Founders Cerise - Founders Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Beer Engine, Cleveland. Finally got around to rating this one. Reddish coloued boy, a little retained head that is soapy. Well malted down only somewhat tart cherry taste. Its OK, and that's all that seems intended.Average mouthfeel carbonation is right there.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 14:20:35 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Founders Cerise is an odd, although not unappealing, shade of bright reddish orange. The whipped creamy crown is cherry blossom pink and is starting to leave sudsy patches of lace on the upper reaches of the glass. Much more sticks once the beer falls with drinking. It's a good look and is perfectly in keeping with the style.

After a single sniff, it's obvious that tart (Michigan) cherries are the centerpiece of this beer. That doesn't mean the nose is aromatic enough, because it isn't. Rubaeus was bursting with raspberries, so I'm not sure why this one isn't bursting with cherries.

Fruit beers don't need to hit the drinker over the head, but they do need to be more bold than this. The total amount of flavor is roughly half of what it is in the Sam Smith Organic Fruit Beers. If you think that's okay because you don't love cherries, then what the hell are you doing drinking a cherry fruit beer?

Founders did a better job with Cerise than with Rubaeus in one way (and only one way). This offering has a moderate sweetness, which is a nice complement to the fruity tartness. Bitterness is virtually absent (15 IBUs), as it should be in most beer of this style. The finish lingers for a bit, and is where the fruit flavor makes its biggest splash.

It looks like appearance and mouthfeel are the highlights. The sugars are on the high side (let's go with moderately to significantly sweet), which lends a lightly syrupy quality. The bubbles are fine and dandy, being neither too prominent nor too scarce.

Word is, Cerise is a replacement for Rubaeus, presumably due to the relative costs of the fruit. That's a shame because the raspberry beer is better than the cherry beer. Oh well, there's plenty of other stuff from Founders to love. Like most all of it.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2009 12:33:29 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Solid offering here. I had heard this one was out for a while now, but I had never gotten around to actually trying it. After a month or so, I was delighted to be able to receive one if the mail. Served chilled and poured into a pint glass, I enjoyed this one while cooking out on 05/31/2009.
 
The pour was nice, light pink in color with a light fizzy head of white on top. Nice amounts of carbonation were tossed in as well and the overall look of it was very very, and very light. Smooth, mellow aroma of cherries here with a very nice balance struck between the tartness and light sweet notes that permeated throughout. Lightly dry on the finish here and the fruit flavor was done in such a way as to not take overall offense to it. Rather this was not a big, fruit heavy flavored beer, it was nice and clean, crisp, refreshing. Very solidly done with a light, easy drinkable nature to it that made the day go by quick.
 
Overall an easy drinking, smooth, clean and very seasonable light fruit beer. I would have no issue at all with having this again any day, In fact I think it would be well worth it.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2009 21:47:58 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for this one, Jeff.

A: The beer pours a hazy reddish orange color with a thin white head.

S: Smells like cherry pie, which is pretty much what I expected. There's a light tartness of cherries to it as well. There really isn't any depth to it in terms of malt aroma, but definitely lots of cherry.

T: Things aren't much different on the palate. Sweet cherries combined with a light tartness of cherries to it as well. Again, really no malt or bread flavor. Maybe a hint of spice.

M: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation.

O: Sort of like the New Glarus fruit beers in the sense that it's sweet and overly fruity, but it's got a nice flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 05:11:04 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle consumed in Spring 2009. Review input from notes.

Pours a reddish-pink mixed with a wee bit of brown. The aroma is that of tart cherries with hints of sweetness. The taste brings out even more cherry flavor, coming full on at your palate. There is a slight tartness to it as well. Medium bodied and quite drinkable, a fantastic fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2009 18:30:10 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours an appropriately cherry-hued body that's a tad hazy and layered with a small-sized, wispy, white head.

Smell: Juicy, ripe cherries provides some sweet-scented accents, but mostly tart notes come through. Also, some meager hints of spice.

Taste: Cherries! With a well-balanced intermingling of both toothsome sweetness and puckering tartness. There's an apparent maltiness to the beer, but, really, it just seems to serve as a modest base for the added fruit. Pinch of cinnamon in the background. Very subtle hint of bitterness. Still, the beer finishes with final sweet/tart flourishes and that cinnamon note moving to the front.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-light carbonation.

Drinkability: An ideally refreshing cherry beer and one I enjoyed. It's no New Glarus Belgian Red, but it's no slouch, either. Give it a try if you're an admitted fan of fruit beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 00:18:51 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a pink lemonade color with a bubbly pink cap that leaves a few splashes here and there

Smell: Tart cherry aroma

Taste: Starts out with a subtle sweet cherry flavor that is joined by the tart fruit and builds in both directions by mid-palate, with just a hint of malt underneath; after the swallow, the tart flavors prevail and linger into the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Not something I would drink everyday, but a well-executed fruit beer that blends both sweet and tart flavors nicely together

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2009 00:44:59 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to kzoobrew for sending me this one!

