Founders Blushing Monk - Founders Brewing Company

Optifron

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Enjoyed 11/18/2012 during Founders night as Crane Alley in Urbana, IL

Appearance: Dark, dark crystal clear red. Very nice looking.

Aroma: Tart raspberries. Really nice tart raspberries.

Taste: And of course, delicious tart raspberry! I’m a fan of tartness, so this does it for me. Normally not big on fruit beers, but this is fantastic.

Mouthfeel: Nice, smooth and balanced.

Overall: Fantastic raspberry beer. Good drinkability. Could have a lot of this.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2012 21:30:28 | More by Optifron

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Founders Fest. Served in a very fancy plastic cup...

Pours a crazy deep pink/ light purple w/ 1 finger light pink head. Almost no lacing. 

Straight forward but inviting nose of berries and sugar. 

Huge fruity, tart, raspberry flavor. Belgiumy apple, slight yeast & funk. Only a minir trace of the 9+% abv. 

Medium heavy feel with a good but not overpowering carbonated zest. Long sweet raspberry finish. 

I thought I'd never get to try this again after blowing through the bottle I had. Glad this showed up at the festival. I'm not a particular fan of either Belgians ir fruity beer but this stuff is in a class all it's own. Well done, Founders!

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2012 23:56:23 | More by ThickNStout

julian89

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

So yeah, I went to Brick Store Pub's annual breakfast before work and had KBS 2010, CBS 2010, and Blushing monk to make an awesome 8-10 oz per cup beer flight, all on draft. Yes It was a great start to my work day. I had the CBS from bottle last year, from what I remember it's just as fantastic.

Appearance: Pours a dark purple, opaque, and syrupy body with a foamy off-white head.

Smell: Raspberries, raspberries, and a little more raspberries. Not much else, and I love it.

Taste: Once again, the ABV is masked so well. It's like a spicy boozy raspberry smoothie in consistency. It's fruity mix is very good. It's been the best fruit beer I've had and better than some fruit lambics for sure.

Mouthfeel: Full body. Medium carbonation. Creamy and smooth.

Drinkability: Quite good, never thought I would rank a fruit beer so high.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2012 17:21:07 | More by julian89

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-dark ruby red color with little head and no lacing

S-rich berry aroma with hints of yeast

T-lots of berry flavor with some sweetness balanced by a light tartness and hints of yeast. While appealing, this beer had very little of what I would consider flavor reminiscent of a beer

F-medium body with light carbonation and smooth feel

O-an interesting and flavorful beer which I enjoyed for dessert, but would not drink much on a regular basis

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 19:14:52 | More by MDDMD

Soonami

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Pinocchio's

This beer is a beautiful deep ruby color, slightly hazy, with little head. it smells and tastes like fresh raspberries. There is not much beer flavor here, but there is a fair bit of Belgian yeast that contributes an identifiable spicy ester and phenolic profile one gets from pale Belgian ales. The beer is very sweet (at least the perception of sweetness is there from the berries), but there is a nice tartness to balance it out. It has a fresher fruit taste than New Glarus Raspberry Tart, but I find it sweeter more aggressive than that beer, which I enjoy a bit more.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 20:50:26 | More by Soonami

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -22%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Draft pour into a 6oz flute for $4.50. Sampled 9/6/11.

A: A rose colored cap is 1 finger thick. Respectable staying power with a sizable collar remaining. The body is deep garnet in color, very radiating when backlit. Gorgeous brew, particularly the color. Also, while we're talking about the appearance, can we take a second to think about the style listed here? BSPA. Really?

S: An endless aroma of pure raspberry. But while the smell is pleasing to the olfactory system, there is very little to contemplate. Definitely one dimensional.

T: The taste is similar, straight syruppy sweet raspberry. And grenadine. But what can really be expected from a 9% fruit beer with a comedic amount of raspberries?

M: The mouthfeel is less cloying than I predicted after my first whiff, and there is just enough carbonation to keep things from being *too* messy. That said, I definitely appreciate the small pour.

