Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d post a review of a beer that is as red as the roses you forgot to buy for your sweetheart today.

I know it’s not particularly original to pop the cork of a Lindeman’s Framboise on Valentine’s Day, but very little happens on Valentine’s Day that actually is original, right? Flowers, dinner reservations, chocolates and hallmark cards… it’s all gotten pretty formulaic over the years. So, forgive me if I’m not the first to mention Framboise as a fun and tasty beer to enjoy with a loved one tonight. It’s certainly more original then opening some dusty old bottle of wine, Right?

Here are my thoughts on Framboise:

The aroma makes an immediate impression on anybody near an open bottle. It’s really fantastic; I always marvel at how intense and fresh the raspberry aroma is. Michael Jackson once described it by saying, “you can almost smell the hairs on the raspberries”, and I’d have to agree. In the glass it’s a beautiful dark ruby color and it forms a bubbly head that resembles champagne much more than it does beer– something that I think adds to its celebratory appeal.

The taste is dominated by fresh raspberries– sweet and tart, which is followed by a pleasant champagne finish. It has a very light and bubbly (but not fizzy) mouthfeel that is extremely drinkable. I’m not much of a fan of fruit beers, but I find Lindeman’s Framboise really enchanting. It would go very well with a dessert of chocolate or cheesecake, or even as a compliment to dinner itself. Since it’s far more similar to champagne than beer, it will likely be more appealing to your sweetheart if he or she doesn’t share your zeal for beer.

One gripe some may have with Lindeman’s take on Framboise is that it doesn’t really taste like a true fruit lambic, and that it lacks the complexity of other beers of the style. That may be true but it shouldn’t detract from your enjoyment of it. It’s really delicious, and its a great ale to enjoy when you celebrate with a loved one.

Hey Miss Kris, will you be my valentine?