Pours a hazy light red with a 1 inch fizzy off-white head that fades to nothing. No lacing on this one. Smell is of malt and some fruity cherry aromas. Taste is of malt and sour cherry flavors. There is a sour/acidic quality that lingers on the back of the tongue after each sip. There is a high level of carbonation with a crisp and bubbly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good fruit beer with a nice sour cherry flavor. A good refreshment for the hot summer months.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 22:57:25 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a bright pink color ale with a large pink bubbly head with minimal retention and some lacing. Aroma of medium sour cherries with some discernable malt. Taste is also dominated by sour cherries though malt bill is present but somewhat neutral. Body is quite full with good carbonation. Well done with good balanced and not cloying in any way.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 02:49:55 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.23/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

For a fruit-forward beer Cerise doesn't offend the non-fruit beer drinker, but gives a bold cherry taste that will appeal to fruit lovers in general.

The pour brings a decisive mauve color of Ruby Red Grapefruit. Hazy pink with some bolder, ruby hues. Ample carbonation delivers a formitable, upfront foamstand that falters with low-lying malt protiens. A pectin haze gives the appearance of mild wheat.

Both the aroma and flavor are soaked in fresh cherry character that straddle the fence of real cherries and confectionates. Still, a background of malt base stands firm and doesn't let the cherry notes dominate completely. The beers light hopping and more subtle pleasantries are difficult to detect because of the full cherry flavor. Still, this is a beer and never confuses itself with wine coolers or overly sugary beverages.

The body is a bit light, some would say thin because of the tartness of the cherries and the weakness of the base beer. Again, the cherry additions do not make the beer cloying, sticky-sweet, or void of texture.

Since fruit and beer has a long and loyal history, Founders' proud summer seasonal celebrates what's best about their popular and local cherry crops.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2009 14:36:28 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It certainly looks good. Pinkish foam over a ruby body with orange highlights. It's hazy but it's obviously intended to be. Small particles of yeast can be seen floating within. Unfortunately, the head retention is a bit limited and it dwindles shortly to a thin collar and whispy surface covering.

The nose is fruit-pulp-like with a hint of watermelon rind, strawberry, cherry, and subtle tartness.

The flavor is sweet and tart, bursting with berry and cherry flavor. Intense! It's almost like a Jolly Racher, there's just too much flavor there! I should note however, that unlike candy, there's absolutely nothing artificial about the fruitiness here. Kudos for that!

Overall, it's loaded with cherry, just the right amount of tartness, and it's somewhat spritzy, light, and refreshing. Nicely done! One of the better straightforward fruit beers I've tasted!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 21:29:36 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Devil's Backbone willibecher.

My Cerise amore...sorry. This brew pours a clear amber copper topped by about a finger of white foam. The nose comprises cinnamon, cherry pie, ... I thought there was more in there, but I'm getting nothing now but these bakery items. Odd, kinda, but not really bad at all. The taste, of course, is dominated by the cherries as well, but here they are more sour, more medicinal, almost fake-tasting. Behind the cherries, there's a hint of nutmeg, coriander, and some very soft caramel. The body is fairly light, with a light carbonation and a gooey (read: not really sticky, but not really not, either) feel. Overall, a decent fruit beer, but the complete package just doesn't fully come together here.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 17:38:33 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hazy ruby-red color, slimmed head, pinkish.

Tart-n-sweet aroma, definite cherries. Nice.

Mmm, sour, gripping the palate, grabbing and playing with the tongue. Sour and sweet, cherry-licious. Full malty mouthfeel, good solid backbone.

Great little cherry ale. Not too much complexity, just loads of cherriness. That has it's place, sure, but in the end I find it a bit blase'...can't do too much of it.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 22:06:07 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

3.28/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a bruery tulip. No real head, carbonation low, no lacing. Its kind of red and mostly clear. eh.

Kind of wheaty, mildly cherry. Not very good.

Beer is mildly sweet with a cherry based tartness at the back of the mouth. It finishes cleanly. It tastes better than it smells. Still has a wheaty kind of flavor. Mild bitterness. Eh, it kind of has a medicine cherry flavor to it.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 21:57:11 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to RBlaszak for sending me this bottle.

The beer pours a golden-orange color with a white head. The aroma has a ton of cherry syrup notes in it, as well as a hint of tartness. The flavor has a lot of tart cherries, as well as some syrupy sweetness. There is also a little bit of raspberry character and a hint of biscuit malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 02:55:02 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, reddish pink color with a small, ivory head that left no lace.

S - It smelled of cherry, a mix of tart and sweet.

T - Obviously there is a tons of cherry taste. A good blend of tart and sweetness.

M - It had a sticky and syrupy mouthfeel. A light bodied beer.

