Cherish Raspberry Lambic - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

matjack85

Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This comes in a small 8.4oz brown bottle with no freshness date on it. The only information you get is a line at the top of the label that says, "Authentic Belgian Raspberry Lambic", and then a line at the bottom that says "Malt beverage brewed with raspberries".

I poured the beer into a red wine glass where it showed off its deep garnet red color, but it only made a ½-finger of bubbly pink head that faded to just a rim in about 30 seconds. Lots of soapy lacing occurs with each tilt of the glass.

The smell is like walking thru a field of fresh raspberries at picking time. The raspberry smell is so strong, if there is any other smell in here, I can't find it.

Now it's time to cross my fingers. Was this going to be a sweet sticky artificial syrupy mess, or was I going to get treated to tart Lambic style raspberry flavor? To my surprise and delight, this stuff was delicious! Sweet - absolutely, but with plenty of Lambic style tartness to make this one of the best Lambic fruit beers I have ever tasted. Can't really taste much more than the raspberries and a little Lambic funk, but that's OK with me. I loved it.

Both sweet and sour mouthfeel with enough tartness to give it some puckering power. Light to medium body with spritzy carbonation.

Great taste and easy to drink. The 5% alcohol is completely hidden. If the bottle didn't say there was 5% in here I would have guessed it to be even lower. Congratulations to Van Steenberger - I think you've even outdone Lindemans and Leifmans with this one. Now if only you could make a nicer looking label - LOL.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 11:01:42 | More by matjack85

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

more than a year ago i had this as one of the first non BMC beers i ever tried that led me to great things. after many pours, i am finally reviewing it

A-very dark red, light pink head

S-wow pure raspberries!that's all!...just great!

T- in and out its a fist-full of wonderful fresh raspberries. very very thick tasting. i love this! it tastes like candy. a bit of sourness is present and welcomed!

M-medium carbonation with a great creamy finish!

D-as drinkable as it gets, i could drink this all night! by far my favorite lambic ever!

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2010 06:44:31 | More by AdamBear

fdkayti

Illinois

4.72/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- A be-e-e-ay-yootiful cherry red with a bubbly pink head. No lacing but a steady stream of carbonation bubbles.

S- Sweet, tart fruit. Smells like sweetened raspberry preserves, I can't get enough.

T- Oh my goodness. Like drinking not-quite-ripe rasperry juice. Sooo good. I want a gigantic glass of this. Sweet and tart and tart and sweet. Over the top goodness.

MF- Dances on the tongue. The crispest, cleanest tasting thing ever. Great carbonation, champagne fizz.

O/D- YUM. That is all.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 23:42:12 | More by fdkayti

WMBierguy

Maryland

4.68/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'll start off by saying that I don't really consider lambics to be beer. I know that they technically are, but I lump them in with other flavored malt beverages (like wine coolers, Smirnoff Ice, etc.). Therefore, I'm comparing this with those types of drinks, not with beers. With that said, this is what those drinks wish they could be. This poured a cloudy dark red. The head was thick and pinkish, but it didn't leave any lacing along the glass. The drink had a strong raspberry smell and a pleasing raspberry flavor. If you're ever craving a wine cooler, I'd recommend grabbing some of this lambic. It was the best fruity malt drink that I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2007 16:57:29 | More by WMBierguy

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Slight haze (bottle conditioned). Red with a soft purple cast. The white head holds well, leaving a continual light surface coating but no lace. The aroma is of fresh raspberries. Very natural, and more fruity than sweet. Nice. The body is light-medium with a limited carbonation that's very smooth in the mouth. The flavor is nicely balanced between tart and sweet; neither is as bold as it could be (it's only tart, not really sour), but at least it's not too sweet! It finishes dry with a light, lingering fruitiness. A decent beer, but lacking in the intense character of the best lambics. A very gentle version that would make a great cross-over to the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2002 18:36:14 | More by NeroFiddled

mynie

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Review # 500.

Very bright koolaid pink with light carbonation and a wonderful little pink head. A pretty looking labmic, to say the least.

Smells brilliant. Wild rainbow. Sugared raspberries giving off a nearly-perfect blend of tartness and sweetness. Actually smells pretty much just like fresh-picked raspberries, no processing or anything. Nice.

