St. Louis Framboise - Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This limbic pours out as a red bubbly liquid with a pink fizzy head on top. The smell of the beer is sweet and full of raspberries. The taste is also very sweet and should be drank like a dessert or something. Lots of sugary raspberries in this brew. The mouthfeel is a little thick but still has a good carbonation to it. Overall this could be switched with a Lindaman's and not many people would notice the difference.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 01:49:09 | More by Knapp85

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

2.53/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Ok, so I am going to preface this by saying that this should be classified as a Flanders Red rather than a lambic, but I will rate it to the style shown here. I will mention that this is a passable attempt at a Flanders Red, so take what I've said and what I'm about to say into account if you are thinking of ordering this.

On tap at Eulogy, into a lambic flute.

Pours a beautiful ruby red, completely clear, with only wisps of head when it arrives. No lacing, and a swirl leaves a syrupy oily film on the glass. Looks like a lot of residual sugar for a lambic...

Aroma is sweet sweet sweet raspberries. No funk or sourness to be found. This was definitely back-sweetened. Same thing with the flavor, as a cloying sweetness overshadows the fresh taste of the raspberries. Syrupy and a bit too thick on the palate, a re-chracterization of this beer would do it good. If you like sweet fruit beers, this is one to try. If you are expecting a funky or sour lambic, stay away, because despite what others here have said, you aren't going to find anything remotely traditional here.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2011 02:20:26 | More by NittanyBeerFan

obywan59

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a rather murkey-looking rosy-purple color with a gorgeous pink 1 1/2 finger head that leaves light lacing.

Smell of raspberries with a bit of funk. Lighter on the aroma than Lindeman's.

Taste is of raspberries again, with more pronounced funk. Very earthy, but pleasant. Very sweet up front, but it's the tartness that lingers.

Medium bodied with light prickle of carbonation.
Syrupy enough to hold the flavor well.

Very good. Compared to Lindeman's this is more funky, perhaps a bit less sweet, less carbonated, and way less aromatic. I would try this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 04:44:29 | More by obywan59

ZenAgnostic

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Clear rose body with a light pink pancake batter head.

Smell - Sweet raspberry.

Taste - Really sweet and very acidic. Delicious. Not very complex, but still enjoyable.

Mouthfeel - Full effervescent carbonated body. Refreshing as hell.

Overall Drinkability - Delicious lambic, but maybe not enough complexity to achieve a high score.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 00:42:36 | More by ZenAgnostic

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap at the Blind Lady Ale House in San Diego, the beer was served in a mini-snifter. The beer pours a syrupy, deep, vibrant blood red color. The beer has a good lacing as you drink, and maintains a thin film of head. The nose is syrupy/sugary sweet raspberry. Legitimate raspberry flavors with dark sweetness and decreased carbonation when compared with something like Lindeman's. Very smooth, with a slight tartness on the finish. Body is thicker and more smooth than other fruit lambics, too.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 04:12:44 | More by GarthDanielson

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a chalice)
Bottled 100406
A- The deep cranberry body is dens but clear with a pink sherbert head of foam on top that fades to a thin film and a gentle carbonation of tiny bubbles.

S- The bright, dark red raspberry fruit dominates with an almost overripe aroma. Not a lot of support to follow.

T- The red raspberry fruit flavor taste a bit like jello with a dry tartness in the finish and a slight sweetness of raspberries lingers.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with no alcohol heat and a soft tickle of fizz on the tongue.

D- The nice raspberry flavor is not overly sweet and does have a nice fruit flavor. This is definitely not a fruit lambic but it is a nice fruit beer. Just a bit more depth would be nice if I were to drink more than one.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 21:44:28 | More by rhoadsrage

zeff80

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, raspberry red color with a one-finger, pink head of bubbly foam. It left little to no lacing.

S - It smelled of raspberries and that's about it. Sweet aroma.

T - Good raspberry taste with a sweet flavor that turns to a tart bite as it goes down.

M - It was crisp and puckeringly sharp - not too much but definitely there. A light bodied ale.

O - This is a pretty nice lambic. Nice blend of sweet and tart.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 02:15:29 | More by zeff80

vfgccp

New York

4.55/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Solid ruby red. Pink head with a nice halo of cream. Ok lace.

S - Bright, tart raspberries. Nose favors tartness over sweetness.

T - Whoa. Not overly sweet. Well balanced, tart raspberry with earthy sour notes. Green papaya, and earthy lotus.

M - Soft and lightly syrupy. Full body. Pleasant carbonation.

O - A fantastic, well balanced, flavored sour.

