Wisconsin Belgian Red - New Glarus Brewing Company

BOLTZ7555

Arizona

4.9/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Sampled at Hellbilly’s Hellraiser courtesy of Hellbilly via Bockyhorsey!!! "I can not tell a lie," this was like George Washington placing his right hand on the trunk and left hand on the branches of a cherry tree...and ringing it out like a towel just above my glass. INCREDIBLE!!! Pours a soft red with small rose foam. Washington cherry blossoms and freshly baked pie tease the nose. The flavor combines buttery flaky crust, sweet ripened fruit, and cherry tartness. This beer is distinguished, legendary, and should be celebrated!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 05:49:38 | More by BOLTZ7555

landhoney

Florida

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

I love this beer, despite it being almost more of a cherry cider than a beer. This beer is all about the cherry, although the base beer must be solid to build the cherry goliath on top of. The cherry aroma, taste, sourness, and sweetness are all there, so intense it borders on medicinal but it is NOT, it's a natural/real cherry taste that is so enjoyable and refreshing. I could guzzle this stuff by the gallon and never tire of it, can't think of a negative except maybe there are more complex beers out there. I wish they made a sour variant of this, but they should never change this beer, it is exceptional on its own and for what it is; a cherry beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2011 21:06:00 | More by landhoney

wstein70

Florida

3.83/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to icharus84 for this and some other great beers from New Glarus.

Tried it last night with some friends.

A: Poured from the bottle into the glass, had a brownish-red color, and nice foamy head that dissipated quickly.

S: Cherries, lets just say that.

T: Primarily a cherry flavoring, and not that sicky sweet cherry flavor in cherry drinks, but a natural fresh cherry taste. There was also spice undertones from the belgium style ale that complimented the cherry flavor. Gave it good depth and complexity in the taste.

M: It was surprisingly light and crisp. Didn't leave a heavy taste

D: I don't know if I can drink a single 750ml in a single sitting, but it makes for a good beer to share with friends. I can see me drinking it in the summer by the pool or in the winter next to the fireplace.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 20:35:04 | More by wstein70

willyc

South Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a great example of a brewery reflecting their local suroundings in the beer that they brew. The appearance is ruby red, with a one finger head and good lacing. The nose is CHERRY with a little oak and almond. The flavor is great at first.... but am I alone by saying that this is Slushy sweet? I mean It's well done and maybe I should have shared the 750 ML with 8 people instead of one. It would be good in a 6 oz glass and I respect the craftsmanship but too much for me. Good Day.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 00:52:59 | More by willyc

BigFrank71

Illinois

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

Since i do most of my drinking in Wisconsin, I have become a big fan of New Glarus. This Beligian red was very tasty. Nice ruby red color with a pink head. perfect tart cherry flavor, not overly sweet and not too tart. This served with a good cheescake or even a sorbet would be the cats ass. New Glarus did a fantastic job with this one

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 04:18:27 | More by BigFrank71

tuo

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Deep red body with golden highlights and a very nice white/reddish head that is persistent throughout the glass.

Smell: All kinds of cherries up front smelled absolutely fantastic. There is also a faint smell of oak underneath.

Taste: Nice in your face sour/tart cherry flavor that finishes in a sweet cherry pie flavor.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: Perfect carbonation with a fizzy and smooth feel. Fizzy upfront but in the back nice and smooth. This beer could be drank all night long. Absolutely fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2008 22:55:56 | More by tuo

stace

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Overall, quite a pleasant brew. Can't get New Glarus in IL, so whenever I drive through WI I try to pick up a good variety to sample. This bottle came back with me from my Thanksgiving road trip.

A: Cloudy, reddish brown. Head dissipates quickly.

S: Cherries. Surprise! Reminiscent of a lambic.

T: Cherries! Surprise, again! This is close to a lambic, again, with just a hint of sour, but not too much. There's a definite sweetness, but after that there's a little bite in the finish.

M/D: I'm having a hard time describing it. It's bright on the palate with good bubbly nature, but after the swallow, there's a certain... stickiness?

I'm enjoying this. Will definitely buy again -- it's a nice addition to the fruit beers in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2008 01:25:08 | More by stace

mgobrew

Michigan

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

A: Pours from the bottle into an imperial pint glass looking like cranberry juice with head. The body is a dark red with a pinkish tan head that rises quickly but disappears rapidly leaving some lace on the side of the glass.

