Serendipity - New Glarus Brewing Company

drabmuh

Maryland

3.3/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Thanks Moll. Served in a whatever. Beer is brownish and clear with a ruby hue to it. Interesting looking, almost still, no real head, no lacing, Looks fine.

Aroma is fruity, sweet, cherries, berries, smells OK.

Tastes a little medicinal, super sweet, rough actually, NOt a very good beer, not on the same level as Belgian Red or Raspberry tart. Not a repeat.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 17:36:51 | More by drabmuh

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Bottle generously shared by yourefragile.

Pour yields a reddish-brown colored brew with a short fizzy head that recedes somewhat quickly. The nose carries a strong bit of cherry and cranberry as well as underlying earthiness. Some tartness coming through, as well as fruit skin. Flavor is moderately tart but has far too much underlying sweetness. Body is medium and appropriate, but there's too much residual sweetness coming through. Pretty nice for a fruit beer, but pales in comparison to Belgian Red and, to a lesser degree, Raspberry Tart.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 13:49:24 | More by Thorpe429

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

It's not easy to make a good apple beer without it being one-dimensional or without it just having incidental off-flavors. But as with many NG beers I've had, they definitely nailed it with this one.

Poured a clear ruby red color with tints of amber, and a small fizzy pink-white head that dissipated almost completely. Fruit juice aroma, obvious apple, lesser notes of berry / fruit punch. Taste was fresh and brilliant, apple juice, cran-razz, mostly sweet, but a bit of tartness in there as well, along with maybe a subtle touch of spice, but the apple flavor was clearly in charge here. Light-medium body, juicy, effervescent, and overall quite enjoyable. I'm not sure I'd want to take on a full bottle myself, and/or significant quantities on a regular basis, but it's definitely great in small quantities.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 23:00:19 | More by Rifugium

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.61/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Bottle from buzze40, 750ml into a tulip.

Crazy ruby tones with an offwhite head. Good retention and lacing. Nose of cranberry and apple pie, some cherry sucker character as well. All three fruits are surprisingly well represented. Sweet malt, but fruits are huge. Taste has all of the fruits well represented, some pie filling, jammy and jolly rancher/lollipop flavours of the fruits in this brew. Medium feel, moderate sweetness and some effervescence. The Carey's hit it out of the park again.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 16:55:13 | More by liamt07

merc7186

New York

3.88/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bomber into snifter glass.

A: Dark Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, No Head, No Lacing

S: Cherries, Apples

T: Cherries, Apples

M: Mediocre Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Tart

Overall, Nice fruit flavor but weak of the carbonation, decent.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 23:04:14 | More by merc7186

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a lovely treat from new glarus. this one was made thanks to a cherry shortage, so cranberries and apples are added to account for the diminished cherry crop. the result is quite pleasant, and perfect for holiday season. the pour is raspberry looking pink in color, maybe a little darker, with a few fingers of fizzy white froth. the nose is remarkably sweet, like fruit candy, but also tart, a sour beer for sure. yeast is interestingly balanced out by the fruit, smells like sour granola. the taste is cranberry and sour yeast tartness at first, and then gently gives way to a holiday spice complex of apple and cinnamon and warming mulling spices, the spice then dies out and a ton of residual sugar is left over. this exacerbates as it warms. great feel with a ton of carbonation, made even lighter and more airy by the thin malt profile and the low abv. a lot like the raspberry tart in the sense that i dont need a whole 750ml bottle of this for myself, but it was a joy to try. i hope for plentiful cherry crops, but i also hope this beer stays in the lineup, a really nice compliment to some of their other fruit beers. the champaigne mouthfeel goes perfectly with the fruit and the sour. well done.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 20:25:29 | More by StonedTrippin

oline73

Maryland

4.14/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a snifter.

A: Pours a clear red color with a mild amber hue. There is a layer of off white head that fades to a ring around the glass.

S: Tart like other fruit new glarus offerings. Fruit juice, cranberry, tart cherries. Sweet overall.

T: This one has the trademark new glarus fruity tartness. I'm getting apple juice, cranberry, and tart cherry. The finish is sweet and fruity.

M: medium body with a small amount of tingly carbonation. The finish is dry.

O: glad they made this one. I really enjoy these low abv fruit beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 02:54:50 | More by oline73

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Robbie for this bottle. Poured in to tulip.

