Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale - New Belgium Brewing

Domingo

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I've had a lot of this lately, so it's time to review it. I'll be honest - for a long time I really didn't like this beer, but I think I was still expecting something different.
Pours a medium dark walnut brown color with lots of red highlights. The head actually has a red or pink tone to it as well. Since this is from a growler, I've played around a little with doing an aggressive vs. careful pour and found that carbonation's normal to heavy with a lot of lacing as you work your way in.
The smell reminds me of toast with raspberry jam. Raspberry's the prominent flavor, but you can get a little bit of a burnt caramel and nutty flavor, too. Very nice.
The taste actually begins with the caramel, nutty, chocolate flavor of a brown ale, but then the raspberry takes over in the middle. It's sweet, but not insanely so. The finish is bready and fruity.
Texture is thinner than you might initially think, but it goes down way too easy. On the other hand, it's well carbonated and it laces like few of its kind can.
I really have grown to like this beer. It's not something for every day, but on a cold snowy weekend I nearly finished a growler by myself.

Serving type: growler

12-20-2007 20:06:49 | More by Domingo

bmwats

Louisiana

3.69/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a standard pint.

A: Medium dark ruby brown. Pours a half finger, foamy, white head. Settles pretty quickly, leaving a mere reminiscence of a head. Hefty, beer ring lacing.

S: Nose is a wheaty malt, with raspberry and cherry strongly accentuating.

F: Bready malt flavor with a little fruity sweetness. Well-balanced.

M: Light body, crisp and fruity.

D: Goes down easy. The relative heavy alcohol content is unapparent.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Nice coloration, fair head, and some strong lacing. Nose is at really good malt and fruit combination. Very well-balanced. Flavor is lightly malted and lightly fruity, neither aspect overwhelming the other... well done. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 04:27:48 | More by bmwats

barnzy78

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle, "Best Before 17Feb13", pours red in color topped with a thin, off-white head. Sweet and tart raspberry fills the nose coupled with some brown sugar and a hint of caramel perhaps. Tastes are sweet raspberry up-front with brown malts, it's tart and a little sour on the finish with a very slight grassy/herbal hop presence, while finishing semi-dry while the raspberry lingers. Thinner mouth-feel with lower carbonation. Overall, pretty one-note and rather cloyingly sweet. I like raspberries, but this was just okay.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 02:20:09 | More by barnzy78

vkv822

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz : tulip
Best By: Feb17, 2013

Pours a ruby red with faint brown hues and a thick, foamy off white, perhaps very faintly pink hued, head with great retention and thick lacing.

Primarily lightly tart raspberry in the nose.

More raspberry upfront, with a mild earthy/nutty malt backing. Not much hop presence.

Medium-light body with low, foamy carbonation.

An enjoyable, well done fruit beer. Lots of raspberry, fairly sweet, with a complimentary malt backing.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 09:35:26 | More by vkv822

Zach136

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Trappeze Pub. Served in an Allagash Flute.

12 oz. / $5
half pour / $3

A - Light Auburn with a three finger beige head. Excellent lacing.

S - Raspberry and a hint of peanut butter and jelly sandwhich.

T - Raspberry sweetness with a solid malt background. Virtually no hops to speak of.

M - Light and crisp, very refreshing for a brown ale base.

O - One of the better fruit beers i've ever had. Really reminded me of a liquid peanut butter and raspberry jelly sandwhich throughout the drink.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 18:24:31 | More by Zach136

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

A- pours a clear dark ruby-brown with a two-finger light tan head with good retention and a bit of lace.

S- fresh raspberry juice, some toasted malt and just a bit of nuttines and caramel

T- tart, astringent raspberry juice almost makes me pucker. It isn't as tart after the first sip. Mid palate provides a bit if malt sweetness and a touch of caramel. The finish is tart and dry with a linger if raspberry.

M- light body, low carbonation and creamy mouthfeel with a velvety finish. Very nice.

O- once you get past the initial tart shock, this one is pretty enjoyable. It is labeled as a brown ale but lacks the malt profile for a true brown ale. However, it is one of the more enjoyable fruit beers I've had in a while.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 02:41:05 | More by Treyliff

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into shaker pint glass.
A: Pours a clear red (with a hint of brown) hue. Moderate carbonation produces a 1/2 inch white head with decent retention.
S: Nice fresh, sweet, and tart raspberry note. Faint hint of caramel malt in the background.
T: Follows aroma fairly closely...a nice raspberry note with a mild caramel malt backbone.
M: Light body. Mild carbonation tingle. Sweet with a mildly tart finish.
D: A solid brew--especially for style, but just not special. An easily drinkable (and very sessionable) holiday beer...would be a great one for a larger gathering where the focus is more on the company and less on the beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 05:04:39 | More by mwilbur

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

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

Poured into a New Belgium globe.

