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Raspberry Strong Ale
Berkshire Brewing Company
- From:
- Berkshire Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.79 | pDev: 15.04%
- Reviews:
- 181
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 05, 2020
- Added:
- Jun 08, 2002
- Wants:
- 32
- Gots:
- 20
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by gpcollen1:
Reviewed by gpcollen1 from Connecticut
4.1/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours with a rosy pink with orange hues with a bit of life and head into my Lees Harvest Ale glass (a short and stubby Vintage Limited Edition brew glass)
Aroma is along the lines of water down raspberry or even straw-raspberry juice.
Hits the mouth with carbonation first but quickly allows the slightly sweet and tart raspberries to flow through. lowly the flavor deepens with some stronger notes of fruit some herbal hoppiness and a far off hint that there is alcohol in here. A mildly dry and bitter - sorta oaky finish.
It is mildly thick and syrupy on the mouth and a bit lively on the carbonation side.
This one is a pleasant surprise. I did not know what to expect from this but expected good stuff from the BBC guys. I will revisit this in 6 months or so to see how it develops. I think the hops need to mellow just a bit to allow the fruit to develop more complexity as it appears to stand in it's way. I liked it - thanks Pete.
Apr 28, 2008Aroma is along the lines of water down raspberry or even straw-raspberry juice.
Hits the mouth with carbonation first but quickly allows the slightly sweet and tart raspberries to flow through. lowly the flavor deepens with some stronger notes of fruit some herbal hoppiness and a far off hint that there is alcohol in here. A mildly dry and bitter - sorta oaky finish.
It is mildly thick and syrupy on the mouth and a bit lively on the carbonation side.
This one is a pleasant surprise. I did not know what to expect from this but expected good stuff from the BBC guys. I will revisit this in 6 months or so to see how it develops. I think the hops need to mellow just a bit to allow the fruit to develop more complexity as it appears to stand in it's way. I liked it - thanks Pete.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia
3.96/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the incredibly old bottle, it pours a coppery color with a modest head that remains a thin laery. In the nose, it is raspberry and malt. In the mouth, it is raspberry flavored and just a bit tart. Nice!
Aug 01, 2019Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
3.4/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.4/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The appearance was a ruddy red to amber color with a one finger white foamy head that dissipated within less than a minute. Light foaminess glazes along the glass nicely. The smell has some sweet red raspberries with a stealthy tartness underneath. Light cocoa enlivens the aroma as it warms. The taste was mainly sweet through the red raspberries. The cocoa makes a sly presence sweetly. Tartness is minor. There’s a nice little combination of the cocoa to raspberry in the aftertaste and that leads to a sticky finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body. It makes for a decent session and is somewhat dry on my tongue. Overall, its a fruit beer through and through. I wish BBC wouldn’t have slapped "barleywine" on the label, there’s no such qualities.
Jun 21, 2017Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington
3.56/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
2017-06-14
22oz bottle served in a big snifter. Pretty sure @mr-jj gave this to me. Don't see an obvious date.
Pours a reddish clear with a medium head and a lot of carbonation. Smell is raspberries with a hint of booze.
Taste is raspberry, oak, some odd bitter flavor (maybe a slightly different take on what I would describe as fruit skin bitterness). Combination is not bad, but not overly successful.
Mouthfeel is surprisingly light and smooth. Overall -- not bad, but not overly successful.
Jun 15, 201722oz bottle served in a big snifter. Pretty sure @mr-jj gave this to me. Don't see an obvious date.
Pours a reddish clear with a medium head and a lot of carbonation. Smell is raspberries with a hint of booze.
Taste is raspberry, oak, some odd bitter flavor (maybe a slightly different take on what I would describe as fruit skin bitterness). Combination is not bad, but not overly successful.
Mouthfeel is surprisingly light and smooth. Overall -- not bad, but not overly successful.
Reviewed by brureview from Massachusetts
4.34/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2015 bottle date:
Poured a raspberry-copper color in a Stone Snifter with a 1F head.
Deep raspberry aroma, highly unusual for the style. With warming , light chocolate.
Very carbonated-piquant.
Complex taste: deep raspberry, fruit overtones, light chocolate which settles in with warming.
Spicy, hoppy, tart finish, with light bitterness.
Different approach to the style. Another excellent beer from Berkshire.
Nov 08, 2016Poured a raspberry-copper color in a Stone Snifter with a 1F head.
Deep raspberry aroma, highly unusual for the style. With warming , light chocolate.
Very carbonated-piquant.
Complex taste: deep raspberry, fruit overtones, light chocolate which settles in with warming.
Spicy, hoppy, tart finish, with light bitterness.
Different approach to the style. Another excellent beer from Berkshire.
Reviewed by muchos from Pennsylvania
4.01/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.01/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L. Clear ruby-tinged golden, ample head recedes to just a ring in minutes.
S. Noticeable tart raspberry, nice sweet malt balance.
T. Juice. Big dominant raspberry, somewhat tart, sweet caramel, peanut brittle. Sweet raspberry aftertaste. Is there alcohol in this?
F. Smooth, below average carbonation.
O. Would be excellent for dessert. Big sweet ripe raspberry flavor. I thought it was a real treat, but expect a sweeter beer than you expect, if that makes any sense. Cheers!
Apr 21, 2016S. Noticeable tart raspberry, nice sweet malt balance.
T. Juice. Big dominant raspberry, somewhat tart, sweet caramel, peanut brittle. Sweet raspberry aftertaste. Is there alcohol in this?
F. Smooth, below average carbonation.
O. Would be excellent for dessert. Big sweet ripe raspberry flavor. I thought it was a real treat, but expect a sweeter beer than you expect, if that makes any sense. Cheers!
Reviewed by Oldejoe from New Hampshire
3.99/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.99/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Looks. Nice ruby-red, golden brown, with little head.
Smell. Strong fruits a tad into the over-ripe stage, a bit sharp.
Taste. Strong fruits, mild spices, a bit too syrupy and floral, very little hop touch. Not much of a barley wine character.
Feel. Fairly sparkly for no head, medium-full body,
Overall. Pretty good at the fruity part, weak on the barley wine; probably just needs to sit in the cellar for a year
Dec 14, 2015Smell. Strong fruits a tad into the over-ripe stage, a bit sharp.
Taste. Strong fruits, mild spices, a bit too syrupy and floral, very little hop touch. Not much of a barley wine character.
Feel. Fairly sparkly for no head, medium-full body,
Overall. Pretty good at the fruity part, weak on the barley wine; probably just needs to sit in the cellar for a year
Reviewed by Johnct from New York
1.78/5 rDev -53%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 1.5
1.78/5 rDev -53%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 1.5
Really bad. I want to believe it was a bad bottle, because it tasted like old cranberry juice mixed with bud light. I honestly can't imagine this is the same beer as the one the rest of the reviewers had, but it is.
Jun 06, 2015
Raspberry Strong Ale from Berkshire Brewing Company
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
311 ratings
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