A - Translucent medium ruby colour with half a finger of cream coloured head and good lacing.

S - Tart cherries up front - reminiscent of WBR. Some sweet breadineess and a very light apple aroma in the background.

T - Tart up front with sour cherries that give way to a sweet bready pie-crust-like flavour in the middle. The finish has a touch of apple and tart cranberry. Not specifically getting the oak. After a while this becomes very sweet. Difficult to drink the whole 750 ml bottle but very tasty nonetheless.

M - Medium body. Creamy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 01:58:39 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Big thank you to Steasy66 for the killer brews. Going to give this guy a big uncomfortable man-hug if I ever get the chance!! ;-)

Appearance. Pours a really deep amber, getting close to brown with almost a finger of fluffy, off-white head.

Smell. Apple and cranberry juice with some tart cherries and a very very light, dry musty funk.

Taste. Fresh cranberries and cherries and bit of that distinct New Glarus dry dusty, lightly woody funk.

Mouthfeel. Lighter body with medium , fine carbonation.

Overall. A nice fruit brew, but I do enjoy the fruits in RT and WBR more. More a personal preference thing than the quality of the brew...

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 00:28:49 | More by Rutager

brstls4drmrs

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours a foamy translucent red liquid with a heavy white foam. Very good lacing.

S - this is where it takes the cake for me. Lots of fruit in there with some heavy cherry and light apple. Some light spice along with blackberry and hints of raspberry and cranberry. Smells like a powdery berry sweetart.

T - a nice cherry, cranberry bomb with some sourness as well. The sour isn't overpowering which was nice for me. A good balance between sweet and sour.

M - medium to high carbonation with a nice tart finish.

O - not bad at all. I really liked this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 05:36:37 | More by brstls4drmrs

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750ml bottle poured into wine glass. Thanks Josh (thebigredone) for this one.

A- Pours a translucent dark slightly brownish cherry purplish red with about a finger's worth of frothy head that has nice retention and slowly recedes to a thin layer. Decent carbonation and considerable lacing.

S- Strong notes of sweet and tart cranberries, apples, and raspberries. Nice balance of the fruits and very fragrant but a little bit too overpowering on the sweetness.

T- Very sweet mixture of cherries, apples, raspberries, and some sweet malts finishing with a light fruity tartness that lingers for awhile. Lots of flavor just way too sweet for me.

M- Smooth, nice carbonation, nice body without being overly syrupy.

O- I've come to realize that I'm personally not a big fan of the New Glarus fruit beers. They are just all overpoweringly sweet and not that enjoyable for me. This beer had a ton of flavor, it's just the sweetness makes it almost undrinkable. I probably won't be having this beer again and I'm surprised so many people like it. I'd recommend it only if you like sweet and fruity beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 17:58:57 | More by jaasen64

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted 31 December 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours a medium-dark, slightly reddish amber. Very clear. Half-finger of yellowish head, decent retention and pretty good lacing. I really like the color.

Smell reminds me a lot of NG's other fruit beers, but has its uniqueness. I can't pull out each fruit. Get lots more cherry than anything else - syrupy, juicy bing cherry sweetness. Then apple, but apple pie apple, without the crispness or the tart. Very little tart in this, in fact - could use some more, IMO. Rich and sweet, without anything to balance that out (at least in the smell). Buoyantly fruity.

Taste comes on with syrupy cherries and sweet apple, followed by a touch of tart cranberry. The cranberry provides a bit of bite and tang here that are definitely needed, providing some acidic balance. But I wish there were even more of that, as I find it overly sweet.

Mouthfeel is spectacular. Light-bodied, buoyant and fluffy. Medium-high carbonation that flares up and gradually slows down like a right-skewed distribution.

Doesn't impress me as much as the other New Glarus fruit beers. Flavor feels a bit bloated and less clean because of the presence of all those fruits, and I really want some tart or sour to balance out that sweetness. Amazing mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 05:11:13 | More by zeledonia

birchstick

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a toffee caramel rustic brown color with a nice white head that dissipates but doesn't fully disappear. Nose is apples, cherries, and the Belgian spicy notes similar to the Belgian Red. The taste starts with a little bit of lemon that moves on to the bombardment of fruits - cherries and apples are upfront and move on to a soft cranberry flavor, mixed in with the spicy NG yeast strain. Mouthfeel is full and creamy. Overall, this is another fantastic fruit beer from NG. Glad I got to drink up some Belgian Red this weekend, but this makes a fine substitute.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:58:33 | More by birchstick

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.76/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2012 vintage, bottled served in a flute

Clear pink rose with bubbly pink 1 finger head with moderate retention and nice fluffy lacing.

