Wisconsin Belgian Red - New Glarus Brewing Company

harrymattcody

South Carolina

4.7/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a bottle received in a trade.

The beer pours a ripe red color with a little fizz on top that quickly recedes leaving nothing between me and the aromas emanating forth. The nose is cherries all the way with a sweetness that dominates. Taste falls right into step behind the nose and floods your mouth with pure cherry goodness. Maybe a touch of oak to round out the flavor. Just like it's kin, Raspberry Tart, this brew coats your mouth with sweet and sticky. The bubbles help break it up a bit, though.

Sweetness hurts the drinkability a touch but not enough for me to consider leaving any in the bottle. A classy brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 17:48:04 | More by harrymattcody

SkiBum22

New York

4.45/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a deep burgundy, red-amber with a tan-pink head.

S - Cherry, plain and simple. Great nose. Cherries and brown sugar. Very tart nose with this.

T - Very good with the cherry the huge star of course. Not as tart as I would have thought. And the grains add just the right backing to this. Just outstanding.

M - Medium body with mild carbonation and a slick finish.

O - Awesome brew from New Glarus. Never been to Wisconsin before but made sure I tried this before I left. Wish we could get this out East.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 20:43:45 | More by SkiBum22

jsanford

Georgia

4.7/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into a Tulip Glass. HUGE thanks to THECPJ for this, you rock Shane!

A - Pours a dark ruby-red with a generous rose-colored head that recedes to a creamy cap, leaving spotty lacing as it settles.
S - Big cherry aromas, very similar to maraschino syrup but more authentic. Slight sweet malt and brown sugar in the background, but the cherry is the star here!
T - More delicious cherry, somewhere between a real cherry and a Jolly Rancher, but not in an artificial way. Slightly tart, with a touch of brown sugar and oak. This stuff is amazingly balanced, you'd think it would be cloyingly sweet, but in actuality I could drink it all day!
M - Smooth, slightly slick, with a medium body and good, crisp carbonation that dances on the palate. I would love to pair this with a dessert, or perhaps an appetizer.
O - Such an amazing beer, this completely blew me away! Thanks again, Shane!

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 00:03:17 | More by jsanford

bishopdc0

Maine

3.93/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared this bottle at a family tasting.
Ruby red with a creamy white head

The aroma is wonderful cherries sweet and tart very fresh aroma almost earthy

The taste matches the aroma wonderful cherries sweet and real flavor. The carbonation is sweet and wispy wonderful and fills the mouth

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 02:51:29 | More by bishopdc0

augustgarage

California

4.13/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to northyorksammy for sending an awesome Wisconsin box - been looking forward to having this again since I visited WI several years ago. Poured from a wax-capped 750mL bottle into my Lindemens flute.

Hazy fire brick liquid with carmine and orange-ish highlights topped by an active pale lavender head which dissipates to a fine collar. Average lacing and retention.

Sweet dark cherry aroma which is pure fruit with a faint malt backing. Not as entrancing as Luxardo, but not as cloying as cough syrup.

Sweet cherry-suffused palate entry with an intensifying tartness accompanied by a light clean hoppy bitterness. Bright pungent finish with vague oak complexity.

Creamy, medium-light body, with modest but sufficient carbonation.

Again, like Raspberry Tart, this is not a sour per-se...but simply encapsulates and elevates the fruit with subtle craft and pure (largely local) ingredients. Well done, and likewise well worth seeking out (unless you dislike cherries).

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 20:40:47 | More by augustgarage

kscaldef

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to soonami for this bottle.

Solid, slightly cloudy red; not much of a head. Pie cherry aroma, hints of forest floor. Super cherry flavor, very clear and fresh. Moderate effervescence keeps this from being cloying despite a definite sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 03:00:40 | More by kscaldef

vobr0002

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- redish color with a slightly pink head.

S- cherry, tart smell. No hops detected at all.

T- tart sourness and cherries are the first things I notice. Not really sour, but enough that you notice it.

M- fuller body, higher carbonation.

O- its a very good beer for its style. I enjoyed it and would like to have some time again.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 22:29:15 | More by vobr0002

TVolt1

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Beautiful light red clear beer with light pink finger width of head.

