Founders Blushing Monk - Founders Brewing Company

woosterbill

Connecticut

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

750ml bottle into a Duvel tulip. Shared at a tasting.

A: Clear deep crimson body under a thin head of purple bubbles. Good retention, spotty lace. Nice.

S: Pure raspberry puree. Simple, direct fruitiness. Good and to the point.

T: Follows the nose. Liquid raspberry, pure and simple. Sweet and sticky on the finish.

M: Creamy, thick, sticky. Expected and pleasant.

O: This beer was definitely a one-note wonder, but it did a nice job delivering that one note. Give me the complexity of a New Glarus Raspberry Tart or a traditional Belgian Framboise any day, though. Oh, and my wife actually liked this beer, so that's something.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 15:36:49 | More by woosterbill

Holland

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to alefish for this bottle.

A: thick, dark red color that is almost purple in the middle and pink on the outsides, with a strong, light pink head.

S: smell is raspberry with some sweetness some yeast spiciness. The smell is fine, but it could be a lot more aromatic (if it were fresh).

T: taste is raspberry dominant, but is not overly sweet like I expected. Its tartness balances it out, and the raspberry taste even lets some belgian flavor come through.

M: medium-heavy body with a good amount of carbonation that lifts the body and gives it a bit of fluff.

O: solid beer, but it was better when I had it on tap at Founders. I started off thinking that my glass was not enough, but the drinkability diminishes as I have more than 8 ounces. It's trite, but this is now a different beer as the raspberry diminishes. Still awesome.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 23:47:52 | More by Holland

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

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

750ml bottle served in a snifter.

L - dark red with a pink head that thinned to a ring leaving a few spots behind.

S - tart raspberries, it's a nice aroma.

T - tart raspberry flavor from start to finish, no hint at over 9% abv here.

F - light/medium bodied with a crisp feel.

O - I'm glad I have one more bottle to enjoy with my sister-in-law for Easter 2012.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 21:03:47 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Bung

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml. The one "special" Founders release I just happened upon at the bottle shop, no ridiculous effort to obtain. Already gets extra points just for that.

A dark red pour, I mean no light really gets through. Pretty thick looking. Founders has such nice looking big beers.

Aroma, raspberry and tart cherry. That's about it.

Taste, not too sweet like I was expecting. Raspberry and a plethora of other red fruits. Light hay and lighter yet yeast funk. Still the raspberry and currant are the stars.

About in the middle body wise. A healthy amount of carbonation keeps this from being too fruit juicy. Still pretty coating.
An interesting high fruit American style Belgian.
4.5 overall is from ease of obtainment.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 02:18:19 | More by Bung

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a dark purple color with deep red highlights. an interesting pink/violet color foam caps the dark liquid.

S - the aroma is very fruit forward. notes of currants and berries are dominate along with an aroma reminiscent of sorbet.

T - the flavors are very similar to the nose. fruit forward. mostly currants and berries but there is a medicinal cherry note possibly from alcohol. drier than expected.

M - slick mouth feel. medium bodied. medium carbonation.

O - an interesting beer. I was surprised as how easy it was to drink, and the unique aromas. but not something I would crave constantly especially at this price point.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 22:19:00 | More by Teleweizen2

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – A very dark ruby black opaque color with a medium pink head. A thin head stays with the beer throughout.

Smell – Raspberries. A bit more sour than sweet. And some toasted malt.

Taste – Taste is mostly raspberries, slightly tart, with a touch of red wine.

Mouthfeel – A tingly carbonation, medium body. A bit tart. Alcohol is extremely well hidden.

Drinkability – Highly drinkable. The only hint of alcohol at all is the touch of red wine.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 05:44:58 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

tobelerone

New Jersey

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

Probably the best fruit beer I've ever had. Pop the top and the room is flooded with fresh raspberry aromas. The beer pours deep, vivid raspberry red, with a fluffy pink head that sinks down slowly. Lots of pink lace.

