Hanssens Oude Kriek

Brewed by Hanssens Artisanaal
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Dworp, Belgium

375ml Bottle $5.99 Sam’s Marcey Hanssen’s Oude Kriek opens with a healthy POP! Pours like cranberry juice, with a slight haze, into my flute a still liquid. There’s an occasional large carbonation bubble rising to the surface but that’s few and far between. A minimal white bubbly head formed on the pour but quickly fell to a tiny micro bubble ring around the glass. Looks refreshing. I’m really digging the aroma on this one. A little earthy with a touch of funk upfront that quickly segues into tart cherries. There’s a hint of sweetness but it’s well in the rear. This lambic certainly focuses more on the tartness than some other available lambics and I salute Hanssens for that. Solid respectable tartness right upfront makes me pucker immediately. The sourness is in check though and combines with a touch of sweetness on the swallow. There’s some earthiness but it stays in the background and lets the tart cherries take the lead without being overbearing. This lambic is all at once spritzy, sour, tart, light bodied and most importantly, refreshing. This lambic finishes bone dry and leaves you wanting more. Although I’m dry on the swallow there’s a residual cherriness that lingers long after. This is without a doubt an easy drinker. Like I said before it’s very refreshing. This 375ml is enough for me in one sitting but that’s because there’s only so much sour I can drink at any given moment. Although I’m not very well traveled when it comes to lambics this is, without a doubt, an enjoyable drinker. Whether this is a world class cherry lambic, I have yet to see but the journey should be an enjoyable one. 2/15/08

Bottle purchased at Liquor Max in Loveland, CO. Pours clear ruby with a small, frothy, off-white (pink) head, somewhat diminishing with spare lacing. Aroma is average malt (hay, straw), average hops (flowers, grass), average yeast (earth) with notes of cherry. Medium bodied, thin texture, soft carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, light sweetness, heavy acidity and bitterness.

Bottle (375ml). I wish I would’ve noted the vintage on this, it’s at least a year or two old but I honestly have no idea, it could be more. Pours a slightly hazy amber-red with practically no head. Aroma’s funky along with wood, sour cherry and citrus. Sour flavour of lemons, tart fruit, yeast, wood and white wine. A bit of sweetness hidden in there. Dry finish with what I swear tastes like pepper. Flat mouthfeel yet also acidic, medium bodied. This is one sour, funky mo-fo, it’s hurting my teeth! Still, it’s a pretty good one.

2003 shared by EDA (thanks, man!) - hazy red/brown w/lasting lace - the aroma is sweet and tart in equal measure, with light cheesy funk, leather, and cherry pits - light acidity and briny flavor, with a cherry sweetness to balance it - hints of oak and very mild blue cheese - acidity starts to get a little strong, but this is wonderfully balanced.

Bottle, 2003 vintage, thanks EDA. Reddish orange pour. Aroma is barnyard funky cherry skins. Flavor is tart cherry, but also rich and sweet cherry flavor. Good palate, nicely boozy.

1.5L bottle of 2003 vintage generously shared by eyedrinkale. Deep pink colour topped by fine white lace. The aroma is loaded with funktastic sourness. Barnyard, earth, citric tartness and loads of delicious stinkiness. A bit of cherry in the nose but it really picks up in the mouth. Funky, leathery sourness, lots of cherry and sourness. Creamy soft palate. Mmmm, delicious.

Cloudy red with fast dissapering pink head. Stron acidic aroma of wood, leather, barn yard, horseblanket and lost of sour cheeries. Flavour is very sour and finish is long and sour. You really feel clean and refreshed after this.

Huge funk tart aroma, barnyard,old socks, brett and lacto absolutely dominating here, taste is monsterous barnyard, tartness, some cheese, hard to distinguish that this tartness and sourness is actually cherry, pretty amazing stuff. There’s no way 10 years ago I would have taken more then a sip of this,probaly would have said it tastes like baby vomit, now its a joy to sip on