Berkshire Raspberry Strong Ale

Brewed by Berkshire Brewing Co.
Style: Fruit Beer
South Deerfield, Massachusetts USA

Bottle. Pours an ruby/amber color with a small white head. Nose of tart raspberries, sugary sweetness dominating the nose. Initial taste is sweet, raspberry juice, earthy malts. Mid palate displays spiciness of the alcohol. Finishing with a mild hop balance and sweetness. Light to medium body. Good head retetion and average palate duration. definitely enjoyable.

Bottle. Pours a dark ruby color with a thin head. Aroma is sweet malts, floral hops and raspberries. You can catch a drift of the 9abv. This was real easy to drink not enough complexity here.

(22oz bottle, labeled as Raspberry Barleywine) Cloudy dark red-brown body with soft beige head. Aroma is medium sweet, raspberry syrup, lacking the tartness I associate with fresh raspberries. Taste is moderately sweet, raspberry, some earthiness, light alcohol astringency. Improves somewhat as it warms. Medium body with light stickiness.

22oz bonus, no date from John jjpm74. Clear brownish orange with a one finger beige head, fading to a ring after a minute or so. Dominant aroma of raspberry syrup--tart, but plenty sweet--with just a hint of oyster crackers. Flavor adds a bit more of a beer flavor with some caramel and light chocolate goodness, Some tartness, but not too much. Also some raspberry seeds. Apparently there are some hops because the dry finish actually has the bitterness peaking around a 3 to 4--some alcohol warmth is present. Low carbonation with a medium full body. The aroma actually only got a 7 1/2 and the flavor 8 1/2. This was actually pretty good, and the closest thing I can compare it to is Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock, but it still doesn’t come close to that.

Lovely red color and fast-fading head. Pleasant aroma of flowers, berries, and light hops. The taste is a real charmer - the raspberry comes thru boldly but is not overwhelming. It is malty sweet, and could have a little wheat in it. It is a little like a wine cooler, but without the vinous sourness. It escapes the problems of other fruit brews, like not enough flavor or too much sourness. It might be the first raspberry ale I have tried. This is a very fine fruit beer, an original effort, and moderately priced, too - thanks, BBC!

Also labeled as raspberry barley wine (six of one, half a dozen of the other). Rich, strong raspberry aroma. Flavor is a rather cloying malty sweetness with s nice raspberry finish.

Ruby tinted amber beer with a creamy tan head. Aroma is quite fruity with loads of bright raspberry aroma. Some very light raspberry tartness and lots of juicy fruity character. Warming brings up some lean sweet malts. There’s not a lot of character malts or crystal in here, just lots of sweet pale malt and fresh raspberry character. As it warms up it really starts to come together, with a light bit of chocolate, sweet malts and tart raspberries. Lightly tart and quite a nice brew. It has some of the qualities of KRE, but dialled down a lot. Regardless it works very well.

This beer is labeled as a barley wine! The label looks just like the one shown here but it says barleywine instead of strong ale. It has got to be one of the strongest fruit beers I’ve ever tasted. Acquired in a trade with RCL. Very tart raspberry aroma. Attractive reddish orange appearance. It is mouthwatering before you taste it. Medium bubbly alky brew slaughters the palate. Decent carbonation for a BW. Strongish kick ass flavors. Difficult at times. Dull raspberry indication. Quite unique. Thanks for the chance to taste this unique brew. Ray, I owe you one.