The nose is basically all raspberries as is the taste. It's very fresh flavored and real, no artificial fruitiness here, lots of sweet and lightly tart berry flavor. The fairly high alcohol content is marvelously hidden until you get to the bottom of the bottle and stand up and walk around. Hints of the Belgian yeast at the edges of the flavor but they're subtle. This is all about in-your-face fresh fruit.

Body is medium/full, bigger than I expected, with good carbonation. Somewhat creamy, not too fizzy, feels just about right, with a bit of heft to it. Here's hoping they bring this one back again soon.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 18:05:44 | More by tobelerone

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

Scotchboy

Idaho

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

2011 Bottling, a capped 750 from an awesome BA (thanks Steve). Split into wine glasses with the wife on Valentines night.

A: Pours a dark blood red with hints of darker ruby...pretty opaque...a fingers worth of pink head fizzles away but does leave some lacing behind...attractive.

S: Raspberries dominate upfront, with Belgian notes finding their way through as well. Smells authentic too, and not artificial. The raspberries are sweet and tart, and there is a definite layer of bready malts underneath. Some other fruits pop here and there as well, banana and grape come to mind. Really nice stuff.

T: Raspberry puree and Welch's grape juice...wow, incredible flavors, not too sweet or tart...hints of red velvet and raspberry cheese cake too. Light Belgian yeast notes wiggle through the fruit onslaught to provide some semblance of balance.

MF: Medium body, good carbonation, velvety smooth with a lightly tart finish.

O: So darn good, not cloying or overly tart, not artificial at all. Really drinkable as well. Would love to find another bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 15:54:28 | More by Scotchboy

inlimbo77

Delaware

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

750ml bottle from this past summer's release. Been sitting on this one a while, and decided to split with my wife for the Super Bowl as she loved it this summer when we drank the other one I'd bought. Poured into my Lost Abbey snifter.

A: Pours a really pretty deep pink ruby color. Finger of fluffy pink head bubblegum-like head. It's like pink marshmallow. Swirl causes of lacing sheets. Pretty good carbonation.

S: Smells like tart raspberries, all over it. Maybe a touch of funk, even though this isn't a funky beer. And you get a little bit of that Belgian yeast spice behind it all.

T: Nice tart fruit on the tip of the tongue. Not that fake raspberry flavor either, but really fresh fruit purée. In the middle of the mouth you get full on assault from the fruit. It's very sweet raspberry flavor. You also taste a little bit of that Belgian yeast spice and brightness. It's a nice dry close almost like a crisp white wine actually. Leaves you wanting more.

M: Medium bodied. Full mouth of fruit.

O: I have to go with an A grade on this one. I can't believe that I am rating it that high, but for the style and the amount of clean flavor that I got...I really liked it. Backed the wife's review up.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 14:24:03 | More by inlimbo77

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

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

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this

Review adapted from notes taken 1/21/12

Appearance: Somewhat ridiculous - dark purple, with a light pink head - nice lacing

Smell: Raspberries everywhere - juicy, glorious raspberries - not overly sweet, not particularly tart - just straight-up raspberries - the malt profile works great with this - light and lightly biscuity, sweet in a dry way - with the raspberries, this aroma profile is kind of like a raspberry Danish

Taste: Raspberries and apparently magic - a ton of raspberries, in a great way - sweet, not cloying - like fresh raspberries, not tart - and a nice malt profile, too - light, pale, sweet - slightly toasted - this is certainly not balanced, but for what it's worth, the malts add some balance

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, a little sticky due to the epic levels of fruit, nicely carbonated

Overall: Raspberries for the win

The only raspberry beer that I've encountered that tops this is New Glarus Raspberry Tart. However, this is a little hard to compare. It's very unique. It's very sweet, but it also has a nice malt profile.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 05:46:45 | More by angrybabboon

Phelps

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into a small tasting glass.

Deep, clear purple. One finger head of fuzzy light urple head quickly fizzles to a thin ring.

Tons of fruit and not much else in the nose. Sweet, smooth raspberries, simple white crackers.

BAM! The flavor dumps on the raspberries — it’s like tart, sweet raspberry puree. Not much else to it; just pure raspberry goodness.

