Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale - New Belgium Brewing

JamesS

Indiana

4.78/5  rDev +30.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a wonderful ruby-brown with wonderful head and excellent lacing. Nice deep scent with hints of roastiness under a very nice sweet raspberry aroma. Great taste, a wonderful malty and thick sweetness with a bit of nice roastiness to it, and a great sweet raspberry flavor; very much like a chocolate covered raspberry. Goes down very, very smooth. A wonderful brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 13:58:57 | More by JamesS

hwwty4

Missouri

4.72/5  rDev +28.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

For full disclosure, I have to say this is my favorite seasonal of the year. I wait for this to come out like a kid counting down the days before Christmas.

Poured a 12 oz bottle into a chalice. Poured a dark red with a nice size (2 inch) tan head. Leaves very little lacing down the glass. The aroma is enticing with raspberry, and a sourness that stays in the back of the nostril. Part of it is the raspberries natural tartness but some of it is just the style of the beer. The best part of this beer is in the finish. It finishes with the taste of chocolate. It is amazing. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with light carbonation, allowing for a lingering taste even after you finished the beer. The drinkability is exceptional. If it was nonalcoholic I think I could drink a case in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2007 00:26:24 | More by hwwty4

chOAKbarrell

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very surprised this one does not have higher reviews.

Not only does it have a very flavorful, well balanced raspberry aroma & taste, but there are amazing chocolate undertones to this beer. Literally like drinking a chocolate covered raspberry. Absolutely delicious. And not sicky sweet like you might think. Very smooth and easy going down. An absolute CRAFT beer. Truly a joy to drink. I wish I had a case.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2005 04:31:32 | More by chOAKbarrell

Risser09

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a white wine glass - I think this is an older bottling from 2006 - Cellar temp

Appearance: Cloudy brown ale with ruby and orange highlights. The head reaches 1.5" and is off-white in color. Decent retention with a tiny bit of lace.

Smell: Fresh and muddled raspberries. Very authentic raspberry aroma probably because they use the real thing. Sugary malt, fresh corn and strawberry.

Taste: A very juicy raspberry taste. I have never has such an authentic flavor in a raspberry beer. Sweet malts are subsidiary, but contain a perfect amount of sugar. Fantastic.

Mouthfeel: Chewy beer with a medium body. Very smooth and not much active carbonation. A little bit of dryness lingers on the top of the tongue. Not much alcohol.

Drinkability: Awesome. My new favorite raspberry beer. Perfect sweetness. Quenching and satisfying. Could easily stand alone as an aperitif or dessert.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2008 11:39:48 | More by Risser09

BeerBob

Nebraska

4.63/5  rDev +26.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Frambozen pours a deep raspberry red from a 12oz brown bottle. Huge raspberry milkshake head went well over two fingers and leaves a textbook lace down the side of the glass.

Nose is a fragrant deliciously appealing raspberry that leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling. Palate is... the second verse same as the first, what you smell is what you get along with a nice warm and fuzzy feeling you get knowing that you just had a very good fruit ale.

I have gone through some hit or miss fruit ales / beers before but Frambozen by New Belgium is right on the money, a nice fruit ale repast.

Thanks bditty187 for the trade so I could review this beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2002 21:14:27 | More by BeerBob

Xadoor

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +26.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep ruby red. Head was very light tan and dusty rose which started frothy but settled into a thin layer of small bubbles across the top. Aroma was very mild, but slightly fruity. Taste started out a little dry and malty with only a hint of what was to come. A smooth raspberry flavour slowly moved in until it completely overtook the senses and lingered in the mouth until the next sip (or gulp). Finish was dry and tart. Mouthfeel is light and crisp and refreshing.

This is a fantastic beer. I only picked up a sixpack of it, but I'm definitely going back to get more before its all gone.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2005 01:39:55 | More by Xadoor

olimax

Arkansas

4.6/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fruit beers always sound more appealing to me than they end up tasting. A fruity brown ale from New Belguim promised to be the beer to break this trend and it didn't disappoint.

Appearance: Dark brown translucent with with a tan/pink medium head.

Smell - No surprises here - it smells like brown ale and rasberry. A very appealing smell.

Taste - Rasberry goes as well with brown ale as it does with dark chocolate. This is a very tasty and festive beer.

Mouthfeel - The low carbonation and smooth feel of this style of beer really helps make the fruit flavor work.

Drinkability - The rasberry is more tart than sweet which makes this beer very drinkable for a fruit beer.

