Wittekerke Framboise - Brouwerij Bavik

UCLABrewN84

California

2.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a murky light pinkish-red with a foamy reddish-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of raspberry jam and raspberry juice. Taste is much the same with an artificial sweetener flavor on the finish. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. There is also a dryness that occurs in the mouth after each sip for some odd reason. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer that smells promising but the flavor is way too sweet and artificial to be very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 05:58:59 | More by UCLABrewN84

mtboozeaddict41

Montana

3.84/5  rDev +33.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Raspberry, raspberry, raspberry. yumyumyum, but i can only stand one beer and then i've met my framboise quota for a week. Novelty beer great for serving your prude relatives that don't prefer beer but they'll be happy to drink a liter and a half of white zin(yuuuuck).

the carbonation is spot on also, it might be a little to sweet for some people. medium bodied...prickly finish...not bad

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 05:06:31 | More by mtboozeaddict41

jsisko01

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a pale red and peach color with an inch thick, soapy white head that dissipates quickly. Leaves a LOT of lacing in the glass.

Smell - The aroma consists of overbearing raspberries. Nothing else is detectable.

Taste - Raspberry is the only flavor. It's not gross, just very sweet. It does have a nice sugary flavor in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall - I'll admit.. the raspberry flavor is delicious. But it is too sweet for me to actually drink on. After a few sips I am already getting heartburn. This could easily be compared to a wine cooler, it tastes nothing like a beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 01:12:55 | More by jsisko01

KajII

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Weizen Glass]

The pour was a hazy medium peachy red with a huge (3-4 finger) light pink pillowy head that receded slowly down to a medium film and collar with some excellent sticky lacing.

The aroma was intense with the smell of raspberry and had a hint of grain malts, a sweaty yeast and a touch of wheat.

The taste had a sweet tart flavor to it and a big dose of raspberry throughout with a very sweet candi sugar finish. The flavor lasted an average duration with the intense sweetness fading away at a good steady pace.

Mouthfeel was light in body and watery in texture with a fizzy carbonation.

Overall an excellent flavored Witbier that is more like drinking a wine cooler that a beer. But then again a wine cooler is a malt beverage...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 20:13:34 | More by KajII

matjack85

Illinois

2.6/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I tried this with my dessert at Cooper's Bar & Restaurant on Belmont in Chicago. $6.75 for an 11.2oz brown bottle.

The beer poured a cloudy pink lemonade color with a 1 finger white head that hung around awhile, but lacing was very minimal.

The smell is all raspberry - and tons of it!

As nice as the smell was, the taste was a big disappointment. There's not a trace of puckering lambic tartness to it. It's just a big sugary mess with a touch of wheat flavor in the background.

Light body and way way way over carbonated.

This is one of the worst lambics I have ever tasted.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 10:40:48 | More by matjack85

zeff80

Missouri

3.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Poured out a clear, pinkish hue with a fizzy, small, white head of foam. It left little to no lacing.

S - It smelled of raspberry and little else.

T - Slightly tart with a strong raspberry flavor. There was a touch of yeastiness and graininess.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a slightly puckering bite.

O - This is okay. There are definitely better lambics to choose from on the market. But this could be a starter lambic for newbies.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 23:20:32 | More by zeff80

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.15/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a peachish red-orange with a three finger pure white head that subsided to one finger very slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, raspberry, strawberry, and sugar. The flavor was of sweet malt, strawberry, raspberry, and sugar. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was an okay brew. Nothing on this brew really stood out for me. I am usually a big fan of framboises but this one didn't come off very well compared to others that I have had in the past as it had a fairly sweet character going on. Glad I got to tick it, but let's just say, I didn't go for a second glass.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 17:24:03 | More by thagr81us

Immortale25

Florida

2.9/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a strawberry red color with a 1/2 inch pinkish white head that retains a bit and then unfolds into a 1/8 inch ring around the glass's edge with a light coat of surface foam. Some signs of wet lacing.

