General Lafayette Lafayettes Bière de Framboises

Brewed by General Lafayette Inn and Brewery
Style: Sour Ale
Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania USA

Name: Lafayette’s Biere de Framboisen
Date: 07/25/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

clear dark red, scant pink head, sweet and tart raspberry aroma, lots of tart raspberry flavor, light sweetness that quickly turns tart and then finishes dry,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Tap @ General Lafayette. Poured a clear red-pink color with an off-white head. The aroma was of sweet raspberries. The flavor had the raspberries hit first with a mild tartness then some sweetness. "wet" finish. Not bad.

Rose color with a small head. Aroma of raspberries and some sour scents. Flavor is raw raspberry with some sour notes. Its a bit too thin to be a really good fruit beer and I have to say I’m not the "biggest fan" of raspberries - a kreik made the same way would get a much higher rating from me. Still a nice, light dessert brew.

Draft at the brewpub, July 2006. A slightly hazy deep red beer with a fast disappearing off-white head. The aroma has light notes of raspberries. The flavor is sour, but also with a light sweetness on which are notes of raspberries, and a subdued note of wood, leading to a dry acidic end. The acidity leaves notes of lemon on the lips. Nice acidity and a strong body.

Draught wine glass at the brewpub on 10/06/06
Medium pink/cranberry-raspberry colored body is slightly hazy, with plenty of medium-sized bubbles fizzling about in the liquid. White/off-white head is initially small but shows moderate retention, though after a few sips, fades to a ring, providing light, patchy lacing.
Without meaning to sound like a broken record, this beer seemed like another interesting, well-made recipe, save for the extreme attenuation. Don’t know if the brewer is aiming for this dryness, or if it’s the particular yeast strain or what, but the three beers I had all had very nearly no body to them. Thus, what is left behind here is some very dry, lactic and berry tartness. Vanilla, some light paperiness and bits of raspberry pit-like phenolics. Some pleasing yogurt-like notes sit on the end, but the texture is just so thin, fizzy and papery at times, reminiscent of seltzer water.
The nose, being less influenced by the attenuation (though some stronger malt could give it more vibrancy and depth), shows light raspberries and pieces of vanilla iced cream matched to tapioca, raspberry pits and light doughiness. Medium-low to low aroma strength, with no alcohol apparent. Just too much vapid texture and wetness, in the end.

Dark pink, light pinkish creamy head. Dried raspberry nose with just a touch of wood and citric sour funk. Flavor was very dry and tart throughout with raspberry and hints of lemon zest. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, dry, softy sour, fruity finish. Good stuff...

On tap at Kennett. Deep pinkish red in color with a little pink head. Tart rasberry aroma. Tart rasberry woody flavor. Sweet tasting. Medium bodied. Tart. Crisp. Sour dry finish. Very nice beer. Drinkable.

KSBF 2006. Pours a cloudy purple/pink with a small white/pink head. Aroma of tart rasp, wheat, light funk/barnyard. Flavor along the same lines with up front raspberry, tart and slightly sour.