Cantillon Lou Pepe Pure Kriek

1999 edition
Aroma: cherry vingarette, very strong scents, sweet/tart aroma that fills the nose. cherry and gueze scents, cherry wood scents, black cherry juice, vanilla beans, and flowers
Appearance: bright red, semi-purple head, lacing
Flavor: deep, strong cherry flavors--similar to a cherry pie. floralness, tartness, brown sugar flavors, hibiscus flowers, and pineapple
Palate: very smooth, tart bite, great cherry aftertaste--like pie--very sweet
Overall: This one really blew me away--just fabulous!

The most beautiful beer. Deep clear ruby color with a little pink head to go along. The ever amazing geuze flavors of horsestble, hayloft and barnyard is complementes with cinnamon, clove, pepper, cherries and a complexity that keeps my nose in the glass forever. The taste completes the experience with matchin sourness and I want more

Glass: flute, tumbler Purchased at: OakTree BuyRite, South Plainfield, NJ (Thanks, Jason and Matt) Price: $22.99 Size: 25.4 fl oz ABV: 5 % IBU: n/a Estimated Calories: 300 C RateBeer Rating: 99 Aural: cork opening, but uneventful, beautiful, continuous carbonation, quiet, luscious pour Aroma 10 out of 10 Intensity: strong Balance: sharp Impression: nice Malt Aroma: sour Hops Aroma: wholly floral, rose, cinnamon, clove, Other Aroma: orange, cherry, lemon Notes: You have to be able to enjoy sour to get into a cherry behemoth like this. While it’s not my favorite style, I genuinely appreciate it when it’s done well. It’s done perfectly. Appearance 5 out of 5 Color: ruby Clarity: nearly opaque Head Retention: poor Lace: poor Notes: Very much like a sparkling wine, with great visual effects. Flavor 10 out of 10 Intensity: strong Balance: bitter Impression: nice Malt Flavor: sour Hops Flavor: rose, lemon, rind Other: cherry, plum, dates, raisin Notes: An absolutely overwhelming sourness and bitterness. Done with finesse and great care. Palate 5 out of 5 Mouthfeel Sensation: drying Body: full Carbonation: heavy Finish Length: long Intensity: strong Balance: bitter Notes: A dark, oaky, bitter finish and a very dry bite. delicious. General Impression: 19 out of 20 Craftmanship: excellent Freshness: fresh Personal Taste: liked very much. Notes: As I said, while this is not my go to style (luckily, since I couldn’t afford it) I definitely appreciate when it’s done well, and this is very well crafted. It demands to be sipped.

Rerate, after several tries of the second vintage: 4.9. Original at 5.0: #800 - Hey_Kevin brought this from the wilds of John's Grocery in Iowa City and I am indebted; he and his friend Frank and I had an excellent afternoon of sampling a couple of rare beers while watching the kids play with their new yo yo balls. On to the beer - incredibly rich cheesy horseblanket, the kind of oaky woodiness normally I only sense in Hanssen's and the most incredibly sour Schaarbeek cherries - a bit softer that Cantillon's regular Kriek, and slightly more sour than Oud Beersel Kriek, but just as complex. The Gueuze is limited to 120 (!) bottles, but this does not have a bottle number on it. The label says 1999, the cork indicates a bottling of 2001. Delicious, and utterly world class.

Thanks to, uh, me for sharing. Perfect cloudy cherry red body with a great pink head (that’s what she said..). The smell is of fantastic fresh cherries with great funk, sour, and sweet notes. Nice honey, bright dry hops, a slight mineral/iron note, and a strong vinegar tone. The taste is super dry, very acetic, fantastically funky and super sour. Cherries, raspberries, sulfur, mineral, vinegar, cranberries, bread, and an almost gingery, cinnamon spiciness. The irony aftertaste lingers for hours, and I love it. Oak, rubber, and barnyard notes appear as it warms. This is almost exactly what a kriek should taste like.