S: Smells very strongly of cherries. Reminds me of children's cough syrup but one i would like to actually drink/taste.

T: Its a very good beer, reminds me of a wine more than a beer though. Tastes of cherry and berries. It is a drinkable beer and I think it has a great taste.

M: Great crisp, light, moderately carbonated drink.

O: Overall, i love this beer. Very easy to drink and pleasant taste.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 22:27:19 | More by TVolt1

zhanson88

Montana

3.48/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a ruby red color with a fair amount of carbonation. A couple inches of light tan head with a tinge of pink forms, which has very nice retention and lacing. Pretty nice looking beer.

Smell: A ton of sweet, maraschino cherries form on the nose. Maybe a touch of spices. As it warms I get a lot of cherry cough syrup as well, which is not nearly as enjoyable. That dimension gets stronger as this beer goes along.

Taste: A lot of sweet, syrupy cherry character comes out immediately, along with some spices. Again, a lot of cough syrup comes out as well, which retracts somewhat for me. Not enough to make it unpleasant, just not quite as enjoyable.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Light bodied with a very nice amount of carbonation. It goes down quite easily. Overall I enjoyed this beer quite a bit, though less than Raspberry Tart. Still, definitely one of the best fruit beers you can get in the States. A should try, for sure.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 05:15:49 | More by zhanson88

Azurescens

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle with no bottled on or freshness date, poured into Hair of the Dog tulip, reviewed on 9/2/11.

A: Pours deep red with light pinkish head that leaves a bit of lacing around glass.

S: Lots of cherries in the aroma, not wild cherries but more of a maraschino - candy - cough syrup cherry aroma, some malt and no alcohol or hops.

T: Like the aroma, lots of maraschino cherries, sweet and slightly tart as well. no alcohol or hops and a long lingering taste of cherries.

M: Light, crisp and slightly tart light-medium body and semi-dry finish.

O: Lots of cherry flavor from start to finish, but I am not a fan of the artificial tasting cherries in this opposed to the natural cherry flavor of a kriek.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 02:59:37 | More by Azurescens

daveytheformer

Oregon

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

Pours a murky brown color with a thin bubbly off white head that quickly fades to very light lacing and spotting.

Smells like apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon and cherry coke.

Tastes very sweet with an ever so slight cherry tartness. Not mouth puckering by any means. More apple cider comes to mind.

Mouthfeel is medium with lots of carbonation.

Overall is pretty good but maybe a touch too sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 18:27:15 | More by daveytheformer

jamescain

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a sniffer.

Appearance: Bright red with a pink head about two fingers thick that fades into a lacing and clings to the side of the glass.

Aroma: Tart cherries, almost to the point of cough syrup, but the tartness helps keep it away from that area.

Taste: Tart and sweet, bit cherry flavor. I would have preferred more tartness and less sweetness, but it was still not overly sweet (even for me).

Mouthfeel: High carbonation and light body that is both enjoyable and refreshing.

Overall: I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this one. I was expecting it to be way to sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 19:37:35 | More by jamescain

Cheesemoose

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

#100th Review

Poured and shared with friends, as part of bday celebration for a work buddy and myself.

Poured into 4 seperate glasses. Body is dark red, near amber. Has a hazy hue that is rather glowing when held up to light. Faint head, with a finger post pour, but which quickly dissipates. No real head to speak of.

Wow. Umm...wow. The nose reminds me of (dare I say it?)...watermelon jolly ranchers. Seriously. I mean, I thought I was crazy, but it is so dang potent. I think it is more of an insult to Jolly Rancher than New Glarus, but so much candied cherry comes off the nose it is divine. Mild dryness, but the cherries are the main attraction.

More of the same. Watermelon Jolly Rancher. Seriously. Oak notes come in through the mid body, which leaves a mild tingling sensation through the finish. Incredible cherry domination though. Cherry, cherry, and more cherry. Sweet, light and playful. Not cloying in any sense. The beer is there, but the cherry flavor is most pleasant. So well done and balanced, even for the amount of raw cherry flavor that is there.

Mild carbonation, with an oily mouthfeel that lingers well into the next sip.

