De Ranke Kriek

Brewed by Brouwerij De Ranke
Style: Sour Ale
Dottignies/Dottenijs, Belgium

Bottled. Red colour, small white head. Sour cherry flavour and aroma. Very dry finish. Hides it’s ABV well.

Good till 2015. Quick fading head, more red than pink. Aroma more strawberry than cherry. Intense flavour, acidic, above-average carbonation. Sourness, but not mouth puckering, very drinkable.

Nice faded red color. Sour but not overly sour nose. Zero head. Tart cherry/rasberry flavors but not too much so. A nice balance between drinkablilty & sourness. Dry palate but still thirst quenching & refreshing. I really like this. If I could get it here, it would go into the regular rotation.

For those who are wondering, this is a mixture of 30% Girardin lambic, 35% Sour Pale Ale and 35%, new, unhopped pale ale. Of course this information comes directly from Shelton Brothers wesbite, which I would recommend you read if you are wondering how this beer is produced. The brewers really want this to resemble traditional Kriek lambic, and in many ways they succeeded. Unfortunately its not nearly as wood influenced as lambic (although it is corky) and it’s maliciously sour (maybe even too much so, dare I say it), hiding subtle nuances. Lightly vinous, with a fairly light sour cherry influence. Gentle aroma, with a cherry red color and low carbonation.

2004 bottle consumed July 2005. Light strawberry to deep, blood-red color as the pour progresses and more sediment is added. Good-sized head with light whisps of lacing. Smells of tart yeast, cherry medicine (dry), black pepper and a merlot-shiraz mix. Flavor is black chery meat, sour cherry skins, lots of cherry medicine and black pepper. Light vinousness and very yeasty, but dry and lightly tart throughout. Tingly carbonation carries a spiciness all over the palate. Just really well-done and drinkable. Low acidity hits the back of the mouth. Retronasal hops?? Very earthy and leafy, if that’s really what it is. Medium to medium-full body. I drank this bottle over the course of 2 weeks (stuffing the cork back in between sessions) and it was flat, but not anywhere near thin or watery. Really interesting beer, I find myself falling somewhat short of being able to describe it as well as I would like.

Lovely ruby red color. A cherry aroma comes up immediately after opening the bottle (bottled nov. ’03, # 5). In the aroma not only cherry and cherry pits, but also dusty and vinous, like old Oud Zottegems Kriek. Sour flavor, with oak, cherry, cherry pits, almond, citrus, even chewing gum. Absolutely "brut" and a bit thin. Very well made cherry flavored Flemish sour, in the best tradition of this almost disappeared ale.

Bottled @ GBBF 2005: Red coloured. Unclear. Not much head. Sweetish cherry aroma with a light sour touch. Flavour is dry and fruity and has a fresh sourness thats very cleansing. Has a light sweet cherrysourness in the end thats perfectly balanced. Has a very high drinkability. One to search for.

Bottle - GBBF 2005. A rich vivrant red coloured beer with a sour farmyard cheesy almost lambic like dry aroma. The taste is beautiful. Full flavours featuring rich sour fruits and more lambic qualities. A truly great beer which I could happily drink time after time.