Wisconsin Belgian Red - New Glarus Brewing Company

BUNZILLA

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml poured into a small snifter

Appearance : deep dark red with a light pink head that quickly fades away leaving a thin ring of Smell bubbles behind ans micro lacing

Smell : very pungent tart cherries .

Taste : this one is all tart cherries all the way though from start to finish. Very subtle malt backbone .

Mouthfeel : light bodied brew with pleasant carbonation and somewhat sticky

Overall : I really enjoy this beer very solid fruit beer.Kind of reminds me of Blushing Monk.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 20:26:10 | More by BUNZILLA

HopHead84

California

2.68/5  rDev -38.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

4/7/2012

Thanks!

A: Light red with some transparency and a long lasting beige head.

S: Strong cherry presence but the fruit comes across as artificial and medicinal, like cherry cough syrup. Malt is sweet and crackery.

T: Again, cough syrup. Candied cherry cough medicine. Very sweet.

M: Lower medium body with upper medium carbonation.

Overall: I recall liking this quite a bit when I've had it before, but this was too similar to cherry cough syrup. The Raspberry Tart blew it away.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 19:06:45 | More by HopHead84

Naugros

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Raspberry Tart was fantastic and I got this one in the same trade, but was waiting for a special event to open it. It's my brother's birthday today, so that's good enough for me.

Not all that red in color, more like rust...like a burnt orange with a little red in it. The head rise quickly from the active carbonation, but doesn't last too long. The lacing is wispy and in bands.

The smell and the taste are identical and that's a wonderful thing. So many American-brewed cherry beers, and those from England as well, taste like cherry-flavored cough lozenges. It doesn't matter if they use real cherries or not, the mixture of alcohol and cherry flavor makes for Smith Brothers. This one is different, it tastes like sweet Bing cherries with a sour element introduced. Or maybe the other way around, tart cherries with sugar added to balance the tartness. Whichever way, the balance is really nice and makes this beer quite enjoyable on the tongue. Oh yeah, the malts are present, showing as a touch of graham cracker adding some base.

It's also gulpable due to the medium, slick body being nicely cut by the carbonation. The low alcohol content makes it sessionable (if you can get it) and is probably why it doesn't come off as a cough drop.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 01:38:45 | More by Naugros

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass from a 1 pint 9oz bottle.

Pours a very nice strong cooper color with some awesome reddish and pink hues. Nice and bright and slightly translucent. There is a nice half dense and half chunky white head with some pink tints to it that recedes fairly quickly.

Aroma of sweet maraschino cherries comes through. Some slight syrupy sweetness and some nice. There is some nice chalky yeast notes and some slight funk and mild tartness.

Flavor starts off similar to the nose with some nice cherry sweetness and some nice fruit juice notes. There is some nice tartness that follows through the rest of the brew with some nice light yeasty funk notes. Mouthfeel is nice light and fluffy.

Delicious brew. SImple yet refreshing and well crafted. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 21:40:12 | More by JoEBoBpr

Jammies

Illinois

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

Aged for 8 mos.

A-pours a light orangish brown with deep red notes The inch of foam immediately retreats

S-sweet and fruity odor. The cherries are quite evident

T-sweet and a bit carbonated on the finish. Almost like apple juice with cherries. Not too sweet though

M-medium body and icredibly smooth

O-not an overly huge admirer of the fruit beers, but this one is pretty good. very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 19:20:07 | More by Jammies

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a Tired Hands stem/wine glass, a mostly clear, cherry red color tinted brown, with a 1-2 finger puff of pinkish-white head that receded to a wispy layer and left decorative lacing throughout the session. Aroma of cherries--naturally--and distant biscuity malts. Tasted pretty much spot on like cherry pie, black cherries, and doughy malts, good balance of tart and sweet, with the sweetness taking a slight edge and the breadiness of the malt keeping everything under control. Medium body, slightly chewy, moderate carbonation, very good overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 12:37:21 | More by Rifugium

emerge077

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Gorgeous crimson red, pinkish pastel foam. Slightly murky and unfiltered, a little bit of spotty lacing sticks to the glass.

Smell is nice initially, pie cherry dominates, but then it starts smelling like a musty dishrag. Flinty minerals and attic must.