I am super impressed. An exceptional beer. Makes me look forward to their Raspberry Tart with much more anticipation and longing.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 03:49:21 | More by Cheesemoose

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.85/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750 ml bottle poured into Efes tulip. Thanks Cheesemoose! Leathery brown in color, small head, low retention. Clear, sticky lacing. Aroma dominated by cherry (of course). I suppose that it would be easy to screw this flavor up but its done perfectly. Not medicinal, not cough syrup. Splendid. Taste is fascinating, unique and certainly delicious. Cherry sweetness and tartness is front stage and center and just awesome. Amazing and unique beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 05:29:09 | More by KickbacksSteve

GlassFreeek

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a champagne flute from a 750ml bottle.

A: Pours, an amber/ruby red color w/ a eggshell/pink some what creamy looking head. About 3 fingers worth of head.

S: A mix between a ripe cherry and cherry pie. Just amazing, really catches the essence of a cherry in here.

T: Just the same as the smell, it's sweet, but not too sweet. And's it's tart and but too tart, just like it should be. Very perfectly well executed.

MF: Great dense, creamy mouthfeel, that is actually quite unique and enjoyable.

Overall, I'd suggest you get one of these bottles immediately, and drink it. You won't be disappointed! Wow, this is a great fruit beer right here.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 04:54:28 | More by GlassFreeek

jnn4v

Virginia

4.47/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Almost like a carbonated cranberry juice in appearance - medium red color, quite visible bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass all around. Almost no head. Translucent with no sediment and minor haze.

S: Cherry, grenadine, cherry ricola or ludens drops, black cherry candy, sweet tarts, and most notably, Ginja (a liqueur made in Spain by infusing ginja berries / sour cherries in alcohol).

T: Definitely has the black cherry candy, Ginja, and sweet tart flavors that I detected in the scent. It's also vaguely reminiscent of a sparkling grape beverage my grandmother used to buy at Thanksgiving for the kids to have instead of wine. My description definitely doesn't do it justice - this is fantastic.

M: Very ample carbonation. Almost "effervescent" but without seeming too bubbly. Amazingly dense mouthfeel for something with only 4% alcohol.

O: Sweet and very fruity, but without seeming syrupy or overly sweet at all. Dry and somewhat tart without being sour. Pretty much as balanced in flavor as an actual ripe black cherry.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 01:26:34 | More by jnn4v

doppelme

Florida

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

Poured from a Bomber bottle into a tulip glass. The body of this beer is red with light red or pink along the outside of the glass. It leaves behind great lacing. It smells of fresh tart cherris. The taste of this beer is of tart cherries with a seetness through the whole taste. Not overly sweet so you are easily able to finish off the bottle. Overall this beer is delicious. If you are a fan of cherries you cant deny that this beer is king.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 17:14:01 | More by doppelme

plfahey

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Brilliant ruby color with good clarity-absolutely gorgeous. Moderate pale-pinkish head with decent retention.

Aroma-Smells like a ludens cough drop. Very sweet cherry aroma, almost cloyingly so. The cherry notes are extremely intense, but somewhat one-dimensional, and the sweetness is a bit deterring, but as it warms it shows a slight hint of oak character, which helps temper the sweetness.

Flavor-Not quite as sweet as the aroma, which is relieving. Up front there is a lot of cherry flavor, but fortunately there's a little more depth than in the aroma. Subtle dark fruit flavors (plum and prune) linger in the background, along with some light tartness and a hint of tannic oak. Finish is still rather sweet, and has a soft cherry note to it, along with a smidgeon of malt.

Mouthfeel-Medium full body with moderate to moderately low carbonation. I personally would prefer it a little bit lighter and a bit more carbonated.

I'm just okay on this one. It's a bit overly sweet for my tastes, and the Cherry notes are somewhat one-dimensional, especially in the nose. Tastes more like Cherry Soda than a complex Belgian-style kriek.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 04:51:28 | More by plfahey

ahq514

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750 ml bottle into tulip.

Pours a deep red with a red hued head as well. Head is pretty solid, about a finger or so.

Wow, smells like pure cherries. Never smelled a cherry beer that had such a natural cherry smell. Given that it smells of cherries there is a little bit of tartness in the aroma as well. No distinctive malt or hop aromas in this one. Cherries are showcased.

