Flamingo Fruit Fight - Raspberry
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

Trying another from this series, the raspberry ale, I hope this one tastes better. It pours a slightly hazy gold with a white head and a sour raspberry aroma. This one isn't quite the same, but I'm guessing the age isn't helping. The first flavor notes are light raspberry before the sour comes in to wreck up the place. As a parting gift, the raspberries linger and fade out. The mouthfeel is mostly clean. While this is a step in the right direction, it's still not good.

12 oz can served in a goblet.

Appearance. Clear, slightly reddish, golden body with a decent white head.

This has mild tartness with about equally strong bitterness. Moderately strong raspberry flavor with more subtle bread notes coming out in the finish.

12 oz. can, canned 05/23/22, let's get him out of there. Another new to me variant in Bell's line up of Flamingo beers, this one a "refreshing raspberry ale". This one with a 5.0% abv, boosted up just a tad from the usual 4.50%.

Poured to clear stemless tumbler glass.
Body is not pink or 'raspberry' colored, to my disappointment. I was expecting a beautiful fruit juice body, but what pours is a rather typical looking beer; golden with decent clarity, perhaps a touch of honey to the color. Small finger of soapy white head that reduces to a ring, leaving some ok spotty lacing. Appears fresh & well carbonated. Looks good, but I feel like I should mark it down based on it's color & appearance, especially after the cherry version of this beer poured so nice.
A muted aroma; seems faint & far away. Very light notes of wheat & grain, coupled with ever so slight hints of raspberry fruit and tea leafs. Some wet paper towel. Not bad or off-putting, but there isn't much here. Slightly minerally / metallic. An earthy, herbal hop presence does seem to emerge as the beer sits and warms a bit.
Taste follows the nose; there is some crisp, tart authentic raspberry straight off the bat, but it's a mild level of tart. Not "sour" by any means, more of a fruited wheat beer than anything. Reminds me of Sea Dog Raspberry Ale in a way. Clean grains, wheat, notes of honeyed malt, slightly metallic / well water finish. Tastes pretty good, I just wish the raspberry could be amped up further.
Smooth, crisp, clean, refreshing. Light-bodied & easy drinking beer, with a modest abv.

Bell's Flamingo Fruit Fight (Raspberry) -----3.5/5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bright clear, almost hot pink with a foamy pinkish head that settles down to a ring that still produces some decent lace, fine bubbles like pink champagne.
The aroma is tart red raspberry with a bit of sour wheat malt in the background, hints of citrus.
The taste matches with tart red raspberries front and center, the sour ale background comes after with some hints of apple, plum and lime. The finish is tart and lingers.
The body is light/medium and somewhat crisp.
Altogether this is an enjoyable,refreshing light brew. The raspberry dominates, but gently enhancing rather than overpowering, nicely balanced.

 

 

 

 

 

The sour ale market is brutal. Competition is fierce. The fight is real. Bell's brewery brings raspberries to this marketing war to give their flamingo a fighting chance. Laced with the red berry, their sour ale series is primed to win another battle.

Their Raspberry Flamingo Fruit Fight starts with a breaming and glowing pinkish mauve, light in color and streaming like champagne. A faint drift of wine, cider, red berry and musty sourdough passes the nose as its light and cottony froth builds upon the rim. A lightly sweet sip reveals a modest taste of taffy and wafer.

The malts and fruit flavors round the middle palate like wine spritzer and cider with those underlying green apple, lemon, lime and gooseberry character. But the raspberry stands bolder and keeps the focus on a red berry taste that boarders on cranberry, currant and plum. Trending playfully acidic, the beer is pleasant in taste while balancing with a clean sourness late on the palate.

Medium light in body, the slightly more robust nature of raspberry seems to keep the beer more rounded and less dry. Simplified in its taste and texture, the beer finishes brisk and clean as its somewhat a sour ale on training wheels. This flamingo is relying on agility more than power.

 

I already love Flamingo Fruit Fight and this is a great variant. Top class tart wheat ale with a zesty lime, a kiss of champagne type yeast and a nicely blended raspberry puree. Pouring a clear red, amber, smelling of tart raspberry. Absolute crusher, raspberry flavor can come off a bit fruit snack-y on first sip, but it really blends into the palate after that, just a bit of natural bitterness from the juice. Still obviously a tart wheal ale with those lightly tropical, zesty lime flavors blended in. As good as the original, if not a little bit better for the well worked raspberry twist.

August 2021 Flamingo Fruit Fight Release - 6 pack
12 oz. bottle dated 08/18/21 - 5.00% ABV / 20 IBU
Brewed and bottled in Comstock, MI
Poured into a Duvel branded tulip glass

Look - Pours over a finger of thick, white head that sticks around and leaves lots of lacing. Opaque pink appearance.
Smell - Mostly raspberry on the nose with some yeast.
Taste - Tart raspberry on first taste with some spicy yeast and hop aftertaste. Almost no bitterness.
Feel - Semi-thick mouthfeel. Crisp and refreshing and goes down easy.
Overall - More tart than sweet with good raspberry flavor. A good showcase of a single fruit.