Tastes almost as good as it smells. More yeast in present, but the wild rainbow raspberry sweet and sour dance takes center stage. If there is a knock against this labmic, it's that it doesn't grab you byt the mouth and really take charge with something powerfully assertive the way that the really great lambics do. Still, it's very good.

Goes down like candy water with an almost perfectly smooth body. Really a very good lambic.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2006 21:37:59 | More by mynie

Brian700

Michigan

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

This beer pours a nice red with a pinkish head on it. There is some decent lacing going on.

The aroma is heavy raspberries, it is very obvious that there will be some sourness to the flavor.

The flavor is sour and full of raspberries. Very good, so much flavor here. I think this would compliment chocolate very well.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

This is a very drinkable beer. The sourness might get to you if you are planning to drink a few of these in one sitting but I don't really think thats what this beer was meant for. The drinkability of a bottle or two is great. I'm glad I found a store that carries this.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2006 05:36:02 | More by Brian700

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Very unentertaining bottle, but I bought it because it was cheap and form a reputable brewery. 8.4 oz bottle.

Pours into my champagne flute a murky pinkish red with hints of brown and a foamy lightly pink head.

Smell is of raspberry, a pinch of funk and malt, similar to New Glarus Raspberry Tart but with a slight funk.

The taste is also similar to Rasberry Tart, though not quite as flavorful. It tastes like tart raspberry candy which is always welcome in a fruit lambic style.

The mouthfeel is nice, the drinkability is through the roof, moreso than Raspberry Tart.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 21:22:03 | More by crossovert

DrewShal9

Massachusetts

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

A: looks like liquidy strawberry jam with a thin white head. Didn't see a pink or rose colored head that has been aforementioned in previous reviews.
S: sweetness, hint of funk, with an abundance of raspberry. Very inviting.
T: this ones an easy answer: raspberry! A sweet with a tinge of sourness. Like an apple tartness.
M: thinner than juice but a juice like consistency with light carbonation.
O: very pleasant and I would definitely buy this again. I also want to try the other lambics they brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 20:35:09 | More by DrewShal9

Bellabananas

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour out a slightly transparent, yet rich red color. Smells similar to the Lindeman's lambic, notes of raspberry and tartness. Tastes very similar to Lindeman's raspberry lambic, yet smoother. Mouth feel is light and smooth, less carbonated than other lambics, making for a more delicious drink. Drinkability is impressive, very tempting to either sip slowly or take big gulps for maximum flavor. Overall very similar to other lambics, but with less carbonation that provides a better drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 01:33:16 | More by Bellabananas

chOAKbarrell

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slim 8.4 oz bottle pours a very pinkish red with a fizzy bubbly head. This beer is a very light hue & translucent. The head maintains, which I find impressive for a lambic.

Smell is pleasantly tart & gets my taste buds moving. Not as powerfully sweet smelling as Lindemans.

Intriguing candy taste, but not to the sweet extreme of Lindemans. Carbonation hits your tongue first in a quick burst. After that, the lambic is light and sweet and fades away gradually, leaving your mouth with a very clean taste.

Bravo. I am very pleased with my Cherish Raspberry lambic experience. It would be cooler if it came in a larger bottle, but that's all I can complain about.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2006 01:07:02 | More by chOAKbarrell

bluejacket74

Ohio

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

8.4 ounce bottle. Served in a tulip, the beer pours a reddish/purple color with about an inch light pink head. Head retention is decent, and there's a lot of lacing left on the glass. Aroma is all sweet raspberries and candy sugar. Taste is the same as the aroma, it's mostly sugary sweet raspberries. A little bit of tartness comes out once the beer warms up some, but for the most part it's a mostly sweet fruity brew. Since I love sweet raspberries, that's a very good thing. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's a little syrupy and has decent carbonation. Drinkability is good too, pretty easy to drink. I'd buy this again!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 23:22:02 | More by bluejacket74

brownbeer

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep ruby with a pink cloud of head.

Great aroma of fresh raspberry and belgian yeast, maybe a hint of malt in there too.

Full on raspberry taste with a lively mouthfeel.