O: I'm hoping the fruit fades with extended cellaring. And while I'm wishing, wouldn't it have been nice if this beer saw some barrels and bugs? I see some potential there.

I brought this beer and a bottle of champagne to a NYE party for mimosas. No one seemed interested. I thought it was a good idea.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2012 09:25:27 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another great brew enjoyed @ The Bavarian Lodge Founders Takeover.

This beer is red. Dark red while sitting but when held to light, you can see the ruby redness of this brew. A thin layer of off white head sits briefly.

The nose is straight raspberry fruitiness. There's is a bit of heat on the end. Sweet smelling all around.

The taste is very sweet and full of raspberries. All of the possible Belgian yeast characteristica have been covered by the fruit filled blast. Raspberry is really all I gotta say.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a short, crisp amount of carbonation. Sweet and palate coating.

Overall, this is pretty good if you're a fan of raspberries and I am. This is like drinking spiked raspberry punch. Strange beer, great flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2011 23:28:38 | More by ChugginOil

GRBrew

Michigan

2.53/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I was really disappointed in this beer. It was glowingly sweet and the fruit flavor was overpowering. The mouthfeel was syrupy and I just could not enjoy it at all. There was little to no head on this beer and the carbonation was severely lacking. I'm not sure what the hype is about. I like Founders but this one was a miss.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 03:42:49 | More by GRBrew

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this on a specially hosted night at the local bar. They offered a significant line up of Founders beers.

They served this in a small snifter glass.

It is a beautiful deep red. In the light I really enjoyed the ruby coloring.

There was minimal carbonation, but it did have a halo of foam. This left some lacing on the glass.

This beer smells really good. You get a ton of raspberry. But, it doesn't smell like fake raspberry.

The flavor is like a raspberry bomb, yet, still not the fake stuff. They used real raspberries, and you can really taste it. My wife, who doesn't care for beer (please don't judge), really enjoyed this offering.

The body was thick, like a heavy stout. It was perfect for sipping.

I really enjoyed this beer. I recommend sharing a big bottle with friends as a dessert.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 23:55:58 | More by ummswimmin

todisht

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful deep ruby color with about a finger of purplish-pink head.

When it's cold straight from the tap it's a bit prickly in the mouth and a little overbearing in flavor. As it warms a bit everything tends to mellow out and it's quite enjoyable. I was a bit skeptical that this would be too sweet but I was pleasantly surprised. Not too sweet at all. Not something I'd want to drink everyday but overall a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2011 16:26:19 | More by todisht

herman77

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes on 8/25

A: Dark cranberry red with a small purple-pinkish head that dies off quick. Hardly any lacing.

S: Raspberries galore! Lots of sweet, fruity raspberries. There is some grassy, almost musty like notes as well in the background.

T: Lots of raspberry, almost like raspberry juice or wine without all the sweetness. There is still some sweetness to it, but its pretty natural. Nice tartness in the finish.

M: Medium body, average carbonation.

O: Well done. The abv is really well hidden. Good drinkability, but I wouldn't want a lot of it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 00:53:20 | More by herman77

monkey911

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was so excited to try this beer. I have always loved lambic- fruit style beers. First off the beer pours a deep red, as expected a quickly - disappearing pink head. It was a bit more sour than i expected in taste both on draft and in bottle. Still a great beer worthy of the founders label. I would say its very close to the ras tart from new glaris, but with a heavier mouthfeel and overall weight. I would however rather have a new glaris belg red over either one of these beers.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2011 04:19:53 | More by monkey911

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Teresa's, Wayne, PA

Six-ounce pour into a flute glass. A lush ruby-colored beer with a thick magenta head, that receded to a thin layer, leaving some nice lacing behind. Aroma thick with raspberries, like Lindeman's Framboise times five, at least. Juicy sweet taste, raspberries aplenty--you can almost feel the grit of the seeds between your teeth--tart sensations on the tongue, grassy, with subtle hints to the malt and yeast at play in the distant background. Medium-bodied and very drinkable for a fruit beer. Founders is definitely my go-to brewer if I'm in the rare mood for a raspberry or cherry (see: Cerise) beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2011 11:08:29 | More by Rifugium

