Wisconsin Belgian Red | New Glarus Brewing Company
Brewed by:
New Glarus Brewing Company
Wisconsin, United States
newglarusbrewing.com
Style: Fruit / Vegetable Beer
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 09-22-2001
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 3,590 | Reviews: 1,009
Reviews by newk340:
More User Reviews:
4.67/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Murky, rust red with highlights the color of not quite ripe cherries. I expected the cap to be girlie pink, but it's actually simple beige in color. Large initially due to a generous amount of carbonation, the head is dense with a stickiness that promotes perseverance and lacing. Soapy, pocked sheets cover a good portion of the glass and stay for the duration.
This beer doesn't smell much like beer due to the all-encompassing aroma of sweet cherries. Forget malt, forget hops, forget anything that isn't pure, unadulterated essence of cherry juice. Thankfully, there are no medicinal (i.e. cough syrup) aromas present. Simply put, this is one of the best fruit beer noses that I've ever smelled.
I love it! Wisconsin Belgian Red tastes deeper and more hearty than most cherry beers. Along with the bright fruit flavor is a more earthy, muscular flavor that is more akin to dried fruit or fruit jerky than it is to fresh cherries or cherry juice. The degree of acidity is nigh on perfect. As noted in the nose description, there isn't a whole lot present that isn't cherry related, just variations on the theme and layers upon layers of flavor.
The body is full in the best sense of the word, with a lush, mouthfilling, thickly coating feel. The sugar content is high and limits drinkability for me. Unless I can get my wife to drink some (extremely doubtful) I won't be able to finish this big bottle in one sitting. Despite the note on the label ('highly carbonated') and the loud 'pffft' upon opening, I don't really appreciate an excessive amount of carbonation. The CO2 does its part to aerate the thick, syrupy body without calling attention to itself.
WBR seems to be a 'love it or hate it' kind of beer. I recognize that though it's beer in the technical sense, it doesn't much resemble beer in the classic sense. I've decided to judge it on its own merits with my enjoyment as the sole criterion. It's hard for me to imagine a fruit beer in general and a cherry fruit beer in particular that is more delicious than Wisconsin Belgian Red. I've waited quite a while to taste this one and I have to say that it has exceeded my expectations with room to spare.
2,180 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Murky, rust red with highlights the color of not quite ripe cherries. I expected the cap to be girlie pink, but it's actually simple beige in color. Large initially due to a generous amount of carbonation, the head is dense with a stickiness that promotes perseverance and lacing. Soapy, pocked sheets cover a good portion of the glass and stay for the duration.
This beer doesn't smell much like beer due to the all-encompassing aroma of sweet cherries. Forget malt, forget hops, forget anything that isn't pure, unadulterated essence of cherry juice. Thankfully, there are no medicinal (i.e. cough syrup) aromas present. Simply put, this is one of the best fruit beer noses that I've ever smelled.
I love it! Wisconsin Belgian Red tastes deeper and more hearty than most cherry beers. Along with the bright fruit flavor is a more earthy, muscular flavor that is more akin to dried fruit or fruit jerky than it is to fresh cherries or cherry juice. The degree of acidity is nigh on perfect. As noted in the nose description, there isn't a whole lot present that isn't cherry related, just variations on the theme and layers upon layers of flavor.
The body is full in the best sense of the word, with a lush, mouthfilling, thickly coating feel. The sugar content is high and limits drinkability for me. Unless I can get my wife to drink some (extremely doubtful) I won't be able to finish this big bottle in one sitting. Despite the note on the label ('highly carbonated') and the loud 'pffft' upon opening, I don't really appreciate an excessive amount of carbonation. The CO2 does its part to aerate the thick, syrupy body without calling attention to itself.
WBR seems to be a 'love it or hate it' kind of beer. I recognize that though it's beer in the technical sense, it doesn't much resemble beer in the classic sense. I've decided to judge it on its own merits with my enjoyment as the sole criterion. It's hard for me to imagine a fruit beer in general and a cherry fruit beer in particular that is more delicious than Wisconsin Belgian Red. I've waited quite a while to taste this one and I have to say that it has exceeded my expectations with room to spare.
