Verhaeghe Echte Kriekenbier

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

Name: Echt Kriek
Date: 04/07/2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta

dark clear red, light tart cherry aroma, rich thick cherry flavor, essence of pits, great lasting full flavor, needs study

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Score: ***+/4
-------- /> I would like to rerate this beer.
The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Dark red color with no head. Cherry aroma. Very old, cherry taste, like they are old to the point of mushiness, but not so far gone that they are rotten. Odd presence of malt as well. It didn’t strike me as sour.

Sour aroma with a hint of cherries, duh. See through red with a fine pink head that was gone by the time I finished drinking. A brief hint of sweetness that was followed up by the cherry sourness, and finshed with a bitter flare. A rather dry finish and some carbonation as well. Not too bad, but New Glarus is better.

Distinctly red in colour. Not up to the standard of a lambic kriek in my view but, otherwise, just what you’d expect - woody, strong cherry character and some sour notes. Not too sweet. I just thought it fell away a little on the finish, which was quite dry and clean. A nice drink. Pump dispense at GBBF 2004.

Bottle. Best before 6-7-05. Poured a large pinkish fizzy head with fine-small sized bubbles that quickly dissipated. Soft carbonation, transparent and a red hue. Cherry, sweet and alcohol aroma. Sweet, acidic, cherry and alcohol flavor from start to finish. Tingly mouthfeel.

Dark ruby brown, with little head. Light cherry aroma with some vinegar. Tart, clean cherry flavour.

33 cL bottle, snifter, bottle labled as "Echt Kriekenbier". My first impression of the aroma is "gingerbread cookies". Tons of cherries, cask wood, raisin, slight port, a bit of anise and maybe some soy sauce in the aroma. Smells every bit as good as its little brother but yet entirely different. Light plum-red body with a tall, pink, frothy head that diminishes quickly. Heavily sweet, moderately acidic (sour) flavor becomes a moderately sweet, moderately acidic (sour, tart) finish. Strong tannin presence in the aftertaste. Medium body, oily/slick texture, average carbonation. The bottom line is: a very drying, tannin laced finish is a little strong for my preference, but this is still a very fine brew.

Bottle pours deep ruby with a minor light pinkish hued head.   Little carbonation with a good head.   Aroma is vinous, along with a cherry tinge.   Up front its very cherry, vinous, but towards the end it finishes rather quickly.   Light oak tinge, but definitely not as complex as the Duchesse De Bourgogne.   Sour/tartness on the aftertaste.   Very drinkable, but could stand to have a bit more in the palate & flavor.