Lindemans Faro Lambic - Brouwerij Lindemans

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.8%
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

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy orange-ish to copper color with a white head. In the aroma, white grape and sweet tea. In the taste, white grape and lemon sweet tea. A sugary/ sour bite and light bodied mouthfeel, with a clean to small sugary sourness in the aftertaste. A sourness blended nice with a sweet tea like body. Not too bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2010 20:15:14 | More by OWSLEY069

stcules

Italy

2.42/5  rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

The colour is amber. The smell is sweet and acetic at the same time, even if the acetic is low for a lambic.
The sweet is something like candy sugar.
The taste is sweet ad acid, but well balanced. Notes of orange, strawberry.
the taste of acid fade away quicly, the sweet is more persistent.
The body is low, according the style.
It is a good beer for an aperitif.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2002 12:03:25 | More by stcules

jrallen34

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I drank this from the bottle into a chalice.

The beer pours a light clear brown with small head, but good retention and lacing.

The aroma is sour with horse blanket dominating. Lots of strong funkyness.

The taste is much lighter than the smell, but tart none-the-les. This reminds me of an american wild ale, just not as funky or complex. Its still something enjoyable to drink and very drinkable despite its funk.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 14:12:10 | More by jrallen34

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this courtesy of RiekerStarBrew served chilled in my goblet, probably the first Faro i have tasted.

A deep amber with translucent clarity and thin white cap with lace that clings in spots, retention is decent with fine bead. The smell is good, nice yeast odor, slight candy sugar aroma with a hint of wood and caramel undertone with some subtle spice. The feel is moderately high sugary sweetness level which is good for the style even if it is not my taste, semi-high carbonation with hints of yeast giving smooth body.

The taste is as the nose leads on, with spice caramel heavy sugar influence and mild oak flavor accenting. w/ subtle spiciness and lots of residual sugar on the palate as the sweetness lingers. Overall this is not a style I think that many can compare to base on the fact so few are available in the U.S., but this comes off like their other lambics -too sweet, the only missing ingredient is a fruit addition.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 18:17:19 | More by Slatetank

dirtylou

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16.7oz bottle, beer temple in brussels

appearance: split in our hotel in brussels - poured into 2 wine glasses as a nightcapper, copper body, beige foam

smell: sweet, wild yeast, wet hay, earthy

taste: a bit too sweet as i often find to be the case with lindemans - the added sugar makes this one a little harder for me to enjoy. there is some nice wild yeast funk, earthy mushroom, and nice lambic notes but its just too sweet

mouthfeel: a little heavy

drinkability: ok

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 21:12:53 | More by dirtylou

Tone

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, dark gold color. 2/3 inch head of a white color. Great retention and slight lacing. Smells of tart malt, acidity, citrus, and slight hop. Fits the style of a Faro. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with a high carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, tart malt, acidity, citrus, general sweetness. Overall, a good sweetened Lambic.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 04:21:21 | More by Tone

beertunes

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is my first example of the style, keep that in mind while reading this. Poured into long stemmed white wine glass, closest I had to a flute. Poured a nice medium brown/amber with an inch of off-white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing.

The aroma was mostly malty grains with a nice tang. There was an underlying sweetness that only showed up if you looked for it. On the tongue, that sweetness was more prevalent than the aroma led me to expect. The malt was there, as was that mild tang.

The body was decent, perhaps a bit thinner than I would have liked. Drinkability was very good, I could eaqsily have a coupler of these after dinner. I had a couple of lemon cookies while I had this one and they went together very well.

Overall, a decent brew, worth trying when you see it.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 04:53:35 | More by beertunes

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a corked & capped green 355mL bottle. The beer is hazy , light copper colored, thin wet "spitty" looking foam. The aroma is so good, funky barnyard / horse saddle, & whatnot. A little bit of apple too. The taste is very sweet (added candi sugar based on the bottle description), probably about right for the style but really too sweet for me. I like the tart apple flavors and also the Belgian yeasty funk but the sugar makes it hard to drink much. Good thing it comes in small bottles.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2009 02:15:01 | More by TurdFurgison

DefenCorps

Oregon

1.78/5  rDev -50.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

I grabbed this at State Line yesterday. While this is the second faro I've had (the other being the Chapeau faro), this is the first I get to tick.