I was told that this beer was better in past years but I can offer no complaints for 2007's incarnation. I just wish I had tried this beer before Christmas so I could have enjoyed many more over the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2008 05:30:15 | More by olimax

nlmartin

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer came my way thanks to Tayner and others. Thanks to everyone who sent one of these my way. I drank several of these over the last few months and enjoyed them everytime.

Appearance: The beer pours a lovely chestnut brown. The head was an off biege coloration with good retention. Nice thick lacing remained behind on my glass.

Smell: Both sweet and tart raspberry assault my nose. The raspberry is supported by an understated chocolate.

Taste: Delivers an up front tart raspberry. The beer then slides into a short lived sweet chocolate wrapped raspberry.

Mouthfeel/ Drinkability: The beer has a very light body; however, the beer never is watery. The carbonation is active and seems to fit well. This beer has a nice balance of sweetness and tartness. A very nice beer treat that I wish came to Cincinnati.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2008 06:33:27 | More by nlmartin

humanawho

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A - deep red color with a strong head with a slight red hue

S - the aroma screams raspberry, can't make out much else but as if you smashed a very ripe raspberry in your hand

T - again all raspberry, nothing other than a showcase of raspberry; not syrupy or false; just fresh raspberry flavor

M - nothing outstanding but nothing bad just average

D - very drinkable not too sweet for me

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2008 03:12:14 | More by humanawho

chugalug06

Colorado

4.58/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This brew is over 6months old and is aging wonderfully! Frambozen is also one of my all time favorite brews... With that said, now for the review:

A - Amazing red color with great head and lacing. Head pours fluffy white and remains for quite sometime while the brew "settles". Color of brew is brown with amazing red tint...

S - Super raspberry! Elegant, smooth, delicious... Very berry and sugary scent.

T - Quite tart. Almost a sour brew... Not overly sweet and sugary. This is one brew New Belgium is still on top of their game on... Amazingly great taste, only a slight taste of booze... It would be hard to make it taste any better!

M - Very light body, yet rich and decisive. Carbonation is high and give a seltzer sort of feel... Perhaps NB could lay off a little priming sugar ;)

D - Phenomenal, it's all I can do to save a 6 pack into the summer months every year... Can't put it down, or pick up and take on a *small* sip. YUM, delicious!

A must try if you're a fan of fruited brews, or sours for that matter! More Frambozen please!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 00:46:37 | More by chugalug06

jyeast101

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Really impressed with the NBB Frambozen this year. A rich brown in color, a beige head, with a strong smell of raspberry and a slight smell of sourness. This translates right to the palate with a rich yet sweet tasting beer that leaves a slight tartness in the mouth at the finish. A very drinkable beer that has turned into my favorite this holiday season. I have found that you can have 4-5 and not be bogged down with the sweetness that tends to accompany many fruit beers. A great balance of malty-ness with the sweet and sour. I highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2009 05:08:16 | More by jyeast101

Higravity

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

About as good as it gets for a non-lambic Frambozen. In a chalice it offered up a nice muted malt smell and a hint of the raspberry to come. There is now sweetness to this assertive beer which makes it great and the cringe of tannins which can be present are also put to rest. Simply a great belgian very slightly tart brown with a blossom of raspberry flavors all coated in a soft fluff of chocolate. Masterfully done. Bravo New Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2005 18:45:16 | More by Higravity

patrick16o

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep red hue with hints of light browns and oranges. Crown is good sized and a bit pillowy, disappates slowly clings to the sides of the glass. A steady stream of tiny bubbles rise to the top. Aroma is very nice, raspberry right up front, then a solid helping roasted malts and just a hint of hops. The taste is wonderful. A solid roasted malt flavor up front, quickly followed by delicious sweet and tart raspberry and hints of hops down the back of my tongue. A medium bodied beer with a nice complex flavor. Very nice mouthfeel for a beer I could definately see myself drinking many more of.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2006 01:06:20 | More by patrick16o

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.43/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle(room temp) a deep gold-brown with a good sized head that showed good lacing.

The smell is all raspberry and that's just fine with me as I want as much infusion of the fruit in this ale as I can get!

The taste is a wonderful mix of raspberry and malt and works so darn well, it's hard to put the glass down. I've enjoyed this brew for many years and will continue to as long as NB wants to brew it. ;^)

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2005 20:50:54 | More by Bitterbill

kwill

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer pours a dark, reddish amber. There was very little head, but I think this was because I started pouring too gently and realized too late in the pour that there was going to be no head.

Taste is malty with a definite tart raspberry flavor. Aftertaste leaves a light fruity flavor that is neither too strong nor too sweet. Mouthfeel is a good balance with a slight carbonation. Would have received a perfect score in mouthfeel, but it was just a little too thick for an amber.

