Eylenbosch Kriek

Formerly brewed at Mort Subite (Alken-Maes / Scottish & Newcastle)
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Kobbegem, Belgium

Best Before 1993, 375mL bottle shared by Rastacouere at the Mondial Ratebeer tasting, 6/4/2005. Kriek cuvee speciale.
Tomato sauce colored beer, brownish-ruddy, light auburn tinges. Small white head recedes to ring providing light lacing (all the sugar they dumped in it, no doubt). Smells of sweet caramel and maraschino cherries, cider vinegar and a bit of yeast. Some actual sweet tomato sauce with honey in it. I guess that is the combination of sherry, sugar and cherries. Tastes massively sweet, with those maraschino cherries again. Some musty yeast flavor. No tart bret, no sour bacterias. Low, bubbly carbonation is gentle. Some cherry pit dryness, but it is barely noticeable. Watery. Maybe instead of Best Before, they should put Best after 2033, after which, hopefully, the sweetness will have come down another notch. So far this brewery is 0 for 2 in my book.

L’étiquette indique, à consommer de préférence avant 1993! Couleur orangée allant vers le brun terre, translucide. Peu de mousse blanche, pleinement diminuante. Nez de…jus de tomate dans le fond d’une canne de conserve! Le liquide est très madérisé, vieux miel asséché par le temps et sucré.. Pas vraiment de caractéristique sauvage, de ferme ou encore de Brettanomyce. Encore une petite touche de carbonatation de présente. Pour la science!

First off, thanks to Jeppe for this rarity. This shows best before 1993! I fear your bottle won’t be too good based on what I’ve tried. It looks orangey like the sunset with neglectable head. The nose and appearance both reminds of pineapple juice with suggestions of honey, must, vegetal tones, old cushions (I truly do mean it, more than any other aromas perhaps), old books, but SWEET and this kills it. Oldish dusty cherries are not far from gone completely. Palate is juicy and comprises more cherry character, but in a very sweet way with absent acidity. Oldish taste, lots of residual red licorice taste, pure old mousse over rocks, earthy and lightly oxidized Madeira notes. No carbonation left, just sweet juice.

Bottle of Kriek Cuvée Spéciale to consume before 1993; consumed in 2005. Should have listened to their warning.

The Lure:
Cherry tomatoes sitting in rust and dust. Cherries plunged in sticky sugar.

The Festivities:
Brown sugar dropped heavily in flat cherry juice. Dry on the gums, stale and overly sweet. As is now, it reveals it could not have been extraordinarily lambic-y in its youth.

Transcendence:
Can you really get enjoyment when visiting a torture museum?

(Bottle 25 cl) My version at 4,3% ABV. Reddish brown with a nice head. Cherry-aroma is not very dominant, which is a pity really. Rather dry - all the fruit-sugars must have fermented. Slight tartness - very refreshing. 280597

Keg @ Akkurat, Stockholm. 10 May 2005 Vintage 1989
This is a complex affair. Starts out with aroma of black cherries and it and the taste slowly developes into raisins, black currant, bitter almonds and leaves your mouth with a heavy kind of aftertaste. Surprisingly fresh for its age.

(samled draught at Akkurat, Stockholm. Vintage 1989) hazy reddish orange colour. Fresh natural fruity aroma of cherries, peaches, tea and vanilla. Fruity and sparkling flavour of cherries and vanilla. rather tart mouthfeel. fesh well-balanced finish with tart undertone.

Draught. Hazy orange, nice offwhite head. Fruity aroma, cherry, but also banana and peach. The cherry gets more obvious in the flavor. Sweetish and with a fruity cherry finish.