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4.22/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine May 2007.
The evolution of beer took a huge step forward over ten years ago with this brew. It's unlike any other Fruit Beer to the extent that it deserves more than the Fruit Beer label. There are well over a pound of cherries in every bottle and it's lagered in oak tanks for a year. Not many American breweries are doing that now--let alone ten years ago.
Pours with a light, spritzy carbonation, and its murky burgundy color shows no light at all. Just a thin ring of lace from the fizz of the head. The aroma is heavenly: a nose full of cherries in cherry juice. Sweet-tart cherry bouquet. Underlying crispness in the slick, medium body. Big bang of cherry sweetness to start. A balanced tartness sets in with mild oak, earth and a pinch of maltiness. Layers of cherry unravel slowly to finally reach a faint biscuit finish.
One of the most complex beers in the US to date, yet still very approachable and drinkable. Excellent balance of sweetness to tartness. It's a beer worth driving to Wisconsin for, or at least finding a friend to ship you some. A mild yogurt cheddar cheese with tart apples sounds like a great pairing.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine May 2007.
The evolution of beer took a huge step forward over ten years ago with this brew. It's unlike any other Fruit Beer to the extent that it deserves more than the Fruit Beer label. There are well over a pound of cherries in every bottle and it's lagered in oak tanks for a year. Not many American breweries are doing that now--let alone ten years ago.
Pours with a light, spritzy carbonation, and its murky burgundy color shows no light at all. Just a thin ring of lace from the fizz of the head. The aroma is heavenly: a nose full of cherries in cherry juice. Sweet-tart cherry bouquet. Underlying crispness in the slick, medium body. Big bang of cherry sweetness to start. A balanced tartness sets in with mild oak, earth and a pinch of maltiness. Layers of cherry unravel slowly to finally reach a faint biscuit finish.
One of the most complex beers in the US to date, yet still very approachable and drinkable. Excellent balance of sweetness to tartness. It's a beer worth driving to Wisconsin for, or at least finding a friend to ship you some. A mild yogurt cheddar cheese with tart apples sounds like a great pairing.
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4.8/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass
Appearance: minimal head, high carbonation, red in color, clear
Smell: sweet cherries and fresh fruit
Taste: sweet and tart cherries, light cinnamon. The cherries are layered here so there is excellent depth of flavor.
Mouthfeel: super light body, sweet with a touch of tartness, high carbonation, prickly
Overall:This sets the new bar for me in fruit beers. I love the depth of the cherry flavors. This one is borderline wine-like, but still has some beer flavor. The fruit seems natural and not in any way artificial. When I am back in Wisconsin next year, I will bring back several. One of my favorite beers in any style.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass
Appearance: minimal head, high carbonation, red in color, clear
Smell: sweet cherries and fresh fruit
Taste: sweet and tart cherries, light cinnamon. The cherries are layered here so there is excellent depth of flavor.
Mouthfeel: super light body, sweet with a touch of tartness, high carbonation, prickly
Overall:This sets the new bar for me in fruit beers. I love the depth of the cherry flavors. This one is borderline wine-like, but still has some beer flavor. The fruit seems natural and not in any way artificial. When I am back in Wisconsin next year, I will bring back several. One of my favorite beers in any style.
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3.52/5 rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
BOTTLE: 1 pint 9 fl oz. Green glass. Red wax-ed over iconic branded pry-off cap. Good label design. Courtesy of the very generous Duff27.
Served cold into a Cantillon flute at high altitude in Castle Rock, CO. Reviewed live as a Belgian red ale per the label, though its obvious fruit component is a big factor.
Allowed to come to temperature as it warms.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: ~1.5 inches wide. Pinkish white colour. Nice complexion. Not real thick or full. Retention is nice - round 4 minutes. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.
BODY: Clear vibrant deep red. Clean, with no visible yeast particulate or hop sediment.
Appears well-carbonated.
Overall, it's a nice looking red ale, but it's not stunning or unique. I recall the other New Glarus fruit beers looking brilliant; this pales in comparison.