Overall this is a very drinkable beer and I am glad that I got a 6-pack so I can enjoy a few more.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2003 20:30:34 | More by kwill

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle thanks to the generosity of babydoc. Deep scarlet in color when held up to light, with a moderate off-white head that fades quickly to a layer of faint bubbles. Smell is chocolatey with bready malt and fresh raspberry aroma. Taste is very tart, slightly sour, and dominated by raspberry, chocolate, and a touch of brown sugar. Mouthfeel is fairly well carbonated, and the sour/tart flavor of the raspberries mask any presence of hops, but this beer is a very interesting and unique. Great for a dessert, but i would not try to session these at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2005 03:54:20 | More by TastyTaste

312HopBomb

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle served in a New Belgium globe glass.

A one finger head fades quickly leaving spotty lacing. Raspberry hued brown color.

Aroma of strong raspberry with brown sugar and bread.

Nice strong fresh raspberry flavor pairs with the malty sweet brown sugar, some chocolate and caramel notes. Medium roast and more bread. Tart fruit finish.

Mouthfeel is smooth and medium body.

Overall a unique and excellent fruit beer. Perfect for Christmas time or anytime.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 05:50:08 | More by 312HopBomb

1whiskey

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is one of my favorite winter seasonals. Despite the relatively high price, there always seems to be a sixer of this in my fridge during the fall and winter. On with the review...

12 oz bottle pours out a beautiful dark ruby color. Aggressive pour yields a thick slightly pinkish-tan head. Leaves a lot of lacing. Nice.

Smells slightly sour, of raspberries, with a somewhat medicinal quality. Almost like a mini-lambic. Not bad.

Taste is a wonderful mix of raspberry tartness, a strong base malt that counters the tartness with an appropiate level of sweetness, and a nice soft cocoa flavor. Not totally lost in the mix are some floral hops notes and a hint of that trademark NBB bisquit flavor. No one element overwhelms the other, it's all quite restrained and amazingly balanced. Finishes fairly clean w/ just a slightly sour aftertaste that is actually very pleasant. Alcohol is well hidden in the taste, though you'll feel it in your belly for sure. Very "fresh" quality to it all. So well balanced...I love this beer. Not nearly as acidic as you might think, either.

Medium body is lightened by a very high level of carbonation. Normally I don't like that, but it seems to work really well with the tart quality. VERY drinkable. Too drinkable.

There seems to be this odd trend of bashing NBB lately, just because they have become quite successful from a buisness standpoint. Well bollocks to that! This is a well crafted beer from a brewery that should be a shining example of what American craft brewers are capable of. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2005 16:41:07 | More by 1whiskey

Dubblebock

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Well, I have to thank the jolly ol' elf himself for leaving this treat under our Christmas tree. I have been curious about this beer ever since I saw it in a few stores earlier in the season. It seems to be one of the more underappreciated holiday brews, overshadowed by the Mad OSA Celebration Elfs of the brewing world. But the taste tells the tale, and this is one fine addition to any holiday table. It's a raspberry flavored beer, and it comes in a decorative bottle with a festive looking wreath on the label.

Pours very well, leaving a nice half-inch thick head. The beer is a rich, dark ruby red color. It looks great when you hold it up to the Christmas tree lights, diffusing the color into a vibrant, liquid red.

It has a nice nose, raspberries wafting forth and taking over the aroma. The taste is special and unique. Tart raspberries dominate the flavor of this beer, but you do get a firm malt backbone before the hops make a token appearance. It would have been easy to let the fruit take over in this beer, but it was surprisingly balanced overall. The raspberries are there, but they don't feel cloying or sweet.

The flavors gel more as the beer warms. It finishes a little dry on the palate, slightly sour towards the end of the bottle, but not unpleasantly so. Good mouthfeel. Deceptively drinkable, it would be easy to quaff a few of these at the holiday table or party. It matches up GREAT with a big ol' turkey and dressing spread, or maybe afterwards with a nice dessert.

Give the other holiday offerings a rest and try this undiscovered gem of a beer. It certainly made MY holiday a little brighter.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2003 23:02:17 | More by Dubblebock

Beaver13

Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The Frambozen poured a dark ruby red with a big pinkish-tan, creamy head that lasted for the entire time and laced the glass on the way down. It had a tart, fruity nose. The taste followed suit - a big tart raspberry initial taste that mellowed as the beer warmed, with a smooth malt finish. This is one of my favorite holiday beers. The fruitiness is not overwhelming, and it's very drinkable. I have noticed that the taste can vary from batch to batch as well as draft vs bottles - some are fruitier and tarter than others.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2003 05:40:46 | More by Beaver13

BeerSox

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into mug.