S- Smells like raspberry hard candy with a touch of astringency in the background. Also wet strawberry and maraschino cherry.

T- Sugary, artificial raspberry with that strange astringency still there. Almost cloyingly sweet if it weren't for said astringency. Where other lambics stay strong with the fruitiness, this one just splashes syrup on the palate before disintegrating into a club soda-like aftertaste.

M- Dry and sticky with medium-high carbonation that just adds to the seltzer water feel.

O- Truly an average framboise with a rubbery abrasiveness. I'll drink the whole thing but I'll be wishing I was drinking a St. Louis framboise the entire time.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 00:26:56 | More by Immortale25

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Wittekerke Framboise

Pours a pale pinkish color with a small head. Aromas of sugary malts, candi sugar, and raspberry extract. In the taste, very sweet, raspberry flavoring, light wheat malts. No tartness, sour flavors or any funk. Sweet fruit soda. Mouthfeel is light bodied with spritzy carbonation. Overall, a mild fruit beer but not really a lambic at all. Sad, because Bavik is capable of bringing the funk, not sure why they didn't.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 01:54:46 | More by Stinkypuss

riored4v

Colorado

2.83/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured in to a champagne glass. 1/2 finger, white head. Clear, rose colored body. Was expecting it to be much darker.

Aroma was a sugary sweet rasberry jam with the tartness of the berry to back it up. Slightly malty. Hints of acidity.

Taste was awkward. I bit minerally with an over sugary sweetness. Almost tasted like Sweet-N-Low. Notes of rasberry cough syrup. Really tasted more like a wine cooler than a Lambic.

Mouthfeel was medium body with a high carbonation level. Some sticky sweetness left on the tongue.

Overall... not what i was hoping for. To sweet and un-natural. One bottle was more than enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 02:41:27 | More by riored4v

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

11.2 oz bottle split and poured into a New Belgium globe.
4.3% ABV, 4°C - 6°C, 40199 on label.

A - Faintly cloudy pink in color with a dense white head. Frilly lace drapes across the glass delicately.

S - Fresh bushels of raspberries just rinsed gives the aroma an inviting nose. Soft wheat and lemonade pull through and "fake-up" the aroma. It almost begins smelling like a Berry Weiss-Sunset Wheat combo. Initially good though...

T - Fruity raspberry is far too syrupy with a lingering corn syrup finish. Light wheat in the background balanced just a bit but it's overly fake in it's flavor profile. It almost seems as if lemonade is blended in.

M - Sugary sweet and slight with a highly carbonated finish and light body.

O - Overly sweet and fake, it's got a good aroma initially but definitely lacking elsewhere. Too syrupy but not awful.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 17:02:25 | More by BeerFMAndy

Brenden

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The color is a thick pink-red...mauve, perhaps? A tight little white head forms with a touch of a pinkish tint. It sticks around the whole way and drops a mix of leggy, patchy and spotty lacing to the bottom of the glass.
The aroma is sweet raspberries, a bit sugary but not particularly lacking in tartness. A bit of grains is in there as well and an earthy yeast quality is evident as well. A light malt is certainly present though not the most solid backbone, and hops are unnoticeable (though the style, of course,is by no means heavy on hops).
The taste follows suit, and this is really a very enjoyable drink. I see beer lovers not being a fan and sour lambic lovers also backing away, but this is certainly a beer despite the sugary aspect, as the malts are evident and form a decent enough foundation.
The body is light but with some depth to it. Carbonation is moderate, forming a good creaminess that rolls. It's actually very good is not for going a little sticky in the sweetness.
This beer certainly doesn't seem intensely mature, and it does lack complexity and depth of the beautiful lambics. It seems more nontraditional and remains tasty regardless.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 03:59:47 | More by Brenden

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +33.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Out of a bottle this beer was a hazy pink color with one finger of apricot-tinted head. The retention was good and it left streaks of lacing. The aroma was full of raspberries, sweet malts and adjuncts. It smelled like an alcoholic raspberry soda and tasted the same way. Still, if you wanted a girly beer, as I did for my very girly girlfriend, it’s perfect. No, it wasn’t a ‘serious’ beer, but it was sweet, easy to drink and very approachable for those who don’t like beer. The mouthfeel was frothy, the body light and the carbonation average.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 13:32:57 | More by thekevlarkid

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from the 330ml brown bottle into a goblet chilled and a tulip.

