the official title being "Framboise Lambic, Belgian Framboise Beer" from Brouwerij Lindemans in Vlezenbeek, Belgium!
a lovely 750ml bottle of Framboise...mmmmm.
Here are some more facts about lambics:
- The Hops used in lambics are aged 2 or 3 years in order to remove nearly all of the bitterness and aroma, because the brewers only use the hops for their antibacterial properties.
- Many lambics are "Bottle Fermented" or "Bottle Conditioned" which is a secondary fermentation that occurs in the sealed bottle and carbonates the product naturally.
Also, before I begin I must state that I was incorrect in the previous entry where I described Gueuze as "straight up" lambic. It is actually a blended lambic that consists of younger and more aged brews (1 year mixed with 2 or 3 year old brews), it is still carbonated however. the "straight up" lambic does exist though, and is non-carbonated, and un-blended. I'm told it is very sour and I'd love to try it!
WARNING! Many bottles of lambic style beers are sealed with a wine cork as well as a bottle cap! So bring your "A" game when attempting to ingest a lambic beer; Bring a cork screw and a bottle opener!
alright! let's have a look, a whiff and a taste!
results: It has a beautiful deep, red colour, very nearly a burgundy. It also keeps a nice pink-ish head.
It smells of nothing but the heavenly aroma of wild raspberries. What does it taste like you ask? Well hang on and let me taste it!!!
...Alright, remember when I told you that Cassis was my favorite flavour? well...I think I'm going to have to re-evaluate that statement too because this is very very good to say the least. Might be stopping by the beer store tomorrow and do a comparison test. Anyway, the raspberry flavour you get is as intense as the colour. It has none of the sour/bitter battle that goes on in your mouth when you put gueuze inside it (the bitter lingering just a little bit longer). It is also much sweeter than expected. A really really great choice for raspberry lovers like myself, this is just a big red punch in the face. As the glass empties a bit more, i'm smelling a little more of the renowned "funk" that lambic bring to the table but only a little bit. It isn't up front and in my face.
To sum this up(though hopefully not over-simplifying this too much); It is a very strongly flavored brew, that looks like a mix between frothy juice and a glass of wine; and tastes almost like drinking an extract that's been topped up with seltzer and alcohol. I love a good lambic, they always brighten my day.
I hope this has convinced you to scour your local liquor or beer and wine store for some to try for yourself. A lambic is an adventure in it's own right.
Thanks for reading!!
- Beer's slightly satiated but still proverbially Parched Paige
P.S: Lambic beers do not typically have a very high alcohol content (usually 5% or thereabouts), but if you drink a bottle all to yourself they can really sneak up on you. although, is that really "sneaking" if you just down a 750ml bottle? probably not.
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