Founders Cerise - Founders Brewing Company

mooseo

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle into tulip.

A - Pours a deep cranberry red with a small white-pink head.

S - A very light aroma of sweet, tart cherry.

T - Taste follows the nose, with a very sweet cherry flavor throughout. Slightly tart. Reminds me of a dollar store cherry soda. There is a slight medicinal quality to the finish. Not undrinkable, but very disappointing.

M - Light body, prickly carbonation, watery. Slightly astringent.

O - I tend to enjoy fruit beers but this one really missed the mark for me. The flavor is weak and very one dimensional. It was hard to finish the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 01:13:28 | More by mooseo

nimrod979

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 6/6/12 into a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a bright and clear cranberry red. Interesting how bright the color was. Two finger light pink foamy head that has excellent retention and bubbly lacing all over the glass.

Aroma: Tart cherries. Yep that's about it.

Taste: Cherries. Light tartness, surprisingly sweeter than expected. Solid natural flavor, not artificial tasting. Light malts bring up the finish.

Mouhfeel: Light & fizzy but this all works fine for this beer. Fruity. Good cherry flavor just a bit one dimensional. Would have liked to tasted more tartness. Probably wouldn't be able to drink too many of these either. I only bought one.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 23:27:46 | More by nimrod979

CTBeerhunter66

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - loved the pink color of the beer, you cant do that without adding tons of cherries at all levels of the beer making process, well done founders - poured nicely into a footed 12oz glass

S - hints of malt and cherries, appealing

T - This is where I was hung up, I wanted something more tart, and instead ended up with something more in the realm of soda, still really good though

M - completely appropriate

O - A great cherry beer, but lacked the tartness and complexity I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 14:19:49 | More by CTBeerhunter66

JDizzle

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Got this from Founders Tap Room. The bottle date is blurred?! Can't be to stale though.

Pours really pink/red and looks beautiful with a nice white head. Really bubbly.

The smell is of cherries, but does not blast out of the gat by any means. A let down.

Cherries are up front on the taste with a sour following. It's pretty refreshing I must admit. It had such a good cherry flavor(not fake-REAL, it's hard to not like. I have had the bourbon barrel version of this and it's much better. This is one dimensional, but Nywego is better.

Carbs are high and mouthfeel is thin.

Refreshing fo sho, but not the beer I'm wanting to settle down with.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 01:25:07 | More by JDizzle

barczar

Kentucky

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

Pours a clear light tan color with a substantial strawberry tint and a fleeting inch and a half ivory head that dissipates quickly, but leaves a quarter inch layer of foam.

Sweet caramel malt, a bit of toast, and an underpinning of cherry comprise the aroma. There's a bit of graininess.

Sour cherries, reminiscent of cherry pie, are dominant throughout the flavor, with a bit of grain and caramel malt taming the finish. A touch of floral hops closes out the flavor, along with a touch of bitterness.

Body is a touch light, with high carbonation, a touch of astringency, and slight alcohol warmth.

This is cherry pie in a glass.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 05:41:25 | More by barczar

Pahn

New York

2.28/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12oz bottle into Duvel tulip. Should be fresh; Founders just arrived in CT.

Appearance: Free pour yields a half inch fizzy pink head that dissipates quickly. Pours a hazy pink. No lacing.

Smell: Faint cherry (indistinct variety). Malt underneath. Best I can say is there's no foul odors.

Taste: Very sweet. Slightest suggestion of sour cherry among the sugar. Decent malt backbone comes out as the beer dries way the hell out.

There's sort of a medicinal flavor up front, along with some coffee (???). Cherry and strawberry donut aftertaste. Weird. Sour cherry again comes out in the finish, sharing the same long-aftertaste flavor as dried tart cherries... it's as if my mouth ate some delicious sour cherries, but didn't tell me about it (in fact, it gave me this story about going to Dunkin Donuts instead).

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Almost no bitterness. Sugary up front, really dry at the end. Low side of moderate carbonation.

Overall: Michigan tart cherries are some of the most delicious things to eat in the world. As a celebration of that ingredient, this beer is a travesty. The people at Founders really ought to have eaten the cherries and used the fermenters for their good beers.

That said, the ridiculous strawberry donut flavor isn't *that* bad. Maybe I'm slightly more forgiving since I can still remember the similar (but several orders of magnitude worse) Ommegang Aphrodite. This beer is cloying and, to get right down to it, bad, but I can probably finish the glass. I like donuts every so often I guess.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 02:27:13 | More by Pahn

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

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

Beer comes across like a little less cerise in the appearance versus just like a normal beer, sure there are some running pink highlights through it, and some pinkish white head. Overall, its still pretty. Aroma, eh, more like some cherry kids drink.