Clear amber with a dense, white head that settles into a thin cap, leaving some lace, this beer looks good. The nose belies this beers lambic base. A mild musty funk and woody aroma are immediately noticeable, but as this warms up, I do get a rather noticeable sweetness. Sugary and rather intense, like cake frosting, this aspect isn't particularly enjoyable. It is, however, better than the taste. Wretched candy sweetness, this tastes like sugar water. The sourness and funk are completely overwhelmed here, this is like cheap store brand soda with an artificial fruit and sugary sweetness and the carbonation lending a refreshing finale to this beer. I really don't get much flavor here, this is just rather wretched. Medium in body with moderate carbonation, this is sweet on the finish with a blend of regular and brown sugar. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 01:10:50 | More by DefenCorps

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

355 mL bottle pours a very clear, dark gold color. Large, bubbly white head shows light retention and a few spots of lacing.

Nose is cheesy sour/sweet with a Goudenband-like rich sugar aroma. Roasted caramel popcorn...interesting and welcomingly sour.

Taste is a complex mélange of sweet than sour malty mixatropolis. Beery lambic flavors with some helping acidity. Yummy for sure, but hard to define. Has a soft sweetness. This is my first faro, but I am thoroughly enjoying the experience, too much so to write a lengthy review. Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 16:50:34 | More by twiggamortis420

bark

Sweden

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Faro… I like Faro. I cannot see why it is so hard to get beers of this style? This one, I found at the “Musseles Belgo Bar” in Budapest.

The colour is deep amber; the liquid is cloudy. The head is just a tiny white ring, leaving some lacing.

The smell is sweet and sourish with earthy notes, some apricots and vinegar. Maybe there is a hint of soap?

The taste is sweet with lots of vinegar, earthy flavours, canned fruit salad, wax chalks. The long aftertaste is fruity with notes of apricots, malt vinegar and brown sugar.

The carbonation is robust and short. The mouthfeel is very very dry.

A nice faro, and as one could expect from Timmermans, it is well crafted but not very complex.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2006 08:51:33 | More by bark

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Duvel Green tulip. No date or info.

Thanks to emerge077 for this one! A nice surprise in the trade!

A - Pours darker than I expected, it's a crystal clear amber brown color beer that emerges. The tall pour creates a three-finger head. The slightly brown-tinted off-white head has very low retention from the acidity but great lace left on the glass.

S - Naturally white-wine-like in aroma with a sweet but mellow kick to the funky aroma. Notes of light wood shine through. Mild tart cherry fruitiness and lactic acid tartness as well. A great lambic aroma! Candi sugar sweetens up the otherwise tart, acidic smell.

T - Tons of candi sugar sweetens the flavor heavily, almost a little too much. Tiny bits of tart cherry fruitiness comes through with a little wood. A pinch of lactic barnyard funk timidly tickles on the finish. A good flavor though.

M - A little overly sweet, the body is medium-full and just a little too much. I do really enjoy the tart, slightly dry finish and carbonation tickle in this but the sugar could be backed off a bit.

D - Again, it's good but just a little too sweet for drinkability. The candi sugar overcomes the nice tart finish too much. A good, different lambic though. Also, with how much sugar is in here, how is the alcohol percent this low?

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2010 17:20:14 | More by BeerFMAndy

nickfl

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - This beer pours with about half an inch of white foam that rests on top of a slightly hazy, orange-brown body. The head settles fairly quickly and leaves light rings of lace sticking to the glass.

S - A dry, musty aroma of wild microbes with notes of wet moss, tart cherries, and a hint of sulfur.

T - Tart fruit up front, quickly followed by a sweet tea level of sugar. Notes of black cherry, caramel malt, lemon, and sweetened balsamic vinegar in the middle. The beer finishes with an emphasis on sugar, lemon, and cherry; it almost tastes like a soda.

M - Medium-thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a fairly sweet finish.

