the pour. It holds for a while over a red coloured hazy liquid with strong peach overtones, and eventually starts to fall, leaving a somewhat thick lace behind.

The smell is not really 'beer', but is still rather nice. It; light, sweet raspberry, with a bit of maltiness underneath.

Flavour reminds me a bit of a raspberry soda. The malt is understated, and there's not much hop at all. Fortunately, it's not overly sweet. A pleasant slight bitterness hits at the finish. Not bad.

Carbonation builds just past the midway point, and is a bit more than I would like. In that respect, it also reminds me more of a raspberry soda.

The high carbonation is the only reason this one doesn't get a 4.5 on drinkability.

Be well
-UF

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2006 07:09:08 | More by UncleFlip

jdhilt

New Hampshire

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

Pours a five-finger+ light pink head that fades quickly leaving no lace. Cloudy red/amber color. Strong rasberry nose. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Starts with a strong sweet raspberry flavor that stays right to the finish, hops and malts are way in the background. $2.99 for a 12oz bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2006 00:23:39 | More by jdhilt

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

2.8/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Wild carmine pours like an eddy in a glacial river in a gully during the peak of summer. Wild torrents of bubbles spew forth. This is one of the most wild pouring brews I have ever seen. The bottle should have a warning label printed on it that says, “Pour really slowly into a really big glass,” because this brew explodes all over the place.

Smells kinda like cough syrup mixed with raspberry Kool-Aid and boatloads of NutraSweet.

Tastes pretty mediocre, very medicinal and too sweet, false, with too little fruit or substance.

Mouthfeel is thin and artificial.

Drinkability is fine but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2006 04:00:05 | More by DaPeculierDane

GreenWBush

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Freaky, almost magenta in appearance, Founder's Rübæus comes out of the bottle into my chalice bubbly as all get out. Gigantic, whooshing 'champaign' foam that meringues but settles like a toddler after his ritalin. Smallish white head with flares of lace. Great presentation...par for the course from Founders.

Nose is raspberries in syrup; just really lovely and amazingly un-beery...a compliment, a put-down, and an invitation to beer advocacy all in one. Slight whiffs of sweettarts.

Intense fruit follows on the palate. Marachino cherries in syrup. Overripe red grapes. Childhood flashbacks to Sparkling Grape juice on New Year's.

Not really that drinkable, but remarkable and 'must-try' in all regards.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2006 19:14:41 | More by GreenWBush

UnionMade

Colorado

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

Huge thanks to UncleFlip for the bottle, as part of his way-too-generous beer trade. I understood it was his last one, too. Quite a guy.
Pours a hazy, muted rose color, topped with a pale mauve head. The head erupts violently upon pouring, foaming up to the top of the glass with less than an inch of liquid at the bottom. I finally got all the bottle's contents in a tumbler, with a mountain of pale mauvey-pink erupting out of the glass. Whew! Holds a ton of lace, however, sticking in sheets. Great retention, fed by furiously rising streamers of carbonation.
Pungent raspberry in the nose, more tart than sweet, with a backing of wheaty, slightly sour malt. Some toastiness.
The flavor begins with softer maltiness, helped along by initially sweetish raspberry. Pleasant fruitiness, not overbearing. It shares dominance with the malt. Unlike most fruit beers, this brew actually has some body and presence. Raspberry flavors become a bit tart into the finish. Real raspberry, all the way down to that wierd sharp tartness of the seeds. Some wheaty sourness, and a slight alcohol burn in the back of my throat. An odd kind of tart prickliness in the swallow, too. Charged carbonation, relatively full bodied. Very smooth, with a pleasantly dry finish.
Pretty good, especially for being a fruit beer. Fruit flavor isn't overbearing, and the tartness of the raspberries only works with the beery qualities. I'd had this beer on my radar for a bit, and I have to thank Uncle Flip again for sending it to me. I like Founders' brews, and I had to see what they did with a fruit beer. Everything I expected. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2005 03:04:40 | More by UnionMade

proc

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one pours out to a red color in the glass with an almost, exploding-like head. It took two pours, with the first one requiring a few minutes for it to settle. The appearance of this beer was incredible. I mean, come on, its red beer with a slightly red head. That alone was pretty entertaining for me. The aroma is nice with fruit obviously coming to the forefront. The taste starts off with a berry tartness that I was afraid was going to continue through the swallow, but actually mellows out with the tartness giving way to a nice sweetness that is not overdone or cloying, but nicely balanced.