AROMA: The dominant cherry is nice, but some North American drinkers will definitely note medicinal cough syrup character. Powdered white sugar. Very tart, to its benefit. The tartness plays well with the cherries - as least here in the aroma.
Aromatic intensity is average.
I find no oak character, roasted barley, wine, or hop notes (as mentioned on the label).
It's appealing overall, but I worry it will be medicinal.
TASTE & TEXTURE: Cherry rightly dominates, and is complemented beautifully by the soft powdery mouthfeel. The tartness plays off the cherry, delivering a gorgeous one-two punch of synergistic flavours, but I can't help but wonder if some souring bacteria additions would really set this off in a direction I'd love. It's beautifully balanced, though it does flirt with what some North American drinkers will associate with a medicinal or cough syrupy taste.
Balanced as it is, it's not the most intricate brew, and doesn't boast the level of nuance and subtlety that the other beers in this series do. Still, it's a lovely build for a fruit ale, and I'd definitely call it gestalt. That said, the ostensible Belgian character is lacking; nothing about this screams Belgian yeast.
I also find no oak - which is a missed opportunity - and no roasted barley (Belgian or otherwise) or overt hop character.
The mouthfeel is wonderful, boasting perfect carbonation, an ideal light to medium body, and perfect heft and weight on the palate for this kind of beer. It's sticky, sure, but not syrupy - which helps it avoid the pitfall of a medicinal cherry taste to me. Acidity is well above average.
Well put-together and enjoyable to drink.
The mouthfeel exceeds the taste in quality, and its excellent execution helps make the beer more expressive. Nice pairing of texture to taste.
OVERALL: It's a lovely albeit simple fruit ale from New Glarus that is devilishy easy to drink and pretty high in quality. That said, it's not the world-class offering the other New Glarus fruit beers are, and there are missed opportunities for increased intricacy and subtlety. I'll love putting this bottle down, but I don't think I'd buy it again if I had access to other better New Glarus beers. It's disappointing if only because I expected greatness given the brewery, but it's still a hell of a fruit ale, and always tastes like a beer - never a candy or fruit soda. Easily one of the better genuine fruit ales brewed in the U.S.A.
Enormous thanks to Duff27 for this long-time want.
Low B (3.52)
3,340 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
BOTTLE: 1 pint 9 fl oz. Green glass. Red wax-ed over iconic branded pry-off cap. Good label design. Courtesy of the very generous Duff27.
Served cold into a Cantillon flute at high altitude in Castle Rock, CO. Reviewed live as a Belgian red ale per the label, though its obvious fruit component is a big factor.
Allowed to come to temperature as it warms.
No bubble show forms as it's poured.
HEAD: ~1.5 inches wide. Pinkish white colour. Nice complexion. Not real thick or full. Retention is nice - round 4 minutes. Leaves no lacing as it recedes.
BODY: Clear vibrant deep red. Clean, with no visible yeast particulate or hop sediment.
Appears well-carbonated.
Overall, it's a nice looking red ale, but it's not stunning or unique. I recall the other New Glarus fruit beers looking brilliant; this pales in comparison.
AROMA: The dominant cherry is nice, but some North American drinkers will definitely note medicinal cough syrup character. Powdered white sugar. Very tart, to its benefit. The tartness plays well with the cherries - as least here in the aroma.
Aromatic intensity is average.
I find no oak character, roasted barley, wine, or hop notes (as mentioned on the label).
It's appealing overall, but I worry it will be medicinal.
TASTE & TEXTURE: Cherry rightly dominates, and is complemented beautifully by the soft powdery mouthfeel. The tartness plays off the cherry, delivering a gorgeous one-two punch of synergistic flavours, but I can't help but wonder if some souring bacteria additions would really set this off in a direction I'd love. It's beautifully balanced, though it does flirt with what some North American drinkers will associate with a medicinal or cough syrupy taste.
Balanced as it is, it's not the most intricate brew, and doesn't boast the level of nuance and subtlety that the other beers in this series do. Still, it's a lovely build for a fruit ale, and I'd definitely call it gestalt. That said, the ostensible Belgian character is lacking; nothing about this screams Belgian yeast.
