My wife is most definitely not a beer drinker. She tends to tolerate beer and will drink certain kinds but (like a lot of women I know) tends to prefer the fruitier drinks. One of her favorite drinks is a Belgian Framboise, but she has been known to drink the occasional Heffeweizen. Needless to say I was quite surprised when she informed me she had purchased a bottle of beer. It turns out she didn’t buy just any beer, she bought a bottle of Bridgeport Brewery’s “Stumptown Tart”. It’s Bridgeport’s spin on a raspberry framboise and isn’t too bad.
One of the first things I noticed is that it didn’t seem to produce much of a head when poured like most beers. Sure, there were a few bubbles just not the thick rich head one usually expects to see in a beer. The beer has a nice ruby red color and smells slightly fruity which I feel is to be expected from a raspberry beer.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I first tasted it. I expected it to be sweet like Lindeman’s, but to me it tasted more like a regular beer with a hint of raspberry. In fact, it reminded me of McMenamins’ Ruby although not quite as sweet. I did, however, notice that over time as the beer sat in my glass it seemed to get a bit sweeter and the raspberry flavor started to really come out. In the end it actually won me over, and turns out to be a pretty good beer. The funny thing is that according to Bridgeport’s web site “Stumptown Tart” is made with Oregon Marion Berries even though the label on the bottle states clearly that it is a raspberry framboise. I don’t think it’s a big deal as it doesn’t change my perception of the beer at all, but it is an interesting side note.
Overall I’d say if you like your fruit beers more… well… fruity, then Stumptown Tart is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you don’t like fruity beers at all it isn’t for you either as it sits comfortably somewhere in between. As for me, I’d classify this beer as one that I’d drink if none of my regular favorites were available. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.
