Flossmoor Station De Zuidentrein Kriek

On tap at the Great Taste of the Midwest (8/9/08): Pours a hazy copper amber with a frothy light tan head. Aroma of lightly sweet dark caramel and cherry fruity nose with a touch of tartness. Body starts lightly sweet and tart fruity with a smooth balance of sweet and tart in the finish. A pretty nice kriek.

(Draught) Pours a murky amber-brown body with a moderate off-white head. Aroma of sour cherries, lacto, earthiness, and sharp cheese notes. Flavor of sour cherry, earth, and oak.

Served at a tasting at Flossmoor 8/23/08. Ruddy brown with hints of red against the light. Very little head. Very tart cherry a bit sour. Sweet fruit flavor on a nice malt boddy, good. Fairly light bodied.

Date: 08/09/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Great Taste

Appearance: muddy amber, frothy off white head,
Aroma: sweet and tart cherry aroma,
Flavor: rich malt flavor, cherry sweetness is perfecly balanced by the cherry tartness,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

on tap at GTMW ’08. pours a rusted amber with white head. nose is a bit chardonnay esque, tart white grapes, spritzy cherries, highly drinkable.

Great Taste 2008. How does this beer score only a 3.5 on our site? That’s insane! This has all the complexity and then some of New Glarus’ Belgian Red. Oh well. Onto the beer, notes of sour cherry and cherry pie filling lead into apple pie spices, plum, and Rainier cherry. Finish is fig and date with an oak and funkiness that reminded me of the best of the Jolly Pumpkin beers. Great stuff from Flossmoor once again.

Great Taste of the Midwest 2008

Another highly anticipated release after hearing about it on the site this was circled the minute I walked in the gate. I waited patiently until 2:34 and then got my pour. It wasn’t the best beer of the day but it was a refreshing change from bourbon barrel aged high alcohol beers. Somehow it was smooth even at the purported 12%.

Aroma / Appearance - The reddish brown body let only a trickle of light through and slowed the rest to a crawl. A thick stark white head was the perfect contrast. Cherries and the sugar residue at the bottom of a bag of Sour Patch Kids formed the meat of the aroma which was tart without being overwhelming. Not very complex I enjoyed it anyways.

Flavor / Palate - Tart cherries washed over the tongue pulling along most of the moisture in the process. It reminded me of a more intense Belgian Red. Sweet yet sour it might be the beer equivalent of the contrast you find in sweet and sour Chinese. Very balanced and drinkable the only real flaw was the mildness of the intensity. Ratchet it up two more notches and you would strike a nice balance between Belgian Red and La Folie.

On tap at Flossmoor Station and served in a snifter. This beer poured a slightly cloudy mahogany/red with a few golden highlights and a thin, whispy head of off-white foam. Surprisingly good lacing was left behind. The aroma of the beer was made up of light cherries, wood, and a slight vinous note. The flavor was mellow cherries, pears, and lightly acidic. I was hoping for more of the sour cherries to show up. The mouthfeel was crisp and medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. Fairly subtle and straightforward, but still a decent brew. Not nearly as tasty as the De Zuidentrein Frambozenbier.