The taste is much the same, far from authentic quality cherries here, but its not sugared up water either, there's a decent malt aspect to it, and even minimal hops, but for a Founders product, its pretty disappointing to have to say its unqualified enough and results in an average rating. Mouthfeel, the carbonation is there, but there was nothing heavy taste or flavor wise, so I'm still kind of confounded. Ultimately, this beer neither delivers on the potential of cherries. It doesn't have the awesome cherry flavor of something like New Glarus, and lacks the tartness of some of the more sour cherry beers (Cascade, Allagash, belgians etc. . . ).

So who is this beer for? I dunno. Can't figure that market out. Its not a bad beer, but its far from even average in the Founders lineup.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 16:12:17 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Chico1985

Massachusetts

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

Bottle date is 5/15/12. One of the few Founders regulars I've never had or reviewed.

Poured into my forgotten about Ebenezer's tulip. The color is a slightly hazy cranberry red, a bubbly pink head retains well as a thick and swirly cap, leaves some good lace.

Cherries obviously make up the bulk of the smell. They give off a sweet+jammy feel, slightly stemmy/grassy, and perhaps some caramel malts there as well. Somewhat faint.

Taste is similar, quite light and faint, pretty much straight up cherries. Reminds me of a less intense Wisconsin Belgian Red (ironic since this has higher ABV.) Kind of a cherry pie vibe with stemmy tastes and a slight tartness. Some other red fruits also come to mind (cranberries, raspberries). Finishes with some toastiness and a touch of caramel.

Feels light for the ABV, slightly foamy with medium carbonation.

Pretty good cherry taste but the flavor overall is too weak. Still, doesn't come off as overly sweet or artificial like many fruit beers so that's a plus. I think Founders was going for an accessible change-up for their lineup, and it succeeds there, but not really up to par with their other work.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 15:06:13 | More by Chico1985

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy orange-red with a half-finger of fizzy white head. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind some decent lacing.

S - Aroma is full of tart cherries with some light wheat and a touch of citrus.

T - Starts off with sweet and tart cherry flavor with some grains and wheat and a touch of lemon. Through the middle, more bold cherry flavor and tartness comes through with a touch of vanilla and sourness. The finish is a mix of tart cherries with some wheat and a touch of lemon zest.

M - Medium-light bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a tart and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. The tartness and boldness of the cherry flavor is really nice. Very crisp and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 03:54:16 | More by ngeunit1

ToasterChef

Maine

4.23/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is translucent and ruby colored. A thn head of pink foam rests on top.

Black cherry aroma with some musty yeast.

The beer has a very nice fruit flavor. Cherries are a bunny and provide a robust sweetness that canned cherry pie filling wishes it had. I detect no sourness, so Kirk fans be warned. A subtle black cherry flavor lingers after I swallow.

The beer has plenty of carbonation. The tiny bubbles play on my tongue. A coat is left behind, but it isn't a very sticky beer.

I like this one a lot. It is a well made fruit beer that doesn't feel gimmicky or overly sweet. I'll definitely have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 02:26:42 | More by ToasterChef

stewart124

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Finally decided to try this one.

Pink leaning towards red in color with just a bit of what could be considered soapy white head.

Nose has plenty of tart cherries and some floral notes but that may just be the cherries.

Tart and refreshing. No hops to speak of and besides carbonation and cherries there isn't much else here. 6.5% is well hidden as this drinks well. More tart bites on the tongue and back of the throat to go along with the dry finish.

This grew on me a bit.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 01:26:17 | More by stewart124

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Bold red with a pink lace head.

S: Light with some tartness and cheery. Very very light though.

T: A little cheery sweetness and tartness but the tart really comes through the most. There are some floral and bitter notes as well. The finish is a little too bitter and tart.

M: Pretty good. Light with some good carbonation.

Probably the first beer from Founders that wasn't overly impressive. Having recently grabbed a bottle of Lindemans Kriek this one was not living up. While not a bad beer the dominating tartness is a little offputting and the sweetness doesn't get a chance to really show that its there.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 17:02:35 | More by Jamesthebrit

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear red-purple brew with a pink head. Only a tiny few small flecks of lacing.

S - More than cherries, it smells like cherries and little like red raspberries. On top of that... there is a little grain, but not much else.

T - Initially, some mild sweet red fruits and grain. Aftertaste is of faint cherries over faint grain and a slight medicinal bitterness. In the long aftertaste a medicinal bitterness dominates.

