Frambozen Raspberry Brown Ale - New Belgium Brewing

zdk9

Texas

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

A- Looking through the glass reveals a ruby gem of a beer. There's a full finger of head and lacing that trails down in spurts like some sort of strange beer language characters.

S- Raspberry is the strongest smell there, but it's by no means superpowered. There's some dark wheat bread crusts, some herbage- rosemary and basil. Hints of maple syrup, but not a ton of this.

T- The taste has stronger raspberry notes, sweet and sour and earthy, and above all fruity- not a super fresh fruit, but maybe closer to a jam, or defrosted frozen fruit. Anyway it's still great fruit notes surrounded by malts and hops. A good bit of malt, like the bread crusts again.

M- Really nice balance- not at all too sweet, good bitterness on the back of the tongue with some lemony/ citrus/ roses type hop flavors.

O- One of the most balanced fruit beers I've had. You really taste the "this is a beer that was built around this fruit, but it's still a beer" rather than "here's a fruity beer". Nice job

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 06:32:32 | More by zdk9

rundocrun

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12-oz bottle into a snifter.

A - Pours a brownish-amber color. Has a finger of coarse off-white head. Poor retention. Minimal lacing.

S - Has a definite toasty, nutty aroma. Milk chocolate, caramel, hints of vanilla, but no noticeable raspberry.

T - Straightforward sweet milk chocolate and raspberry flavor. A litte over-sweet and lacking in tartness. Some mild astringent roasted grain character joins the mix in the middle and the finish is a little more noticeably tart, but retains some caramel flavor.

M - Medium body with good carbonation and a sticky, syrupy finish.

Overall - For what this beer lacks in looks, it approaches redemption in the aroma and taste. A little too sweet and lacking on tartness for my liking, but in all, it does taste like a sweet, nutty brown ale with some raspberry thrown into the mix. I guess you can't fault NB for delivering what the label says.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 02:17:04 | More by rundocrun

Halcyondays

California

4.18/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours brown with a finger of white head. Nice retention, spotty lace.

S: Sweet and tart raspberries, some malt.

T: Great true raspberry flavour that lasts throughout the whole experience in the mouth. Light brown sugar character, like a raspberry cookie.

M: Medium-bodied, frothy carbonation, creamy, thinner finish than I'd expect. Very mild acidity, slight tart at the end.

O: I finally got to try this legendary effort. While it's been around the Mountain States for a while it's never made it to CA until this year and it has in a big way. If it continues to come each year, I have another beer to add to my winter seasonal must buy list.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 01:19:34 | More by Halcyondays

drabmuh

Maryland

2.88/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

At the time of this review, this is the #45 top beer on the beeradvocate.com "Top Beers - Fruit / Vegetable Beer" list. Shared by Thorpe, served in a Stone IRS glass.

Beer is brown and hazy with a thin brown head, no lacing, low retention, moderate carbonation, looks fine.

The aroma is sweet with a mild malt, some fruit.

Beer tastes like raspberry candy, sweet, cloying, like cough syrup gross. How does it taste so much more like raspberries and not smell like them at all?

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 01:01:11 | More by drabmuh

sommersb

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 12-20-2011
Freshness: Best by 02-26-2012
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle
Glassware: New Belgium globe
Purchased: 6-pack from Frugal MacDoogal, Nashville

Clear beer, with a dark red, almost brown color. The head is off-white and a couple of fingers. Nice amount of lace is present.

Aroma is mainly of raspberry fruits - sweet and pleasant. The raspberries also come through strongly in the taste. This beer is sweet, but much less sweet than some raspberry lambics I've had.

Body and carbonation levels are medium. The finish is fruity but also a bit tart. Overall I really liked this beer - it's unique and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 06:20:56 | More by sommersb

mastodonj

Colorado

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

Into a diconic....

Interesting pinkish large frothy head with loads of lacing

The berry aroma hits the nose along with some tartness

Clean, simple flavor with a light malt.

I did not expect to like this but yeah, I do.

The berries are not over the top so it's not all fruity which is a good thing.
Goes down easily but don't think I would want more than a couple.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 03:39:32 | More by mastodonj

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Ballofruit for this bottle. Served in a SAVOR wine glass.

