Verhaeghe Echte Kriekenbier

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

A pinkish burgundy to brown ale with a thin white pinkish head. Very pleasant aroma of sweet maraschino cherries, light lactic notes. In mouth, a bit thin, but nice tart cherries and cranberries, not very acidic, some damp wood. Overall, still in good shape. Trade with JM in Port Coquitlam , early 2005, BB 26-11-05.

Full aroma with cherries (of course) and also some tender maltiness. The appearance is dark ruby and even the head is a light pink. Sour and tart, as I expected, but it seems slightly off-balanced: it needs something other than the fruit to distinguish it from other fruit beers, it isn’t quite malty/sweet enough, and the sourness itself just isn’t enough to carry the flemish sour ale title, IMHO.

Small, light pink head, short lived. Beautiful ruby red color. Spicey, cherry nose. Mediuum body. Mild maltines plenty of cherry, earthy flavors, yeasty spiceynes, some vinegery notes. Medium dry finish.

Clear, rosy hue and a pink, sudsy head. Tart and sweet cherry nose with some woody barnyard character. Strong cherry flavor with some fruit peel quality and a tart, puckering finish. Too sweet and lacking in depth. Like a cherry-laden horse that runs for the pink team.

Bottled (BB 03/2008)
Deep cherry red color, small reddish head. Sour aroma of vinegar, berries and oak. Sour cherry flavor, some sugar sweetness, tart finish with some sugar. Standard cherry Flemish sour ale, not really complex, but reasonably drinkable.

Cask at GBBF 2008... deep red ...Sour woody light fruit nose ... tart ligth hop and some cherry and little sour....

Cask at GBBF 09 ....light soft pink ... tart cherry nose ... big fruity cherry ... light sour ... big soft fruit.3.4

Bottle from Sam’s in Durham. Pours light red with brown/amber hue. Fizzy soft pillowy near white (slightly pink) head. Nose is mild cherries and a bit of red wine or light balsamic vinegar. This is a mild kriek, or maybe I’ve been spoiled by too many big sour cherry beers. Some metallic notes that get in the way a bit, but decent overall, if not very exciting.

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.