3 Fonteinen Schaarbeekse Kriek

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

Bottle split with Tronraner. Pours a bright red hue with a tall tan head, which is apparently pink according to Joe. Aroma is full of barnyard scents, oak, cheese, not a whole lot of fruitiness going on. It’s there , but it’s an afterthought. Cherries come out more in the flavor, but it’s more of an active balance against the puckering, cheesy notes. It works well. Some wooden flavors float around, got some goat milk going on, nice natural cherry flavor. This isn’t bracingly sour, just assertive enough. Finish develops more to accentuate the fruity tones. This is great, I would reach for this anytime I has a craving for a fruit Lambic.

Bottle. Huge fizzy red head that mostly diminished. Good lacing. Lovely reddish colour. Cherries, vinegar, fruity notes with apple and pear. Medium bodied with an average carbonation. Flavour was moderated acidic with some sweet notes. Nice acidic finish.

What a fantastic lambic. Pours beautiful ruby red with a small pinkish head that leaves quickly. The aroma has tart cherries, lemony citrus, oak, wild yeast and earthiness - very big and bold. Medium body with very little carbonation. The flavor starts woody and earthy - very dry with some sourness, citric, lactic and heavy oak. The finish has the cherries opening up and some pepperiness. This has a lot more subtle qualities that most fruit lambics and has a high level of complexity While this comes with a very high price tag, I have to give it a HUGE thumbs up for being an over-the-top wonderful lambic. I will have to get another before too long.

Huge sour cherry aroma.Pours dark red with a medium pink head.Flavor is a very smooth sourness with a ton of cherries.Full mouthfeel with a very smooth easy to drink sour finish.

Bottle courtesy of Boboski: Poured a cloudy bright red/pink color lambic with a medium foamy head with some good retention and lacing. Aroma of sour cherry and oak is pretty dominant and overly enjoyable. Taste is a mix between some sour cherry, tart and oaky notes are also very present. I thought the level of acidity was quite low or at least well balance that it was not getting in the way. This was definitely a notch above the regular kriek and something I wouldn’t mind having again.

Bottle at Chris_O bottlefest 2007. Many, many, many thanks to duff for bringing this along. Cloudy red with pink head. Excellent aroma. Great raspberry/cherry aroma. Awesome aroma. Stunning kriek. Great acidity balanced perfectly by the fruit.

Bottle 2005 Vintage. Reddish/burgundy beer with a slight pinkish head. Musty aroma with sweet cherries. Tart flavor bordering on sour with some fruitiness and plenty of mustiness. Cleansing while leaving a slight puckering. Subtle beer - not overpowering - but mustiness is the major component and I expected more.

Large, frothy, bright pink head has moderate retention. Thick bulbous lacing sticks like glue. The body is deep cherry red, creamy looking. Aroma brings dark cherries that are both overripe and sensuously tart. Also noted are heapings of barnyard funk, horse blanket, milder vanilla and wet oak, milder still nuances of astringent lemon oils and musty moss. Flavor is actually dialed down a notch, so relaxing and ultimately stunning in its complexities. Cherries are both sweet and tart, boldly presented as a centerpiece enveloped in funk. Moderate acidity is cloaked by outright sourness with toasty grains and brettanomyces. This is the pinnacle of kriek. Sweet, high-end Kirschwasser and tart oakiness linger in a finish that’s much milder than the taste. Palate is silky smooth with boisterous carbonation that fits well. Medium bodied mouthfeel is presented so elegantly it becomes hard not to take large gulps. My rating for this has near the same score as the oude kriek, but for entirely different reasons. This kriek defines the style. The way it exudes elegance is comforting and fulfilling. A knockout.