I also find no oak - which is a missed opportunity - and no roasted barley (Belgian or otherwise) or overt hop character.
The mouthfeel is wonderful, boasting perfect carbonation, an ideal light to medium body, and perfect heft and weight on the palate for this kind of beer. It's sticky, sure, but not syrupy - which helps it avoid the pitfall of a medicinal cherry taste to me. Acidity is well above average.
Well put-together and enjoyable to drink.
The mouthfeel exceeds the taste in quality, and its excellent execution helps make the beer more expressive. Nice pairing of texture to taste.
OVERALL: It's a lovely albeit simple fruit ale from New Glarus that is devilishy easy to drink and pretty high in quality. That said, it's not the world-class offering the other New Glarus fruit beers are, and there are missed opportunities for increased intricacy and subtlety. I'll love putting this bottle down, but I don't think I'd buy it again if I had access to other better New Glarus beers. It's disappointing if only because I expected greatness given the brewery, but it's still a hell of a fruit ale, and always tastes like a beer - never a candy or fruit soda. Easily one of the better genuine fruit ales brewed in the U.S.A.
Enormous thanks to Duff27 for this long-time want.
Low B (3.52)
3,340 characters
4.64/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
A: deep ruby to wine red.
S: bowl full fresh cherries
T: cherries. Slight tartness. This is amazing
F: smooth velvet. So soft and finishes like a whisper of a thrill
O: this is wonderful in every way.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
A: deep ruby to wine red.
S: bowl full fresh cherries
T: cherries. Slight tartness. This is amazing
F: smooth velvet. So soft and finishes like a whisper of a thrill
O: this is wonderful in every way.
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4.77/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Just a wonderful fruit beer. Thick and luscious like a true apple cider only pink. Loads of tart cherries and hints of spices. Smells great, tastes great. Feels like velvet on your tongue. Not overly sweet at all and therefore very drinkable.
Over the weekend I sat out on a lake in Northern Wisconsin and consumed a bottle that I had kept in a cupboard for at least three years. I was a bit nervous that the beer would have spoiled but it hadnt. It tasted exactly as I remembered it tasting fresh from the brewery.
Moreover, the beer was a perfect pick for the colorful fall day. It feels very much like a homemade cider and this makes it fit naturally with changing leaves and fire pit conversation.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Just a wonderful fruit beer. Thick and luscious like a true apple cider only pink. Loads of tart cherries and hints of spices. Smells great, tastes great. Feels like velvet on your tongue. Not overly sweet at all and therefore very drinkable.
Over the weekend I sat out on a lake in Northern Wisconsin and consumed a bottle that I had kept in a cupboard for at least three years. I was a bit nervous that the beer would have spoiled but it hadnt. It tasted exactly as I remembered it tasting fresh from the brewery.
Moreover, the beer was a perfect pick for the colorful fall day. It feels very much like a homemade cider and this makes it fit naturally with changing leaves and fire pit conversation.
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4.37/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.64/5 rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Ruby red with a small off-white head that settles into a ring of lacings.
S: Lots of sweet cherries dominate. The cherry aromas are rather candy-like (guess that's what happens when you put so much cherries in the brew). Hints of grass and something in the line of cookies. Not a complex smell, and not very interesting, but my god does it smell like cherries.
T: The taste is way better than the smell. Sweet cherries up front (the cherries are still candy-like but not as much as in the smell). Notes of sweet malts. A gentle but noticeable tart note develops and is really welcome since it levels the sweetness nicely and really balances everything. Notes of cookies and earth. The finish is nicely dry and light with grassy notes and chemical cherries. Not very complex, but still with enough hints of other things than cherries to make it interesting and most importantly tasty.
M: Somewhat sticky in the mouth with a nice dryness in the finish. Medium body.
D: A good beer. The taste is better than the smell, thankfully. Impressive flavors considering the low ABV. I could really see this one working well as a dessert or coupled with dessert. But it's too sweet to drink a lot of.
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look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Ruby red with a small off-white head that settles into a ring of lacings.
