Cascade Kriek Ale

Brewed by Cascade Brewing @ Raccoon Lodge
Style: Sour Ale
Portland, Oregon USA

Bottle from bvc. Cage is marked with a ’K’ (assume for ’Kriek’ as Brandon got this unlabeled direct from the brewery) and ’11/8’, so assume this is a 2008 vintage. Had a small sample @ GABF09 and really wanted to try more. Pours a really inviting dirty red/pink with a light beige head. Nose is fantastic -musty earth and light tart vinegar. Flavor is the sour, lambic-esque profile up front, with some red apples. Quickly followed by really, really well integrated cherry and dusty earth flavors with a touch of yeasty funk in there as well. Perfectly carbonated and extremely balanced cherry sweetness with the tart flavors. Defintely my favorite Kriek-style beer. Thanks a ton, Brandon, this one was a winner.

750 ml bottle shared with the lovely Angelina in the Catskill Mountains. Pours a pinkish red with a foamy light pink creamy beige head. Aroma of apple cidervinegar, funk and tart cherries. Taste of apple cider vinegar, funk, cherries and wine. Tarty and sour aftertaste.

Bouteille de 750 ml partagée lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal chez Altair. Arôme: Légère odeur de cerises sûrettes. Apparence: La couleur est rouge. Présence d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Léger goût de cerises sûrettes avec une pointe de canelle. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement vineuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût légèrement sûrette. (Rating #2706)

Bottle 750 ml Vintage 2008 8.1%
Appearance: mid brownish look , mid haze with above average top with light tan. Some lace. 3+
Nose: sour tartness , straight earthy feel , smooth and clean. Organic soil at finish. 7+
Flavor/Palate : Frontal sourness with hints of cinnamon , sour cherry followed by sweater fruity hints. Finishing with touch of alcohol. Hints of oak around with bit wood. Fairly complex brew.

really liked this nice beige head amberish color with lotsa sediment haze. nose is funky cherry and barnyard, flavor is definite flanders ale but ohh sooo good.

Bottle from Boston town. A well done Flanders Red, sourish with good cherry taste, always well malted. Good to share, as even a third of the bottle is a bunch of sourness. Dark reddish colour and spider lacey Above average mouthfeel. Good nose. A tad funky sweaty taste in there.

Dark garnet color, medium collapsing light brown head. Acetic aroma, wet wood, very ripe fruit. Medium sourness, cherries and cherry pits. Low vinegar levels. Quite fruity. That cherry pit bitterness in the middle. Well made and quite tasty. And a bargain at $10 a bottle. Final thoughts, this seems more a toned down kriek lambic than a Flemish red. Regardless, it’s very good.

My Bottom Line:
Authentic sour cherries bloom over and within this Sour Ale’s dusty wilderness, creating a classy and very drinkable nectar which made me want to lick my gums after every sip.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam covers the cloudy red.
-I don’t recall smelling sour cherries so neatly in a beer. And on top of that, they are perfectly integrated to the final product.
-The soft but effervescent bubbling makes the mouthfeel even more elegant. The dextrins are also very well calculated.
-Citrusy tartness is long but never overpowering.

Bottle.