A shade under medium-light in body. Mild carbonation breaks the beer into a good amount of fizz. Bright and spritzy, almost like champagne.

Blushing Monk looks, smells and tastes like pure raspberry syrup. It’s very sweet — I definitely wouldn’t be able to drink the whole bottle by myself. Maybe I’ll put the rest on some waffles or ice cream.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 03:45:27 | More by Phelps

starrdogg

District of Columbia

3.43/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a gorgeous dark reddish-purple with a thin pink head. Smell is sugary raspberries with some Belgian yeast lurking in the background. The taste doesn't live up to my expectations however. The raspberry flavor is excellent, but it's a little too sweet, heavy and boozy for my taste. The more I drink the more I think it tastes more like a raspberry liqueur than a beer. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, heavier than I would have imagined and fairly sticky. It's a nice fruit beer, but I would prefer something a little lighter and not quite as sweet. Maybe drinking fruit lambic over the last few years has spoiled me, but this is so opposite of that style that my palate is somewhat jarred.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 00:31:22 | More by starrdogg

dirtylou

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle, split and paired with some local funky cheeses

secret santa 2011

appearance: served in my hopleaf tulip, deep ruby body, thick luscious pink foam - bright and vivid.

smell: raspberry candy, sugar, grenadine, vinegar

taste: Instantly have to draw comparison to NG Rasp Tart, even thought the Founders effort is over double the ABV and a slightly different approach. Raspberry syrup is prevalent, a bit sugary, raspberry vinaigrette, a touch tart. Fairly one dimensional - lots of great fruit flavor, but could benefit from a touch of wood and tarter body.

mouthfeel: a touch syrupy, more sweet than tart

overall: good, but nothing too particularly special

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 17:45:17 | More by dirtylou

kbnooshay

New York

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

Pours a goregous dark ruby color with a small purple pink head. Kinda looks like a weird red wine. This smells like raspberry candy and raspberry syrup. This tastes amazing! Tastes like sweet candy and rasperrby. Other dark fruity flavors are there too. Slightly drying but also sweet. Feel is lightly tingly. Yum. So drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 03:55:56 | More by kbnooshay

jsanford

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into a Tulip Glass.

A - Pours a dark ruby red with a lovely rose-pink head that settles to a slight haze and ring.
S - Amazing raspberry aromas, TONS of raspberry jam with a though of honey and Belgian yeast.
T - More huge raspberry flavors with a nice Belgian fruitiness. One-dimensional, sure, but absolutely delicious and decadent.
M - Slightly sticky, with a touch-over-medium bodied and good, crisp carbonation that keeps this from getting cloying.
O - Such an amazing, crowd-pleasing beer that pairs phenomenally well with desserts. Founders should get rid of Cerise and add this to their full-time lineup!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 15:45:00 | More by jsanford

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

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this from 2beerornot2beer in the Blind Beer Round 6 BIF.
750ml. bottle poured into my newly acquired Bell's Tulip:

A: Pours a deep murky red with light pink hues. There is about one finger of pure pink head that settles in a decent amount of time.

S: This beer smells like straight up raspberries. There is a little bit of yeastiness to this brew, but no earthy funk notes. It’s very pleasant.

T: The taste is exceptional. The initial blast is huge raspberry, with only the slightest bit of yeasty funk. But mainly, it’s all raspberry.

M: Medium bodied beer. The raspberry flavors envelop the palate and linger for a bit. This beer finishes a bit dry.

O: An amazing fruit beer. Hands down, this is the most raspberry forward beer I’ve ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 19:04:38 | More by trxxpaxxs

doughanson78

Washington

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

750ml bottle poured into a tulip. Big thanks to HopDiggityDawg for this want.

A: Dark ruby red in color. Two finger pinkish head with a light purple hue. Great retention and lacing.

S: Big tart raspberries with a touch of sweetness. Nothing else.

T: Sweet upfront for a second. Pretty tart with touches of sour mixed in. Can ever so slightly taste the Belgian yeast in the finish.

