Hanssens Oude Kriek

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

Bottled. A flat pinky red coloured lambic. The aroma is everything you expect; funky woody characters together with sour acidic fruit notes. The taste is also wonderfully puckering; lovely acidic sour fruits with very noticeable twig characters. Not over fruity and not over sour, but very nicely balanced.Score 3.8
Subsequent rating scored 4.1. Average becomes 3.9

Old 1980s bottle (ca. 1987) with a pink trait in lieu of label. Red copper in colour, rusty, with a beige head. Notes of cherry, horseblanket and lactic acid. Smoooooth! Not harsh at all, all in softness, welll blended with soft sweetness of cherries, and light acidic points. Was told this was sweetended with sachharin. Bottle shared with Joris, Ursel, May 2 2005. A big dank u!

nasty, nasty, nasty I tried, and I just don’t get it. what is the appeal of Krieks? they are sour and offensive. I poured a Cantillion down the drain and thought I’d try one more. Never again

The master of a craft acquires his title through toil and strain. He probably sacrificed a finger or two in the process, alongside a few hits to his pride. But in the end, after years of dedication, he gains recognition for his superior skill in an art. At that crowning, glorious time he is probably the only one who remembers the nadirs of his career – the few blemishes that can mar a well earned reputation. Well, I remember one slip-up by Hanssens, and it’s their Oude Kriek. I acknowledge them as a skilled brewery with many devotees who’d quickly see my criticism effaced from this site, but I cannot agree with the predominant opinion of this liquid laceration. Let me begin by bemoaning the terrible palate; no foam, hardly any carbonation, simply nothing for your tongue to bed around. A drink with a pungent pucker should seek balance in a full and frothy mouth feel. Not here. Your tongue is left defenseless, thrashed by the tart, and your tonsils (if you still have them) are veritably dissolved. Perhaps I could forgive the Oude Kriek if there was a good flavor to temper the bladed sourness, but all I can find are unripe cherries. Sour cherries are one flavor, unripe ones are another. It’s a travesty that such an engaging drink would engage me in a minatory manner, and that the complexity and distinct traits of a Lambic would be simplified to a monotonous barrage of tart, but that seems to be the case. I’ll await the next generation from Hanssens, because every good artisan improves from his shortcomings. That’s part of the job.

Bottle. Light almandine body-as if the colors red and brown were perfectly mixed. No head whatsoever. Nose-beautiful funk and sour. Taste-perfect sourness, tartness that is very sharp, very light on the fruit flavor, spicy, peppery, a very small amount of wood. Hanssens Kriek has the sourness that the regular Oude Geuze lacks. Very sour and tart in all the right ways. Good dusty funkiness. Nearly perfectly done. A masterpiece. Loses a few points because it is just slightly thin.

75cl bottle Aroma: burnt, chemically sour, gall, bitter and musty, berryishly fruity, almond and cherries, acrid, liquorice. Red like candy w/ a white-beige small head. Yellow tone. Taste is sour, bitter and acrid. Light carbonation, majestic and smooth.

(Bottle 37,5cl) Beautiful copper/amber color, with a white non-stable head. Plesant sourness, with notes of vinegar and cherries. Very enjoyable..

Bottle from Beers of Europe. Pinkish amber with dissipating head. Aroma of cherry, wood, horseblanket, barnyard. Lovely tart & sweetish taste. Acidic finish with slightly sweetish note. Excellent.