Lindemans Faro Lambic - Brouwerij Lindemans

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +21%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Looks like a bold apple cider. Few bubbles.
S: A little bitter smell but also sweet. Apples!
T: A lot sweeter than other Lindemans beer's I've had but I like that. It reminds me a lot of their Cuvée René having a lot of wine-like characteristics but the Faro is a lot sweeter. The initial tartness is replaced with a sweetness while maintaining a fruitiness of apples.
M: A medium body on this one. Sits bubble and smooth with some tartness that fades to a nice dry linger.

Overall another great beer my Lindemans. When I saw the initial low rating I was skeptical but I think this beer is better than any of the fruit styles. I quite liked the Cuvée René better but this is another great showing. Certainly for people with a sweet tooth but I found it to be a great showing.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 17:59:04 | More by Jamesthebrit

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a stella artois chalice.

A- Pours a very dark brown that looks almost black with a very small head that dissipates immediately. Some small bubbles can be seen around the edges of the glass. Very murky.

S- Has a light smell that is very surgery. Smells very much like candy with some notes of fruit and taffy.

T- Very sweet with a slight taste of fruit and berries. It taste's very strongly of candy and sugar. Some sweet grape like jelly flavor is noticeable as well.

M- Very light feeling with light carbonation. This beer feels very smooth.

O- This is the beer equivalent to candy. Super sweet I could definitely drink this beer for dessert after a hearty meal. Very good. I can't wait to try more beers of this style.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 18:54:05 | More by Zachtheporter

Blakaeris

Iowa

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear dark red-copper with virtually no head.

Aroma is apple and cherry fruity sweetness, then sour, tart, and musty. Complicated and interesting.

Taste is sweet dark fruit, brown sugar and honey up front. Acidic apple and musty yeasty funk. Woody oak dryness and a mild tartness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is a syrupy medium body.

Overall and pleasant blend of sweet, tart and funk. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 16:56:11 | More by Blakaeris

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A nearly clear, honey-colored beer with a small white head that dissipates quickly and minimal lacing. The aroma is very simple and very sweet, sugary, with a trace of fruit, mostly light citrus and green apple.

Flavor is also very simple, disappointingly so, I’d say. Mostly just sugary sweetness, some light grain, a hint of sour apple. Not much in the way of tartness or funk. A bit boring and one-dimensional, and even for someone who enjoys sweeter beverages, just too sugary without much else to cut through that. Need a higher degree of tart or sour flavor to give it some definition.

Body is medium-light and carbonation is medium; could even be higher to give this more crispness and snap. Not nearly dry enough. A boring, one-note beer and a discouraging introduction to the Faro style. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at an overly sweet beer from Lindemans. Not much to see here.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 14:56:44 | More by tobelerone

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Pours a pretty deep gold-amber with lots of bubbles and a small, white head.

Smell. Sweet apples, pears and peaches with some nice light funk. Smells pretty good.

Taste. Really sweet apples and pears, some light funkyness. Really sweet but okay for desert. Lightly sour.

Mouthfeel. Medium body and fairly sticky with a medium+, pretty lively carbonation.

Overall. Seems overly sweet but tastes okay. Good for desert as mentioned.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 01:56:54 | More by Rutager

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.25/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark amber, clear, with a couple fingers of head...nice lace.

The stone is funky, with a tart and acidic edge. Only a slight fruitiness. Smells great.

The taste is a dynamically its own. Its amazingly polarizing. Fruity, with a candy sweetness, and a faint tartness. The candied sweetness is expected, but there's not enough of a tart and acidic nature to avoid a cloying affect.

Creamy feel, almost heavy feel. The substance is good.

Overall, decent, but I(for once) would prefer a more balancing sourness.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 01:43:28 | More by EgadBananas

paulozanello

Brazil

3.95/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brown amber color, slightly hazy, with a white foam cap that sit on top of the beer. Lots of fine carbonation coming from the bottom of the glass. Good retention and below average lacing.