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on draft at Capone's in a 5 oz. snifter. Pours a luscious wine red. No head to speak of. This wreaks of raspberries in a good way. The taste is very complex. Sweet, yet tart...this is all raspberry all the time. 5 oz. is the perfect serving size for this. Definitely a sipper, I find myself involuntarily preventing this from rolling over the tip of my tongue. Oh yeah. It's sour. Considering this type of beer isn't really my bag, I'm enjoying this. Would have again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2011 23:36:41 | More by Retail1LO

vandemonian

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Founders Blushing Monk is a delicious raspberry beer that mixes sweetness with sour.

A: Red colour and head that fades quick. 3.5

S: Raspberries with slight sourness. 4.5

T: Great mix of malt, fruit and tart. Yum. Sour aftertaste. 4.5

M: Liquid. Not much body. 3.5

O: Yum. 4

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 02:51:12 | More by vandemonian

DCon

Missouri

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on-tap @ the Bridge Wine House & Tap Bar in St. Louis, MO for $10. Tapped from the Founder's Tap Handle into a 12oz Glass that looks VERY similar to the Cerise. I actually ordered a Cerise but upon them saying it was the Blushing Monk, I was shocked and stunned of this great find!

Aroma- Very sweet and a great raspberry aroma.

Appearance- Received with less than .5 fingers of head and has a bright, ruby red color body. Good lacing follows it up. A definite "Eye Candy" beer.

Flavor- Has a very tart taste and of course the nice raspberries that they mention. Nothing but the best raspberries also, may I add. Sweet and stings the tongue with flavor!

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, High Carbonation, and very Creamy!

Overall Impression- I've had this one in Bottle, and have to say it is even better on tap! It was creamier and fresher tasting on-tap. While I still am a huge fan of this brew, I am still looking forward to the Canadian Breakfast Stout coming out in October! Keep it up Founders!

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2011 04:37:21 | More by DCon

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Founders Brewing. Dark purple-red pour with very pink foam. Aroma of pure raspberry, seeds and all. Taste is sweet, with only a slight "natural" tartness from the raspberries and finishes with a slight touch of belgian ale yeastiness as though to make sure the sweet fruity flavors don’t go on forever. Palate has medium carbonation and is quite full bodied. I never thought I would like this beer so much, it was our favorite of the night @ Founders.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2011 22:06:37 | More by Luk13

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the Dirty Truth in Northampton. 10oz pour served to me in a heavy chalice.

A: As usual, it's a bit too dark in the bar for me to see the beer as well as I would like. It looks to be a deep maroon in color. The head is very attractive. It stands about an inch high, and is a lovely shade of pink. I have never seen a head this color before. Very aesthetically pleasing. Looks to be moderately cloudy, but I really can't tell for sure. The head has only moderate staying power, and there really isn't much lacing left behind.

S: Black cherries, chocolate covered cherries, raspberry candy. Earthy Belgian yeast. Hints of anise and dark chocolate. Highly aromatic. Not overly complex, but very good.

T: Juicy cherry taste with a nice tart kick. Lots of raspberry. Puckering sourness. Flash of green apple candy. Rich tastes of dark chocolate and chocolate covered black cherries are punctuated by an earthy Belgian yeast. Mild anise taste surfaces only briefly. Dark chocolate, sour cherries, and raspberries linger in a long, sweet finish.

M: Medium bodied. Full and fluffy in the mouth. Effervescent carbonation plays up the sourness a little. Deceptively smooth. Not a trace of alcohol, though this is a very strong beer.

O: A treat to drink. It would pair wonderfully with chocolate covered fruits.