The beer is a soft ruby brown. An off white head recedes to chunks of bubbles while sheets of lacing coat the glass.

The beer smells bubbly, like champagne with raspberry, faint malts and hops, and perhaps subdued nuttiness.

The beer tastes bright and fruity with raspberry and cranberry notes. A silky malt body brings lingering notes of nuts and cranberry bread.

Mouthfeel is smooth, but spritzy and dry.

Overall this is my favorite New Belgium beer. It's not overbearing, it's clean and refreshing and I can always have several without feeling like its a dessert.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 01:31:22 | More by JuicesFlowing

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I hear "frambozen" so I expect Belgian character. But when the expectations fail, what's left? Without the character of Belgian yeast, New Belgium lets the malt and fruit stand all on their own, with the yeast-neutral character of American brewing at heart. Does the beer have enough to give on that alone?

Without the highly spritzy visual texture of Belgian Framboise, the deep crimson beer delivers a more creamy appearance than champagne, which is my first clue that things are different here. As the brilliantly clear, dark beer settles; an even coat of foam skirts the glass evenly and laces wonderfully uneven- organic as ever even if foregoing the Belgian underpinnings.

One whiff off the glass and I'm udderly perplexed: There's the malt, there's the fruit, but where's the vinous, tawny, earthen, sour notes that pull them all together? They are all missing. Yet, after becoming accustomed to the scent, I begin to understand the clear-cut dialogue of toast and raspberry which play out simply, elegantly, and confidently.

With one taste, the raspberries rise and seem to be supported by toasty malts. On the next, the flavors of toast, chocolate, and nuts take hold and offer a glimmer of fruit complexities from left field. It's this dichotomy of malt and fruit that create such a melange that its balance is undeniable and forcefully appreciated. There's simply no other way to put it- the beer is all toast and raspberry and it makes no apologies for it. Beautiful in design, and shyly rewarding.

It's light to medium body is first bolstered by semi-dry malt textures, but then is cut by the acidity of raspberry tartness. As the malty textures prove to be fleeting, the alcohols rise to match the intensity of tartness to provide a mostly-clean, mostly-dry finish of fruit and light lingering malt sweetness.

As standard American-brewed fruit beers are concerned, Frambozen is head and shoulders better than most. But the problem is that there's so much in common with this beer and Belgian Framboise that the comparisons leave me wanting more of that Belgian character in this beer. Fair? Unfair? -to each their own, I guess.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 07:00:55 | More by BEERchitect

kojevergas

California

3.13/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a nonical pint glass in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are average; I sipped one of these last week and wasn't horribly impressed. 6.5% ABV confirmed. Best before 02/17/13.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Not paired with food.

A: Pours a three finger head of pink-beige colour, poor thickness, limited cream, and good retention for the above average ABV (5+ minutes). Body colour is a vibrant light amber/red. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Raspberries, light tartness, clean malts, a fleeting vague hint of soap, and a bit of sourness. A fairly strong fruity aroma. Pleasant and inviting. No yeast or alcohol is detectable.

T: Raspberry sweetness and some tartness. Quite sugary/sweet. Fruity all around. Clean malty foundation. Hopping is floral and vague. Balanced but simple. Lacks complexity and subtlety. That said, it's a pleasant easy drinking beer and it's pretty well executed for what it is. Clean and enjoyable.

Mf: Smooth and wet. A touch too thin. Slightly overcarbonated. Good palate presence, though it could use a bit more body.

Dr: Very drinkable, but not unique or special. I might have it on draught if I'm in the mood for a fruit beer. A decent offering from New Belgium.

As a side note, I think the moniker is misleading. Don't expect anything remotely close to a framboise in the sour sense of the connotation.

C+

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 03:56:42 | More by kojevergas

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Deep reddish-amber color with lots of soft and sticky foamy lacing.

S - A mild nose with light hop presence. Definitely picking up raspberry sweetness as well.

T - There is certainly raspberry here. The raspberry flavors are tart and floral. Its mild and more in the form of the essence of raspberry actually. There's also a chalky, chocolate nutty flavor. The flavor notes here seem to be on the artificial side.

M - Drinks like a light lager all the way through.