Served paired with the Not-So-Dirty cupcake (dark chocolate with a milk chocolate ganache) at Sweet Revenge in NYC. Most of the 5 parings our group ordered were great, but this one was particularly outstanding. The raspberry/chocolate combination is obviously, but what put this over the top is the way the earthyness of the sour pulled out some absolutely incredibly flavors from the chocolate. A highly recommended pairing.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 03:25:11 | More by vfgccp

rapidsequence

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375 ml bottle with the large crown cao. $6.35 from Pints O'Plenty.

Appearance: Clear red with a pink head that turns whitish as it fades. Quite a bit of sticky lacing.

Smell: A little tart with tons of sweet raspberry-- like preserves. There is the slightest bit of tangy funk and a hint of acetic.

Taste: Just huge raspberry flavor with both sugary sweetness and a little tartness. Like the smell, just a hint of acetic.

Mouthfeel: Heavy and sticky. Could be a little lighter, spritzier. Finish is sticky sweet.

Overall: I don't want to, but I really like it. My wife called me a girl. If you want a funky, sour Framboise, this is not it. This is a sweet one, but with enough real lambic character that it doesnt taste like Lindemans.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 01:47:21 | More by rapidsequence

bucklemyshoe

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

375 mL capped bottle at 42 degrees into a Boon Kriek glass.

A: It pours a glowing red color with a half-finger of pinkish-cream-colored head that recedes quickly but leaves decent lacing.

S: Fresh-picked raspberries and some horseblankety mustiness.

T: Raspberries galore with some sour notes but nowhere near as much as other fruit lambics.

M: It has a relatively light body and heavy carbonation but the flavors stick around for some time.

D: It is not as sour as I would prefer but it is still good and highly drinkable. Unfortunately, this lambic - and every other one - costs about $6 bucks per 12 oz so I do not drink many.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 03:29:42 | More by bucklemyshoe

comfortablynumb1

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Shared this one with the wife on a glorious day off...

Poured form 375ml bottle into a Ballast Point pint glass...

A - Pours a light burgundy with a one finger light lavender head. Good amount of head retention, an decent amount of lacing. Wow, this one looks awesome...

S - Smells sweet, with lots of berries coming through...

T - Wow, this one is sweet. Really good, but still pushes the limit of sweetness. Rasberry pushes out front from the begining and rides the wave all the way through the finish...

M - Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Was anticipating it to be a little more watered down. Carbonation level is perfect. Enough to let you that it's their, but nothing over the top...

D - Could not see myself drinking more than one of these. To sweet for my tastes...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 03:24:27 | More by comfortablynumb1

washburnkid

New York

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Good for before dinner, or right after. Especially good when you have someone to share it with (personally I can only take a few ounces of sweetness in one sitting).

The color is gorgeous...looks just like raspberry tart. Ruby, with light purple head and lacing. Aromas are balanced sweet/tart, tons of berries. The smell makes my mouth water immediately. Flavors follow. Pure raspberry goodness. Medium mouthfeel and high carbonation. This one is a sipper for sure. Lambics are such a treat, and this one delivers exactly what I'm looking for.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2011 17:51:50 | More by washburnkid

musicforairports

New York

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a ruby-brown, less bright and purple than some, with nice head and some lasting lacing.

Smell is of tart berries.

Tastes is also full of berries, a bunch of underlying sweetness but the sourness prevails, in my opinion. Less raspberry-centric than Lindemans, but I can't decide whether it's sweeter or tarter. The tart/sweet flavor sticks around in the mouth long after the beer is gone.

Mouthfeel is thick, I think, for the style, but nothing bad on the palate.

This is a good framboise. It's only the fourth I've tried, but I'm curious to try more of these and other (non-fruit-oriented) lambics.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 04:25:21 | More by musicforairports

Frosty80

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Color: pours a light, fleshy pink. sits clear, deep ruby with light pink, one-finger head

Smell: initial strong presence of tart raspberries that is cut down quite a bit as a moderate funky character creeps its way in

Taste: pure raspberry explosion with a medium-high tartness that is mellowed out a bit with the moderate funkiness. finish is semi-sweet with light, tart raspberries and a very light graininess

Mouthfeel: light-medium body with high-medium carbonation

Notes: not as tart and defintely funkier than Lindemans. seemingly a little more balanced and easier to drink due the less puckering quality

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 23:34:33 | More by Frosty80

aepb1

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Ruby red body, big pink bubbly head

S- Raspberry! Not much else to speak of

T- Very raspberry but not sickly sweet, nice tartness mutes and balances the sweet for a well-rounded taste

M- Light and high carb as it should be

D- I like the balance and the no overly sweetness of this brew

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 17:38:49 | More by aepb1

amcmaho1

New Mexico

3.7/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

First time venturing into Lambic territory...

Appearance: Beautiful dark red, dare i say raspberry color even? Frothy pinkish white head doesn't stay around very long. Some phenomenal lacing though.

Smell: everything associated with raspberry is in the nose, and lingers in the air around the bottle and glass. There's a little yeast smell in the nose, but the raspberry definitely does its best to mask it.

