New Glarus Brewing Company - Raspberry Tart: Don't fear the dessert beer.

Jimmy, who is a friend of mine from the Plainfield Ale & Lager Enthusiasts (P.A.L.E.), a homebrewer’s club of which I am a member, was cool enough to bring me back a couple bottles from New Glarus Brewing Company during his recent trek to Wisconsin. One that he brought back was Raspberry Tart.  This is a beer that I had heard a lot about and have anticipated tasting for quite a while. Now that I actually have it waiting in front of me, you might wonder what I think.

Well I poured it into a Champagne flute and noticed the color had varying degrees of red, purple, and brown. The head is off-white and the carbonation is soft. There could be no mistaking the deep raspberry aroma which is also the driving force in the flavor.

I had a hard time deciding how I felt about Raspberry Tart.  If it were classified as a liquid dessert I would have said that it was delicious. When it is described as a beer I wonder where the beer flavor went.  It is hard to pick up much other than a raspberry Sour Patch Kid flavor, which is not a bad thing, but I was expecting… Come to think of it I didn’t know what to expect.  New Glarus describes Raspberry Tart as a Wisconsin Ale brewed with raspberries. I’m not entirely sure what Wisconsin ale is, but if I had to guess based on the flavor and the short description on the side of the bottle, I’d say that it was brewed in the Lambic style. Since it is brewed in Wisconsin instead of the Pajottenland region of Belgium it cannot be called a Lambic and since the bugs that spontaneously ferment it come from Wisconsin that must be what makes it Wisconsin ale.  Now that I’ve got that figured out, do I like it? Well, yes it’s tasty; I just think that a drink with the same flavor could have been produced without the incorporation of beer. If you get the chance, taste it and decide for yourself.

ABV: 4.0%

Consumed: Champagne Flute

Verdict: Buy a Case