Dark brown, with a strong ruby red tint. The head is light tan with hints of red mixed in, and lasts forever. It eventually settles to a swirling frothy cap. Thick layered lacing from top to bottom.

The aroma is packed with raspberry and some milk chocolate, with some sweet grain. Smells almost like a dessert cookie.

Dark chocolate mixes beautifully with a syrupy raspberry flavor. There is some slight sticky bready grain. It's almost like a raspberry dessert cake. Medium bodied. The finish is smooth and creamy with lingering raspberry flavors.

I really enjoyed this one, it's a very unique beer. This is a great desser treat for anybody, and is probably a good beginner beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2006 05:03:02 | More by BeerSox

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.35/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

BBD of 15 Feb 08,

This years version pours brownish/mahogany with 2 fingers of plum tinged/whiteish head along viscous/oily layers. Superior head retention & very good lacing

S: Chocolate & berries

T: Dry with tart raspberries & some oak up front. Slight sourness follows along with a hint of vanilla & more berries as this warms. Finishes pretty dry with a bit of chocolate, great tartness & more berries

MF: Medium bodied with low carbonation & some wine-like qualities (sticky & dry)

Drinks pretty easy, a lot better than most fruit beers, this one I could enjoy for 3 or 5! This a solid offering this year!

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2007 05:44:24 | More by russpowell

jwc215

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to hwwty4 for this!
Best before 12Feb10, poured into suggested glassware:

Pours garnet with ruby highlights with a fluffy off-white (pinkish?) head. Creamy head leaves lacing.

The smell is of raspberries - not typical "artificial", but the real sweettart raspberries. A "brown ale" toffee/cocoa maltiness comes through strongly and complements the berries nicely.

The taste is of sweet cocoa/chocolate/toffee notes with raspberries. Reminds me a bit of chocolate covered raspberries with a Chambord character. Wonderfully balanced - sweetness balanced by tart, slight roast and touch of drying bitterness in the finish. Much more complex than typical American fruit beer.

It has a creamy medium body with a nice smoothness and touch of effervescence.

Too often I'm disappointed by fruit beers, but this is head and shoulders above the average. Raspberries well-integrated into a nice brown ale. Not syrupy or artificial at all...not overly sweet... I would look forward to this winter seasonal if it were available in my area!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2010 22:44:17 | More by jwc215

bditty187

Nebraska

4.33/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear ruby-brown hue, it is an absolutely gorgeous color, the off-white head never develops much height, maybe a fourth of a finger, sparse in the middle, fuller around the rim. Laces rather well, very webby. The nose is raspberries and malt, there is pretty good depth to the raspberries, a little sweet, a little tart, a little like pie, yet I can’t help but say this is a one trick pony. Yes, the malt is noticeable but what does it really do? It has an inviting aroma nevertheless. The palate is impressive, that is all I can say. The maltiness is very sturdy, typical of a Brown Ale, hence the name. The raspberry taste is very pie-like, a touch tart and a touch sweet, I detect more chocolate notes than I have typically. The finish is largely “brown ale” in nature, the hops are not noticeable, the bitterness is minimal; the aftertaste has a burst of raspberry and then maltiness. Drier than you’d expect, the taste is far from cloying. This beverage begs to be paired with cheesecake or a chocolate cake. This fruit beer is much different than 99% of its competition. I look forward to Frambozen every year; it is worth a six-pack for sure. I do like it better on-tap however. This is an impressive beverage. I would recommend this to anyone who thinks fruit beers are either “girly” or “too sweet.” This ale is damn tasty. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2002 15:27:45 | More by bditty187

Pegasus

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Lovely claret color with a huge pale pink head head, minor lace, a quite visually striking beer. Very pronounced natural aroma of raspberries, sweet, but with a wine or cordial characteristic. Taste begins with raspberry flavors, stinging carbonation, and a distinct alcohol note, beneath which are substantial bittersweet chocolate malts and spicy hops. Raspberry flavors rise to a tart sharpness towards the midpoint of the taste. Near the finish the hops assert themselves more strongly to vanquish the lingering raspberry notes. This beer is notable for the fact that the raspberry aroma and flavor seem completely natural and free of odd chemical flavors usually present in raspberry-flavored beverages. An absolutely stunning accomplishment in brewing. Would be excellent as a dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2002 19:53:23 | More by Pegasus