Brewery: New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, Wisconsin
Beer: Serendipity
Serving: 750 ml wax dipped green bottle
Glassware: Duvel tulip
Information: 4% ABV
Style: Fruit Beer
Price: $9.49 / bottle
Availability: Year-round
Cellaring: Not recommended for extended aging.
Pairings: “Poached pears, angel food cake, braised partidge, pork shoulder, french vanilla ice cream, Petit Frere, Camembert, Brie”
Appearance
Serendipity’s cap cracks with a loud carbonation hiss, a prelude to the tall, rocky off-white foam, which rests on the beer for quite some time. Stunningly beautiful, this gorgeous beer pours a clear, rich ruby, almost blood red color.
Smell
It’s interesting that this beer is coming in to briefly replace Belgian Red due to the cherry shortage because Serendipity smells incredibly similar. Bold fresh cherry and light cherry skin tannins come through with a juicy red apple nose appearing from a swirl. I’m hard pressed to pick out any cranberries within this aroma but, it’s not a hindrance. Earthy tones and faint wood peek out as the fruit beer warms.
Taste
A happy accident indeed, this beer strays from the Belgian Red-like aroma into it’s own unique territory, really coming into it’s own. Stronger apple presence reminds us we’re in the harvest season and suggests sipping cider at an orchard while cherry and cranberry bring a balancing tartness to the table. Like the aroma before it, earthy and faint wood notes start to emerge carefully as the beer warms up.
Mouthfeel
Pleasantly sweet, Serendipity walks a fine line, cautious not to step onto the cloying side, carefully balanced by spritzy carbonation, a lighter body, and a mildly tart, dry finish. Lingering flavors on the tongue beg for another sip, and another sip, and so on.
Overall
If you’ve experienced Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart, you’ll find yourself in quite a familiar realm with Serendipity but, this beer doesn’t only piggy back on their successes, it flourishes with new and delicious fruit experiences! Serendipity proves, once again, Dan Carey is an expert brewer of fruit beer. Pick this one up without hesitation and be rewarded by it’s delicious fruit complexity for this beer, without question, will be another award-winning beer from New Glarus.
Score: 98 / 100 - World-Class
Cheers,
-Andy
[...] spot-on tasting notes, check out his full review, and for more high praise, check out Andy’s take at [...]
Hey, Viki here! Just tried the Serendipity. Wow! That was so incredibly tasty. I’m from Minnesota, and just finished my cabin in Wisconsin. Because of this I’ve had the opportunity to sample quite a few of your beers. This one is one of my faves! I wish I had purchased more than one. Poor me……
[...] New Glarus Brewing Company – New Glarus, WI – BeerAdvocate New Glarus Serendipity – 100 at RateBeer New Glarus Serendipity Review | BeerFM [...]