Madeline La Framboise
Brugge Brasserie

 

neat beer here, but a step away from fully amazing. i like the idea of a sour brown as a base for raspberries instead of the classic pale framboise, the chocolate malt notes really give a decadence to this, and the berries are more sweet than tart here, very desserty but beautifully and artfully designed and proportioned between the grain and the fruit, expert there really. what is less impressive is the profile of the fermenting agent(s). there is a slight acid profile here, short of sour, and very little of the wood and funk i look for in oud bruin or flanders red as a style, slight vinegar is right on, but the depth and complexity and volume of the sourness just isnt there for me at all, and it makes the beer fall flat in the second half of the experience, makes it seem too sweet and without the necessary balancing components. still, the fruit and milk chocolate notes linger long in the finish and really do blend harmoniously. this should pick one or the other though, either go full in on the wild, or abandon it all together and ferment it with a belgian ale yeast and just let the fruit and grain do their thing. idea is awesome execution is mostly there, i liked this a lot.

 

 

 

 

Does not look, smell, or taste like a Flanders. Darker in color, a magenta streaked brown / black. Smell is roasted malt, chocolate, raspberry. No signs of vinegar sharpness. Drinks smooth and easy. Lower abv than expected as well. If it was pegged as a chocolate raspberry sour I'd be more sold on it (not that it contains chocolate, but it tastes of chocolate covered berries).