S: Sour cherries are noticeable before the glass reaches my nose. There is an extremely strong cherry aroma with a hint of sweetness like a jolly rancher or a sweet tart.

T: The aroma carries well into the taste as the sour dark cherry hits the palate first and then gives way to the sweetness which tastes more like a jolly rancher than sweet tart.

M: This is one very heavy, syrup like beer that has a noticeable carbonation that leads to the crisp dry tart finish. It certainly carries some weight in the mouth as it is consumed.

D: This was an excellent after Thanksgiving Dinner treat. This is a beer with real good balance of sweet and sour, perhaps too sweet to drink the whole 750ml bottle at one time, but a great beer to share with friends. After the first few sip I had to break out some dark chocolate just to see….chocolate covered cherries! Every trip to Wisconsin will require at least one or two of these beauties coming back with me.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2007 00:57:14 | More by mgobrew

moon0

New York

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

Pours a deep burgundy hue, prety spritzy at first, but the head dissipates quickly. The mouthfeel is fuller than a typical Belgium kriek. Upfront there's some tartness, followed by an intense burst of real cherry flavor, almost like a baked cherry cobbler. Finishes with a surprising flavor of spiced plums. A really fantastic interpretation of a classic Belgium style by an artisanal American brewery.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2003 20:05:45 | More by moon0

thedeezy

Michigan

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

I received this as a gift from a Wisconsin friend. The pour was beautiful, a slight head that dissipated into a thin foam of carbonation. The color was a beautiful auburn red. Gorgeous for a beer. With a fresh, not too harsh, smell of tart cherries, the beer had an inviting aroma. With the first sip it was absolutely, completely, CHERRY! There is very little hint of malt, or even hints of beer characteristics. The smooth taste of the beer itself is full of fruit. With heavy notes of cherry, dashed with punches of tart this beer is refreshing, to say the least. The hint of tart and sour lingers in the back of your mouth. Within a few sips you can almost wish there was a crust to finish your cherry pie. Great use of fruit in a beer. Definitely a beer for those that appreciate a sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 03:41:01 | More by thedeezy

thoover

California

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

Appearance: A dark red, very cloudy. Not much head at all, and what head there is dissipates very quickly.

Smell: Smells like fresh sour cherries, the sort that you'd use for a cherry pie.

Taste: Full burst of cherries at the start, tastes like a tart cherry pie. The bitterness comes out in the end, for a clean, sour finish.

Mouthfeel: Not a light beer, lots of fruit in it, but it is very smooth.

Drinkability: I finished all 750 ml of the bottle, and it was great...

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2004 02:33:11 | More by thoover

beefnbarley

Kentucky

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

Poured with a reddish hue which was expected given the amount of cherries added.

Poured with a white, fine head that tended to settle quickly.

Strong cherry aroma immediately and dominated the odor. Slight hint of tartness or sour behind the cherries was evident and pleasant.

Sweet, cherry, effervescent beer that was quite refreshing. Beer is light on sour/tartness and tends to lean more towards a sweet, dry finish.

Medium body, high level of carbonation.

Great beer that I look forward to enjoying again.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2009 02:41:58 | More by beefnbarley

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

zackinthebox

California

2.95/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

The bottle looks great with its red wax seal over the cap. The beer pours nice with a decent head. The color is a burnt orange red. I would opt to drink this over many desert wines. It is not the type of beer that I would want to drink in larger quantities. I was surprised how strong the cherry flavor was until I read they put a pound of cherries in every bottle. Honestly I would have liked it better if it tasted more like beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 02:55:23 | More by zackinthebox

cakennedy

California

3.83/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I adore fruit beers, so my opinion may be biased. However, i liked this very cherry beer because it was not too sweet, as other fruit beers can be. However, it almost had that cough syrup thing going on, but it is not quite at that cherry level, it was just delicious. Very smelly of cherries, not too dark in color, just very red. Not too fizzy when poured either.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 19:31:45 | More by cakennedy

locthebloke

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A.) - Shines a rusty, ruby hue in the glass. .5'' to 1'' frothy head that dissipates quickly. Fleeting lace as the glass is tipped.

S.) - Cherries, cherries, cherries. Fresh ones, at that. What would you expect?

