General Lafayette Lafayettes Bière de Framboises

(11/12/08) Draught sample at the brewpub in Lafayette Hill. 7.0%. Slightly hazy red color. Funky aroma of raspberries, some lactic acid, light lemony hints and vinegar and manure notes. Sweetish-sourish flavor with tasty raspberries, some yogurt and citric notes. Medium-bodied. Pleasant.

Ruby red with no head. Sour raspberry aroma with cherries, berries, ginger, acid, and some barny funk. Crazy lactic and acidic taste with lots of funk. Great dry finish with caramel and cherries. Fantastic.

In short: A crisp fizzy raspberry beer. Very refreshing
How: Tap at brewpub
The look: Clear dark pink body topped by a short-lived pinky head
In long: Body is crisp, hay and fresh raspberries, carbonation is champagne-like fizzy, medium tartness, overall rather dry. Highly refreshing. No alcohol apparent and with its light crisp fizzy body it really felt like a 5% beer. This is not a full chewy raspberry beer like a New Glarus Raspberry Tart, in fact it reminded me of the Dieu Du Ciel raspberry beer (Solstice d’Été aux Framboises) which is officially a Berliner Weisse. I don’t understand the mostly low ratings on this beer, I thought it was very solid. Menu said they used 440 pounds of raspberries in this 2008 batch, impressive, that’s twice the weight of the average Houston 8th grader.

Draft @ General Lafayette. Pours a bright ruby, pitty raspberry color; predominantly headless, with a patchy perimeter of bubbles. Very funky, odorous / lactic aroma: not really traditional barnyard / horseblanket funk; more b.o. / lactic yogurt than anything, melded with red raspberries and fruit. Medium mouthfeel: chewy, legitimate red raspberry presence, like fresh-picked wild red raspberries; very nice, complete fruit character in the mouth; pitty, fresh, refreshing, effervescent fruit beer; surprisingly good follow-up to the aroma. Medium finish: red raspberries, toasty grains, and a touch of sugared cereal.

20061007 Tap at Kennett. Cranberry color with small white head. Aroma is berries, juicy, vanilla notes. Thin bodied and bitter with daunting astringency. Finishes a bit smacking tart and unremarkable. Not much fruit beyond the aroma.

Thin wisp of head with light carbonation. Awesome bright red in color. Fruity raspberry and cranberry aroma with a bit of spices (ginger). Light thin body. Dry and tart flavor with more raspberry and cranberry. Puckering palate. Dry and tart finish. Not my style.

Pours a bright glowing red with a thin, wispy-lacing white head. Sweet and tart fruity raspberries dominate the nose. Starts a little thin with big fruity character throughout with a good balance of sweet and tart flavors. Finishes crisp with some drier tartness. Quite drinkable and refreshing.

Red semi clear color. Bitter sour raspberry taste and aroma. Just did not lioke this beer at all.