Usually I don't care for fruit beers. This one is an exeception. Its an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2005 01:12:32 | More by proc

bditty187

Nebraska

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

Clear, rosy red in hue with a magenta tint, the liquid looks more like wine then beer. The head was white-pink in color, at the apex the foam was over three fingers in height. The bubbles quickly faded to a chunky cap; at least I was now able to pour the remainder of the beer in my glass. The subsequent lacing was very spotty and hardly noteworthy. Overall, this is an attractive looking beverage.

The nose smells akin to raspberry pie. The fruitiness is fresh and alive. I am very impressed. The maltiness is secondary, it is lightly bready. There really isn’t much development beyond that, which is to be expected. Moderate potency, I wish it was chattier. Still, the aromas are inviting.

The palate comes across more beer-like then the nose led on. The fruit is turned down, or maybe I should say, balanced with the malt. Upfront are fresh raspberries, which linger into the middle. At this point the bready malt develops and by the finish the malt is the focal point. Tart at times, it never becomes sugary sweet, in other words, there is a natural fruit arc to the palate. In the realm of raspberries the flavors are well-developed. I can’t detect the alcohol. It tastes like a malty wine cooler… well, I mean, this is clearly a beer; it just happens to be a light, fruity beer. The flavors are lively enough to keep my interest, much like Lindeman's Framboise or New Glarus Raspberry does… from time to time. I must note, I think both of those beers are much better then this one.

Medium-light in body, the carbonation is very active and scrubbing. I like the refreshing nature of the mouthfeel. The fruitiness is not allowed to loiter, which I think is a good thing for this beer.

This beer is drinkable but I am not overly impressed. I mean, it is what it is. Sure, it is a tasty fruity beer. Hell, it is even a fruit beer with balls. I could see this beer working in the right circumstances. I bet this would kick ass with a big green salad with a fruity vinaigrette dressing. Oh yeah! When all is said and done, this is a tasty beer but it just doesn’t wow me. I would like the raspberries to be richer… I like the fact the malt is accounted for however. Close. Very close to greatness. This sample was provided by BuckeyeNation. Thank you very much!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2005 00:38:54 | More by bditty187

juzy

Alaska

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

I received this bottle as part of a gift box from someone in WI.

I popped the cap and took a whiff from the bottle. Can't wait, smells great.

It pours a magenta color with a head that is thick and beautiful, like a layer of tiny, raspberry bubbles in my bath-tub. It leaves a lace veil along the sides of my glass.

The aroma reminds me of the end of summer, picking raspberries and preparing them for winter storage.

The first sip is almost like biting straight into the berry itself. Fresh from the bush, tart, not sweet, a hint of sourness. A mild hop flavor peaks through the berry predominence.

It's a bit tingly, like pink champagne. A light to medium body feel in the mouth. Very drinkable and most enjoyable. Wish I had another.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2005 16:57:52 | More by juzy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a dark pink color ale with a nice bubbly pink head with average retention. Aroma of pure raspberry is of pure enjoyment (I was a bit scare at first that this would be another chemically induced fruit beer). Taste is refreshing and raspberry totally dominate by bringing a balance between sweetness and tart. Alcohol is well hidden. Very well done for a style that comport to many misses.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2005 20:56:26 | More by Phyl21ca

BrewMaster

California

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 12 oz bottle purchased in Aug 05 at Founders in Grand Rapids. No freshness dating.

Appearance: Dark cherry red that glows brightly when backlit. With a vigorous pour a clean white head develops that takes on a pinkish look because of the red beer beneath it. The head has moderate retention and it thins to sticky clumps of islands and lace. Light swirling revives a smooth and uniform head made up of only the smallest white bubbles. The head is sticky on the sides and leaves a tight lacy coating on the sides.

