Kasteel Kriek

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck
Style: Fruit Beer
Ingelmunster, Belgium

Everything about this beer is distinct. It looks like Roddy Grand Cru in the goblet, but with a nice frothy head. Smells like a cherry soda, and tastes like a soft microbrewed cherry soft drink. Mouthfeel is thick and delicious like a homebrewed soda pop. Finish is dry with a strange bitterness. This is the only beer I’ve had at 8% that is actually quite easy to chug.

Bottled as "Kasteel Rouge", 33 cl (BB 05/2009)
Dark ruby/cherry red color, small red-pinky head. Deep cherry juice aroma with alcholic notes. Acidic cherry juice, strong warming alcohol in the finish. Less sweetness than in many cherry beers. Kriek on drugs. Simple but straightforward.

God øl, smagte den på Delirium Cafe fra fad. Smager sødt, og meget af kirsebær

Bottle. The pour is a clear, fairly dark ruby with a somewhat skin tone pink head. The aroma, strangely enough, reminds me of the fruit scent most commonly noticed in those immaculate bathrooms you walk into when visiting a wealthy individual. The aroma is pleasantly "round" in sweetness with a very subtle tartness to it. ("Round" as opposed to sharp aromas.) The initial flavour is pretty much a cherry juice. As the brew sits on the tongue for a little longer, tart and bitterness begin to slowly escalate but stops short of its overall sweetness. The light tart and bitter bite gives the finish some mild dryness. Generally sharper notes in the flavour tend to outlast the "rounder" ones. But since the sharper notes in this one is just so subdued, the sweetness actually persists as long, and at times longer, than the tart bitterness. This is pretty good. But what would really make this shine in my would be more tart. Granted, I love these kinds of beers extremely tart, but for this one, I think just a hint more would be fantastic... at least enough tart to match its sweetness.

On tap at Max’s. Brown with a red tint and a white head. Very strong cherry aroma. Not a bad taste. Very sweet with cherries and a sour finish. Intense and not too complex. Not bad, but a bit too syrupy for me. Needs more of a balance.

2007 Vintage ~ Happy Valentine’s Day!

2/14/2008: Kasteel Rouge is the color of a cranberry’s skin and has a fluffy rouge-colored head. The aroma has sour cherry, some artificial cherry, and a hint of that lambic-like funk. The first sip is sweet like a cherry sucker with a bit of alcohol/cough syrup flavor in the finish. However, the next sip and those in sucsession start to reveal more of the nuances of this beer such as a real, sourish cherry flavor, some tartness, and hints of that funky lambic-like quality. This beer is generously carbontated, but not fizzy. It has a medium-light body and is quite tasty. I got this for my wife for Valentine’s Day and she did enjoy it. It isn’t as good or complex as the <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/new-glarus-belgi Glarus Belgian Red that she loves so much, but at least I can buy this one in the area and it isn’t too terribly expensive!

1 pt 9.5 fl.oz. bottle (Alc. 8% by Vol. ~ Bottled on: 070416) recommended by tish and purchased at The Party Source in Bellevue, Kentucky . Rating #199 for this beer...

Pours red with a fine, pink head. Aroma is sweet, with a strong aroma of cherry. Mouth feel is moderate with a lot of bubbly tingles. Flavor is very moderately sweet cherry.

Bottled. Rubyish brown colour with a small pinkish head. Aroma is rather sweet cherries, but at the same time some mild sour notes lurking in the background. Quite real cherries in both aroma and flavour. Except for cherries the flavour also has some sweet malts and only slight sour notes. More a sweet cherry beer than sour one, making it very refreshing.