O - You can detect raspberry but overall this is a pretty weak beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2012 04:36:06 | More by BeerForMuscle

rangerred

Tennessee

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear deep ruby with a thin wispy head that quickly fades. Not much in the way of lacing, maybe just a little bit.

Aroma is a mix of fruit, caramel, and chocolate. The raspberry is noticeable although slightly subtle. There are hints of dark chocolate coming through along with some toast and a little roasted bread.

The flavor brings out the raspberries more along with a decent amount of tartness. Caramel and chocolate is subdued along with some roasted malt. The raspberry always remains in the background giving this beer a nice balance. Bitterness is on the light side with a little bit of stickiness.

Overall, a decent beer but I am not blown away. Everything is balanced and remains in check but at the same time, there is no real wow factor. A solid brew from New Belgium but not something I would go out of my way to find.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 01:34:19 | More by rangerred

rawfish

California

4.18/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours ruby tinged brown and clear with a small pink tinged head. Poor retention and messy lacing left behind. Glows when it's held up to the light.

Berries up front, thin and uplifting dried cranberries and raspberry. Hay and crusty rye bread, nice blend like jam on toast.

Raspberry juice immediately distinguishable but not syrupy or over the top, dry crusty bread, grassy hop, lemon zest, spearmint. The fruit is light on it's feet and adds a nice flash to what would be a sessionable amber. Dries well and doesn't leave much acidity on the palate.

Crisp and snappy carbonation pairs well with the berry. Hops dry very well and clean. Alcohol could be toned down a twinge but otherwise near perfect.

Terrific holiday beer that features the fruit without being over done, malt and drying hops balance well then cleanse the palate for the next sip. Crisp, uplifting and makes this beer feel like a celebration.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 07:17:09 | More by rawfish

JEdmund

Kansas

4.05/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Small ¼” head sitting on a really pretty pinkish/purple body. Good stream of carbonation bubbles.

Definite berry aroma; it’s a little tart and sweet smelling. Some doughy malt. Very inviting.

Light flavor for 6.5%, but I see that as a plus in its drinkability. The raspberry flavor isn’t over the top like it is in Lindemann’s, and there’s a fairly neutral, even level malt flavor complementing them. Finish really comes alive and the fruit really pops with a tart zing—very nice and refreshing! Mouthfeel is excellent: velvety rich, though not heavy or syrupy.

Frambozen didn’t quite live up to the hype, and I wouldn’t say it lives up to its price tag either ($10.99). However, I full enjoyed drinking them and would absolutely order this if it were on tap somewhere. I’d probably even buy a single bottle next year. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 22:04:06 | More by JEdmund

UCLABrewN84

California

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Best before 2/17/13.

Pours a clear reddish-brown with a foamy reddish-beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt and some earthy raspberry aromas. Taste is much the same with a slight tartness and a fruity finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that mixes up the fruitiness from the raspberries and the base brown ale fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 05:33:51 | More by UCLABrewN84

TheSixthRing

California

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a clear, ruby brown with an off-white, slightly pink head that's about a finger and a half thick. Great retention. Leaves behind a nice sticky lacing that coats the glass from top to bottom.

Smell - The aroma's a bit muddled, but there's a hint of chocolate and raspberry that pokes through, along with a faint grass hop bitterness.

Taste - Fortunately, the flavor is much more pronounced. Starts with a nice hit of sweet dark chocolate before quickly shifting to a strong raspberry sweetness. This sweetness is short lived, and the beer finishes with a slight grassy bitterness that helps to cleanse the pallet. It's a quick, delicious flavor shot that begs for another sip.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body, with moderate carbonation. Smooth and drinkable, finishing somewhat dry.

Overall - Does what Lost Coast's Raspberry Brown fails to do; namely, keeping the sweetness from becoming too cloying. Raspberry truffle in a drink; New Belgium nailed it. Perfect dessert beer. I could drink this late Christmas morning and not have a regret.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 07:35:05 | More by TheSixthRing

tronester

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear ruby red/brown with a thin tannish, almost purple head. Aromas of raspberry preserves, and malt. The flavor begins with a sharp acidic tartness, followed by some fresh raspberry flavor, thin a hint of malt. The aftertaste is very tart and raspberry tasting. Mouthfeel is good. Overall an interesting beer, pretty tasty, though the raspberries take control of most of the aroma and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 01:36:50 | More by tronester

Optifron

Illinois

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

Enjoyed out of the bottle 11/15/2012

Appearance: Pours a dark cherry reddish copper. Light, pinkish, strawberries and cream head. Fills my Allagash glass to the brim

Aroma: fruity, cherries, a bit of raspberry. Lightly fruity. bit of spice. nutmeg?