Pours a medium brown color with a good head and a bit of lacing. The nose has a light amount of raspberry with some sweet malt taking up the biggest portion. Flavor has more raspberry, though it's not all that integrated with the base. Medium body with light sweetness. Boom.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 12:16:29 | More by Thorpe429

cocoapuph

California

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured bottle into a tulip.

Had a really nice crimson copper color with about a quarter inch head and few rising bubbles.

Smelled of roasty almonds, raspberries and currants.

First sip was very refreshing as I was hit with crisp raspberries. As the beer warmed in my mouth, it turned into a nutty brown ale. Flavors didn't blow me away but the beer was very easy to drink. It reminded me of a snakebite but with raspberry instead of cider.

As I said before, the drinkability was high and had a light quenching feel to the beer.

Overall, this was decent and perfect for a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 07:44:53 | More by cocoapuph

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into a snifter

A) It looked like a pretty deep brown when I was pouring, but held to light this is a pretty vibrant red. There was about a half finger of head, which settled to a dusting. Not much lacing.

S) Roasted malt sweetness, hint of chocolate, raspberry jam.

T) Not as much raspberry as I was led to believe by the nose, but certainly present in each sip. There was a wee bit of tartness. It balance with the brown ale pretty well, which was a bit of roasted malt, caramel, light chocolate and nuts.

M) Medium body with decent carbonation. A slightly dry finish that left an aftertaste of grass and stems.

O) This was a nice winter option right here. Glad I picked up a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 00:52:10 | More by RoamingGnome

morimech

Minnesota

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

Reddish brown color with one finger of head that had good retention. The head settles to a thick cap. Large amount of lacing is left down the glass.

Interesting aroma between a brown ale and a fruit beer. Has a slightly tart aroma that compliments the raspberries.

Raspberry is more of a dominating element in the flavor. Not enough brown ale comes through. A touch of tartness as well. Nice flavor but I would like some more influence by the brown ale.

The body falls off a little too quick especially for this ABV. I do enjoy the carbonation however.

I enjoyed this beer. I would of liked other elements to come out more other than the raspberries.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 20:06:49 | More by morimech

gatornation

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from 12 oz bottle with BB 02/12

A- pours a clear red/brown color with an off-white head with a decent amount of lace

S- sweet chocolate covered raspberries , with malt

T- was same as smell sweet malt and chocolate with a delicate raspberry taste that was in every sip, but never overpowerd this brown ale

M/O- smooth sweet milky raspberries in a delicious brown ale a creamy texture with a smooth finish sweet and fruity very good

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 19:04:56 | More by gatornation

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.43/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “BEST BEFORE” date is “26FEB12.”

Appearance: Poured into a becker glass. The color is clean and clear dark amber/red. Three fingers of dense, billowy, buttery, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a rocky cap, lacing along the glass, and a thick ring around the edge.

Smell: Very fruity. Lots of raspberry, which makes it smell much like pop (which is what we call soda in my hood). The brown ale also comes through in caramel and cocoa.

Taste: Really sweet and tart; it gets the cheeks puckering. Lots of raspberry juice followed by the brown ale elements of cocoa and caramel.

Drinkability: It is pretty good, but it does taste and feel much more like juice than anything else.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 05:52:07 | More by TheQuietMan22

Pintofbrown

Iowa

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

I served this in a glass stein.

Appearance- The cap is an off-white, pink tinged color. It stuck at about a half-finger width. It is really filmy and soapy.

The beer has a very cool, dark ruby and brown body. There are decent amounts of random bubbles climbing lazily up the glass.

Smell- A milk chocolatey and raspberry aroma drifts out of the stein. That is pretty impressive! The raspberry is more sweet than tart, but it does not smell "fake" or like an extract.

Taste- The front of the drink is all slight toasted malt, wheat bread in nature. The raspberry starts to tart the drink halfway through. It is near the finish that it gets to be a little more sweet than tart.

The chocolate is not really here. I keep trying to imagine that I taste it, but I cannot truthfully say it is here. I think it would have been a nice addition.

I also could have used more raspberry on the palate. Maybe to make it sweeter, or even more tart. Because the base bready malt is great and could use that compliment.

Mouth feel- This beer is very creamy and has a good amount of coating. Not watery, and certainly not too fizzy. Wonderful.

