Belle-Vue Kriek

this is certainly not the best kriek-beer i’ve had, appearance is good. aroma is a little to soft, almost no cherries. taste is too artificial to me (syrupy?). underlying sour and earthy lambic taste is good, but hard to notice. thin body. finish is too sweet.

350 ml bottle. Deep ruby red in color with a nice pink head. Cherry aroma. Very fruity. Cherry flavor. Sweet tasting. Smooth. Touch of sourness too. Not to dry. Drinkable.

350 ml bottle. Burnt red, thin pink head, touch of floaties. Ripe cherry aroma. Cherry flavor. On the sweet side, but not too sweet. Slight sourness. Maybe a touch of Ludens going on here...

Nice red colour, and almost no head. White wine aroma, but a hint of sweetness. Almost flat, sour finish. Sort of thin-bodied. Some sweetness, but also very sour and bitter - again, like very sour wine with sugar added. Colour is just about all I can praise this for - I don’t think I’ll be trying it again.

375ml bottle with cork and cage. Could hardly get a head on this one at all which marks down the appearance a little in this case. Very interesting hazy red garnet colour with a slight amber tint. Sour fruity cherry aroma with a little oak in the background. Taste starts with cherry laden fruitiness, then becomes sour with a slight tannin finish. Even though there was no head in my case, the carbonation felt about right and the feel was quite smooth. Looking forward to trying more lambics, I don’t mind this style.

Interesting..my first lambic. Poured a darker-than-cherry red with a frothy pink head. Smells of cherries (a little sour). Taste is the same, but not sour like lemon juice. It was fairly sweet with a champagnesque effervescence.

If you like your kriek sweet, syrupy, tart and just carbonated enough to be ’fresh’, you will love Belle-vue Kriek! Sure Belle-vue isn’t a purist’s lambic--but it’s tasty. Haven’t had it in a while and I really miss it.

375 ml corked bottle, champagne style, bought in Prague. Label says: P.H. Wandenstock Belle-Vue Kriek Lambic. ABV is 5.1%. Brewed by Interbrew Belgium, distributed in the Czech Republic by Staropramen. Beautiful red colour, large pink foamy head. Lovely aroma of sour cherries. Flavour is of course sour cherries too, initially sweet, with a hint of hops. Not very complex, and the finish is surprisingly short.