Once again the cherries come through really well here. Tastes like fresh cherry juice with some carbonation. Some tartness, but not much. Once again there are no real distinctive malt or hop tastes, but mostly cherries. A medium amount of sweetness comes through.

This beer is very drinkable. Medium bodied. A little higher carbonation than I would like, but overall enjoyable.

Overall, this is a great tasting beverage if you love cherries. My only real problem with it is that it doesn't really remind me of beer and a 750 ml bottle can be daunting if sweet drinks overcome you fast. But, this is the best cherry flavored beer I've tried to date.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 03:27:58 | More by ahq514

petacutlasaurus

Maryland

4.83/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Grabbed this one as part of a big haul from Connecticut Avenue Wine and Liquor - big thanks to Al over there for coordinating an air-conditioned New Glarus truck-haul from Wisconsin to D.C.

After a few of New Glarus's 12oz beers, I finally cracked this bomber pretty much brimming with excitement. I had been hearing about New Glarus's fantastic fruit beers and sours for ages, so it was great to test that hyped-up mettle.

Poured a cloudy, deep red with some pink-white sudsy bubbling on the surface. Aroma was of sweet cherries, practically candied, all qualified by this overarching sourness and a little bit of bite. On tasting, that sourness turns out to be more of a tartness, with just a bit of the wild notes I was expecting. Still, that bite comes through just as it's needed to unhinge the balance that's otherwise too sweet. The mild carbonation and the medium body give this beer the reach across the mouth it needs to deliver all that tartness.

Having had this beer after New Glarus's Cran-Bic, I feel like this is just the inversion of sweet/sour I wanted. For me, Cran-bic was maybe .75 sweet to .25 sour. Switch those two values around, and exchange the cranberry for cherry, and you get this stellar Wisconsin Belgian Red. After having loads of Belgian Kriek's, this is an awesome response from Wisconsin.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 17:42:27 | More by petacutlasaurus

Slyjoker87

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours out in a reddish orange color and is slightly opaque . The head almost immediately dissipates.

S- Smells pleasantly of sweet cherry, almost like you would expect smelling maraschino cherries.

T- The second it hits the tongue there is an overwhelming sweet, cherry flavor. However, it is followed up by a noticeable tartness but doesn't become overbearing or too demanding.

M- It has a fizz that works well with the level of sweet flavor, almost like a pop. It doesn't overdo it, though, and goes down fairly easily.

O- This is a fantastic fruit beer, but as others have noticed, it isn't something that you'd want to drink a lot of or super regularly. It is more like a desert than a beer. Nevertheless, it is full of flavor and a wonderful beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 21:16:48 | More by Slyjoker87

jcartamdg

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark red color with a finger head that disapates quickly. Aroma is pungent cherries, slight medicinal notes, slight oak Taste follows the nose, lots of cherries a bit of a medicinal taste but not off putting. Crisp, tart and refreshing. Different in the beat possible way, tasting back to back with the raspberry tart and I must say I prefer the tart.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 04:11:25 | More by jcartamdg

THECPJ

Delaware

4.47/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark murky brown/red with minimal pinkish head

smell: cherry, sour, more cherries

taste: reminded me of a certain cough drop, cherries,

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: a very nice cherry beer. the ladies at the beer dinner preferred this one over the Raspberry Tart.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 16:38:13 | More by THECPJ

SDDanC

California

4.28/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oh my god. Poured from bottle into goblet. Poured a cherry red with a touch of amber, almost no head. Nose is alll sweet cherry candy and vanilla, some roses mixed in there. The tongue matches well to the nose. Sweet cherries, vanilla, no sour its all sweet. I cannot stress enough how sweet this is. Mouthfeel is good, could use a bit more carbonation, but it might take away from the sweetness. Overall, awesome beer, I want more.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 04:08:32 | More by SDDanC

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

25.4oz bottle split between two snifters.

A - Pours a deep burgundy, red-amber with a tan-pink head.

S - Cherry chapstick. I feel like I am in the 4th grade again.

T - Cherry goodness? I really can't explain it.

D - Good carbonation, a touch oily in the mouth.

O - Strong cherry, but not overly sweet. Surprised how much I liked this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 03:27:10 | More by HuskyinPDX