Notes: I wasn't expecting the sourness, but it turned out to be a welcome addition. One of the best fruit beers on the market. A tad one-dimensional maybe, and not very complex, but I love it for what it is. Comparable in some ways to Troegs Mad Elf, though I like this better.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2011 16:46:28 | More by ryan1788a5

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep red witha pink head. In the aroma, a small dry presence of fruit. In the taste, quite fruity, especially raspberry, with a dry texture to a small sweetness. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel with a small dry fruity raspberry like aftertaste. Still quite fruity, but hides the alcohol, and not overbearing at all.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 15:39:48 | More by OWSLEY069

brew3crew

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at founders brewpub

A-Ruby red color with a rosey head that quickly dissipates

S-Rasberries. very sweet and inviting

T-Tart rasberries, is there really anything else. This is so very good!

M-medium bodied smooth and sweet

O-had one from 2007 that was better. can you imagine that. better? Anyways. buy 2. one for now and one for later!

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2011 01:17:12 | More by brew3crew

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at my favorite bar The Royale.

A - Pours a very nice dark red with some ruby edges. Very dark. There is a nice pink 1 inch head that forms and recedes slowly down to a mat.

S - Raspberry pure with jame. Delicious. Slight tartness that is cut by some more delicious fruitness. Quite sweet but not overbearing.

T & M - Starts off sweet with raspberry jam flavor. Then gets a bit tart and refreshing and then finishes off with some great strong sweetness that is not overpowering because of the balancing tartness. What more can be said. It is smooth and taste like raspberry soda but its a delicious beer. Well done Founders. I'm glad I got to try this on draft.

O - A great brew. With delicious raspberry flavor and good alcohol content.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2011 00:14:17 | More by JoEBoBpr

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Draft poured into a tulip

A: Pours an opaque, dark red color, solidifying into a mahogany. Some light gets through, but very little. The head is thin but with dense bubbles and is a beautiful purplish pink hue, very unexpected and nice.

S: Aroma is immediately strong with raspberries and tart black cherries, lending obvious credence to its fruit genre.

T/M: Taste follows suit with tart raspberry sweetness and some cherry as well, not as mediciny as Kasteel Rouge but similar otherwise. It has light to medium carbonation with a sweetness that lures you in but a tartness that follows close and fills the entire mouth. Fortunately, the alcohol is well disguised.

It’s great after one but more would be overbearing.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 15:25:42 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Founders Blushing Monk

On draft at Sunset Grill, Boston, MA

Appearance: bright pink-red, small head, and some good lacing.

Smell: fruity goodness.

Taste: fruits and rose.

Mouthfeel: medium and smooth.

Overall:
This brew is perfectly balanced. It has a quick decay as well.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 04:11:19 | More by megahurts4

Gtreid

Florida

3.93/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the source. 7/9.

A: pours a very deep red with a minimal head. The pinkish foam receeds to nothing, no lace.

A: Sweet raspberries all the way here. I get notes of base malt and a touch of the belgian yeast, but it is all about the berries. I gt a healthy dose of alcohol in the nose as well.

T: sweet syrupy raspberries. I can appreciate a good fruit beer, a d this one seems to have all the makings. Great ripe red fruit flavor with Belgian yeast. The alcohol was not well hidden, which will limit the score some. Finishes sweet with a bunch of alcohol.

M: Medium body, lower on the carbonation. Somewhat syrupy.

O: Thicker than a regular fruit beer with way more alcohol, but not in a bad way. This is a really good beer and one I would have again. Skal.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2011 00:52:13 | More by Gtreid

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 Version

1/2 finger of pink hued white head. Color is a dark grape-juice purple. Very appealing.

Aroma: A ton of raspberries. A bit tart, a bit sweet. Reminds me of the previous version. I pick out the jelly that I found in the last version as well. This beer is complex, but I really can't pick out the other flavors.

Taste: Raspberries with a bit of tartness. Very fruity. There isn't really any other standout flavors. Straight up raspberry.

Mouthfeel: Sweet and tart. Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Ends very clean.

Overall, the main thing that I noticed different about this beer was that I couldn't pick out the alcohol. I guess the small drop made a difference. A really solid beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2011 01:43:45 | More by mothman