Girardin Kriekenlambik

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

(Draught at Akkurat, Stockholm) Colour is deep red, like a red wine, very little head and almost still. Nose is fruity and nutty with a fresh cherry character, well balanced. Taste is fruity with cherries and almonds, very good balance between the sourness and the slightly sweetish fruitiness. Very drinkable, with a lovely cherry character.

Draught. Rich ruby-brown coloured body with a large pink/red head. The aroma is ridiiculous - no end to the waft of tart ripe cherries and there are some lactic properties. The carbonation is lively and there are flavours of cherry though not typically tart - they are more of the sweet variety to start and then some sharp tingly tartness in the ending. The carbonation appears to be distracting and there isn’t a whole lot of wheat funkiness. Sampled at Centrum in Beersel on May 11, 2006.

(Draught at Akkurat, Stockholm 27 April) – Super clear deep red/Bordeaux, big bubbled small beautiful pink head; Medium sized very, very pleasant nose (it is actually way to pleasant, I could sit with this beer under my nose forever), it is deep, but could be a little more complex: Loads of cherry, dark overripe ones, but also the sweet part of the not yet ripe ones, marzipan from the pit and some yoghurt (both sweet and sour); Very pleasant, super balanced body that is just a very little sour, feels quite full; it continues into a very long finish, that again is super full of cherry, but lacks a little complexity. To me the cherry overpowers the lambic character a little to much, and makes this beer almost to easy to drink (if that is possible). To comment Lachesis: This beer is as drinkable as a Vosne Romanée, but it lacks complexity to be at those heights. I guess it is filtered and maybe it would help out if it wasn’t ( at least that is the case with a Vosne Romanée)

Draft. Ruby body with a small tanned head. Nose is cherry, light barnyard, and has a mild tartness. Taste is slight sour cherry, light leather, mild vinegar, light barnyard and some relaxed woodiness. Body is bubbly and tart with light acidity. Finishes with blacck cherries, sour fruits, light wood and mild barnyard notes.

Faint hazy beer with the color of blood-oranges. It is a flat beer that gives a small pink head when it is poured vigorously. The smell is very complex and refreshing. It has aroma’s of cherries, blood-oranges, tropical fruits like kiwi and unripe mango’s. In the second fase the more earthy accents are coming up. Aroma’s of barnyard, wet wood, wet hay and touches of sour yoghurt. The taste is crisp and dry with a tremendous complexity of sour red berries, sour apples and rubarbe. The cherry-tart and the woodyness brings some roundness and structure in this very original brew. The afthertaste is like havig a sample of a young Bourgundy wine from the cask. Is this the Vosne Romanée of beers? To me it is. Great stuff, at best when served straight from the cask.

Draught, Beersel, Hotel Centrum, May 2005. Head is initially average sized, frothy, pink, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy medium/dark red. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), lightly yeasty (barnyard), with a strong note of cherry. Flavor is heavily sweet, moderately acidic. Finish is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly astringent. Much too sweet and simple IMHO.

Sampled at Ølbutikken: Red coloured. A quite nice concentration of cherries in the flavour. Not sour at all. Extremely refreshing. Smooth and easy to drink.

Flat red, with some pink suds. Fresh cherry, mild berry and citrus in the nose. Flavour is juicy cherry yet not too tart/sour. Dry in finish with some woody flavours coming trough. Medium, very refreshing body.