D - This is a great tasting fruit beer. However, I couldn't really have more than one.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2009 12:54:42 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: It's clear red in color; there's a small bit of pink head and not much visible carbonation.
S: There are faint aromas of cherries in the nose.
T: There is a great balance between sweet and tart flavors; the tartness of the cherries really stands out but isn't overpowering because of the strong presence of sweetness from the malts. The cherries don't taste as sweet as Lindemans Kriek and the fruity flavor seems more natural.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and a little bubbly.
D: The beer is definitely easy to drink and goes down smoothly. It's a pretty good beer for this particular style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2010 13:16:35 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light reddish brown color, with a thin pink head that fades slowly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains cherries, light caramelized malts and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a sweet burst of cherry flavor. Then a thin malt character comes in along with a mild hops presence to create a decent balance. I was expecting it to be a bit more tart but the cherry flavor isn’t overdone. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: A little tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, it’s a decent beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for a cherry-flavored beer that has some substance to it.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 19:42:02 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours apricot with a finger of cream colored head. Nice viscosity to this, above average head retention & stellar lacing

S: Metallic hops & a bit of orchard fruit

T: Apricot & cherry up front, along with a bit of candi sugar sweetness. Cherry juice & a touch of raisin as this warms, more candi sugar peach juice & dryness too. Finishes with some cherry sweetness & tartness (finally) * some white grapes as well

MF: Medium bodied, subtle carbonation & syruppy quality to it

Drinks pretty easy, but not enough going on here to hold me for than a few> Better than most fruit beers, but they aren't in the same league a New Glarus' fruitty beers IMO. Probably one of a few Founders brews that doesn't impress me

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2010 03:04:22 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've had Cerise twice and the first time it was fresh the second time it had a few months of age on it. The beer didn't seem to change a whole lot other than the flavor a little bit. The beer still poured out as an interesting looking golden color. The head was white and lasted for a while. The smell of the beer has some tart cherry aromas coming off of it. The taste is a mix of sweet and tart cherry it seems. It's sweeter when it's fresh but leaves a sharp tart flavor in the aftertaste. When the beer is a little older it tastes more sour I think. The mouthfeel is a well carbonated and fairly drinkable. Overall it's an interesting brew for sure. I still prefer Sam Adams Cherry Wheat over this and NG Belgian Red.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 20:55:19 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled 5/13/11. Poured into a tulip glass.

Strangely it glows crimson in indirect light, and is a saturated orange when backlit. The white foam also takes on a pinkish hue, all due to the cherry puree listed on the label. Sticky defined crown of lace inside the glass, three dimensional and dripping downwards.

Aroma is cherry and minerally cider, all natural distinctive fruit characteristics.

Flavor is a touch sweet, which lingers until the aftertaste. Big Michigan pie cherry and faintly malty breadiness that one can't help but associate with flaky pie crust. Dry finish, clean and not cloying at all. Low level astringency, similar to cherry juice. This is very tasty (provided you like cherries) and not just another sweetened fruit beer. Authenticity reigns, leave it to Founders to brew a successful Michigan cherry ale...

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 02:55:08 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a pinkish / light red color with a 1/4" head that falls quickly to a spotty surface foam. No lacing develops.

Smell: loads of cherry comes through to the nose. Some softer wheat or grass qualities are far in the background.

Taste: cherry is most dominant flavor but it is muted and creates a balanced beer with a mild malt profile, soft bitterness, and grass. For a fruit beer this is well done.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp throughout. Aftertaste is soft and focuses on the cherry flavor.

Drinkability: for those that are not fans of fruit beers, this one will change your mind. The flavors are well balanced and you may actually want more than one in a session which rarely happens in this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2009 00:53:16 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottled on 03/16/09:

Pours dark pink with pink head that thins. Some lacing sticks.

The smell is of cherry, in a cough syrup way, with a musty touch.

Cherry stronger in taste than in aroma. Cherry-pie cherry - I've had ales reminiscent of cherry pie - this is cherry pie cherry. Slight breadiness with a touch of maltiness. Sweet with a touch of tart. Some "Fruit Roll-up" sweetness is there. Sweet finish.

Light-bodied with sticky cherry juice lingering in the aftertaste.

A pretty pricey fruit beer. Not that refreshing either. If I wanted a cherry flavour, I would take a lambic over this, easy. On the other hand, it does have more to it/more tartness than a typical American fruit beer. It's a sweet cherry-pie cherry in a beer (with a hint of breadiness so it's almost like drinking a cherry pie. No problems drinking one for the experience. Don't know that I could keep drinking it though (or would particularly want to have again).

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2009 03:17:18 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Had a pint at Pearly Baker's in Easton, PA. This beer was a disappointment. It came out a clear cherry red with no head. The aroma and flavor are basically of cherry juice while there's also a vaguely nutty malt flavor in the background of the taste. Juicy but flat and not satisfying as a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2009 13:33:40 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to jnnv4 for this 12 oz bottle.

A: The ale has a cherry look to it, like the sweet sugary brine in a maraschino cherry jar. The darker red color doesn't render the ale opaque though, allowing it to be translucent. A thin band of head is all that ever came out of the bottle.

S: A dash of natural cherry, sweet and sour and all, is all that the ale offers up.

T: The nose is a little light, but the first sip yields a pretty hefty dose of cherry. The flavor is sweet with just a bit of natural sourness. Sugary sweetness laps at the taste buds on every sip. The biscuity malt doesn't stand a chance.

M: A Quelque Chose lite. The sweet cherry lacks the nuance but doesn't skimp on the fruit.

D: My fourth bottle and it hasn't let me down yet. The cherry is full, not in the sickly sweet way, but in the natural, gamey way.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 01:41:17 | More by akorsak