T.) - A blast of sweet, tart cherries and not much else. Some pleasant malt sneaks in the back door. This hardly tastes like beer at all, and that is not a bad thing. Unforgettable taste. At only 4% ABV, hardly a tinge of alcohol, as one would expect.

M.) Smooth and sprightly. Utterly drinkable. Probably the least beer-like beer I have ever had, and I mean that in a good way.

O.) - Won't find a fruit beer much better than this. Picked up a bottle of this stuff at a liquor store 5 minutes from my house. Fortunate to be in Wisconsin where it is available. A good brew for the summer months. I see myself sitting on a lawn chair in the sun and going through 2 of the wine-style bottles myself. Mild, unique and utterly delicious.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 04:29:02 | More by locthebloke

Socalbeerlover

California

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

I thought my first review should be the best fruit beer I have had to date.
A. Ruby red with tiny bubbles well carbonated.
S. Like McDonalds Cherry pie. I want to smell this beer as much as drink it.
T.Like Sara Lee Cherry Pie in a Glass def taste the "over a pound of Door Cherries per bottle".
M.Carbonated ,like champagne, sweet.
O.Fantastic,light ,fruity, cherries really come thru,crisp a great early morning riser due to the low alc% gladly pay 20$ to get a bottle shipped now and then.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 14:46:47 | More by Socalbeerlover

nsp73

Pennsylvania

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

One of my favorite beers.
Every bottle is made with over a pound of cherries and you can tell the moment you open the bottle.
It's a reddish color with a huge foamy head. As you drink you can smell and taste the cherries. Pretty much tastes like your drinking cherry pie.
It leaves a nice lacing as you go down but I feel the head can be a bit obnoxious at times. Especially towards the end because you really do savor and enjoy every sip of this beer. Fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 23:04:30 | More by nsp73

agroeber

Ohio

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

Perhaps the best dessert beer I've come across. Massive amounts of sweet cherry up front turn to slightly sour notes on the back end. A sublimely pleasant experience - enough to please even the most hardened IPA drinker. It can be tough to work through a full bottle on your own, but don't share with more than 2-3 people, or you'll feel shorted on your share.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 18:56:14 | More by agroeber

fmbrewing

Wisconsin

4.73/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A perfectly sweet beer to have for desert. Best during the holiday times or when you happen to enjoy other's company. This brew is perfect for sharing with those who love wine to test their beer-boundaries and bring them over from the dark side with beer force. Besides the quality and enjoyment of this high gravity fruity wonder is the overall look of elegance and class with this beer's offering of a champagne style container with dripping red wax covering the neck of the bottle and capped top. And, only available in Wisconsin! My home State now!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 18:38:26 | More by fmbrewing

psychorydas

Pennsylvania

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

I have been an avid cfraft beer drinker for years...this is my first review on a beer...Im a chef and think my info can help others...please give me feedback, positive and negative. I hope to get beer lovers like me to join me n the tastings!!

Ok so here we go...Recently my best friend went to Wisconson for a wedding and on the way there i gave him about $120.00 to spend on whatever beer he could get me that doesnt ship to the hershey, pa area. New Glarus happened to be the main brewery he got me. I tried a bunch of their others beers, unplugged series, regular brews, etc. So I happened to try this beer yesterday and wow!!!

I have had many fruit beers from top brewers and this one did NOT disappoint..The pour was ambered with that red the already had cherry flavoring in it, not to mention when you pop the cap you get a robust sour, tangy cherry smell.
The taste of the belgian ale is a tart cherry burst waiting for you to sip and then sip again!!

Mouthfeel smashes your mouth with cherry flavor, but not to filling at only 4.0% what really do you expect.

Overall by far the best cherry beer i have had..Easily top 5-10 fruit beers I've had. If you can get your hands on it please give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 06:24:44 | More by psychorydas

scottk1969

Maryland

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

A - An impressive red color with a finger of white foam after being poured into a tulip.

S - Heavy cherry aroma.

T - As much cherry there was in the smell, there is tenfold that amount in the flavor. A bit on the sweet side here, but flavorful and very drinkable.

M - Not heavy on the mouth, good carbonation.

O - I was quite impressed with this. It seems more like a dessert than a beer, though.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 16:09:39 | More by scottk1969