Taste: Would you believe it? Raspberry! A little tangy and sour, and definitely sweet. Unlike any beer i've had before (after all, this is my first Lambic). I'm wanting a little more tanginess, sourness, and/or funkiness out of this to counter the very sweet raspberry flavor; but the taste is still very enjoyable. *as it warms, the tanginess definitely increases.

Mouthfeel: Dry and a little thin, reminds me of champagne in a sense.

Drinkability: I'm very glad i've finally tried a Lambic, and will continue to explore the style in the future. On it's own, this beer is doing little for me, but pairing it with something (a dessert most likely) would probably make it much more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 22:58:26 | More by amcmaho1

IIKaRuII

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I was kinda scared to try this and have been putting it off... poured into a pilsner glass. a very pretty rasberry red color. somewhat cloudy but not too bad. The head was has a kinda wine look and smell. Hello raspberry is what i said when i smelled this. the taste is a very sweet but accepting taste. drinks like a koolaid in all honesty. This is a beer you could drink with a citrus salad of some sort. This is a wonderfully carbonated drink with a great finish and leaves you wanting another one. Wonderful.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 05:42:29 | More by IIKaRuII

mendonjoebeer

New York

4.33/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from corked caged bottle into Lindemans flute. Another colorful red bubbling brew. Very similar in smell to Lindemans, with a little more alcohol. Taste is similar to smell- still sweet, but a touch less than Lindemans. Must be looking for a very fruity brew to enjoy at the right time.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 00:31:45 | More by mendonjoebeer

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Third beer of the night of Christmas eve. Paired with a chocolate-almond-raspberry tart. Served in a champagne glass. The bottle says this is a 2006 vintage. Opaque body, with a reddish pink color. Cotton candy colored head. Smell was very fruity and sugary. Flavor was all about the raspberries. Extremely tasty. Sugary on the palate, but has a decent drinkability because it's not overly sweet. Definitely a dessert beer. More of a lambic for those who prefer sweeter ones over tart & crisp ones.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 06:01:30 | More by morebeergood

anotherpg

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pink, bright, frothy head. This smells straightly of raspberries -- what else? -- but the taste is well balanced. Not sticky-sweet, not pucker-your-lips sour, this is straight down the middle. It's not a soda-beer, it's a real fruit beer with style. Bubbly, good mouthfeel and ultimately, quite drinkable. It's one of the few beers that my wife, a beer hater, enjoys.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 04:09:12 | More by anotherpg

ryantaussig

New York

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good color and nice pink head that quickly dissipates with minimal lacing. Smells of raspberries. Flavor is a perfect balance of fruity sweetness and wonderful sour raspberry notes. More sour and less sweet than the Lindemans, but firmly more sweet and less sour than the Cantillon. Nice and bubbly and a typically high drinkability despite the sour notes. Very refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2010 04:01:04 | More by ryantaussig

DCon

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bought Beer from Lukas Liquor in a Mix-A-Six. (4th Beer of Night)

Appearance: Pink/Red, No head like better Lambics

Smell: Raspberry/Cranberry mostly

Taste: Juice, Berries, Awesome All-around but I've had better Lambics

Mouthfeel: gets your taste buds going, champagne-like, and has a light body

Drinkability: Easier to drink than an OJ in the morning

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 05:50:49 | More by DCon

OnThenIn

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: a finger and a half of pink foam. It is a red color remenisent of raspberry jam.

S: smells like straight raspberries.

T: it tastes like raspberries but a tiny bit off, but it is slightly tart. It finishes almost cleanly. It is rather sweet.

M: medium and very sparkly due to carbonation. It is a good mouthfeel.

D: it is a bit sweet that is almost overwhelming, however it could be nice depending on the time.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 00:21:38 | More by OnThenIn

angiesaysgobucks

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have this both on tap and in the bottle. The tap version is a little less sweet then the bottle version, and has a smoother taste.

Appearance: Beautiful lightish burgundy, nice white head
Smell: Very strong rasberry
Taste: Super sweet with loads of rasberry. Finishes with a very mild tartness.
Mouthfeel: Just the right amount of carbination, with a smooth/light body and a great aftertast.
Drinkability: Because of the sweetness, I would not recommend too many, but one is an absolute must.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2010 14:11:10 | More by angiesaysgobucks

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Large three-finger pink head; leaves a lot of chunky lace on the glass. Settles slowly, leaving a frothy dome. Dark Burgundy color and reasonably clear.

Sour and dry raspberry aroma. Classic framboise without the candy sweetness that some have.

Strong sweet-tart flavor. Far more candy-like than the smell suggests. Good faux-raspberry flavor. The aftertaste is short but is similar to that of a dessert. Well-balanced. Would likely taste great with some stinky cheese.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 23:56:39 | More by smcolw