Boon Oude Kriek

Brewed by Brouwerij F. Boon
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Lembeek, Belgium

Red, somewhat hazy colour. Pink, disapearing head. Sourish aroma of cherry stones and barnyard. Sourish cherry flavour with a little touch of yeast.

A Mes rate; Well I was hoping for more from this one. Seeing as I really like the standard Boon Kriek and the Mariage Parfait is so highly rated I feel this one is a little bit of a let down. Don’t get me wrong tho it is still a very decent brew. The aroma gets better and better the more I sniff. Initially it was just a funky tart but the cherries are coming on strong. Middle of the road body and carb and I should say now how well this keeps its head given it’s age (Six year old bottle) Looks wise its not the best looking kriek, its a little murky and muddy looking. Palate is good with the sour and tarty zing around the mouth at the rather abrupt finish. Slighty funky with only a polite nod towards the cherries and dry with a hint of spruce. It’s ok but there are much better krieks.

Bottle from 2000. Deep cherry red in colour, large pinkish head leaves behind some lace. Aroma of wood - mainly oak - slight tartness, slightly sweet, light cherries. The flavour was woody, some almonds, cherries and cranberries. Light funk, medium body, medium carbonation, light acididy. Finishes dry, quite quick. Not bad but starting to show its age.

2000-edition. Red coloured with a huge pink head. Aroma of barnyard, cherries and wood. Nice well balanced acidic flavour of cherries and wood. Dry finish with notes of wood.

375 ml bottle from 2000 shared at the Ratebeer Mondial gathering. Dark ruddy reddish-brown with bit of head...sharp arnyard initial nose soon overtaken by moderately sweet cherry...wood pulp, almonds and lots of yeast in the body, which is fairly dry throughout, somewhat bland with just a slight fruitiness...grapefruit acid to finish, light carbonation. It’s real enough, just not exciting.

Sweet and woody aroma offers suggestions of fresh fallen leaves, vanilla and lightly tart cherries. Fruit is somewhat subdued. Opaque tan coloured body with a lasting cover of fine-bubbled white head that recedes with some lacing. Light cherries and some notes of pepper in the relatively short, flat flavour. Mild spiciness to the aftertaste. More citric than acetic. Soft carbonation. Medium-light body. Bottle (2000) enjoyed at the Ratebeer Mondial Gathering 2005.

2005 Lambic Festival at Deliah’s Chicago (sample of a 2000, 33 mL bottle): Fiery orange-red with an off-pink, persistent cream. Musty cherry skin and dank basement aroma with wisps of iron and blood. Slightly off-iron laced flavours; perhaps a bit oxidized, but retains some semblance of cherry rind and blueberry sweetness. This one was pretty mediocre, but I get a slight sense that it could be enhanced with a fresher or otherwise sample…

2000 bottle shared by Rastacouere at the Mondial Ratebeer tasting, 6/4/2005. Bubbly white-pink head is actually well-retained. Medium sized bubbles rise to the top of the glass, amid a hazy, cranberry-juice colored body. No lacing. Juicy wood-pulp in the nose, with cranberries and old wood glue. Sweet cherry notes and sour cranberry pulp. Lots of dry, mildly funky yeast. Flavor begins with sour acids, but nowhere near the level of Cantillon, let alone the De Cam we just had. Plant stalks, bits of lettuce. Cherry pits and orange rind. Foamy and bubbly texture, with a lightly peppery mouthfeel. Medium-light body. Retronasal has tart bret, maybe a touch of light cherry sweetness and some pleasant dry malt. Very interesting, though I’m not tremendously blown away.