Verhaeghe Echte Kriekenbier

Bottle. Aroma of wood, and light fruit. Flavor is cherry and berry, light oak and a lot of carbonation.

Poured a luxurious, dark ruby red in colour and was fairly well carbonated. The head was miniscule and didn’t stay around beyond a few seconds. Aroma was faint, but did suggest some cherry. The taste was quite pleasant, being chiefly cherry with a bit of malt and was not as bitter as expected. I found this one rather "fizzier" than other Kriekenbiers.

Draught (500 ml) at Hilpeä Hauki, Helsinki, Finland. Clear deep red colour. Sour cherry aroma. Flavour is also very sour and cherry. Some sweetness, but not too much.

(Draught at Hilpeä Hauki, Helsinki, on 2009-07-10) Deep red colour and clear. Small pink head. Berries, cherries and sourness in aroma. Quite light bodied and soft palate with little carbonation. Sourness, sweetness, cherries, malts, berries and light bitterness in taste. Berries and sourness in aftertaste.

Why buy something that states ’real’ in its name? It assumes all others around to be fake. Competition in ’kriekenbeer’ country must be fierce. The commercial description on-site of this beer states it to be a top-fermenter. The tag on the back says it to be of a mixed fermentation. Translated to be a mix of wine and beer processing, or should I interpret this as both top and under-fermenting and perhaps even spontaneous fermentation. Anyway, the result is a beer with a fruity bite, little bitterness and no sweet. Curious but okay.

11.2 oz bottle, best by 02-06-10. Lightly hazed ruby with a pink tinged head. Funky cherry pit nose, somewhat astringent, with a mild woody note. Tart cherry flavors, woody and a mild lemony note. Finished pretty clean.

11.2 ounce bottle from Wine Warehouse in Charlottesville, VA. Best by 02-06-10. Pours a clear ruby color with a medium pinkish head. Fair head retention and lacing. Normally would rate lower on appearance but I just love the color. Aroma of tart cherries and quite a bit of musty funk. Light citrus and sugary notes as well. Taste is tart cherries, vanilla, citrus and apple. Very lively carbonation. Medium-full bodied. I like this one a lot and I think it’s become apparent that a low-key unassuming kriek is one of my favorite styles.

on tap, Wurstkuche. Pours bright red/pink with a small white head. Aroma is tart cherry, strawberry and lemonade. Flavor starts with bright cherry fruit and sugar. Might be some lemony notes as well. In the middle comes tartness, contributing a refreshing zip to this beer. Finishes clean. Overall, a clean, refreshing fruit drink. However, one is slightly bored by the one-sidedness of the flavor by half-glass.