Belle-Vue Kriek

Brewed by Belle-Vue (InBev)
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

Bottle: Clear cherry red with a lightly pink, foamy head. I love the intrigue and sense of romance that surrounds the lambic family of beers. There is such magic and mystery connected with their production, and I can very easily lose myself in it. Such is the case here. I found sweetly sour, raw and very fresh garden vegetables and fruits in the aroma. It reminded me of the basket full of such delights that my great-grandmother used to use to collect the gleanings from her garden in. Despite this there was nothing definite; maybe some cherries, probably some capsicum, possibly some musty hops. Nevertheless, the intrigue remains. There is clear difference in the flavours. Full bodied and very lengthy tart cherries dominate. There is good balance here with the tart aspects interlocking nicely with sweetness and some well placed washed rind cheese notes, presumably from the aged hops. All this beer lacks is some zing and life on the palate (not necessarily carbonation). I found it a dark, somewhat sweaty drink, though still very pleasing.

Interesting beer. Faded red/brown colour and pink head. Strong cherry notes but does not dominate. Quite tart with some interesting flavour notes. Good, but I wouldn’t have more than one.

UPDATED: JUN 10, 2007 Red pour, small pink head. Cherry aroma blast you in the face. Taste is sour cherry and raspberry mixed for a delicious beer.

My planning wase: have some beer ratings, but after this one I’m going to take only red-buls

as a fruit beer this is the gold standard. cherry stands out but does not shout. Have only ever had it in Belgium, on tap and have not located a single distributor in the states. It is an almost perfect after dinner beer.

Bottled, 330 ml. Dark chestnut to purple, pinkish head. Sour cherry straight in from the start with a sweet sucrosy background. Heavy on the tongue with a cardboardy fizzed CO2 note. Not for me.

Sour, artificial cherry aroma. Medicinal, spicy cherry taste with muted acid levels. Full bodied and creamy, but that’s not going to save what is a pretty sub standard beer.

Can, at home. Dark red with red head, fully diminishing. Aroma is sweet and powerful of cherries. Flavor sweet with notes of cherries, and a dry woody finish. Light, watery body, lively carbonated. Good kriek.