Aroma is straight from Eden, crisp apples, yeasty bread, tart cherries. Dont detect the cranberries on the nose. Tastes similar to the Belgian red but fantastic depth and complexity is added with the tart apples and cranberries with great oaky notes and touches of vanilla.

I'm so glad the harvest was short on cherries because this beer is the best fruit beer so far for me. I got 3 bottles and I forced myself to hide the other two as they are just too tempting right now. Easily one of my favorite beer experiences as well. New glarus has a great thing going.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 21:07:44 | More by williamjbauer

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to jegross2 for the bottle hook up.

Pours red/purple with a light pink frothy head. Little retention or lacing.

Lots of tart cranberry and cherry. Light malts. Mostly fruit aromas.

Tart berries and tons of fruitiness throughout although it never gets too sweet and syrupy like the other NG fruit beers. Not a lot of malt profile, but what's there is clean.

Smooth and somewhat creamy with spot on carbonation levels.

Very drinkable beer and the extra tartness helps keep the beer from getting too sweet which is my main complaint about the Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart. Miles better than either of those and I hope this becomes a staple.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 20:32:14 | More by jmarsh123

cnbrown313

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a wax sealed 750ml bottle into a champagne flute.

A - Pours a ruby red color with a small off white head that fades quickly.

S - The initial, tart smell really gets the saliva going. I could also pick up the smell of crisp apples and sour cherries.

T - Much like the nose, the initial sip is a bit tart, but balanced very nicely by the sweetness on the finish. Exactly as you would expect, the taste is of crisp apples, sour cranberries, and juicy cherries. Very tasty and refreshing!

M - The carbonation is fine and champagne-like, allowing the flavors to really burst in your mouth. Slightly dry and sweet all at the same time.

O - I enjoyed this just as much or more than the Belgian Red. This one is a little bit more sour and tart, but the flavors really blend together nicely. After drinking this, I only wish I had another bottle...

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 15:26:13 | More by cnbrown313

phishsihq

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a clean and clear ruby color, and it is capped by a thin, off-white head that leaves a decent amount of lace. A big fruit-cocktail of a nose features apple and cherry prominently, with hints of cranberry dancing between sweet and sour whiffs. Amazing nose! The palate receives much of the same treatment, with flavors of sweet and sour cherries, tart dark fruit, cranberries, apple, and a touch of oak creating a wonderfully refreshing and tart flavor experience. Silky in the mouth, Serendipity is medium-light in body and moderately carbonated. Happy accident indeed!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 01:44:30 | More by phishsihq

dirtylou

Washington

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle, split, served in NG flutes

Bummer about the cherry shortage putting Belgian Red on hold, but I've been anxious to try this replacement brew. New Glarus makes fantastic beers showcasing each of these three fruits (cherry, apple, cranberry) so it's no surprise this motley crue of a beer delivers an assault of flavor. Cranberry seems most prominent and provides a real nice tartness. Happy to have more of these bottles in the "cellar"

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 20:58:09 | More by dirtylou

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 25 ounce bottle into a wine glass.

Light orange red, active bubbles. No foam. Fruity smell, mixture of apples, cherries, cranberries. Malty backbone. Tart flavor throughout, fades out. Tart close. Light and flavorful. Super fruity. Really good.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 01:21:36 | More by KTCamm

yamar68

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

But looking forward to this one for some time now. Love the concept.

Beautiful looking beer - cranberry reds and darker pinks, stuffed with slow and steady beading and capped with a frothy pinkish white head that laces consistently from start to finish.

The lush tart red fruit notes are showcased in the nose, not as aggressively sweet as the others. Just piles and piles of fresh fruit juice aromas, berries and sweet apple, pear.

Fresh, crisp cranberry plays the lead role, blueberry and apple type flavors beneath that. It's fruit and it's beer. It's delectable.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:30:20 | More by yamar68

kojevergas

California

4.13/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1 pint 9 fl oz brown glass bottle with waxed-over pressure cap served into a Guinness goblet in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are through the roof.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a half finger head of light pink-khaki colour head, decent cream, fair thickness, and bad retention. Body colour is a vibrant ruby.

