Liefmans Gluhkriek

Brewed by Liefmans (Moortgat)
Style: Fruit Beer
Oudenaarde, Belgium

A Mes rate: Sim just said to me "don’t let your beer go cold!" Worth it for the amusement value alone. But it is so so much better than that. I really adore this stuff. Cinnamon and cherries and sugar dominate everything but in a fantastic way all round. Has a wonderful spritzy palate too. Deep blood red ale looks and very heavy lacing as you would probably expect seeing as it’s served hot. I could drink this on a cold winter morning. Great great great!

Vintage 2003 Bottle: Reddish-brown and nigh unto headless, this has an interesting, enjoyable aroma akin to Smith Brother coough drops spiced with nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon, and other spices. It’s somewhat sour to drink, but the spices and alcohol balance it all out. This is basically a seasoned sour brewed with cherries, and it’s quite good.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve Fest at Delilah’s, Chicago, IL 06/04/2005<font size=-1>

Bought this year but the cork said 1998. I mulled it for the tasting. From the 33cl bottle. Pours a hazy, opaque reddish-brown. No head very still. Smell is spicy and sweet. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and tart cheries. maybe hints of alcohol. Taste mirrors the smell. Spicy and sweet. Cinnamon and nutmeg underpinned with ginger and clove. A light chery tartness on the tongue and quite sour on the back of the throat which makes for a nice balance. Medium bodied and sweet but not sticky. really tasty warm, not so hot (pardon the pun) as it cools. Definitely shines when warmed properly. I probably could have heated it longer. A good winter beer that I had not had in about 10 years. It was too long!

Served this gem up at room temperature, not game enough to heat it up, and poured it into a Gouden Carolus stem-glass. The body, a deep hazy and congealed looking orangey-brown, with yeast particles dropping swiftly to the base of the glass. Little to no head, due to the very light carbonation. Strong, almost overwhelming cherry, plum and vinous aroma with an underlying peppery spice. Aroma continues to waft from the glass as you down it. Treacly thick across the palate, little carbonation at all gives it a port feel, and it has a similar warming, long port-like swallow that belies it’s ABV. Very fruity in the mouth, lightly acidic (lactic), medicinal and quite tart in the back. Big whack of cherries on the tongue, fresh and aged, concentrated and dessert-style sweet. Balanced throughout, mellowing and pleasantly, well rounded in it’s strong aroma and flavour. I think this is as close to wine as a beer will ever get. Turned out to be an absolute treat and another classic for the Liefman’s range. Lovely!!!

Sweet cherry malt aroma. Dark red brown clear colour with no head. OH MY GOD! Sweet cheryy flavour. Not my cup of tea. Flat palate.

Aroma: cinamon, cherry and lots of mustiness. Apperance: lightly cloudy red with a hint of brown and NO HEAD. Flavour: rich sweetness lots of sauciness (ketchup) and heaps of spice. Some sweet cherry notes. Palate: reasonably carbonated medium mouthfeel and lingering sharpness, lingering spice and cidery notes in the aftertaste.

(Hot) Red hazy coloured, big head fastly disappears. Vinous, sweet spicy aroma (clove, cinnamon), fruity. Taste is vinous, sweet, light fruity tartness, less spicy than aroma.

Room temperature: Pours muddy brown with a small thin tan head. Heavy spicy aroma dominated by cinnamon and clove with a nice note of cherry. Very delicious and almost warming. Sourish cherry flavor with a fine spice note and a long dry tart finish. Very christmas-like and tasty. What a nice surprise!

Hot: Different aroma, more like red-wine or gløgg [mulled wine containing raisins and almonds]. The spices are more recessed. Flavor reminds me a lot of a mild gløgg - fruity and spicy - nice and warming. Very enjoyable and one I will definately drink more of next christmas!