Aroma is very pleasant with sweet and fruity notes (such as cherries and raspberries as well as lemon, oranges and other citric fruit) mingling with light funky/barnyard acidic sourness.

Taste is candy sweet at first, transitioning to vinegary and acidic notes a little later. A light funky/farmhouse note is perceptible in the middle of the sip but it does not last for long. It finishes with a low bitterness that mingles paradoxically with the residual sweetness (now way lighter than before), leaving the palate with sweet citric notes such as oranges and tangerines during the aftertaste. Interesting.

Body is medium to light with high carbonation that is kind of agressive on the back of the throat. Highly drinkable.

A one of a kind beer that despite its high carbonation it is still a very sweet. It is a nice gateway beer for people that are geting started on sours and lambics.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 00:18:38 | More by paulozanello

Scotchboy

Idaho

2.13/5  rDev -41.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Capped & corked bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Pours an attractive bronze color with traces of turbidity and a small white head dissipates relatively quickly, leaving behind minimal lace.

S: Interesting nose...upfront its a BO-like funk, faint apple cider vinegar, hints of tartness, Brett, and even cherry?

T: Strange stuff...immediately you taste a lactic sourness but its instantly overwhelmed by a malty, sugary sweetness...hints of wheaty malt, finish is really odd and off-putting as the Brett return with funk and mixes with the candi sugar. Blech.

MF: Moderate body, with a bit of dryness, lower carbonation.

O: Just too funky and weird with the sugary sweetness. Ugh.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 14:30:10 | More by Scotchboy

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

355ml bottle poured into a 16oz tulip.

A - A nice creamy medium-sized head off the pour. The body is a reddish-amber brown hue, with some tiny chunks of yeast floating about. The head settles to a soapy cap that retains well for a while, and leaves tons of sticky lacing. Looks great.

S - Smells surprisingly like a lambic, with lots of floral funk and generous tartness and vinegar. Lots of sweet candi sugar help balance it out along with plenty of light fruitiness. Smells pretty encouraging.

T - Definitely lots going on with this flavor profile. Immediately it strikes as exactly what was advertised, a traditional lambic sourness and funk, along with candi sugar sweetness that instantly makes this a much more accessible brew. Lots of fruity flavors, with white grapes, green apple, mixed berries, and cherry all in there. Finishes sweet, sour and spicy, with a touch of oak. Slight tart funk lingers, along with some caramel malt, cola syrup, cinnamon, and rye bread.

M - Surprisingly creamy body, with nice fine carbonation. Slightly drying finish gives it a nice feel. Works well with the flavors.

D - Overall an excellent combination of flavors. While I certainly wouldn't consider this a sour, it has enough tart and funky flavors to feed that craving, as well as a host of sweetened fruity and rather interesting flavors to give it a more unique feel. Another great beer from Lindemans.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 03:06:30 | More by Converge

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

250ml bottle.Flute glass (Timmermans). Enjoyed on mar´12. Brownish amber color,reddish to the light.Off white crown.Good retention.Herbal & floral fragancy,caramel malt & molasse aromas. Sour-acidic sweet upfront,tangerine notes.Mildy malty flavor masked by a gentle sugary sensation.Honey hues.Sparkling light body,medium-high carbonation. Sweet finish (tangerine,molasses & ripe apricot).Pleasant tartar aftertaste with a subtle apple skin touch. Sugary & citric flavors are incredible well balanced making a beer not cloying at all.Refreshing with an excellent drinkability.I love lambics but I´d always been reticent about the so call "sugar lambic".Now I´ve changed my mind then I will have many more like this.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 13:42:22 | More by GONZALOYANNA

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Beertopia in Omaha, NE
Bottled in 2011
Poured into a Drie Fonteinen '3' glass

Lindemans Faro seems to be a solid representation of the style, using a mildly tart lambic base blended with amber Belgian candi sugar to impart a caramel color and sweetness to the resultant beverage. With strong lemon tartness, sugar sweetness, and malt with blackberry flavors, those able to tolerate a semi-sweet lambic beer with light funkiness will be rewarded.