Smell: Strong raspberry nose with lots of candy sugar sweetness in the fruit. Some grainy seed or rye scent sits around the raspberry smell.

Taste: Tangy sweet flavor much like raspberry jam up front. Considering the nose on this beer it is surprisingly diverse in the flavors it offers. Along with the raspberry is a full maltiness in the middle. The chewy malt lasts into the last third of the beer. The end lets a tiny cluster of earthy and leafy hop bitterness burst out into the sweetness. This is nice change and without it the beer would approach cloying with all of its sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Grainy, sticky, and syrupy. It has the feel of sugar dissolved in water with a spoonful of raspberry jam mixed in. Tasty, but it feels more like fruit punch gatorade than beer on my palate.

Drinkability: Despite the not-so-great mouthfeel this beer is very drinkable. It is sweet and fruity with some hop to balance out the mad sweetness. I'd recommend trying it at the very least. It make a good dessert beer all by itself.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2005 05:04:40 | More by BrewMaster

walleye

Michigan

3.2/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

from the bottle. poured a meduim cherry to raspberry, with a big foamy pink head that left some good lacing. aroma, raspberries, yeast, citrus, fruity. flavor, like a wine cooler, raspberries, tart with some sweetness ( like a sweet tart). would be a good summer beer

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2005 00:47:05 | More by walleye

far333

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Beet/pomegranate colored with a purplish head that rises up quickly and sinks down low. Sweet and tangy aroma of raspberry. Flavor is a sweet and tangy raspberry right upfront, with a dry sweet-tart finish. Raspberry flavor lingers long on the palette. Mouthfeel is full and creamy, very satisfying, with a crisp finish. I'm having trouble picking out any other flavors, the raspberry is so all-encompassing. Tasty beer, but a bit low on the drinkability scale for me due to the shock and awe of the raspberry flavor throughout the glass. Thanks to BuckeyeNation for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2005 22:46:56 | More by far333

meathookjones

Virginia

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

The body is a pinkish red with a nice size light pink foamy head. Some lace was left coating the glass. Tart fruit notes, raspberries and some other fruits. Some sweetness to it as well. Overall a pretty strong aroma. Flavor starts off with a big of fruit that is tart and sweet. Raspberries are noticeable as are other sweet malty notes. Ends with a lightly sour finish. Nice but not too much too it. Medium body with a bubbly feel to it. A bit refreshing as well. Pretty good and easy drinking. A nice fruit beer for the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2005 19:36:07 | More by meathookjones

FLAbeergutinMASS

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

All of a sudden, Founders products are popping up all over Western Mass. This one showed up a couple of days ago. I am not a fan at all of fruit beers; but I figured, what F, it's Founders.

Head absolutely exploded when I was pouring it (average pour), took a good while to settle down. Gave off tremendous raspberry odors, yes, odors, I could smell it from a couple of feet away. Head eventually settled down, to leave a taint of rasp along the cusp of the glass on foam- I have never seen that before. Lacing almost the entire length of the glass. Hazy unfilterness, glowing tinted red-that doesn't make sense. Whatever.

Decent beer certainly won't turn me on to the world of fruit/veggie beers. Might be a good way to introduce your girl to craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2005 21:52:51 | More by FLAbeergutinMASS

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy, hazy, pink/red pour. Huge frothy white head, rose up very quickly too.

Tart, snappy nose. Raspberry scent dominates, some yeast, malt too.

Great tart raspberry flavor. Crisp and tangy with a clean finish. In character, it's much like my favorite lambics. Maltiness is present in a significant portion as well. I don't get any real sense of the alcohol.

Mouthfeel is zippy, must be greatly refreshing on a hot summer day. Still, it tastes pretty good even on a rainy October evening.

Overall, very good. Drinkability is high, for the style. I would be happy with just 1 or 2, especially in the summer season. My wife, however, loving fruit beers, would probably drink these all night.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2005 22:10:11 | More by ghostwalker

Winter

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First attempt at pouring filled my glass with a foam. Pours a tawny ruby red in color. Cloudy in appearance. Airy light pink head. Sweet red raspberries on the nose. Some alcohol too. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied. Taste initially is filled with the taste of sweet raspberries. Not overly sweet though, as it exhibits a nice berry tartness to it. Malt flavor follows. Alcohol definitely present in the finish.