M - Thin, high carbonation, a little drying.

D - This is alright. It's a bit more balanced than most fruit beers, but the bitterness is a killer. I may have again.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 05:49:18 | More by mrasskicktastic

jeonseh

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a bottle poured into a pint glass

A - Light red, almost pInk with hints of brown and gold within it. Very bubbly and reminds me of a rosé champagne. Had a small white head that slowly went away

S - Light hints of sweeter cherries comes forth with hints of lemon. Not much of a nose here unfortunately

T - Tart cherries, lemon peel, a slight funkiness and oak come through near the end. The cherries are also there but they remind me more of bing cherries instead of tarter ones. Reminds me of a sweeter Flanders Oud Bruin

MF - Surprisingly lightly carbonated in mouthfeel given how much you see in it. There is a light stickiness to it as it has a lighter body overall that lends to it being easy to drink.

O - An interesting cherry beer from Founders that manages to use the fruit without making it too sweet. I wish it were a bit more complex and that the nose was more present as I didn't smell too much on this one at all. It would be a good beer to introduce someone to fruit beers or Flanders Oud Bruin.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 16:36:34 | More by jeonseh

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

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

A-Could this pour any prettier? Pours the color of ruby red grapefruit flesh. Pleasant pink hue which is incredibly jaded and murky. The color of the head is perhaps even more impressive. The head is literally a shade of pale lavender when it is fully formed. Head dies off and looses its purple hue some. Still, this pours like a fine Lambic.

S-The nose is far from what I expected. Smells almost like an aged cheese in some sniffs. The cherries are clearly approachable but are not intense. Light sourness to the cherry aroma which is nice. Noticeable wheat too.

T-Flavor is quite like a cherry jam. Plenty of rich natural sugar. Maintains a real cherry flavor as opposed to an artificial cherry flavor. Light wheat and an earthen/herbal component too. Hey, if you're into cherries, here you go.

M-Medium bodied and a bit sappy. Sugary slickness. Tickling carbonation. Feel isn't cloying which is hard to do with concentrated fruity beers like this.

O/D-I enjoyed this beer and I appreciate the effort put into making it. One single is enough for me but there is a truly authentic cherry flavor within this beer and I commend that. Far better than most fruity wheat beers, but no Lambic by any means. One of the prettiest beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 23:40:26 | More by VelvetExtract

kawilliams81

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a :alf *cre tulip.

A- pours a dark pink with a 1 finger light pink head. Small bubbles of lacing remain on the glass.

S- caramel, sweet and tart cherries

T- sweet pale malt, cherry and slight sour wheat

M- light body, medium carbonation

O- good fruit beer that has a slight berlineresque twist to it

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 22:35:37 | More by kawilliams81

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 13 oz tulip, bottled on 5/24/12. Pours a candy apple red, with a half inch of bright white head, that leaves some lace. Smell is cherry and vanilla, not complaining. Taste is very cherry, but not over the top. Body is medium, plenty of life, not dry, and perfect on a hot day. This is a cherry beer and a very good one. Not for everyone, but Founders does it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 20:58:59 | More by SawDog505

AwYeh

California

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottled May 8, 2012, poured into tulip.

A: Pours a vibrant ruby red grapefruit color, with just a bit of white head visible around the edges of the glass and in the center of the beer. A few carbonation bubbles flow up through the beer.

S: Very, very faint; I get just a bit of a bready malt backbone and, if I try hard enough, a faint cherry aroma. A bit of spiciness as it warms.

T: Very sweet, the cherry flavors definitely show up here. In fact, a syrupy cherry flavor is mostly all that I'm tasting; I do get a bit of breadiness on the finish just before the cherry sweetness takes over and lingers. A light tartness prevents this one from being cloying, and although its flavor is largely one dimensional, flavor is pretty solid overall.

M: Medium-bodied with moderate to lively carbonation. Extremely creamy, leaves a light sticky coating behind, and finishes somewhat dry. Founders absolutely nails it here on mouthfeel.

O: While I wouldn't pick this up all the time, it's a good example of the style and I enjoyed my glass. Certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:17:23 | More by AwYeh

cvm4

Mississippi

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

A - Pours a deep red in color. Off white/pinkish head on top. Yup, definitely a fruit beer!

S - A nose full of cherries and some bready characteristics.

T - Sweet cherries followed by some tartness, has a lingering fruit finish.

M - Medium bodied and carbonation.

O - I'm not sure if it is trying to be a fruit beer or a sour. It does have some nice sour qualities. I'm torn and shall rate it middle of the pack.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 23:54:53 | More by cvm4

Bendurgin

Maine

2.63/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass. This one pours a clear vibrant red with a cap of light pink head.

