3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek

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

2006 Bottle shared by footbalm. Pours a bright red body with almost no head. The aroma; wow, this is gonna be sour, cherries soaked in citric acid. The flavor is not surprisingly, really sour. I mean brutally sour at first. But is is nice, with some wood and sweet flavors that were really dominated by the acidic flavors. Not bad at all.

Bottled. Old. Really old. Hell, I’m not even sure this is the right beer. But let’s start from the beginning.

Last October, my girlfriend and I took a trip to Belgium, and met up with a certain esteemed and very generous RBian. We’d agreed to an in person trade, but little did I know the bonuses I’d be getting. He presented me two bottles, both label-less: one which he believed to be a Cantillon Gueze from the late 70s, and another -- this bottle -- which he believed to be a Drie Fonteinen Gueuze from the early 80s. The cork was old and withered, sitting nearly a centimeter away from the rusty cage that once held it tight. The neck around the cork was crusty and broken, and the bottle was clearly not a quite familiar shape. The indentation in the bottom was rather huge, and the bottle a hefty weight.

Tonight, after waiting for a long while, I decided to have at the mystery beer. As I poured, it was immediately obvious it was not a gueuze. The color is very red and the aroma is very much that of cherries. Most obviously a kriek, I for now am going to guess that the beer may be this. For some reason I don’t have a rating under here already so this one is a little bootleg, but it will be amended with a proper rating of a more current version of the beer when I get another bottle. For now I just want some notes down on this fantastic lambic I am currently drinking.

For a beer that’s supposed to be this old, it still has a lively carbonation, foam sitting amongst the top, and bubbles rising. The cork, when extracted (which was no easy task) was still damp. The side of the bottle is stained from laying down for so long, and the neck smells musky and rather nice. Of the beer the aroma is pitty, pithy, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sour cherries. Full bodied -- the yeast particulate floats in this very unfiltered beer -- with a piercing sourness amongst the cherry patches. Absolutely perfectly completely delicious, dangerously drinkable, I’d kill to have this easily available so I could drink it without worry from a traditional lambic tumbler. This beer is frighteningly good.

I spoke with the trader recently and told him I couldn’t bear to open either of the old bottles he gave me. He responded: "About the old bottles, man, it’s only beer. Cosy evening with your partner, open the bottle, and enjoy!" 8 hours later, that is exactly what I have done. Thank you!

update: after consulting with the trader and deciphering the cork, it turns out that the 3F Kriek is indeed the beer I was drinking, at around 25 years old.

25feb2005 bottling date. Clear amber/red color with a slight head. Good oak, cedar, barnyard aroma. Medium bodied with light carbonation. Nicely tart cherry, lemon, and wet wood flavors with some barnyard funkiness. Very drinkable, not overly sour like some fruit lambics i’ve tried. 827

(Bottle, Akkurat, Stockholm, 4 April 2008) Deep red colour with frothy, pink head. Very tart, fruity nose with distinct notes of cherries. Tart, fruity, harsh taste with cherries, vanilla and slightly bitter hints of almonds in the finish. Very dry with a balanced berry character. Very tart, very harsh and with loads of character. Lovely beer!

Pours bright red into a tumbler. Pink head quickly recedes to hug rim. Cherry and funk aromas. Crisp sour cherry upfront with a puckering dry finish.

23,12 - 2003 Bottle 37,5 cl. A deep red/ hazy brown with a mild nose with hits of cherrys and vinegar. It appeares to has been a bit oxidized - what a shame. Still you sense notes of sour fruits. It has a butterish feeling to a noncomplex body.

0.375 l bottle. Ruby red color with virtually no head. Thick, juicy cherry and black currant aroma. Juicy cherryish and somewhat sour flavor. There are some notes of acetic acid and wild yeast but to my taste the traditional lambic elements area too much covered by thick juicy cherry flavor.

Bottle, split with after4ever. Pours ruby brown with a thin ring of foam. Seriously funky nose. The cherries have an up-hill battle against it, and they’re not quite up to the task. Light body and carbonation. Huge vinegar and lemon sourness in the taste that pummels the cherries into submission. I think I would have been happier if the cherries won the battle.