The color is a deep pink hue with soft pink cap of about 1/2 inch . The head settles to a ring of tiny beads and the lace stickage is decent. The smell is very sweet yet fresh with a somewhat floral and slightfruity blend. it is so sweet smelling I would believe you if you told me it was raspberry coke or some kind of raspberry candy. The feel is sweet yet is balanced by a nice amount of carbonation and some spice in the feel. the finish is more on the sweet side, though.

This has a very intense raspberry flavor with a nice base of wheat in there too. I like the zing of the yeast and mild toasted edge which keeps this from being cloying. I like the fruit in this too even though it lingers long after the swallow and there is a gentle tart element. I get a llittle alcohol flavor which makes me wonder if this is fortified, but not that much. It is a nice after dinner beverage and I recommend this only to those who don't mind a fruit beer that is a little on the sweet side.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 23:45:45 | More by Slatetank

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.48/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle into tulip.

Peach colored body with 3 fingers of rose-tinted white head. The body is hazy and light, and the head is shimmering and rocky. If this were slightly darker in color, it would be amazing. The head retains very well, almost like a raspberry soda.

Smells like sweet red raspberries. Sugar- rolled raspberries. A touch of an earthy quality.

The taste is just like the nose; sugary raspberries with an earthy tartness on the finish. This isn't bad, but for the Cantillon lover, this doesn't quite cut it. My wife likes it, so that shows that this beer has some appeal to a more mass market.

The body is light and airy, like a raspberry spritzer. Lots of bubbles here, almost too much.

Overall, a little sourness would go a long way here. The flavor is pleasant, but not intense or complex. This is another example O's a beer that would do well to change the name: call this a Raspberry Fruit Beer and people would snatch it up- especially at the $1.19 pricetag!

-- adding this info:
Drink this beer colder than normal. If it warms up too much, a soapy astringent character makes an unwelcome appearance.
Original grade was a C+, but now it drops down a bit.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 20:22:49 | More by AleWatcher

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

2.7/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to BeerFMAndy for bringing this one over. Bottle split into tulips.

A: Amber orange. About a finger of white head. Soapy lace left behind.

S: Full on raspberry. Reminds me of clearly Canadian raspberry flavored water.

T: The flavor is about as dynamic as I anticipated. Mild raspberry syrup dissolved in carbonated water. Acrid bitter finish.

M: Light spritzer like body with loads of carbonation.

O: Not very good. I will pass on this next time.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 00:59:30 | More by beerwolf77

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a dirty yellow and pink with a decent foamy head. Some lace. Not overly red or cranberry-like.

Good aroma of fresh raspberry. Some wheat husk and yeast.

The beer is over-sugared. Period. The first thing you get is this candied element, like a Faro with raspberries. You want this to sour out a bit, but it doesn't. Some wheat beer found in this, but this one is a sweet one trick pony across the board. Light bitter in the end, like crunching a berry seed.

Lighter bodied. Enough fizz too.

A fair disappointment, but not a horrific disaster. Could have been worse, but pretty close to leaning toward a badly made brew. Borderline drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 19:23:00 | More by OtherShoe2

twiggamortis420

Texas

2.73/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

11.2 oz bottle pours a hazed pinkish-orange color with a light pink head. Large foam lasts a good while and leaves some decent lace.