Overall- As this beer stands, it is pretty great. More raspberry would have pushed the taste score up easily. However they added raspberry to this drink was a good start, but not quite where it needs to be.

I really like the malt base on this one, and would like to try a brown from New Belgium because of it. This is a holiday beer I would gladly return to.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 02:30:39 | More by Pintofbrown

DCon

Missouri

3.3/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bought a 12FL. OZ. (355ML) bottle of this brew from Lukas Liquor in Ellisville, MO for $1.99. Poured from the Red labeled bottle w/ picture of a wreath from 1993 (per note on the side) into my 12oz Schlafly Tulip Glass. Has BEST BEFORE: 06FEB12 on the side of the bottle.

Aroma- Has a VERY sweet aroma with tons of raspberry in the background and a slight strawberry note. Tons of malt also.

Appearance- Pours a 3 finger head that is off-white and has great retention, staying frothy and bubbly for good time. Has a reddish/brown colored body that is clear. Leaves extremely thick lacing behind.

Flavor- A gentle amount of raspberry hits the palate firstly and then ends up very sweet. Tons of malt is present too but no hops or any attributes that would suggest this is a brown ale.. Dry finish.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Medium-High Carbonation, Smooth, and goes down sweet.

Overall Impression- I was expecting much more from this one! Very light and not at all like a Brown Ale should be... I'm giving this one an average all around rating because of the raspberry flavor that pops out. If this wasn't around, I wouldn't give this one a chance at all! Wouldn't defer anyone from getting this brew but many better from New Belgium to go for! Looking forward to finding new Lips of Faith beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 05:16:26 | More by DCon

isualum12

Idaho

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look: pours red in tone with decent visibility through the glass. Not a large amount of activity. There is a small lace head.
Smell: cranberry and raspberry are strong.
Taste: yep raspberry. I don't get the brown flavor but this is still great. It is sweet for sure.
Feel: feels like a standard fruity beer. Decent amount of carbonization but yet not over powerful.

I enjoyed this beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 04:00:58 | More by isualum12

lstokes

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pour is very dark red-brown with a tiny off-white head. It smells mostly tart, and then the taste is also tart--not all that sweet, really, but definitely like a tart, fresh berry, combined with a weak brown ale. My boyfriend says it's like they isolated all of the parts of the berry without the natural sugar. It's a little bit chocolate and toasted biscuit in the malt underneath, but that's been dialed down, and there's honestly not much development throughout the glass. That raspberry bouquet is what stays after the swallow. It's a touch light in the mouthfeel, but it's possible that a thicker beer would drown out the raspberry complexity. We both quite liked it.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 04:50:08 | More by lstokes

AmericanGothic

Iowa

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a New Belgium globe.

A: Pours a medium copper color with 2 fingers of pale pink (!) head. Good retention and lace.

S: Raspberries predominate, a little caramel underneath. As the beer warms, a little funk emerges.

T: Leads with raspberries, caramel follows. Tart and bitter on the finish, and some semi-sweet caramel returns on the aftertaste. After the first few sips, the balance tilts a little more towards the caramel, but the raspberry never gives up. Nearer to the end, first roast, and then cinnamon join in.

M: Medium body, fairly fizzy and a bit creamy.

O: One of the better fruit beers I've tried. Unlike many that taste like a jolly rancher dropped into a generic lager, this has some really nice flavors going on. Had it for the first time on tap several months ago-- glad to finally have a chance to give it a review.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 20:09:51 | More by AmericanGothic

jsprain1

Minnesota

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

A- Red brown with a thin off white head that has moderate-poor retention.
S- Aroma is a slight bit of malt sweetness but almost all lightly tart raspberries.
T- It's sweet all the way through. There is a bit of sweet bread, but it's mostly just raspberries. Finish is lightly tart.
M- Fairly full body. slick and a bit of a sweet residue.
O- It's an ok beer. If you really like raspberries, give it a whirl. I could enjoy one of these every so often. More then one and a half in a sitting might wear on the taste buds though.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 02:30:06 | More by jsprain1

scottfrie

California

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into pint glass. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a clear dark ruddy copper with three fingers of light tan head that faded into chunky film leaving patches sticky clinging lace. 
S: The nose is bursting with fresh fruit, sweet raspberry jam, and a hint of lighty tart fruit skins, touch of wood, sweet syrup and caramel.
T: Sweet and syrupy, raspberry isn't as potent as the nose, woody tasting, brown ale comes through a lot. Very caramely and plain. Finish has a tiny bit of dry raspberry tartness. Synthetic sweetness comes through a bit. Overall not great. 
M: Surprisingly thick body, slick mouth, low carb, leaves a sweet film in my mouth. 
O: Could be a bit dryer, pretty sweet, a little syrupy, aftertase is bad, average drinking.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 16:31:36 | More by scottfrie

UnderPressure

South Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A nice looking clear, brown beer with a thick head that melts to a ring.