M: Light body, but far from watery. Medium high carbonation. Great mouth coating. Leaves the mouth watering.

O: A good beer. Don't know if it's a Belgian Strong Pale or not but it's good.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 07:28:07 | More by doughanson78

tsauce2

Indiana

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

P: 750 ml bottle in to a DFH snifter

A: SRM is deep rose/raspberry red. Opaque. Head is raspberry red, 1 in, dissipates to outsides of the beer. Medium carbonation. Medium lacing.

S: Huge rich raspberry tones dominate the nose. Maybe a touch of hops and clove.

T: Initially a sweet raspberry flavor, but this gives way to a tartness in raspberry flavor. Subtle hints of barnyard funk push through before the tartness manifests. Alcohol is not noticable. Aftertaste is raspberry.

M: Medium body. Initially the feel is velvety and sweet, but then transitions in to a dry and crisp feel. Dry finish.

O: Darn good stuff from Founders, once again. A bit sweet initially, but I like the way that the sweetness gives way to a funky middle and tart, crisp, and dry finish. A really good beer overall. I will enjoy seeing how this ages.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 11:05:28 | More by tsauce2

Dope

Massachusetts

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

A: A dark red/purpleish pour with a decent light red/pink head. Fades somewhat quickly and leaves just a little bit of lacing. Head easily revived with some swirling. I gave it extra points just for the uniqueness.

S: Typical belgian yeast clove smell is somewhat strong. Delicious raspberry aroma as you would expect. Nice sharp tartness.

T: Wow, more raspberry than I expected. It's sweet at first and then very tart, almost sour. Puckering for a moment when you first sip it, like eating underripe raspberries. Great transition of flavors. Just a hint of belgian yeast hiding in there, but mostly overpowered by the wonderful raspberries. Somewhat simple but amazing at the same time. A treat in each sip. No indication of any alcohol.

M: One of the highlights of this beer. Silky smooth raspberry syrup.

O: Great fruit beer. Might be the best one I've ever tried. It's not like fruit soda like some, and it's not like others where the fruit characteristics are buried.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 04:57:57 | More by Dope

Morey

Pennsylvania

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

22oz bottle brewed in 2011.

Pours an extremely hazy raspberry red color with a pink head. Head stood one finger tall initially, but it subsided very quickly to almost nothing. Very little lacing or head retention.

Ripe raspberries fill the nose as I take my first sniff. Maybe a bit of a vinegar tartness in there as well. Almost like a raspberry vinegarette.

Taste is fruity (in the way of raspberries of course) up front. A ripple of sweetness follows, but is quickly wiped out by a nice wave of tart/sour flavor. Very nice.

Medium bodied with low carbonation, but the zingy-tartness that makes up for it.

I'm not sure that this beer was placed in the right category, but this is definitely one tasty Belgian overall.

Morey's Bottom Line: I've been sitting on this for a while now, and decided that today was a good day to crack it open. Very rich and tart raspberry beer. Fun and unique. If you're looking for something different....this is your huckleberry.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 20:37:17 | More by Morey

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Founders
Blushing Monk

Pours a vibrant red color with a pinkish, short livid head. Aroma of cherry, other assorted berries and Belgian yeast. In the taste, tart raspberry puree, cherry and cranberry juice elements. A mild tartness is noticeable. Alcohol is muted, tastes fruity, semi-sweet but very delicious. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, well carbonated. Overall, a tasty brew, almost like a lambic but not quite there, nor is it trying to be.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 20:45:08 | More by Stinkypuss

brystmar

New York

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

Been sitting on this one for awhile. Bright red pour, turns darker in my glass plenty of white head and sticky lace.

Bright, fresh raspberries in the nose and taste. Fruity sweetness follows, balanced nicely by the tart raspberry presence. Very true to its raspberry roots, much like the New Glarus we opened the other day. This Founders offerin is more tart and sports a rich, full body though. Mild boozy warmth makes for a pleasant finish.

An enjoyable brew, but not one I'd buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 02:15:44 | More by brystmar