Nose is chock full of raspberries; bright and delicious. Some wheat tang and general mild malt is light, but detectable and nothing else really comes out.

I was not expecting this at all, especially after having the regular Wittekerke witbier in a can a few times. Overly sweet, not much like a witbier or a lambic. Raspberry flavor is nice, but the artificial sweetness of it is just kind of a bummer. No tartness, no sourness, reminds me of raspberry tea with a ton of Equal put in. Could have been good, but ends up being lackluster at best. I think this would fit better under the Vegetable-Fruit Beer category than the Lambic-Fruit, but what do I know? Im just a simple caveman...

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 03:06:12 | More by twiggamortis420

Mora2000

Texas

2/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

The beer pours a pinkish red color with a small white head. The aroma is full of raspberries with nothing much else going on. The aroma has that artificial smell that you get in bad Belgian fruit beers. The flavor is exactly like I expected it to be - a ton of sweet, sugary raspberries and nothing else. Medium mouthfeel and low carbonation. The beer tastes fake and is not very good. Avoid this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 01:40:57 | More by Mora2000

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Honestly, I mostly grabbed this bottle to see what the girlfriend thought of it, but I admit there was still some curiosity on my own part as well. It pours a hazy pinkish-straw topped by a finger of rose-cream foam. The nose comprises slightly medicinal raspberries, dark wheat, musty orange peel, and a touch of blueberry in the background. The taste doesn't bring anything new to the table, but it does water down the raspberries, which are already tasting faker, more medicinal. There isn't too much sweetness, but it's definitely sweet enough to make you notice. It just doesn't work very well at all. The body is a sorta hefty light, with a moderate carbonation and a dry-ish, almost sticky finish. Overall, this was a mediocre lambic (if it can even be called one officially), one that wasn't enjoyed by either of us.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 17:33:14 | More by TMoney2591

cosmicevan

New York

4.05/5  rDev +40.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Yagman3000 who put this brew in my hands as I left a tasting with him the other night. Not a seasoned taster in the lambic category so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Poured into a Liefmans stange that I received as an extra from JAHMUR at the rosso batch 3 release.

a - poured a murky pinkish orangish with a thin finger of bubbly head that hung for a bit. very murky center that got lighter as you looked to the base of the glass where it met the stem. decent looking brew from my experiences with the style.

s - very strong and tart raspberry. really nice and enjoyable. great balance and smells like a berry fruit drink if ya dig that...and I do!

t - raspberry explosion. almost like a raspberry soda. i'm not the biggest fan of raspberry so it was a bit intense for me, but i did enjoy this and would recommend to anyone who'd like to experiment with the lambic style or introduce someone into the realm of what a beer can be.

m - really intense carbonation. i'm not gonna lie...drinking this beer was a flashback to underage guzzling of wine coolers. not that that is a bad thing, but for a beer, i expect a beer vibe and not zomething different (z intentional, cmon you remember zima?).

o - overall this is a good beer. not something that i will be pounding down the doors to get more of, but if i was into lambics, this one is very accessible. if you want to drink a beer that crosses the line of wine cooler and teases the boundaries of what a beer can be...this is a great entry. got someone who can't drink a beer, give them this to try...

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 03:42:12 | More by cosmicevan

Yagman3000

New York

4.22/5  rDev +46.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Appears a rose color with a hint of a golden glow. Not translucent at all. A thin quarter inch of foam remains resting on top.

Smells of natural raspberries... Similar to Lindeman's framboise but a little less of candy. No hops picked up through the nose.

Tastes sweet at first, of natural berries, and kicks into a honey breadishness from there. Refreshing!

Mouthfeel is very pleasant but a bit short-lived. The flavor seems to finish off on the roof of the mouth.

Overall a nice refreshing beer that I imagine is best consumed during the warmer months. I'm a fan of Lindeman's... This has a bit more of a natural feel and a little more complexity than pure fruitiness.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 22:31:29 | More by Yagman3000