The aroma is full of sweet cherry aromas. A bit to sweet though, almost makes it seem artificial. The pallet gives off the super sweet cherry flavors. Again, it's just a bit too sweet.

The body is full and sticky with soft carbonation. It really coats the pallet for sure. Overall this one isn't very good. I think it's just too sweet. I was hoping for something lighter and more refreshing. This seems to be more of a dessert.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:12:30 | More by Bendurgin

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a beautiful candy apple red pour with a finger of pink head. this is a strange looking beer, but i can't help but be mesmerized by the color!

smells of cherry and bready.. not much else there.

sweet cherry up front followed by a nice tart taste, the finishes back with a mellow fruit taste. this is really damn good - the closest thing comparable is a cross between smuttynose hanami ale and new glarus belgian red. a very delicious beer, not sure why i only picked up a single bottle.

light body, crisp and refreshing, medium carbonation. a near perfect summer beer, and fruit beer as well.

i really enjoyed this overall, but i feel like a 12oz bottle is too small of a size.. and the price is a bit steep for the 4 pack ($14???!). it's a good beer, and i will probably end up spending the money on the 4pack next time i see it on the shelf, but i don't think the majority of beer drinkers would spend so much on a fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 22:06:10 | More by facundoCNB

rundocrun

Iowa

3.6/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Body is cloudy with a mix of coppery orange and rose-pink. About 1/2 finger of pink foam forms and dissipates within a minute or two. Just a touch of lacing on the glass.

S - Tart and flowery cherry aroma is most noticeable with undertones of pineapple. Has a bit of a funky brett-like character to it even. Just barely a hint of caramely sweet malt behind the layers of fruit. Not quite as aromatic as I would hope, even with warming.

T - Sweet and smooth up front. Tastes like cherry pie filling. A little more tartness comes in toward the middle. I also get a metallic flavor that hits the back of my tongue with each sip. Not extremely noticeable, but enough to throw things out of whack a little bit. Very mild, smooth pale malt backbone with just a touch of hop bitterness and some herbal/earthy notes.

M - Thin-to-medium body. Very smooth and drinkable despite being so sweet. Surprisingly dry and clean in the finish. Great for the spring and summer time.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 04:05:19 | More by rundocrun

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cerise pours a reddish color with a small pink lacy head. The smell has a dry malty undertone, like a pils, with strong sweet tarty cherry aroma. The taste has a mixture of sweet and, with a mellow cherry flavor ontop of a dry pilsner like flavor. Very easy to drink, the fruit isnt over powering, but present. Overall a very nice fruit beer, blended well and great in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 02:38:10 | More by vette2006c5r

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

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

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at cellar temperature.

L - Bright red color with a 1-finger bubbly pink head. Decent retention and lacing. Slightly hazy while still being transparent with lots of carbonation bubbles.

S - Cherries and a definite wheat malt presence.

T - Sweet, with cherry and wheat malt flavors. At the finish, there may be a very slight presence of earthy, floral hops.

F - Light-to-medium-bodied with a good amount of carbonation, a sticky and creamy mouthfeel, and a sweet, slightly dry finish. Cherry and wheat sweetness lingers for a little bit.

O - This is a pretty good fruit beer. It’s tasty to be sure, but if the cherry were taken away, the base wheat beer would only be an average beer. The cherry certainly adds to the color, aroma, and taste, but it can only do so much with an average base beer. Still, it’s a pretty good beer, especially if you’re into fruit beers and/or cherries.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 13:57:27 | More by BlackBelt5112203

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a gorgeous and vibrant cherry red color with pink and purple highlights. Half finger of pink tinted head. Smells of peaches, cherries, and a touch of wheatiness. Touch of medicinal funk. Head is extremely clingy.

Rich creamy mouthfeel. Feels almost like the consistency of a rich oatmeal stout oddly. Sweet candy like malts up front followed by rich cherry and peach flavor. Not syrupy at all, more like a berliner weiss with cherries. I feel like theres gotta be a touch of wheat in here due to the palate cleansing finish and lingering after taste. Sweet cherry almond cookie like finish. A touch of nuttiness as well. An extremely layered and complex beer. Touches of cereal like grains. The grain bill on this beer must be a nightmare to brew but it works out so well.

One of the deepest fruit beers I've ever had. Insanely delicate, flavorful, and complicated. This is how fruit is supposed to be used. This is a beer with fruit added. Not a fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 00:03:38 | More by jtierney89