3 Fonteinen Kriekenlambik

Brewed by 3 Fonteinen
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Beersel, Belgium

Of all the sweet fruit lambics brewed in belgium, this must be the best. It is a burgandy coloured beer with almost no head or carbonation. The aroma is rich in sweet cherries as is the flavour. In fact, I could only describe this beer as a mouth full of sour cherries but with a very complex gueuze base and enough sweetness to appeal to the bellevue/lindeman drikers. This was the most refreshing beer I had in belgium and if I was to go back, I would consecrate one day to sit on their patio and drink this all fn day. As Joris said, this is nearing perfection, especially in terms of drinkability.

For all clarity, this is the unblended, unsweetened version, also available on draught at the restaurant. Deep-deep burgundy, with bright red "éclat", no head. Nose of cherries, cherries, ch.. and vanilla. Taste like an explosion of freshly pressed fruit(juice). Then some wood, and an estery, alcoholic difference with real fruitjuice. Very woody finish. Tart, like some sour cherries (=krieken), plucked from the tree. Chewy. In the palate there is still some woodiness, but it suddenly disappears. Nearing perfection. One cannot get enough of this. Unlike one's stomach lining...

Draught (ZBF06): Bloody red with a glowing pink head. Almond, cherries and marzipan in the nose. Lovely sweet cherries balanced with tart rotting grapes. Juicy, wonderful stuff that I could drink all day long (though probably get heartburn!).

On draught at the brewery. Dark ruby red with a great fine-bubbled pink-purple head. Woody lambik shines through the cherry aroma. Wonderful lemony lambik with mellow cherry and almonds flavours. Balanced with quite a dry woody finish. Smooth and medium-bodied. Can a kriekenlambik get better than this?

Draught@Københavnske Øldage. Wow, Jeppe’s stand at the beerfestival was amazing. This was such a good beer and probably my favurite at the festival. No carbonation. Sour, acidic nose, with some sour cherry, blood orange and acidic tomato, slightly balsamic aswell. Palate was lovely, no carbonation, but with such a juicy acdity which made me want more and more. This was a gem.

This rating is for the "Sweet Kriekenlambic", 6.5%. Sampled from cask at Akkurat, Stockholm.
It’s supposedly made from unblended lambic and schaarbeekse cherries, and is marginally sweetened. Deep clear red. Aroma of ripe cherrues and vinegar. Sweet and woody, full of wonderful balsamic schaarbeekse cherries. Low carbonation, but the mouthfeel is fresh, lively and sparkling. Grape stone finish with a bit too much sweetness. Mindboggingly tasty.
Additional rating for the "Dry Kriekenlambic", 6.5%. Sampled from cask at Akkurat, Stockholm.
The same magnificent cherry aroma as the sweetened version, but this is significantly drier and more acidic. On paper this is something I like, but instead it doesn’t carry the wonderful flavour of the schaarbeekse cherries as well as the sweetened version. The mouthfeel is still as soft and sparkling, and I still regard this version as ultra-superb, just a tad less wonderful than the sweetened one. (10/5/9/5/17)

Drie Fonteinen has in fact two different versions. One sweetened and only available on tap at the restaurant at the brewery. And one unsweetened also available in a bottle. This rating is the unsweetened one on tap at the brewery! Light tart and oak, cherry aroma. Red/pink colour, large pink head, lots of bubbles. Light sweet, light sour and you taste the overaged hops slightly in the background. Sour and bitter finish, long but not intense.

Draught. Low carbonation. Extremely fresh and very sour. Fantastic natural cherry flavour. This was the beer I drank the most of at ZBF 2004.