Sweet and vaguely tart, it's like a Chinotto spritzer but with pie cherry, definitely Door county in origin. Straight up cherry pie, crust and all, sweet cherry hard candy, with a soda spritzer level of carbonation. At the riverside brewery, this used to be aged in large oak foeders, not sure if that's still the case as it doesn't have much oak character at all. Mainly an apertif with cheese, or paired with a dense chocolate dessert. Not something to put down solo really, more of a crossover for wine cooler drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 01:10:02 | More by emerge077

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Simple and delicious cherry ale; barely beer-like. Rich cherry color with a pinkish head. Retention is good as is lacing. Put your nose in it and you get a face full of fresh, tart and sweet cherries. Flavor follows suit; there’s not much complexity here, just a load of fresh, very natural tasting cherries that are well balanced between sweet and tart. Not a puckering beer by any means but a true fruit beer in the best sense. No robitussin here either, thankfully. Very little hop presence. Needless to say the ladies loved it.

Body is medium-thin, soda-like, with strong but not fizzy carbonation. The finish is dry, leaving you headed back for another sip. Basically a low-alcohol fresh cherry soda. Delicious but not profound.

Thanks Hellomisterp!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 17:42:14 | More by tobelerone

KDawg

Illinois

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

poured from 750 into tulip. Pours a nice medium red color with a small head

Very cherry dominated with some orchard fruits as well. Excellent depth and while a bit singular it brings a ton of various cherry aromas

medium bodied but on the lighter side with a real nice feel. All sorts of various cherry flavors with a nice tart finish

this is a real delicious beer. This brings a lot of great cherry flavors and does it great

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 06:26:10 | More by KDawg

BadgerBrewer16

Wisconsin

4.93/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Awesome in your face cherry smell right up front, poured into a champagne flute a reddish amber color, head dissipated almost immediately to just a ring of foam, taste is tart cherries up front with a sweet finish, this is one great beer that left me wanting more

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 02:37:11 | More by BadgerBrewer16

JCaweinstein

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Amber/reddish colored with an off white head. This has really good retention and good lacing.
Smells like cherry ludens cough drops, so sweet and so pleasant.
Semi sweet cherry flavor with a little tartness, and very delishious.
It's light bodied for sure, crisp from good amount of carbonation and a really good sweet aftertaste.
A very tasty beer, great flavor and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 03:48:02 | More by JCaweinstein

falloutsnow

Illinois

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

Bottle brought back by AM and shared, much thanks
2011 edition, poured into a New Glarus flute

The New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red is perhaps the extreme fruit-dessert beer. Unapologetically sweet in its combination of fruit and malt, there is no escaping the cherries that were sacrificed in the making of this beer. All the components work together to form a highly drinkable ale, though I would have enjoyed more tartness. Because of its intensity on a single-focus flavor and its sweetness, I'm not sure how often I'd crave this beer, but it is good to have tried it.

Pours a pale pink head of medium-sized bubbles that fades, slowly, to a thin ring around the glass. No lacing seems to have been left. Beer's body is reddish hued, with active carbonation streaming from the bottom.

Aroma is dominated by sweet, ripe cherries in sweetened cherry juice, with just a hint of tartness. Could be cited as being one-dimensional, but the fruit is meant to be the focus of this beer.

Taste opens with cherry sweetness, a little like a cherry lifesaver. Quickly followed by full cherry flavors, layers of them, deep, reminiscent of cherry pie filling with a bit of tartness to balance. Enjoyable, complex cherries with some serious depth of flavor. Surprised at the low ethanol content. Closes out with a faint maltiness, which lets you know you're still drinking beer. Aftertaste, not surprisingly, of sweet cherries.

Medium to medium-light bodied with the carbonation giving this a crisp, almost champagne-like quality to it. Carbonation is not antagonistic, which is pleasant. Finish is quite dry.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 00:02:34 | More by falloutsnow

adrock7309

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured a 2011 vintage into a cigar city snifter.

With an aggressive pour, almost no head. What little head there was faded quickly to a small ring around the edge of the glass with some minimal bands of foam stuck to the glass - no lacing.

Smell is huge on cherries, pie crust, some bready yeast, and some floral/leafy notes. There is also a bit of tartness there too.

Flavor is big on cherry flesh, cherry syrup, and some tangy cherry candy. There is zero hops and the malt is very subdued here. Almost non-existent.

This is such a great beer. Just wish it had a bit more complexity to the flavor as it is dominated by cherries only.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 02:54:26 | More by adrock7309

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from straight from the source in New Glarus Wisconsin at the Brewery.

