Appalachian Framboise

Brewed by Appalachian Brewing Company (PA)
Style: Fruit Beer
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA

On tap, 5oz serving, Camp Hill location. Pours a murky reddish brown under a lovely looking pink tinged foamy head. The nose is slightly funky with deep, rich, fresh, slightly tart raspberries. I get a specific note of cherry as well. Almost like a raspberry nougat candy. The flavor is great, slightly tangy raspberry fruit roll-up in a glass. The raspberry seems very natural and fresh, way different than their Kriek. Some lighter caramel and chocolate notes come out late. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a little heavy for a Lambic, with a slightly sweet and tangy stickiness on the finish. Nice soft pleasant carbonation. The more I have, the drier it seems to get on the finish. Way better than their attempt at a Kriek.

Glass at the Harrisburg brewery. A new beer discovered – this is what makes beer travel fun. It’s about 80% opaque, with a purplish dark red colored body and a small white film of a head. First impression of the nose is sour, smoky cherry skins, then some stewed or lightly burnt raspberries, with some lactic yeast esters as well. Flavors of cherry skin, lightly smoked raspberries, and dark, ripe plums. Not really sweet at all, but not true lambic sourness – more of a tartness, prickly on the tongue, with a bit of a hefty sour bite on the back. This seems to sit right about where I like the more fruit-forward sour ales, not overly sweet, with a good, pure representation of the true fruit, the only sweetness from the true fruit sugars, and with a natural tartness as well. If I had to compare it to New Glarus Raspberry Tart, I’d say this is less sweet, less sugary, but thinner and more pasty on the tongue. Compared to Selin’s Grove Phoenix Kriek, it has less pure fruit character and slightly more tartness, it’s less rich and full, has more of a lactic presence, and is more pasty and chalky as well. After a full glass, and more at home from a growler, the dryness in the finish was more apparent, and I found myself really enjoying this light but still prickly and tart framboise.

Handbottle thanks to mj. Aroma is stunning and unique, with heavily vinous syrup quality. Detectable notes of wild fruit skin, earth and warm brandies. Definite tannic sourness perks up the nostrils. Pours a very cloudy crimson and cloak pour, soapy white edges. Beautiful. Flavor is tremendous, an average sourness. Not weak, not biting. But a gentle sweet tongue curbing sourness that helps introduce the pleasant, delicious candied cherry, light chocolate, long-lasting schnapps and bits of pit. Enjoyable all the way through, including variable nuances of cherry and raspberry character. Not particularly heavy on the framboise, but awesome red fruit flavor, plums and currants. The smack carries a secretly wild and earth feel, with great seed pithiness and dryness. Alcohol not detectable. Not even too sweet. Finally bites out with a minty hop leaf. Awesome. Not funky wild, just perfectly sour wild. Aroma could use a little straightening out.

12 oz hand bottle thanks to Miver shared with the EC San Diego team at Padrefan’s house. Red pour with smallish pink head. Very vinous aroma. It was very wine-like all the way through, on the aroma and the flavor. Not super sour. Some funky raspberry flavors. Sweet start with a dry finish. Not bad.

From my backlog. Poor aroma, but I can smell real fruit in here and not artificial extract. Nice deep red colour. Lot’s of raspberry’s in the flavour with a decent tart character. Decent palate and mouthfeel. A little funk in here, but would’ve liked to have seen more. Very refreshing and would make a nice summer beer.

12 oz hand bottle thanks to fordest for sharing. Flavors of funk and some sour sweet berries.

Poured from a hand-bottle at Jon (Padrefan’s) house. This one poured a murky reddish purple with a small white head that immediately vanished. The nose was winey with sour red grapes and some funk. The flavor was super tart with red fruits--mostly raspberries, but also some cherries and grapes. The mouthfeel was a bit thin. The finish was medium in duration and super sour. Overall: A well done fruit beer, this could easily have passed for a lambic.

Hand bottle. Poured a hazy ruby with a brown tint and thin off-white head The aroma was sweet with moderate amounts of raspberry. Some light cherry, chocolate and leather notes underneath. The flavor is more on the tart side. Some raspberry to start then a bitterness and then to finish it off tart raspberry juice. Light bodied and mostly clean on the finish.