D - This contrast between the earthy, funky aroma and the sweetened, soda like flavor is really different from most other beers. It shows the funky complexity of its base beer much better than Lindeman's less traditional sweetened lambics and despite the strange descriptors that I am forced to use in relating the flavors it is actually pretty enjoyable. Unlike the sweetened fruit lambics, the sourness is able to show through a bit along with the wild character and thanks to the tradition behind this style, you aren't left with the feeling that they ruined something wonderful to appeal to the masses. If you know what you are getting into with this beer you can enjoy it for what it is and I can see it being a really refreshing beer on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 00:36:28 | More by nickfl

francisweizen

Australia

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled at the Manekin Pis pub (on draught). This was served in its correct dimpled mug. A dark reddish liquid with a pink head of foam. The aromas are sweet, gueuze like, and very fruity with the candy sugar aromas really shining through. The taste is very sugary, with a bit of gueuze funk thrown in for good measure. This is a nice brew, but it is quite one-dimensional to me. The mouthfeel is smooth and full and the drinkability is good, but hindered by the sugary qualities of this brew. It's good to have one of these, but more than one would be a chore...

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2004 20:42:04 | More by francisweizen

tpd975

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy orange brown hue with a tall off white head. Nice retention and leggy lace.

S: Lots of sweetness with hints of citrus, and sweet apple.

T: Sweet and sour real nice actually. Rock candy sweetness up front. Hints of sour lemon, green apple, and brown sugar malt.

M: Medium in body, nice sweet, tasty.

D: Good, It is one that should be shared, but it took care of it all by myself.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2009 21:16:00 | More by tpd975

smakawhat

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ok seems fair to have a faro style after all this time. Not sure how this will go (a sweetened lambic?? I dunno ..) but let's try a starter one this seems like a good place to start. Poured into a tulip glass.

A tight off white head picking up some of the red body color with a consistency of tight soap, but sort of falls. Body is a wonderful dark ruby red and brown amber, clear, with some sticking large cola bubbles and some fast small rising carbonation in the middle of the glass. This looks great!

Nose is brett. Distinct funk and heat with a mild sense of sweet and sour cherry. Feels interesting kind of a wild balance no pun intended.

Taste is ridiculous sweet syrup cherry. Sugar dominant with a sense or hawaiian fruit punch. Brett and heat action is nowhere to be found in the palate. Candi sugars abound without a hot yeast like punch. Texture is luckily not too syrupy, even slightly viscous.

Overall well I guess faro is always this sweet??? I mean it is Lindemans after all but it certainly can work and doesn't hurt. I wouldn't call this a sugar bomb, but I am curious if this style made by Cantillon or Drie Fontinen is considerably different. We'll see! Pretty easy drinking for a low abv.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 03:20:26 | More by smakawhat

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 ounce capped and corked bottle. Served in a stange glass, the beer pours a hazy dark gold/amber color with an inch and a half frothy white head. Head retention is excellent, lacing is OK. The aroma is sweet and musty, and I can also smell some candy sugar, and somewhat tart fruit. The taste is very, very sweet. Mostly I can taste candy sugar, but there's also a little bit of musty funk and somewhat tart fruit in there too. The problem is after a while the sugary sweetness overpowers the other flavors in the beer. Mouthfeel/body is light, it's very smooth and also very carbonated as lot of bubbles continuously come from the bottom of the glass to the top. The carbonation works great for this beer. Drinkability is decent as it's not too hard to drink, but after a while the sweetness of the beer just gets to be too much for me. This is the first Faro style beer I've tried, and I'd like to try more in the future. I just hope they're not all quite as sweet as this one is. It's not a bad beer, it's just not something I could drink all the time.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2009 00:56:47 | More by bluejacket74

FosterJM

California

3.23/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

702nd Review on BA
Bottle to strange
12oz cap/corked

App- Pours the color of apple juice with a two finger pillowy top head. Big foam with very noisy bubbles. No cling really.

Smell- Like a nice gueuze just less damp and dry. A bit lighter and brighter than normal but still retained a little yeast and funk.

Taste- It starts out a little sugary but moves to a unique blend of juicy flavors and yeast. It really tasted like apple juice with flat coke. A very de-flavorized and commercial version.

Mouth- light bodied/ high carbed. Both levels couldve gone medium but was a little lighter so call iy as you see it.