Appearance: Dark and murky; yet still a brilliant red. White colored head that has a really nice lace on the side of the glass.

Smell: heres a surprise... CHERRYS. Big fruity cherries and some added sweetness from the malt profile. Its almost like cherry pie smell.

Taste: Both sweet and tart cherries, with a decent balance of the cherry profile. Its also got a mild oak and earthy note to it. Great fruit beer.

Mouthfeel: drinks like a medium bodied beer even though its only 4%. moderate carbonation levels. The carbonation is almost seltzer like and lively. Just enough carbonation to keep the beer from becoming syrupy. Easy drinker here.

Overall: Drank this beer many time, just finally reviewed it. I really love this fruit beer and the raspberry tart is just as tasty. New Glarus is known for the fruit beers for a reason! They are World Class!

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2012 10:49:06 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Kbogac

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a champagne glass. Thick cream colored foam on top of a light burgundy red beer. Slowly dissipates to a ring with nice lacing. Smell is sweet cherry reminiscent of candy. Taste is more of a sweet darker cherry. Not very complex.  Light mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Overall a very nice cherry ale. Not overly sweet and easy to drink. I've not found anyone that doesn't like it. 

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 23:29:42 | More by Kbogac

Trifecta1

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the New Glarus Brewery in New Glarus, WI.

A - Rust red, small pearl-red head. Good amounts of carbonation present.

S - Cherry pie like momma used to make, but holding back on the heavily-sweetened scent.

T - Sweet and tart cherries, with a classic malty taste squeaking in near the end. Nectar of the gods, a must try for cherry lovers.

M - Heavily carbonated, kind of champagne-like qualities. Light, lack of that syrupy feeling.

O - Must try for sweet beer lovers, cherry lovers, and highly recommended for anyone wanting to try something a little different. New Glarus works wonders with fruit beer, as displayed by this fantastic beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 07:08:10 | More by Trifecta1

iabeerbaron

Iowa

4.2/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought this while in Madison. Poured a dark red color with a off white head. Aroma heavy of cherries. This beer is always on hand at my house; perfect for dessert and great for people looking to try something different. First drink was very sweet. Very delicious fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 19:32:39 | More by iabeerbaron

Lolli1315

Illinois

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

A- Burgundy with a little haze as it is able to be seen through. Off white head dissipates until it becomes small and patchy with a ring around the glass.

S- Sweet and slightly tart cherries push through this beer. Malt accompanies with a little bit of a musty character.

T- The cherries hit you right away coming at you first a little sweet but quickly becoming tart. Thick malty taste is beneath as the cherries continue throughout. The finish seems to have a cherry skin flavor to it with a lingering tart flavor in the back of the mouth.

M- Medium-body, sweet throughout.

O- More than just any fruit beer. Very rich in character and full in taste. Would be great after dinner or for the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 03:57:14 | More by Lolli1315

stealth

Minnesota

4.93/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a slightly cloudy amber/red with a rapidly vanishing foamy pinkish/white head. Not much lacing - steady carbonation rising up the glass while drinking. Smells pretty much just like a cherry Jolly Rancher. My mouth immediately starts to salivate. The flavor of this 'beer' is perfect. Liquified cherry Jolly Rancher. New Glarius really hits a home run with the balance between the cherry sweetness and sour cherry tartness. No aftertaste, and finishes real dry. Leaves you puckering for the next drink. I can't imagine this being improved at all. This is a very refreshing and crisp drink. A nice body that was much thicker than I expected.

This is the perfect fruit beer. Ranked #1 in the world for a reason.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 08:08:57 | More by stealth

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - a clear crisp looking red, nice carbonation, no head at all

S - my face was in awe after smelling what must be 1-1/2 tons of cherries.. it smelled like a jolly rancher candy

T - just like the smell, it was delicious like candy, and just like jolly ranchers it leaves a tarty taste behind

M - nice and fizzy like a champagne, the tartness makes your cheeks quench making this a little harder to drink which is good because i got to savor every last drop of it

O - i wish i had a constant supply of this. it's honestly my favorite fruit beer i have ever tasted. the only thing close to this was smuttynose's hanami ale which was discontinued so i am very glad i got a chance to feel that taste in my mouth again (but better)

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 11:34:53 | More by facundoCNB

Dope

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Slightly cloudy blood red pour. Large soda-like red-tinged head. Retention is decent. Small amount of lacing.

S: Tart, overripe cherries. Then sweet cherries. Then cherry soda. Interesting.