S: Lots of sweet cherries dominate. The cherry aromas are rather candy-like (guess that's what happens when you put so much cherries in the brew). Hints of grass and something in the line of cookies. Not a complex smell, and not very interesting, but my god does it smell like cherries.
T: The taste is way better than the smell. Sweet cherries up front (the cherries are still candy-like but not as much as in the smell). Notes of sweet malts. A gentle but noticeable tart note develops and is really welcome since it levels the sweetness nicely and really balances everything. Notes of cookies and earth. The finish is nicely dry and light with grassy notes and chemical cherries. Not very complex, but still with enough hints of other things than cherries to make it interesting and most importantly tasty.
M: Somewhat sticky in the mouth with a nice dryness in the finish. Medium body.
D: A good beer. The taste is better than the smell, thankfully. Impressive flavors considering the low ABV. I could really see this one working well as a dessert or coupled with dessert. But it's too sweet to drink a lot of.
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4.82/5 rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This beer is always a treat. Thanks to Thirdeye11 for this one.
A- Bright cherry red
S- Like sweet cherry candy with graham cracker malt. Not too complex, just brilliance.
T&M- Soft and delicate. Sweet and slightly tart cherry at the same time.
D- Refreshing and delicious. The kind of beer my mom(or anyone who doesn't like beer) would and should drink.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This beer is always a treat. Thanks to Thirdeye11 for this one.
A- Bright cherry red
S- Like sweet cherry candy with graham cracker malt. Not too complex, just brilliance.
T&M- Soft and delicate. Sweet and slightly tart cherry at the same time.
D- Refreshing and delicious. The kind of beer my mom(or anyone who doesn't like beer) would and should drink.
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4.42/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.45/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - Pours a deep burgundy, red-amber with a tan-pink head.
S - Cherry, plain and simple. Great nose. Cherries and brown sugar. Very tart nose with this.
T - Very good with the cherry the huge star of course. Not as tart as I would have thought. And the grains add just the right backing to this. Just outstanding.
M - Medium body with mild carbonation and a slick finish.
O - Awesome brew from New Glarus. Never been to Wisconsin before but made sure I tried this before I left. Wish we could get this out East.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A - Pours a deep burgundy, red-amber with a tan-pink head.
S - Cherry, plain and simple. Great nose. Cherries and brown sugar. Very tart nose with this.
T - Very good with the cherry the huge star of course. Not as tart as I would have thought. And the grains add just the right backing to this. Just outstanding.
M - Medium body with mild carbonation and a slick finish.
O - Awesome brew from New Glarus. Never been to Wisconsin before but made sure I tried this before I left. Wish we could get this out East.
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4.03/5 rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a deep, dark cherry-red. Smells like cherry cobbler, or one of those cherry pies you ate as a kid. Taste is quite the same, a huge, massive cherry explosion. It also tastes a bit sour.
This is certainly an odd beer. It doesn't even taste like one even. I'm sharing the bottle with family, because I don't think I could drink a whole bottle alone. Nevertheless, this is quite tasty, certainly the bridge between beer and wine.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a deep, dark cherry-red. Smells like cherry cobbler, or one of those cherry pies you ate as a kid. Taste is quite the same, a huge, massive cherry explosion. It also tastes a bit sour.
This is certainly an odd beer. It doesn't even taste like one even. I'm sharing the bottle with family, because I don't think I could drink a whole bottle alone. Nevertheless, this is quite tasty, certainly the bridge between beer and wine.
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Wisconsin Belgian Red from New Glarus Brewing Company
Beer rating:
94.1% out of
100 with
3,590 ratings
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A: BR has an opaque ruby red color upon pouring with a hint of brown hue to it when held to the light. Little to no head when poured into a champagne flute (poured during a celebration immediately following Dom Perignon... hopefully that doesnt mess with my review... haha)
S: one word: CHERRIES. the strong smell of cherries blasts the olfactory senses, invoking thoughts of a Wisconsin summer on a lake.
T: an explosion of cherries tingles the tongue while emitting undertones of beer and wine with a champagne finish.
MF/D: an intensely fruity beer with the smoothest carbonation possible (considering how much it has). not a fruit beer kind of guy, but i could practically be content with a case of this for the night.
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