North By Northwest Kriek

Brewed by North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery
Style: Sour Ale
Austin, Texas USA

Big thanks to ThickFreakness. As I popped the cap I was very surprised to see the beer is filled almost all the way rim. The pour is again surprising because it comes out with a strong head that does not fade. It’s a pink-ish head that sits on a dark red colored body that has absolutely no clarity. The beer looks so thick with that body and so beautiful with the non-fading head. As I pour more the head grows and never subsides. One of the most beautiful beer I have ever seen. Aroma starts with a quick burst of sourness and brett cobwebs with a bretty sourness after that. Then comes a very fruity jam aroma, not just cherry but a mix of raspberries and other berries in a natural, prickly, farmers market, type of jam. With the first sip there is a nice cherry flavor, thick and natural. But right away comes a quick fizziness followed by a quick sharp burst of sourness. The sourness then relaxes into palate-spreading brettiness and finishes with a prickly sourness that sits in the back of the throat for a very long time. I am highly impressed with this offering, one of the most authentic American versions of lambic.
375 capped, green, unlabeled bottle. Cantillon short stemmed copita glass.

Draught at GABF 2008. Cloudy brown - offwhite head. Cherry, brown sugar, caramel, nice sourness, marzipan, wood, oak, tar, fantastic.

Draught. Low and quickly disappearing white fluffy head. Hazy dark brown body. Mild cherries aroma. Powerful and acidic cherries flavor with a low carbonation and a long sweet aftertaste.

500ml (?) unlabeled bottle. Very attractive pour. Dark, ruby/brown with a sticky pinkish/white head of decent retention leaving a good amount of sticky lace as it subsides. Tart cherry and sour yeast initially on the nose. A bit of sulfur as the beer opens up, but in an odd way, it’s rather interesting. Wet wood, tart and earthy cherry pits. Very expressive. Flavor matches the aroma save for the sulfur. Very tart and acidic. Lots of fruit skin tannin up front and lots of tannic barrel on the back. Vanilla, wet oak, plenty of earthiness, apple cider vinegar, a touch of balsamic all with a huge tart cherry overtone. There is cherry all over this one but it reamins in check and never becomes sticky or cloying. Medium to full bodied, a slight lactic creaminess on the back of the tongue all with a rather brash, acidic and wholly surprisingly long finish. Excellent beer. Thanks for the awesome treat Ken!

Tap at brewpub.
Pours crimson brown with a dazzling nose of solid dark cherry. Flavor is oaky cherry syrup that leaves a lingering film on the palat. Lacks the sour of a sour ale, but the taste makes you forget. The only tasty brew this place makes.

Draft at the brewpub. Pours murky reddish brown with no head. Aroma of musty funky cherries with some caramel and cereal malt as well. Flavor is musty, slightly sweet and tart cherries with a slick lactic feel and slight cerealness. Oaky dry body. Pretty decent.

Multiple samples at GABF. Poured a murky reddish-brown color with a thin beige head. Aroma of tart cherries, some very light caramel, a bit of barnyard, and some funky yeast. Smooth, moderately tart entry with some tart cherry, a bit of barnyard funkiness and some lacto-yeastiness, finishing with a bit of oakiness that adds some dryness. Like others have mentioned, not cloyingly sweet like some other beers, but the sourness is pretty subdued. Overall, a solid beer.

Ooooh what a great sour aroma. Wow. The flavor matches the aroma. Lots of sweetness and some sourness. Dark red amber. Excellent. Another one of my favorites. 2 samples.