T: Whoa. Up front it's like carbonated super sweet cherry syrup. Then it turns tart and very drying. Crisp. Very little aftertaste. The combination of sweet and tart flavors is I dare say, perfect for the style. I've never had a cherry fruit beer that even comes close. How can I not give it a 5?

M: Smooth, clean, crisp. Just right. Not watery or thin at all which I was worried about given the low ABV.

O: This is a hard one to rank. It's barely beer, BUT it's SO GOOD. For the style it is one of the very best - perhaps even THE best.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 04:45:31 | More by Dope

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

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

Huge thanks to angrybabboon for splitting his bottle:

Appearance: Deep ruby red. Slight haze. Opaque as can be despite the haze. Head is bubbly and a light pink/rose. Thin vestiges of head at edges of glass. Loads of carbonation. Very pretty.

Smell: So much cherry. Fresh dark cherry mixed with some sweet maraschino cherries to compliment. Cherry juice. Faint edge of tartness, but it's really just a cherry explosion.

Taste: Slightly tart. Loads of cherry flavor. Flesh, skin and juice. Sweetness is off the charts, but it works. So much cherry in every way. Almost like a melted cherry Jolly Rancher. Edge of tartness helps cut some of the sweetness, but just barely.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Carbonation is high and it's a good thing. Drinks like a big, slightly syrupy fruit booze juice.

Overall: Holy hell. This is the most ridiculous fruit beer ever. It's barely beer, and yet it's everything a fruit beer should be.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 04:41:14 | More by Goblinmunkey7

sommersb

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tasted On: 01-08-2012
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 750 ml green bottle
Glassware: Wine glass
Purchased: Received in a trade

Appearance: Clear, with a ruby red color. The cream-colored head is about a finger's worth and fades fairly quickly, leaving a good amount of lace.

Smell: Wow! Extreme cherry fruit aromas are bursting from the glass. I don't smell anything beyond the cherries, but they are delightfully clean, sweet and fruity.

Taste: Just like the aroma, this beer is all about the cherries in flavor. Rich fruity taste, with intense and flavorful cherries, with some tartness but primarily sweet notes. As the beer warms, it tastes more tangy.

Mouthfeel: The fruits combined with high carbonation make for a zesty mouthfeel. The aftertaste is of cherry fruit, with a balance between sweet and tart.

Overall: An excellent and elegant beer; a real treat!

Thanks to Crass3000 for this one!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 01:32:18 | More by sommersb

rundocrun

Iowa

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a snifter.

A - Body is a beautiful deep garnet color. Mildly hazy. Steady stream of bubbles from the bottom of the glass. Approximately one finger of off-white head that lasts about 3 minutes. Medium amount of lacing.

S - Wow. Rich, tart cherries take center stage here. A candy-like sweetness from the cherries and the malty backbone make for a mouthwatering and enticing nose.

T - Homemade cherry pie filling! This is damn tasty stuff. Despite the overwhelming cherry essence up front, the belgian character does have its moment in the spotlight. Toward the finish and most definitely in the aftertaste, there is a distinct crisp, dry and somewhat spicy flavor indicative of belgian yeast, delicately toasted malts, and a healthy dose of candi sugar.

M - Incredibly drinkable. I only wish I had gotten a bottle of this stuff during the summer instead of early January. Tart, sweet, clean and refreshing. Thinner body, but just enough thickness to hammer down the fact that this is an excellent craft beer and not some watery mass-produced "flavored malt beverage."

Overall - It's not hard to see why this is one of the top-rated brews from New Glarus. They've most definitely hit the mark for providing the drinker with a true taste of cherries at their finest.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 05:30:32 | More by rundocrun

shand

Florida

4.88/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint. Thanks to redbird!

Well, this is just a little embarrassing. I held on to this for a long time. Probably longer than I should have, since I got this bad boy about 8 months ago, and who knows how long it was around before then. Hoping for the best! Pours a very hazy red color with a tiny head that drop fast. The smell? Dear GOD that smells good! Cherries! There are cherries in this beer. Lots of cherries. I love cherries. This smells very good. It also tastes like there's cherries in this beer. It does a great job of balancing the sweet and the tart. The mouthfeel is crisp and light, and the drinkability is amazing. Why did I wait so long to pop this one? This is seriously a world-class beer. If you like cherries, you will like this beer. No way around that.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 01:08:27 | More by shand