Summer Fruit Beers #8
STATS
  • Country: Belgium
  • Style: Fruit Lambic
  • ABV: 3.5%
  • Serving Type: 375ml Bottle
  • Price: Slightly Pricey

I know I said it would be a while before I would jump back into the fruit beers but I found a couple of these in the back of the cupboard so I thought it might be time to drink them. Cassis is apparently blackcurrant, I thought it was grape.

So this is another Lambic from Lindeman’s, joining the Kriek and the Apple already reviewed by Beer O’Clock Australia. When I think of blackcurrant flavoured beverages, all I can think of is Ribena so I going in with the idea that this will basically be alcoholic Ribena and I think I’m OK with that…

The beer has a deep red body with loads of bubbles when poured from a bottle which has both a cap and a cork (presumably to control this carbonation). There is a 2 finger airy pink head topping this beer which has good retention for a fruit beer. The lacing is quite impressive, it was already sticking to the glass with beer around it (the glass was actually clean!). It’s a good colour which I always look for in a fruit beer, reasonably impressed.
On the nose strong fruit flavours can be observed with ease, even with a blocked nose! It smells very sweet while still retaining some tartness from the blackcurrants. I can smell some lambic bitterness and something that smells strangely like vinegar… If I’ve missed any of the finer points I’m sorry, but the fact I can smell this beer at all says alot about how strong the aroma is!
Ribena! Lindeman’s Cassis really does taste like it, and it’s alcoholic meaning it’s better! The flavour is dominated by a sugary sweetness that doesn’t quite sit right with me. The natural bitterness from the blackcurrants comes out towards the backend of tasting. It’s a bit strange, probably better suited to summer time, when it’s too hot to function.
Overall this is quite a tasty fruit beer, if I’m being honest though I don’t think it’s my favourite. It’s slightly too sweet for my liking, however the flavour is nice and the mouthfeel is excellent. Lindeman’s Cassis have made a really nice beer for warmer weather. Having it on a cold winters day in Melbourne may have hurt the rating of this beer, but if you like Ribena (blackcurrant juice) I think it’s worth a try!
Remember it’s always Beer O’Clock somewhere in the world!