Petrus Sour Framboise

Petrus, brewed by Brouwerij De Brabandere, is a line of traditional Belgian beers. In the US, they’re probably most well known for their Petrus Aged Pale. De Brabandere is a West Flanders brewery that’s been brewing traditional Rood-Bruins using mixed fermentation for generations. However, what makes them unique is their mixed fermentation base beer is a pale colored ale. In their RoodBruin, it’s mixed in with a young brown ale to get the classic sweet/tart flavor. Thanks to the persuasion of late, famed beer writer Michael Jackson, the brewery ended up releasing their Aged Pale Ale as a stand along product and as they say, the rest is history.

Enter the Sour Framboise. The Sour Framboise takes Aged Pale aged in oak Calvados foeders for years and blends it with fresh raspberries to create this new release from Petrus. However, you won’t find this release everywhere. It’s part of a special exclusive program with Trader Joe’s. It will be part of a series of one-off special releases. The next one will be a single foeder edition of the Aged Pale Ale.

Appearance: Bright red with pink hues, light pink head, ok retention.

Aroma: Jammy, raspberries, light lemon, currants, floral.

Taste: Jammy, raspberry liqueur, light earthy notes.

Overall Impression: Petrus Sour Framoise strikes the right balance between fruit and sourness. While some raspberry sours can be overly sweet, Sour Framboise takes both elements and blends them together nicely. While the nose may be big on jammy raspberries, it’s far from sweet and more just perceived sweetness from the fruitiness. It’s elegantly tart and fruity with just a touch of alcohol. It’s a great new release from a classic brewery.

Availability: Limited release available at Trader Joe’s chain of stores. Imported by Global Beer Network.

7.3% ABV