La Choulette Framboise - Brasserie La Choulette

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shining ruby red with a nice head of mountanous salmon-tinged foam. Aroma of pure raspberry. Pulp, seeds, everything. With an interesting malty French/Belgian biere de garde base. Oaky with interesting funkiness as well. Interesting for sure. Taste is oaky, funky, and loaded with raspberry. Nice. Mouthfeel velvety and mouth coating. Luxurious and incredibly nice for a 750ml bottle of beer that cost only $6! Drinkability is awesome, and I will be visiting this beer again when I want a multi-diminsional fruit beer, with an awesome ale (biere de garde) base.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2005 04:13:51 | More by francisweizen

ngandhi

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A nice Flander's Red that might have done well without the addition of raspberry extract.

Though mildly sweet, La Choulette is dominated by great Belgian dark ale flavors -- earthy cocoa powder -- complemented by the berries. This hand in hand interaction between the beer and fruit makes the raspberries seem almost naturally a part of the beer -- some weird byproduct of the yeast, perhaps.

And though this is quite nice at first, the beer fades to cough syrup. Suddenly, all that great natural flavor vanishes and we begin to approach something more like Duchess de Bourgogne, but with a bit more depth. Medicinal raspberry takes over and all that lovely, dusty cocoa is lost in the calm, resigned finish.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2004 14:48:11 | More by ngandhi

ADR

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A clearish burgundy color, head betrays the fruit in its pinkness and is fine-bubbled. Just widely spaced dots for lace. Lightly sweet berry aroma, a hint of tartness and a speck of nutmeg. Not especially bright or astringent, and not overly raspberry either, almost plays out early like an iced tea with flavoring. As it rounds to a close, there's a light sense of drying, like grapefruit seeds. A softish interpretation, I like that it gets brighter near the close. For me, I like a little more tanginess, and perhaps some more down-home mustiness, but this is highly drinkable and not cartoonishly sweet.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2004 15:38:37 | More by ADR

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a crystal clear reddish purple with a small head that doesn't last at all. The smell is complex with the obvious raspberry coming through mostly. Some musty notes and other sweet things coming through as well. Taste is mild in the beginning, being mostly sweet. The middle brings hints of yeast and malt but fades fast to a dry fruity finish. Feels a bit like heavy champagne in your mouth but doesn't look nearly as carbonated. To be honest I love it. Yeah, it's a bit fruity but a great desert beer to share with friends.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2004 23:20:07 | More by CharlesRiver

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy bright red color & is topped by a off white head with a pinkish hue. The aroma is of intense raspberries, almost a sticky sweet raspberry syrup. Underneath is a bit of musty aroma. Not too dry, perhaps a bit sweet, but definitely not a fake syrupy flavor. Has a good raspberry tartness & I really like that it is not sweet & syrupy. There is a nice pulpy raspberry skin tannin that adds a bit of complexity. Quite a good body to this beer, almost meaty with great chewy flavor. My only complaint is that perhaps the underlying beer character is drowned in a sea of raspberries. Though this is actually growing on me a bit as I sit here and sip this beer. Overall a beery great raspberry interpretation.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2004 01:18:51 | More by Gueuzedude

ark57

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It is an excellent beer for many occasions, though I suggest you pair it with a chocolate or raspberry dessert. It is based on the brewer’s Ambree (amber) with raspberry extract added. The color is amber with some red tints. It is slightly tart with a great raspberry aroma and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2004 14:48:36 | More by ark57

AtLagerHeads

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Simply put - good stuff. This is one of those beers I was reluctant to try, but once I did I realized that I'm much too closed to experimentation. This is a taste delight and one that is well worth considering for converting others from wine to beer.

The fruity tastes are full and luscious leading one to believe that it can be imbibed with impunity - that, Iam sure, is not the case, as this is substantial beer in all respects. The look is cloudy red amber and the head creamy, both in color and texture. The nose is all the berries (pun intended) and it is matched exquisitely to the aroma. A nice mouthfeel gets a bit if tartness from the acid component, but is moderate against the malty base. Easily and enjoyably drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2003 17:06:16 | More by AtLagerHeads

moulefrite

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

If one could turn a fresh pint of raspberries into a beer, this would be a probable result. This beer really grows on you, and as you drink it you just don't want the experience to end. The color is amber with redish/pink raspberry tints, as if fresh raspberry juice had been poured into an amber ale. The head shows milky white with just a tiny tinge of pink, and is thick and longlasting-you could blow it out of your glass and it would hold together and float back to the surface, soft, and airy. Aromatics are all super fresh raspberry-oh so clean and bright! A real treat to drink, tangy just ripe raspberry fruit, zingy acidity, and then a refreshing as well as warming sensation of ale finishes things up wonderfully. This is just the thing for sipping on a hot summer day, slowly, while reading a book or listening to your favorite music. I bet it would be tasty served with a salad of grilled chicken breast with a raspberry vinegrette. If you like the style, walk the mile and find this beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2003 23:20:54 | More by moulefrite