Cantillon Lou Pepe Pure Kriek

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Brussels, Belgium

On draft at Brouwer’s sour ale fest. Pours a dark pink - an almost fluorescent color, with no head - just a ring of tiny bubbles. Cherries, wood, port wine and some sugar. The aroma is incredibly tart - like a cherry jolly rancher - though the flavor was a bit smoother. Just a bit of dusty yeast as well. Great to be able to try this one on draft. Probably the best kriek I’ve had, but it was a little intense for me.

Bottle that I picked up either at brewery last July orDranken Geers in March, can’t remember where, consumed 13-05-09 Poured a most wonderful rich red bloody colour, bit like opening a vein and pouring it in your glass, but that would be less likely to have a fluffy pink head. Instant sour cherries on the nose and dusty old mantelpiece, it also exudes funk. Really tart, cherries are all over your mouth like a rash, invading every nook and cranny and zipping about like you wouldn’t believe, this is so cherry that other than some sour woodiness I really struggle to pick up much else. Its great, refreshing the perfect summer drink, tart, funky cherries and it really is all about the cherries, cherrytastic, not arf mate. A8 A5 F8 P4 Ov16 4.1

2004 bomber, shared with three buddies. Pours opaque brownish-pink with a light pink head and soapy bubbles. Aroma is of sour cherry, acidity, and vinegar. Flavor builds slowly, starting with sour cherry (sirenam?), maybe some pear and lemon as well. Middle flavors move towards sharper sour cherry and general acidity. Finishes with a cranberry-like tart bitterness. Palate remains soft throughout, though it gains a coating quality in the acidic finish of this beer. Overall, I enjoyed drinking this one, but it lacked wow quality. Another concern: I’m not sure that this bottle was optimally stored, since it has been in an environment that has temperature fluctuations between 65-75 degrees.

On tap at Novare Res. Pours a pinkish red color with a very light pinkish head. Aroma is sour cherries, funky, and straw like. Flavors are cherries, barnyard, leather. Very tart, but dry too so it’s not painful. It’s a cherry champagne and it’s delicious!

On tap at the Hopleaf. Truly wonderful beer. Pale pink-red color; a blushing maiden if you will! Awesome aroma: vinous, strong sour cherries, some leather, hay. Flavor was like eating a sour cherry pie w/ some crisp mountain water thrown in. Tart, long lingering sour cherry aftertaste. Thin body ending clean and dry. Superb stuff as usual from the folks at Cantillon. Lip-smackingly good; sour and tart w/ restrained acidity.

Tap at Spuyten Duyvil: Beautiful murky deep blood red with a pink bubbly ring of head. Outstanding aroma! Classic Cantillon funk- lots of lactic acid, sharp leathery wild fermentation character, rustic/farmhouse, mold, very soft oak tannins, tart cherry skins and a subtle underlying almondy sweetness. Slick and acidic body. Complex and sour. Lots of lactic, pedio, rustic, infectious, notes as well as oak character- tannins, subtle vanilla underneath all the funk. The sour cherry notes are there meshing with the overall leathery wild fermentation flavors, with a touch of almond from the cherry. An exceptional Fruit-Lambic!

On tap at Spuyten Duyvil at their Cantillon & de la Senne event. Pours a deep garnet/ruby color without any head to speak of, just a couple of soda sized bubbles around the edge of the glass. Smells like cherry pie filling with a touch of acid. Nice clean cooked cherry aromas. Thin bodied, but the flavor follows the nose and is absolutely delicious, a nice sour cherry flavor. Finishes with more cherry flavor and a light citric acid. Delicious.

My thanks to ajm for cracking this one open, despite the comments that follow. Pours an interesting pomegranate color with a foamy pink head. Smells absolutely terrible. My God. I can’t believe I drank this beer knowing how bad it smells. Tastes of ruby red grapefruit juice and underripe strawberries. Sours on the finish with an added note of dry wood. Pepe Le Pew.