La Barberie Rousse Forte Aux Fruits

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a dark red/brown color ale with a big off-white foamy head with good retention. Aroma consists of fruitcake with some caramel malt with some warming alcohol. Taste is very sweet with a real fruitcake feel behind it, which is very interesting but the warm alcohol that hit you at the end just totally destroy this beer. I really can’t understand how a 7.5% beer can have so much alcohol taste in it.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Bottled in December 2005, written on side of label. 2005 is also written at the end of the beer name. Pours a dirty raisin-brown with a touch of purple-red for its colour. Even though it is not extremely dark, you cannot see through it. The head is creamy, purple-brown and has decent retention and lacing. Aromas of chocolat and roasted malts, wine (vinous), alcohol, dark fruits and some light hop. The mouthfeel is slightly tarty, but very mild. Tastes of fruits upfront and then goes into this good bitterness for the finish. In the aftertaste, after the bitterness goes away, the fruit shows up again, lingering for a while. Notes of coffee and roasted malts are also present. Not a bad brew, and different for a beer with fruit to be mixed with a strong ale on lees.