Fruit Lambic

Notes: These beers, also known by the names Framboise, Kriek, Peche, Cassis, etc., are characterized by fruit aromas and flavors. Fruit Lambics, whose origin is the Brussels area of Belgium, are often simply called Fruit Lambic. Versions of this beer style made outside of the Brussels area are said to be ‘Belgian-Style Fruit Lambics’. The Belgian-style versions are made to resemble many of the beers of true origin. Historically, traditional Lambics are dry and completely attenuated, exhibiting no residual sweetness either from malt, sugar, fruit, or other sweeteners. Some versions often have a degree of sweetness contributed by fruit sugars, other sugars, or other sweeteners. See also Belgian-Style Lambic for additional background information. Vanillin and other wood-derived flavors may range from absent to present at up to low-medium levels, and, if present, are in harmony with attributes arising from fruit. Competition organizers may create subcategories which reflect groups of entries based on color, fruit, or other ingredients. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying lambic beer upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as fruit ingredients or processing which influence perceived sensory outcomes.