Girardin Kriek

Brewed by Brouwerij Girardin
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Sint Ulriks-Kapelle, Belgium

Bottle 37,5 cl at Locus Publicus, Delft. Pours a medium dark red with a nice pink head and a nice, very rich aroma of ripe red fruits and citrus. The flavor is very well-balanced compared to most popular lambics, this has only the natural sweetness of the cherries. The finish is a great mixture of sweetness and sourness. A very good lambic.

I found that the Girardin Kriek sat on the fence, not wanting to fully commit to its sourness. Having said that though, it’s not sweet. It’s between sweet and sour. For me to rate this higher it would need more intensity too. I almost thought it bland in comparison to other krieks I’ve had. Because my review does not seem to reflect the consensus of accolades, I will gladly revisit this kriek in the future.

Pours dark red with fantastic pink head. Sweet and sour aroma that holds cherries. Flavor has lovely natural cherries and the balance is perfect. Should it be more sour? I’m not sure. Very drinkable.

Bottle at Beermania in Brussels. Cellar temp. Been looking for this one for a while. I don’t know if they’ve ever imported into into the US (though I suspect they may have with >100 ratings), but I wish they would. Full cherry, walnut aroma, opens up a lot as it breathes. Very gentle palate, lightly sour, good cherry. A bit of the hard water thing, but very tasty none-the-less. Not too complex or that sour but still a lovely drink, especially at 3€ a bottle.

Bottle shared with and courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a murky copper-pink with a large diminishing pinkish-white head. Nice aroma of tart cherries, some sourness, funky yeast, spices and oak -- quite nice. Very dry flavour of tart cherries, white wine, some fruity sweetness and a bitter finish. Medium bodied, sticky mouthfeel. Quite good, I wasn’t disappointed.

Bottle (250ml). Shared with blankboy, my bottle courtesy of the crazy-generous biegaman!. Label imprinted "OKT07." Thick, murky deep ruby pour, average off-white head. Oh my fuck that smells nice - sour cherry, sweet caramel malt, funk for days, waves of yeast, spice - man, this even SMELLS thick. The taste is a little more straightforward - fresh sour cherries in their own broth, some lemon juice and lighter spice/yeast - thinner and less funky than I thought, but still damn fine Kriek - so cloyingness here! Average sticky body, mild acidity, somewhat sour tacky aftertaste. Damn fine. DAMN fine.

Thanks again boboski!!! Pours a ruby red-brown, but the head formation and retention is awesome, seemingly lasts for an eternity. Aroma is cherry, yeasty funy goodness, and even a hint of bitter almond. The flavor is not as tart as I thought it would be, there are hints of sweetness, but a completely unadulturated fruit sweetness, one in which the essence of the orchard is not compromised.

Tart and bitter kriek lambic. Less effervescent than some lambics, but still fully carbonated. Dry and sweet, finishes with a wine-like vinegar sourness. A really nice lambic.