Very refreshing and just straight up chugable. Not the best, but still well made.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 02:01:08 | More by brownbeer

tapman

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ruby hued brew with pink 2 finger head and ample carbonation. Filtered.

Smells like raspberry sorbet.

Tastes like a raspberry sorbet, though with a slight cough syrup taste, but really good cough syrup.

Very sharp and effervescent.

I'm still partial to Lindemans. Theirs is a tad more sour, but this is still pretty delicious.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 03:54:31 | More by tapman

UCLABrewN84

California

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a murky dark red with a 1 inch fizzy white-red head that settles to a slight film on the top of the beer. Small chunks of lace slowly slide back into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of raspberry juice, raspberry puree, and raspberry jam. Taste is of sour raspberry candy and sour raspberry juice. The aftertaste gets sweeter on the palate after each sip. This beer has a very crisp mouthfeel and gives a slight acidic burn in the throat after each sip. Overall, this is a good lambic that is much more sour and acidic than other raspberry lambics I have had before (like Lindemans Framboise on the opposite end of the spectrum).

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 03:12:37 | More by UCLABrewN84

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bright cherry red with coral trim. The cap didn't look to be forming after the first few ounces so I increased the bottle elevation and ended up with a huge frothy pink mass of foam that looks great. It's massively sticky and is coating the glass with a thick layer of broken bubble shells; one of the more interesting lace patterns that I've seen. This is pretty much how I'd expect a raspberry lambic to look.

The aroma, needless to say, is wall-to-wall fresh raspberries. There's almost nothing else present (no funky yeastiness for example), just the pure, unadulterated scent of crushed, ripe fruit. I get the sense that several tons of berries were used for each batch; there's no other way to get the beer to smell this way. Or should I say, to smell this good.

The flavor is as simple and as direct as the nose: ripe raspberries and lots of them. There's a fairly wide-ranging continuum with fruit lambics from something that tastes like a wine cooler (newbie friendly) on the one end to something that is considerably funky and is an acquired taste (aficionado friendly) on the other. This one hews much closer to the former, though it's still recognizably beer... and is good beer at that.

The other continuum, and it's a rough parallel with the first, is from overly sweet to intensely dry. This one definitely favors the former, but isn't as stickysweet as the Melborne Bros. line of lambics and is more drinkable as a result. Even so, the 8.4 ounce bottle is just about right. Again, I'm sure I'd be amazed at the amount of fruit that is required to get a beer to taste this intensely raspberry-like. Brouwerij Van Steenberge didn't skimp on the berries, that much is obvious.

The mouthfeel is what one would expect given the flavor: medium-full from all the fruit sugar (and added candi sugar, no doubt), but not quite syrupy or sticky. Lush seems as appropriate a word as any other.

I'm not sure why I didn't like Cherish Kriek as much as Cherish Raspberry since I Iike both flavors equally. I think it's because I have to be in the right mood to really get into these sweet fruit lambics. Cherish Raspberry is a great little dessert beer. Now that it's gone, I find myself wishing the bottle was larger after all.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2006 14:50:47 | More by BuckeyeNation

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy body that appears mostly reddish but shows substantial amber highlights. The head is very loose and fades rapidly. The aroma has decent malt notes but is really a sweet, almost artificial raspberry note in that it is so clean and pure. Flavor is sweet raspberry with a slight acidic, tart edge. A very mellow lambic in that respect. Mouthfeel is smooth and silky, Crbonation is enought to keep it from being cloying. Drinkability is very good. A nice desert beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2009 22:39:27 | More by aaronh

velosuds

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes - enjoyed this earlier in the week with my sister-in-law at Christmas.

A-Pours a clear reddish brown with one finger pinkish head that leaves modest lacing on the glass.

S-Raspberries, ripe, sweet raspberries.

T-Nice balance of tart and sweet raspberry with some very mild bitterness. Very fruity and festive.

M-Very smooth and well carbonated.

D-I like the lambic style, especially raspberry. This is very good. I like that this is 5% ABV compared to some of the lighter ones.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 20:43:04 | More by velosuds

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It is a hot, humid day and while I was out for a stroll, I stopped in at one of our newest bottle shops where I saw this and thought that it might make a nice change of pace.

