Valley Brew Aud Dubbel Kriek

Formerly brewed at Valley Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Stockton, California USA

Bottled. An unclear dark amber beer with a thin beige head. The aroma is sweet with strong notes of over ripe fruits as well as some herbal notes. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of caramel and light notes of cherries. The mouthfeel is quite dry. Not as good as I’d expected, but thanks to Papso for sharing.

2004 bottle, very generously provided by KrausenJockey. Drunk on 3/2/07
Perfect color for a dubbel. Auburn-chestnut with black cherry hues and some duller beiges. The beer is sparklingly clear, with bubbles clinging to the glass and tiny bubbles rising constantly. Beige-off-white head is small, receding steadily to partial cover.
Extremely enticing aroma is subtle and dark. Cherry pit spiciness, with sweet, black cherry meatiness is wonderfully fresh and authentic. Just like ripe fruit. Malt smells thick and very nicely extracted, with lots of chewy English toffee and very light chocolate-covered caramels that complement the zesty cherry notes perfectly. Sweet vanilla and light honey sit pleasingly in the background, adding another layer of malt complexity. Nice strength of aroma too, with no alcohol or flaws.
Ok, I can’t hold off drinking it any longer....Damn. Beautifully-aged medium and dark malts provide a touch of tobacco, dark chocolate with toffee and sherry. Cherries are perfectly done, this definitely is a dubbel not a cherry beer with a touch of Belgian character. Wow, where to go next? How about the esters and phenols? Really well-integrated in to the flavor, with very light cinnamon, black pepper, cherries, strawberries, banana and light vanilla. It balances the choco-caramel sweetness and leaves a light tingle on the finish. Spicy cherry character joins the mix with a bit of fruit tannin-like tart/dryness. All the while, there is a lightly chewy malt texture that never allows any wateriness or thinning. Light alcohol warmth on the end further helps dry things and you get the best of both worlds (sweet malt up front, chewy, malty texture, with a dry, spicy, warm finish).
Thank you so much for letting me try this, Steve (hint: make more of this!).
My 100th fruit beer and a damned fine one!

Well-aged bottle a gift from aspidites; Thanks Mike! Nose of cherries, roasty malt, with a very slight alcohol note; dark cherry red with a small pinkish-beige head; Roasted malt flavor with a hint of smoke, cherries, and yeast, in a medium body with a small tart and alcohol finish. Pretty big beer for a fruit beer!

Bottle courtesy of DaveCooks: Ruby mahogany color with a thin, wispy light tan head. Aroma of sweet lightly-toasty dark biscuity malt, some medicinal cherries and Belgian yeast. Body starts with a full semi-sweet earthy maltiness with a touch of cherry fruitiness and a thin, authentic Belgian yeasty finish. An interesting and enjoyable brew.

Poured a mostly clear dark brown color with a small off-white head. Aroma of candy cherry with light alcohol notes. Smells like cherry cough medicine but with out the medicine part. Does that make sense? Malty flavor with sweet candy cherries and an acidic finish.

Bottle. Mahogony with a bit more red and a thin light brown head. Rich maty and cheery aroma. Malty/fruity (cherry) flavor. Full bodied with lingering fruitiness. Refreshing more than anything else. Lacks complexity and can’t pick up on a lot of Belgian influence - seems tobe more a brown refermented with cherries.

Pours cloudy brown, with a small, tan head. Aromas are cherries, malt, and other fruit. flavors are cherrries, other fruits, and malt. Body is a little too thin, with a dry ending. An interesting take on a fruit beer. Thanks to Davecooks for this bottle.

Bottled. Pours murky brown with a small tan head. Aroma is cherries and bread. Favor is primarily cherries but also has a bit of a ’plum-like’ note to it as well. Malty and sweet. Slight banana aftertaste. This one rocks, Steve! This is a great beer to just sit and appreciate. I’m going out to lie in my hammock.