Pours a good-sized head, about 2cm, of medium-sized, off-white bubbles, which quickly settle to a thin ring around the glass. Produces very few small spots of lacing. Out of the light, the body is a dark mineral brown color; in light, this is a brownish-orange or amber, with orange highlights. Modest carbonation readily visible.

The first aroma I notice is something like a very mild graham cracker, which immediately makes the beer inviting and delicious. Over time, I notice more of a mild combination of farmyard hay and compost, old lemon meets tart apple, and malt sweetness with a definite nod towards the amber Belgian candi sugar used.

Opens with some serious amber Belgian candi sugar sweetness on the tip of the tongue, blended to a lemon-like tartness. Tartness increases as the beer moves farther back on the tongue; malt heartiness and amber Belgian candi sugar increase. Mid-palate starts to pick up a bit of oak character with a dash of mild farmyard wet hay. Moving beyond this point, I get black and red raspberries with a noticeable sweetness detectable at the sides of the tongue. Closes out with lemon and tart apple meeting amber Belgian candi sugar. Aftertaste remains tart and has mild caramelized sugar flavors.

Beer is medium-bodied with a moderate carbonation that gently foams this up on the palate. Resulting mouthfeel is pillowy and smooth, with a very tart, dry finish that makes not having another sip difficult.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 06:11:05 | More by falloutsnow

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear ruby reddish brown in color with some visible yeast sediment. The head on this beer started out a finger tall and off white but reduced to a thin layer of bubbles over the top of the beer with a little bit thinker ring at the edges of the glass.

S: Lots of sweetness in the aroma but very pleasant - strong hints of green apple and candi sugar with more subtle hints of funk, wet horse blanket, wood and caramel. Sweet but complex.

T: The flavor of this beer is overall very sweet with lots of hints of green apple, raspberry, cherry, candi sugar, and caramel. The finish was a little more tart and slightly woody.

M: Light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Almost syrupy with a slight prickling on the tongue from the carbonation.

O: I could see this as a beer/style that might not appeal to everyone but it certainly is delicious in my opinion. I think this beer is easy to drink though a little sweet to really be sessionable. I also found this appealed to a few friends that are more wine than beer drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 23:29:22 | More by dbrauneis

mtstatebeer

West Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Pours a cloudy ruby red color, foamy off-white head, good lacing, signs of active carbonation. Aroma is musty, wheat, tart and just a hint of sour. Flavor is sweet, caramel and apples. Body is light, tart and slightly acidic mouthfeel. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 02:34:25 | More by mtstatebeer

KajII

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

[Best served in a Flute glass]

The pour was a pinkish orange brown with an average sized (1-2 finger) creamy white head that dissipated quickly down to a thin film and a small collar, but did produce some good streaky lacing.

The aroma was a funky sweet with a light touch of cereal malts and a sweet horse blanket yeast with noticeable notes of green apple, berries, caramel, candy sugar and a mild hint of wood.

The taste was extremely sweet and substantially malty with hints of berries, candy sugar and caramel at first and finished just as sweet and malty, but was a tad on the tart side with notes of green apple and a touch of wood at the end. The flavor lasted an average duration with the sweet-tart candy taste left to linger.

Mouthfeel was light in body with a dry syrupy texture and a prickly carbonation.

Overall a nice tart and extremely malty-sweet brew, with a berry-apple champagne taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 23:02:52 | More by KajII

billab914

Virginia

3.3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 355ml bottle into my Lost Abbey stemware. It poured a brighter, ruby/orange color with a decent sized, bubbly white head to it.

The aroma shows a mix of sour, funky, tart flavors and some sweeter, fruity, candi sugar notes. The sour, funky notes seem a little overshadowed, but they are there. Not bad.