Drink- Eh, for International beer day was all I had as import. Wasnt the best, wasnt the worst. A little too sweet, little unbalanced. Wont come back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 05:54:21 | More by FosterJM

dgilks

Australia

4.13/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper colour with a persistent off-white head. Pretty streams of carbonation flow through the glass.

Nicely sweet and sour aroma with some nice funky overtones working their way through the nose.

Good balance between sweet and sour. While I am a fan of really sour traditional lambics and gueuzes, this works for me. I get a strong vinous character with tart grapes, peaches and stonefruit playing a role. The significant sweetness doesn't overpower cutting the sweetness enough to mean that this doesn't have to be a sipper.

Medium bodied with a soft carbonation, this is easy enough to drink. I would probably like it to be a bit thinner but that is hard to do when it has been loaded up with unfermented sugars. A tasy, drinkable beer even if it goes against my penchant for mouth puckering, stupidly sour wild beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 09:54:44 | More by dgilks

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

355ml corked and capped bottle poured into tulip sept7 2010

A clear deep amber with a thumbs width of light tan head that fizzes out pretty quick leaving a few patches of lace

S plenty of fruity vinegar with a little barnyard funk and some sweetness

T I pick up on a lot of strawberry among other fruit on top of what I smell, it almost has a bit of a off wine flavor that works well for some strange reason

M sour with some bite and plenty of bubbles and a lingering finish

D low booze and lots of flavor, quite interesting and a style I may need to research

It's always a challenge reviewing beer styles you've never tried before, but the only way to learn is to try. I'd drink this again it's something different to enjoy

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 20:32:15 | More by wordemupg

Brent

Kentucky

3.15/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured a light caramel. Some faint mustyness in the aroma. Almost overpoweringly sweet. There is some lambic tartness lurking deep in the depths, but it is overlayered with fathoms of candy sugar. On one level, this could almost pass for a very sweet sparkling white wine that was a bit too long in the bottle. I would have enjoyed this had the lambic quality been allowed to shine through through just a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 14:03:14 | More by Brent

champ103

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear reddish color. A one finger white head forms and first poor, but recedes in a second. Light lace is left behind.
S: A fruity tartness up front with some funky yeast and barnyard aromas. Sweet malty aromas as well.
T: A tart fruitiness. Sweet candy sugar and malt. A little to sweet for me though. Still enjoyable enough.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Crisp, but smooth. Not hard to drink at all.

I enjoy this. A very mellow blended Lambic. The candy sugar that is added makes this a little to sweet though. Other than that this is fine. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 19:10:22 | More by champ103

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

These comments may show me to not have a beerophiles insight into the finer qualities of beer. Oh well. I like this Faro version of Lindeman's Lambics much better than the Geuze, even the Rene. This poured with a nice off white fine foamy head and a little lace. Color is a hazy medium to dark amber. Aroma is yeasty, tart, caramel, toffee, wine. Flavor's very similar. Nice sweet/tart interplay. Great body and carbonation. Finish is like flavor. I really like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 16:34:47 | More by drpimento

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to akorsak for sharing this 355ml bottle on 10/18/09.

A - Poured a slightly hazy golden/light orange body with a foamy alabaster head that yielded lots of thick, bubbly lacing around the glass.

S - Hmmm... kind of odd aroma and certainly not exactly what I was expecting. Initial aroma is a patchwork of sweet and sour sauce, mothballs, caramelized apples, candi sugar and a hint of band-aid.

T - Initial sip reveals something very different than what the aroma suggested. This is an extremely sweet and sugary brew with lots of fruity notes akin to apples and berries. There's also candi sugar... LOTS of candi-sugar. This is the Marshmallow Peeps of beer, folks!

M - Light bodied with a syrupy texture and soft carbonation, resulting in minimal bristle factor. Sugary, candy-like sweetness envelopes the tongue through the finish.

D - This was almost too sweet. Actually, it was too sweet... for a beer, anyway. The sweetness really hinders its drinkability overall. Interesting style, though, and could be the perfect gateway beer for twenty-something chicks who drink liquor laced with Red Bull and Sweet & Sour mixers.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2009 19:29:56 | More by ffejherb