Verhaeghe Echte Kriekenbier

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

Bottle. Aroma of sparking red wine! Ruby brown colors with a white(?) head that lasted for seconds. Oak aromas as the glass approaches the lips. Medium body with mild fizzy carbonation. Flavors of oak and cherry. Quite astringent. It’s not so much sour as woody. There’s some sweet cherry, but the sour and oak tend to overbalance it. Just a fantastic finish - which is much as went before.

Mondial ’04, Pinkish-red in color with a small white lacing around the rim. Tart cherry aroma with a mild oaky note. Flavors of cranberries,tart,fruity and spicy.

Medium red color with a small pinkish head. Aroma is tart, fruity and sour. A medium bodied kriek. Tart and fruity with a nice malt backbone. Acidic and a little harsh perhaps. Very smooth though. Light and refreshing. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

Nice deep glowing russet rose color with a thin, light tannish head with a bit of off-pinkish tone to some of it in thicker areas. Fades fast to a thin ring and lace in fast dripping strings and spots. Smell is a souring cherry tinge and wild oaky sweetness with some yeasty meat-like bacon notes. Taste has a quick hold of souring cherry, substantially biting and sweet oakyness with a nice little tart kick. Notes of yeasty uncrisp bacon laying on the side of the oak character, kinda weird but nice. Simple and pleasing, not a overbearing cherry fruitness, just alot of cherry character in the sour and tart areas which it has a good portion of. Pretty full feel upfront with a quickening hit of souring then eases out and finds lots of tart cherry dryness and oaky sweetness. A pretty decent, quite powering little brew, a pleasure to drink.

Pinkish red hue surmounted by a pink off-white head. Nice nose with that oak cask wood thing going on that seduces me like always. Woody with weird almost smoky notes. Leafy balsamic vinegar notes and of course an honest mostly sweet cherry base. Palate is balsamic, very refreshing, oaky vanilla, but acidity level remains low enough to be accessible. Excellent!

Bottle, 6.8%. Very slow gusher. Good acidic cherry aroma with a hint of mold and sugar. Clear dark prune colour, small head. The flavour is quite acidic with some vinegar feel which is very nice. Turns into a sort of oxidized, old apple or cider notes with a little paper. On the whole, though, the vinegar flavour dominates and makes it a nice beer. 6 3 7 3 16

Draught, 6.8% at GBBF08. Beautiful clear deep red colour. Big stable dark pink head. Good sour cherry aroma. The flavour is also nicely citric. Good cherry flavour as well. Not acid but a good citric flavour. Very nice and quite well-balanced. 8 5 8 3 19

(Pizza Port Belgian Beer Party in Carlsbad, CA) Fruity, cherry flavor with a moderate amount of palate-cleansing tartness; Nice bit of maltiness in the background makes this very enjoyable and balanced, but perhaps too malty for a kriek; Tart, sweet finish after the malt is done; Sweet flavor, but dry and carbonated on the palate like Champagne; Malty and fruity nose; Gorgeous ruby red color with an off white head

Deep ruby pour with medium, creamy, white head. Aroma of big tart cherries, some port and malt. Tastes tart cherryish, with a medium, fruity, smooth finish. Very nice!