The taste shows a lot of the sweet candi sugar to it with some sugary, fruity, raspberry and cherry notes to it. I get some tartness to it towards the finish with just a bit of a sour funk. It's a little overly sweet and sugary though even for the style, almost like a syrupy soda like flavor.

The Mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being above average. Overall it was a decent beer, but not a great one of the style. The sweet, candi sugar and fruitiness dominated a little too much for me even for the style and overshadowed the sourness. I haven't had a lot of Faro's but I thought Drie Fonteinen Straffe Winter was significantly better.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 00:40:13 | More by billab914

n2185

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear orange-copper with two fingers of off-white head that fades into a thin ring with no lacing.

S: Funky aromas dominate at first with dry barnyard notes. Some sour and tart citrus aromas bring up the finish.

T: Surprisingly sweet considering the aroma. A syrupy sweet caramel and candy sugar flavor hits at first followed by tart and sour fruity flavors reminiscent of cranberries and raspberries. The finish is fairly dry and tart with slight funky and acetic notes.

M: Medium body with lowish carbonation, this beer could use a bit more carbonation to off-set the sticky sweet body.

O: A pretty decent and interesting beer that is both sweet and sour. It's a little on the sweet side for me, but still not bad.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 03:43:45 | More by n2185

vkv822

Oregon

2.73/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

green 12oz into tulip snifter.
corked bottle. absolute nightmare to remove the cork, broke off, leaving half in the neck.

Pours an amber yellow with a fizzy off white head that is short lived.

The aroma is of sweet Belgian candi and some tart apple with a lightly funky backing.

The taste is very sweet, with a lot of apple notes. A very faint funky backing that gets lost at times in the sweetness.

Medium body with low carbonation.

As it is my first example of the style I have nothing to compare it to, but it was a bit too sweet for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 08:57:41 | More by vkv822

match1112

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a: murky redish brown with a thin white ring.

s: candi sugar, apples, cherries and some yeast.

t: very tart and sweet, like an overly sweetened fruit juice.

m: slightly creamy. feels overly carbonated on the tongue. cloyingly sweet and a dry tart finish.

o: meh, had to try it because i never had the style, but i dont think i'll seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 02:12:44 | More by match1112

tony223366

California

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: One finger of white fluffy head quickly turns into just a thin layer. Beer is much darker than I imagined. It's a rich caramel color. A lot of large chunks of yeasty sediment in the glass.

S: A rich sweet tartness permeates throughout the entire bouquet. Caramel exists throughout too. Very acidic quality. A dark fruitiness is there in the back as well.

T: It immediately strikes me how sweet this is. Past that it tastes like a regular lambic. There's a rich acidic quality. Some mild fruitiness exists that plays off of some oakiness. It finishes tart and with a bready yeastiness.

M: Fairly creamy, medium body with a light carbonation. Sourness is lightly astringent as well.

O: It's difficult because I'm not a fan of this style. It's far too sweet for me. Maybe if this 16 oz bottle was half or maybe just having 4 oz. with dessert, but a traditional lambic would still be far superior. So from what I read this is all approximately true to style. I'll give it a slightly above average 3.5

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 23:35:48 | More by tony223366

flannelman808

California

3.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark muddy pond water with a truly bazar space nebula star cloud nursery of yeasty sediment hangs in the center. Lots of sediment to go with it. decent head forms which is light tan in color yet disappears fairly quick.

S: Baked red and green apples, apple cider, green table grapes, cane sugar.

T: The extremely dominating cidery quality of this beer takes over. It even has the tannic mouthfeel of hard cider. Slightly acidic with an evening sweetness and just a touch of bitterness. Caramalized apples and fresh linger on the palate for some time as well as a touch of brown sugar and alcohol. Kind of wild stuff.

