The fourth beer in the Bières de bois Series—a collaborative barrel-aging project between Avant-Garde and Matera—FRAMBO is a golden sour ale aged for one year in Chardonnay barrels and refermented in the bottle with raspberry purée.
On the nose, raspberry dominates with its fruity character but also blends with woody and winey aromas.
From the first sip, the acidity of the raspberry comes into play like the string of a well-strung bow that is released. However, there is also an obvious woody side and a fruity taste of green grapes.
Very tangy when cold, it definitely gains in complexity as it warms up a little. Raspberry quietly gives way to another universe of delicate and woody flavors. The taste of cereals even makes its presence felt by being enhanced with wilder and more rustic, farmhouse-like aromas. Our sip finishes with lemony and white wine notes. Not surprisingly, the finish is as dry as possible.
Frambo is a clever and mastered blend of funky, woody, tangy and fruity flavors. It’s seriously hard to do better in this genre. What you call sour, he calls home. Make no mistake!
We’re immensely spoiled by Matera and Avant-Garde these days. The Bières de bois Series offers us another masterpiece! Cheers!