This is what a berry beer should be. Assertive raspberry flavor that's not cloying at all. The 6.9% abv give this beer some punch. Nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2005 02:56:10 | More by Winter

PatYoda

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pinkishly copper with a humungous head of tiny popping bubbles. Smell is mostly raspberry. They definitely used raspberries in this. There is some bready malt underneath and a little alcohol. Taste is sugary sweet on the tip of the tongue and very raspberry tasting. As you swallow, the taste morphs into a very tart raspberry finish. As in the smell, there is some maltiness and alcohol underneath for sure, but they blend together with the raspberry well. The finish is clean and crisp with the raspberry lingering for a couple seconds. This is probably one of the most carbonated beers I have tried, which works well for the style and prevents it from tasting like raspberry syrup after awhile like the New Glarus beers, though the raspberry flavor isn't as in your face as the Raspberry Tart either, which I like. Very nicely done. I could definitely drink a few bottles.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2005 15:57:06 | More by PatYoda

Frozensoul327

Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Damn, this beer near killed me when I opened it. A loud pop like a .22 rimfire. Don't know why or how. Anyway, so upon pouring, the carbonation rears it's head and i'm left with 4 inches of foam, and 1 inch of beer. Ok... Um, this is different. Finally it cooled off and I was able to pour it and really get into it. Dark raspberry red color with high carbonation. Major foamy head was present. Aromas of raspberries and some malt with a touch of sweet alcohol. Taste is exceptional. Right up a the fruit beer alley; flavors of raspberries, strawberries, malt, sweet hops and alcohol blend in fantastic harmony. Tartness is present yet not overpowering, adding to the presentation of the flavors. Sour finish is smooth and slightly warming. Mouthfeel is light and airey, not watery or sticky like some other fruit beers. This beer has a high level of drinkability, as this could be enjoyed year round, but more so in the summer. Highly recommended beer for this unique style. If you want raspberries in your beer, look to this, not a rasberry eisbock.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2005 01:32:28 | More by Frozensoul327

rteis

Michigan

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

Great fruit beer. I typically prefer a little more carbonation, but still very good. Rasberry flavor was very balanced with the beer. Comparable to some of the Belgian Lambics. If you've never been to Founders, it's definitely worth the trip. Come thirsty, but not hungry because they don't serve any food.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2005 02:43:27 | More by rteis

12vUnion

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Rübæus pours a gorgeous red. Dark, maroon at it's thickest. Ruby up to the light. Stunning. There is a foamy mountain of white/light pink on top. It fades quickly. Very carbonated.

Smells of raspberry, alcohol, a sort of soap and roasted malty goodness. It doesn't smell real sweet. With a good whiff I can almost taste it.

The taste is something different all together. What's actually in here is not like a roasty stout, but somewhat like a dopplebock in the malt. The raspberry is bitter and tart. Fully tastes like a raspberry. It adds a long, tart taste. Not very sweet. It's in there, but I more expected a Belgium level of sweet. The more I drink, the more I like the balance. It bubbles up into my nose. Very nice. Not at all what I would have expected. It's very unique. A good drink to go with a salad I think. Or maybe a sorbet. The roasted malt and lack of sweet make it fit for a meal. But the raspberry makes me want to call it dessert like a lambic. Not close to a lambic at all. Pretty darn good.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2005 06:19:30 | More by 12vUnion

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle purchased as a single at Julio's, Westboro, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 5" blush-hued head over the 1/2" of raspberry-tinged amber brew. Head fades very slowly, I had dinner while it receded, with heavy, frothy lacing as expected with such a head. Aroma is something to behold, effervescent raspberries dominant. Taste is the same berries upfront, mellows with some malt body, and then closes with a bit of a sour tinge. Mouthfeel is not quite as smooth as I had hoped/expected, and seemed a bit over-carbonated, but still not bad. Drinkability was somewhat limited by how long it took to get in the glass. Not a bad fruit brew, but I've had better.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2005 22:51:31 | More by ppoitras