Raspberries in the nose. Some malty sweet aroma in the background.

Raspberry flavor up front. Sharp and tart. Some grainy, malty backbone there. But, the berries make for a tart, dry finish.

The mouthfeel is decent. Probably right for this beer, but on the thin side for me.

This beer has too much raspberry for me. I'm sure some people like it, but it's overly dry, fruity, and tart for my taste. But, I think it's still worthy of a craft beer lover's attention.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 23:01:17 | More by UnderPressure

harrymel

Washington

2.4/5  rDev -34.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Best by: 24FEB12

A: brown with a finger of pink tinged foam which falls to a mirrored surface in minutes. No lace. Excellent clarity.
S: Smells like raspberries, sugar, and the slightest hint of classic brown ale.
T: Tastes like a brown ale with raspberry effervescence. Really delicate in the frambozen realm if you ask me, it's fleeting in presence and is quite disappointing.
M: Thin with low carb and wet finish.
O: Meh, likely won't have again. Might be good warm (as in, 100 degrees with a little honey jager in it).

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 08:27:00 | More by harrymel

Vashtar

Texas

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Everything is good except for the head.

The smell is very nice.

The taste is also nice, but it's really strong, almost like sour punch straws. It sticks with you and has a monotonous aftertaste. Something about it seems well made, though. I WOULD NOT WANT A SIX PACK.

Mouthfeel is very basic, and I like it. Just right.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 06:38:09 | More by Vashtar

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

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

Appearance. Pours a clear red-brown with under a finger of light kakhi-pink head.

Smell. Sour rasberries and a little toasty grain and caramel.

Taste. Raspberry juice, some toasty grains and caramel again, maybe a trace of molasses.

Mouthfeel. Lighter in body with medium, kinda prickly carbonation.

Overall. Not bad. Would be nice on a hot day. Lots of rasberry there and not too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 03:43:00 | More by Rutager

TheFlern

Idaho

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Have you ever wondered what Fat Tire would taste like with a bunch of raspberries? Well wait no longer!!!!

I actually prefer this beer quite a bit more than Fat Tire.

Lets begin...

A: Redish amber in color. Slightly off white and slightly red head. Head is not dense or sticky. Lacing is decent.

S: Wow, lots of raspberries. That is pretty much all I can discern. Upon a swirl they smell tart and delicious.

Taste: This is where I get the brown ale characteristics. It reminds me a lot of Fat Tire. Its not to noticeable because of the raspberries. Its good but not great.

MF: The mouth feel is a little thin imo. I would have liked it to finish a little more dry and tart.

Overall: Good bang for the buck. Interesting new beer from New Belgium. Clearly, we all know they are capable of pumping out some great beer in the Lips of Faith series, etc. This beer is not one of those beers but if you enjoy their normal yearly and seasonal lineup then you'll greatly appreciate this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 01:07:53 | More by TheFlern

TheWhiskerReview

Tennessee

3.3/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep ruby with a big-bubbled off-tan head that quickly reduces to a thin-looking ring. Lacing is mild and spotty.

The nose is comprised of ripe raspberries, and just that. Maybe a touch of caramel, maybe. I'm starting to get really think that you can't make a fruit beer without it being completely one-dimensional.

The palate is, again, one-dimensional with regards to flavor, but I dig the structure- nicely sweet with a tart fruit edge and a lingering juiciness on the dry-malt finish, the only time I can make out the 'brownness' of this.

Not a huge fan of this, but I don't hate it either. I can't stand anything that doesn't have complexity in its aroma/flavor, but the mouthfeel is alluring enough to always make me come back for another sip, which is a nice achievement.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 05:29:28 | More by TheWhiskerReview