Taste: Light malty sweetness. Dark cherries. a bit of tart raspberry finish. A little lingering astringency.

Mouthfeel: Small bubbles tickle the tongue. On the sweet side of things, inducing salivation. Has long lasting tarty sweetness. leaves a coating of sweetness.

Overall: A nice, light Christmas beer. I don’t like many fruit beers, but this is pretty good. Could do away with the lingering astringency. Would pick up a six pack if it was on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 21:11:45 | More by Optifron

hoppyweasel311

California

4.15/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish brown color with a quick disappearing head.

Aroma- Tart raspberries, slight alcohol

Taste- Creamy mouthfeel, light carbonation, tart raspberry... and thats about it for me... the tartness is overpowering any other flavors. It kind of reminds me of champagne.. all in all this a really good holiday beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 22:20:13 | More by hoppyweasel311

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer pours a very brite brown amber color with deep red hues. A nice tan colored head forms above the beer.

The aroma is of malt, fruit, raspberries, and some hints of toffee/caramel also accompany the other aromatics.

The beer starts off sweet and slightly malty and finish with a nice bright tartness. The raspberry really comes through in the finish.

The beers is crisp and bubbly on the tongue.

Overall a very enjoyable beer. Not a ton of complexity but a great pairing of the malt aroma and the raspberries.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 02:16:13 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

DannyHartman

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

As I pour a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass, a 1 inch head appears atop a beautiful clear ruby red brew.... The head diminishes quickly with very little retention.... However, it leaves very good lacing throughout the drink.

I take a whiff, and I immediately get raspberries (hence "Frambozen").... Following that, I get a little roasted malt with the slightest chocolate notes.

During the tasting, it's hard to get past the upfront raspberry.... Once you do, there's other fruit tartness, with the slightest taste of toasted malts and cocoa on the finish.

I'd say this beer is on the light side of medium-bodied.... It's well carbonated with lots of tart raspberry in the aftertaste.

Overall, this is a decent brew.... New Belgium has done a pretty good job of putting a raspberry flavor into a brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 19:34:54 | More by DannyHartman

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a New Belgium globe.
6.5% ABv, Serve at 50°F, Best Before 24FEB13

A - Steady carbonation rises from the glass' nucleation point through the vibrant dark ruby colored beer to keep the loose pile of light pastel pink foam afloat. As the suds slowly sink, they leave drifts of lace all over the glass.

S - Frambozen opens with a robust raspberry aroma that's reminiscent of the fruit-filled lambics of Belgium though not quite as sweet. In fact, more tartness than anything blankets the faintly roasted brown malts which provide a complimentary cocoa and chocolate quality, however dull. Exactly what I'd imagine a brown ale with raspberries added smells like.

T - Gently raspberry fruitiness nudges the base maltiness of this beer with a tartness which works very well with the mildly roasted malts which provide a touch of chocolate to the beer. Cocoa and hops linger on the finish with a dry earthiness.

M - Medium-bodied and well carbonated, this brown ale starts with a classic dryness which lingers and is aided by tart raspberries for a refreshing and soothing beer with a light, crisp bite.

O - New Belgium carefully manages to extract the core concept of a fruity framboise and applies it to a brown ale while maintaining the beer qualities keeping it level and fruity without being completely fruity. Frambozen is a nice winter seasonal that offers gentle festive cheer without being over the top fruity or strong; these could be kicked back by the 6-pack at family gatherings no problemo.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 23:14:06 | More by BeerFMAndy

LXIXME

New Mexico

2.4/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A big light brown head settles into a small bisquity head and light lacing above a clear reddish amber colored beer.

Sweetened raspberries dominate that aroma with some added light malts and other citrus fruits.

The taste is a light roasted malt with a light infused raspberry taste with some tartness to it.

A light to medium body and a light dry aftertaste with some lingering berry hints.

I was really looking forward to this, I usually enjoy New Belgium beers and I love raspberries but this doesn't live up to the standard set by either.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 22:05:30 | More by LXIXME

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

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is definitely a brown ale with raspberries mixed in. I find it earthy and hearty and deeper, which reacts with the raspberries very well. Combines to make a hearty, yet somewhat refreshing ale, even though it's more robust than the standard weak fruit beers. This is actually bringing some good character. I like it and could definitely go for more than one since it's bringing true raspberry flavor and not a bunch of syrupy junk. A nice production from New Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 05:16:26 | More by RblWthACoz