Raspberry Brown

Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe

I feel it is only proper to admit my bias from the outset: I am not especially fond of lambics or brews that infuse fruit flavours, nor do I often favour chocolaty beers. So, I was really not sure what I would like about this beer, which promises both raspberry and chocolate flavours on its label.

It poured a dark and pleasing purple-brown, with a very small head that disappeared soon after pouring. The aroma was deep and fruity (raspberries, not surprisingly).
The taste started with the sweet chocolate malt. The raspberries came soon after this, but complemented rather than overpowered the malt. A little after, the hops provided a nice, pleasingly bitter finish. The mouth feel is drying, and there is not much carbonation.

This brew avoids all the things I don’t like about these sorts of beers—it has a real fruit taste that never threatens to overpower the malt and it is chocolaty in moderation, which leaves plenty of room for the taste of the beer itself. It is more complex than I would have anticipated, too.

I think this beer is good, and I am impressed by how well-balanced it is. Perhaps I need to rethink my biases against fruity and chocolaty beers…

B+