Liefmans Gluhkriek

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

Draft. Absolutley beautiful redish brown body with a 1/8 inch dense head-looks gorgeous in the flute. Nose-tart dry cherries, smells like a cherry cobbler-tart cherries and bready. Taste-not very sour at all, cherry, all kinds of berries, absolutley perfect amount of cherry flavor complemented by a great crusty/breadiness. Gives way to a slightly (but not to bad) cherry cough drop (like a Ludens) flavor. Some choclate comes out in the end making the entire thing taste like a choclate covered herry. beautiful crafted and executed.

Various samples served mulled, room temperature and chilled, all with varying but very tasty results. Pours hazy crimson with muddy brown hues. No head forms though minimal carbonation is visible. Room temperature and mulled samples reveal complex spicing of wood, cloves, Autumnal potpourri and pepper. Cherry character is moderate, aged, tart, vinous and lacking any artificial or sweetened components. Cooled samples mask spicing somewhat and allow further analysis of the lovely cherry nectar. Earthiness and very well concealed alcohol in all serving settings. The flavor is spicier and more satisfying the warmer this is served, more woody and more balanced. A cooler glass does seem more refreshing but lacks the depth of complexity found in a cold climate-suited mulled serving. In all sampes, sweetness is mild to moderate, bitterness nearly nil, alcohol well concealed with no noticeable warmth, acidity is medium-high, no astringency is noted even though there is a substantial lip-smacking sticky tartness. The finish is sweeter and drys slowly, imparting signifigant tartness and leaving lovely spices lingering. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, very lowly carbonated and satisfying, very smooth and well crafted. Delicious. Of the many variations and interesting interpretations of Glühwein in the beer world, this is the best.

Dark, hazy redish brown with no head. Spicy, fruity with some sweet notes. Malt, cherry and a lot of spices ! Nice bitter sweet aftertase.

Date: 09/03/2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ziggy’s, Chattanooga

dark red, headless, almost no carbonation,tart sour cherry aroma, big cherry flavor, very rich, a bit of sweetness well balanced by the tartness, all cherry but kept in check, more like a cherry wine

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Score: **+/4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

From my fall 2006 notebook. Dark red color with sweet cherry aroma. Very sweet cherry body with a watery finish.

Bottle (drank cool): Deep ruby-amber coloured, small lacing head; sweet cherries, almonds and "Glühwein"-spices (cinnamon, kardamom etc.) in the nose; very sweet, almost cloying, flavour, only a bit sourish, medium bodied; very sweet - again - finish with a tinge of tartness, a touch of marzipan and cinnamon in the aftertaste. Hardly drinkable........

Bottlre. Short and quickly disappearing pink head. Hazy dark ruby body. Distiinctive and powerful cherries aroma with a bit prunes or plums as well. Very sweet and sugary cherries flavor. Would have preferred some bitterness.

Hazy brown-reddish hue, with no head at all, sweet malty, with a cherry, pruney fruity nose, with a sweet and sour iron-like oxidation, oakiness accent, with some nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon spicy notes in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a malty, sweet black cherryish fruity character, with a pruney accent, some cloves and cinnamon spiciness, a subtle tartness, sweet and sour notes, with a woody oakiness, leading towards a malty, fruity iron cherryish finish.