Frambozen

New Belgium Brewing Co.
Ft. Collins, CO

Available: CO, WY, NM, AZ, KS, NB, TX, OR, WA, CA, AR, MO, MT, ID, NV

Frambozen is a brown ale fermented with Northwest red raspberries.

Alcohol (wt.): 5.6
Alcohol (vol.): 7.0
Color: 61
Bitterness: 16
Gravity: 1064

I am attracted to the name, Dutch for raspberries; the bulbous Belgian bottle; and the tasteful label, a hop/raspberries wreath. I also fancy the deep coffee color with reddish highlights and pale pink head. The nose is nifty: chock full of fruit. Anticipating success, I served it to friends with organic apples and raw milk cheese: no comment! With a dinner of pasta fagioli, it was also a disaster. The raspberry and malt flavors combat one another and fight the food!
- Charles Finkel

Whew, that is a mouthful of a name! Delicate aroma seems to disguise raspberry. But one sip and my taste buds are dancing. Full raspberry flavor, medium-bodied and very drinkable. Refreshingly fruity. Clean aftertaste beckons for seconds and more. Actually, quite remarkable in its balance of raspberry/malt/hop flavor. It masquerades as drinkability. A dinner, afternoon, party, “cocktail,” festival, celebration, toasting beer for any and all occasions.
- Charlie Papazian

This copper/red beer throws only a light head of foam. The aroma, rather confusingly, has a rich chocolate note from the dark malts used but no hint of fruit. But raspberries come bouncing through on the tongue, underscored by a tart and tangy touch of sourness. The finish is quenching and lingering, with a delightful tart fruit note, a hint—no more—of hops and more rich chocolate from the grain. A wonderful refresher.
- Roger Protz

Charles Finkel
Founder of Merchant du Vin and the Pike Brewing Co., Charles Finkel is a pioneer in the marketing of craft beers in America.

Charlie Papazian
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.

Roger Protz
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

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