Beer of the Weekend #454: Lindemans Framboise
Last June, I got some flack when I made PBR the LV beer of the month. A friend of a friend was very disappointed. Even before the issue was published, the LV publisher asked me “How seriously do we want to take ourselves?” I stood firm. I love summertime, lawnmower lager and PBR is always in my fridge. But this June I feel the need to redeem myself, so I picked up a couple candidates at John’s and spoke with Joe Hotek to get his recommendations. I am not sure what I am going to recommend but I hope the next couple tastings will provide a winner.
Today’s brown bottle lunch is Lindemans Framboise, brewed by the Brouwerij Lindemans of Vlezenbeek, Belgium.
Yes, I know: that is an awful picture.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. A batch code is printed on the label but there is no freshness date. The bottle featured both a cap and cork. Also, this has to be the heaviest 12-ounce bottle I have ever held.
Appearance: Served in a New Glarus flute. About a finger of pink foam developed, but it did not stick around very long, leaving a ring around the edge and a skim in the center of the glass. The color is dark, raspberry red.
Smell: The intense fruitiness was impossible to miss after I pulled out the cork. I know it is supposed to be raspberry lambic, but it smells a lot like cranberry juice. However, the raspberries are very noticeable when I put my nose to the rim. The smell is of firm, freshly-picked raspberries.
Taste: Super, lip-puckering tart! And the tartness lingers in the aftertaste. Wow! However, after the initial shock it becomes much more palatable. At first I thought there may be more than raspberries — perhaps cranberries, apples, and grapes — but as the beer warms the rich, darker raspberry flavor takes over. There could be grapes and apples involved. Regarding the texture, mouthfeel, and overall experience, it is very reminiscent of sparkling cider.
Drinkability: Berrylicious! Very tart and fruity, but I like it.
Fun facts about Lindemans Framboise:
-Style: BA classifies it as “Lambic – Fruit,” but the brewery calls it “Raspberry Lambic.” I have never had lambic, so here is the BA definition of the style:
-Price: $6.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: The label says to, “Serve at 38-41 F.” The beer’s website says to, “Serve in flute-shaped Lambic glasses at 45 degrees.” It also says to, “Serve cold at 2-3 degrees Celsius” — which is 35.6ºF and 37.4ºF. I’m confused.
-Alcohol content: 2.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage offers these suggestions: “Chocolate desserts (especially chocolate decadence), fresh raspberries, ice cream with a raspberry demi-glaze sauce, créme caramel, baked Alaska, Olympia oysters, caviar.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Today’s brown bottle lunch is Lindemans Framboise, brewed by the Brouwerij Lindemans of Vlezenbeek, Belgium.
Yes, I know: that is an awful picture.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. A batch code is printed on the label but there is no freshness date. The bottle featured both a cap and cork. Also, this has to be the heaviest 12-ounce bottle I have ever held.
Appearance: Served in a New Glarus flute. About a finger of pink foam developed, but it did not stick around very long, leaving a ring around the edge and a skim in the center of the glass. The color is dark, raspberry red.
Smell: The intense fruitiness was impossible to miss after I pulled out the cork. I know it is supposed to be raspberry lambic, but it smells a lot like cranberry juice. However, the raspberries are very noticeable when I put my nose to the rim. The smell is of firm, freshly-picked raspberries.
Taste: Super, lip-puckering tart! And the tartness lingers in the aftertaste. Wow! However, after the initial shock it becomes much more palatable. At first I thought there may be more than raspberries — perhaps cranberries, apples, and grapes — but as the beer warms the rich, darker raspberry flavor takes over. There could be grapes and apples involved. Regarding the texture, mouthfeel, and overall experience, it is very reminiscent of sparkling cider.
Drinkability: Berrylicious! Very tart and fruity, but I like it.
Fun facts about Lindemans Framboise:
-Style: BA classifies it as “Lambic – Fruit,” but the brewery calls it “Raspberry Lambic.” I have never had lambic, so here is the BA definition of the style:
In the case of Fruit Lambics, whole fruits are traditionally added after spontaneous fermentation has started. Kriek (cherries), Frambroise (raspberries), Pêche (peach) and Cassis (black currant) are common fruits, all producing subtle to intense fruit characters respectively. Once the fruit is added, the beer is subjected to additional maturation before bottling. Malt and hop characters are generally low to allow the fruit to consume the palate. Alcohol content tends to be low.
Some breweries opt to use fruit / sugar syrups vs. whole fruits, producing very nontraditional sweet versions of the style.
-Price: $6.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: The label says to, “Serve at 38-41 F.” The beer’s website says to, “Serve in flute-shaped Lambic glasses at 45 degrees.” It also says to, “Serve cold at 2-3 degrees Celsius” — which is 35.6ºF and 37.4ºF. I’m confused.
-Alcohol content: 2.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage offers these suggestions: “Chocolate desserts (especially chocolate decadence), fresh raspberries, ice cream with a raspberry demi-glaze sauce, créme caramel, baked Alaska, Olympia oysters, caviar.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
