Verhaeghe Echte Kriekenbier

Brewed by Verhaeghe
Style: Sour Ale
Vichte, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

I decided to taste this because I loved Redbach which used to be made by Rodenbach. Not a bad substitute, but has a little more "beer" taste than those. I’d like to say what exactly the flavor is, but it is there kind of mid palate. This one is pretty decent and it probably is old as I can’t imagine that most places in the US move a lot of this product.

No head on the glass presented--therefore, no lace. Beautiful light ruby color. Clear. This beer reminds me of a cross between a spritzy wine and sweet fermented cider. There isn’t much "cherry" flavor here, but it is still very tasty. There’s a good "chew" to the body.

Pours a clean sharp cherry skin red with a fizzy pink tinged head. Nose shows a cherry skin tartness with some sweetness and spice. Mild woody notes. Not a lot of distinctive character. Flavor is much the same. Sweet cherry flavor with some tartness and a mild earthy character. Mild carbonation on the palate and a residual cherry sweetness.

Poured almost clear and dark brown with ruby on the peripheries. Very liitle lacing. The aroma was cherry with plenty of wood and vanilla. The flavor was tart cherry, wood and caramel. The sweetness really tried to push back against the sour in this one. Lots of carbonation but not in a distracting way. Went down easy.

From a bottle poured a pinkish brown with a small head. Nice tart cherry flavor with a quick finish.

250ml bottle (expiry 7/10) into wine glass. Appears as a spritzy cherry red beer with a short lasting fine cream pink head. Obvious nose of cherries with background sour and woody aromas plus a hint of red wine vinegar. The taste is tart up front with the restrained cherry sweetness hitting the tongue later on. It has nicely balanced sweet and sour flavours. Medium bodied with a lively mouthfeel. Excellent.

6/19/2008: Echt Kriekenbier has an aroma containing cherry and very slight Balsamic vinegar. The beer is a red-brown color and has a thin but frothy pinkish head. Tart cherry and some slightly sour-sweet vinegar comprise most of the flavor. There are hints of chocolate in this medium-light beer as well. It is airy which helps to really open up the flavors and aromas. This is a very good kriek.

0.33 l bottle (13-10-06; 6% Alc./Vol.). Rating #388 for this beer.

11.2oz bottle. Pours transparent brown with a hint of red, topped with a thin off-white head. Aroma is on the sweet side, with cherries, wood, and a little tartness. Flavor isn’t as sweet as the aroma; it exhibits a nice balance between sweet-tart cherries, wood, and a little acetic acid. Dry cherry finish. refreshing and quite easy to drink.