My resulted in a finger of bubbly cotton-candy pink head with decent retention. Color was a deep pinkish-red with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a fresh red raspberry scent, like my paternal grandmother's raspberry bush in her backyard during the summer. Mouthfeel was medium with a good deal of carbonation and the taste was raspberry tart. For those people who mentioned that they were surprised by the tartness, do be aware that raspberry usually imparts just such a tart character in both beer and tea. This was not puckeringly tart, but it was tart enough to get my attention. The finish was very refreshing and a wise choice for a day like today.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 19:10:07 | More by woodychandler

marburg

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Visually akin to light cranberry juice -- preominantly red with a really inherant color-shifting property in the light. Poured pretty clear. The head didn't billow up to those near champagne-sized proportions that some lambic have. Rather, a light pink menagerie of oddly-sized and shaped colonies float around on the top of the beer. Kind of a musty, rotten, muted raspberry aroma. This is not overwhelmingly fruity, nor is it disappointingly bland. The taste mimics the aroma with a very sweet raspberry flavor. Almost sweet in an artifical syrup kind of way. As has been my experience a couple of times now, the beer is not as lively as some lambics, so it feels kind of loose and watery on the tongue.

I'm not one for being upset at whether a lambic follows the style guidelines to a tee or not. This brew makes a good faith effort at being a fun and interesting fruit beer with a lambic base, and it succeeds reasonably well to that end. Neither the best nor the worst of that grouping. Definitely a potential conversion beer in a pinch.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2003 19:42:41 | More by marburg

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

8.4 oz bottle pours a somewhat clear, dark red color with a frothy cap of pink head. Retention is good for a lambic and leaves some real nice lace.

Nose is a freshly blendered package of tart raspberries. Smells real good. Not much else in here though, hoping for some sourness but this one is on the sweeter side.

Still sweet, but not as much as I had feared. Has an excellent tartness that is very nice, but not necessarily sour. Raspberry flavor is crazy strong and fresh. This is more akin to a Kasteel Rouge than it is a Cantillon style lambic. Still a very enjoyable quaff and would go excellently with some vanilla ice cream. A good dessert beer and a pleasant departure from the normal beer world.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2010 02:48:23 | More by twiggamortis420

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Appearance: Pours the color of strawberry jam, clear, with a light pink head. A nice amount of webbed lacing is left behind.

Smell: Very inviting sour raspberry nose.

Taste: Moderately sweet raspberry flavor upfront, giving way to a nice tartness. A touch of grain, perhaps a small portion of wheat malt was used in addition. There is a subtle bitterness. The sour flavor continues to develop, and leaves a long, fairly complex lactic finish.

Mouthfeel: Lighter bodied, spritzy carbonation, soft feel on the palatte.

Overall: Jef @ Van Steenberge knows how to brew quality, authentic Belgian beers. This was pretty nice. In addition the the Kriek and Raspberry, they also produce a true sour beer, the Monks Cafe Flemish Sour which is very nice and tart, especially in large bottles.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 16:04:19 | More by Stinkypuss

dmarch

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured with a slight haze and a ruby color. The raspberry aroma is wonderful, as expected. Taste is a bit too sweet. Not as sweet as Lindeman's, but I miss that traditional Lambic tartness. A good beer, but just ok for a lambic. The focus seems to be on the raspberry's rather than on the beer, where it should be.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2003 14:30:36 | More by dmarch

hero27

Iowa

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

8.4 oz bottle. 5% abv.

Cloudy blood red color with a pinkish head that is quite large for a lambic, and leaves streams of lacing as well. The fresh raspberry aroma is incredible. A very sweet version of the style..not too acidic or sour. Would be delicious as an after-dinner or dessert beer. Beautifully soft mouthfeel, also. I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed this brew. Paid $2.99 for the tiny 8.4 oz bottle, but I think it was worth it. I'll be tasting raspberry for days..

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2006 01:18:04 | More by hero27

clayrock81

Virginia

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

Poured a pinkish red with a small head that died quickly. Basic razz smell and not much else but the razz smell is pleasing. Taste is more of the same as very basic razz taste that isn't overly sweet and has just enough tartness for balance. Nothing fancy here but this was a very enjoyable drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 20:12:01 | More by clayrock81