Sm: Obscenely tart, cranberry, raspberry, cherry, cough syrup taint, and clean malts. A pretty strong aroma.

T: Tart fruit, cherry, raspberry, candy, clean malts, ovarian cough syrup notes, and fruity as hell esters. A bit juicy. Impeccable balance. Incredibly well built.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Complements the flavour profile brilliantly. Perfect carbonation and thickess.

Dr: One of the best beers I've had period. An incredible brew from New Glarus. I'd buy this by the case. Obscenely drinkable.

A-

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 04:19:31 | More by kojevergas

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 ml. bottle into a Russian River "tion" stem.

A: Pours a beautiful crimson hue with a finger's worth of off-white head that quickly settles to a thin ring around the edges. Carbonation is perfect for this style.

S: Red fruits and spiced apple up front, with a soft caramel tinge lingering in the background.

T: Tart cranberry is prominent at first, while the cherries take a close back seat. Apple shows up on the mid-palate. A beautiful blend of all three fruits settles in near the back, with a tart, long-lasting finish.

Notes: This light to moderate-bodied brew has a tart, but not overly dry mouthfeel. Serendipity is a fruit beer with very few flaws, as with most of the offerings from New Glarus. This brew is stunning, and I will certainly be seeking out more bottles. Cheers to the brewery for this fine effort!

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:38:54 | More by WYVYRN527

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

New Glarus Serendipity

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.

Pours a very nice dark copper color with some nice Amber notes and some slight ruby red notes. There is a nice slightly off-white head that forms with nice dense and tight bubbles. It recedes fairly quickly. (4.5)

Aroma starts off sweet and tart. There is some nice candy sugar sweetness in the nose with notes of cherry and some other berry sweetness. Very mild tartness in the nose can be perceived. There are some nice notes of sweet apple and pear juice mixed in with the berry and cherry tartness. Awesome. (4.0)

The taste blew me away. It is so fresh and fruity. Starts off with some nice sharp tartness. Cherry is perceived then some nice fruit sweetness. Candy sugar notes. I love the fresh fruit sweetness. Apple notes and pear with some nice berry notes as well. There is a nice tart cherry finish and some nice cranberry notes. There is a nice yeast note in the finish that is chalky and slightly phenolic. There are some nice woody notes that are present as the beer warms, almost spicy and cinnamon like. Mouthfeel is crisp and delicious with a smooth finish. (5.0)(4.0)

This is a very good fruit beer. Very nice fruit sweetness and good tartness. The fruit flavors all blend together quite well. (4.0)

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 02:07:16 | More by JoEBoBpr

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a beautiful deep amber in color, clean pour, finger of detergent like head. smells of delicious sweet fruits and candy. cherry, apple, grape, cranberry. sweet and tart fruits hit your palate right away! as wonderful as the belgian red and raspberry tart.. almost like a combination of both. cherries, apples, cranberries are all present. as sweet as a lollipop. light to medium body, nicely carbonated, very sweet and tart.

an excellent one from new glarus. kinda glad there was a cherry shortage in order to have this! honestly not THAT different from belgian red, but it is slightly less artificial "candy" tasting and more on the delicious sweet fruit sugars.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 21:28:17 | More by facundoCNB

Florida9

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Clear chestnut brown with a very red hue to it. Forms a moderate sized, bubbly, tannish colored head. Decent retention, as it eventually falls to a fairly thick surface coating. Leaves a good bit of lace on the way down.

S: Aroma is full of fresh, juicy fruits, redolent of Belgian Red. Strong cherry, summer berries, and some apple. The smell is sweet, almost candy-like, but not cloyingly so.

T: Flavor brings more of the same, but with more balance. Sweet apple, cherries and raspberry flavors mix with the slightly tart astringency of the cranberries. Finish is surprisingly quick considering the depth of the flavors present here, but the finish is also very clean.

M: Medium in body with a moderate slickness to it. Undeniably sweet, but the tartness creates a balance that ensures this beer is not cloying. Medium carbonation.

O: What can I say? Yet another excellent fruit beer from Dan and Deb.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 01:10:05 | More by Florida9