M: Hard apple cider

O: This is interesting stuff though I find it pretty one dimensional. I admittedly have not tried any Faro's and will try to do so soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 00:55:43 | More by flannelman808

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a flute glass. Had an amber color and a clear texture. There was an inch and a half of creamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A very sweet smell, with lots of sugar and fruit apparent in it.

T: Tasted of sugar, yeast, apples, caramel, and some malt in the finish. Somewhat sour, but not to the point of distraction. A good flavor, if a little thin in the finish.

M: A decent amount of carbonation with a slick finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is first Faro I've tried, so I don't have a lot to compare it to. Pretty good, but it has its flaws.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 13:22:04 | More by avalon07

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

355mL into long-stemmed tulip.

A: bright orange. i had a slightly shitty pour here and dumped some bottom dregs in my glass, but otherwise clear. head starts billowy but recedes down. nice lacing.

S: brown sugar. definitely some cherry aroma. reminds me of the juice in the cherry jar when you put the top.

T: starts a little acidic. just a twang. any acidity is pushed aside by a barrage of sweetness. cherries. apple juice. the sweetness is very fruity, very sharp.

M: a little more mild than a champagne, but still pretty aptly carbonated. the slightly sour aspect makes a tingly sensation on the tip of my tongue. light bodied.

D: i have been waiting to try an example of this style for a while now. not super easy to find. very sweet, very nice sipping beer. i would love to have a few of these side by side and see where else this style can go.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 12:52:02 | More by Jimmys

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

355mL corked and capped green bottle. a code on label, but no clear date.

appears clear, brilliant looking. dark amber with red hues. 1/4" off-white colored head. decent retention. smells of malt and a bit of wheat. fairly neutral aroma.

taste is slightly tart, a touch of sour, but the aftertaste is actually sweet, and leaves a sugary taste. nice and thirst quenching. light body. thin, fizzy refreshing carbonation.

overall - my first experience with the style. It seems more balanced than other lambic styles.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 04:28:26 | More by jmdrpi

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

355 ml bottle served at cellar temperature. Shared with my girlfriend and poured into a snifter glass. We were both interested as this is a first for us in the Faro-style.

A: Semi-clear amber and bronze colored body with a small off white head that dissipated extremely rapidly. A tiny retention ring settles out but there's really no lace at all left behind. An interesting looking beer, darker than I expected but again this style is new to me.

S: Browned apples, sweet caramel, toasted coconut and sugar, black cherry. There's a very interesting component from the Belgian candi sugar that was added to this beer. It has a sweetness to it but the fruity element is odd.

T: Sweet up front with a little tartness, caramel malts, sweet brown sugar, more browned apples (not rotten but not fresh), dates and cherry pits. Quite the blend of flavors but it does work rather well. It's tasty but perhaps a little too sweet and not enough of the acidic tartness is coming through that I'd like.

M: Highly bubbly, well carbonated but not thin though. It's a very nice feeling that I've come to expect from anything in the Lambic-family. A bit dry on the finish.

I know Lindemans adds sweeteners to their beers, but correct me if I'm wrong that Faros are supposed to be sweetened a bit? I thought I read that somewhere. Anyway, this was an interesting beer but not one I'd drink a bottle of to myself.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 13:50:54 | More by ShanePB

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 355ml. bottle (code L C29 JFA stamped).

Appearance: Barely 2 fingers worth of head dwindling to a very thin ring. Amber gold body that i can partially see through with mild lacing.

Smell: Quite tart with some green apples, hay, grass and a definite funk as it warms.

Taste: A nice back and forth of sweet and tart with no clear winner. Candi sugar, granny smith apples as well as bruised and browned ones. Wet grass with some funk. As it warms, the end has a bit of vinegar in it that is mildly off putting.

Mouthfeel: Very lively and refreshing in a tart way. A bit acidic.

Overall: I enjoyed this one. Bit of a weird finish as it warms so try to drink it more chilled.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 12:19:09 | More by papat444