Please forgive me father for I have sinned. This is the absolute, the nasty, the beyond precognition depth of my demise, for I have forsaken you, amongst things, in imbibing in what is the clear path to hell. It is the elixir, it is sour as hell. But I repent... ’Forgive me, but I must imbibe again!’. I know this one has nothing to do with religious sermon as does I, but holy, snapping dregs of beaten pillows (?) this was grandeur. I even needed the aid of a few Caol Ila’s to recover the memories of my tasting this one.
Happy at a bottle of the best Gueuze money and spirited blenders could forfeit, I upon myself found this. An aged bottle not needed, at the ’t Brugs Beertje, Brugges, I had to have this fresh. Afore warned by one English speaking barman this was heavy, I retorted ’Yeah, umm, lovely, in a bottle, corked. I shall hold this til the naked hour, a glass I please!?!’ From that I, my wife include, ventured back to our haunted ’haunt’ and asked to be sole guests in its ghostly front room. The sun had reached its due and was receding behind the buildings of this old town. That was when the magic happened.
It erupted upon the cork freeing, a yeast burp that could knock an SS squad dead. After this release become layers of character, each nickling and tickling. Upper wafts of dead and dying funk, dank casks and cellar must - it is a Kriek, I’m getting to that! - a very distinct odour of oxidised swarf in clean bins, straps of leather, fresh crimped and of course that fruit. This was tight, and by that I mean it creeped into the nostrils and tied my nose hairs together in an acidic challenge that bewildered me. The fruits attacked what was left. I loved it. Acidic, defined cherries absorbing whatever was left of the olfactories. Bugger it, there up for sale and this one bought them.
What did it look like? If I cared it would be of some smoothy pureed at a health store . Nasty to look at, you can’t lie. Ruby in colour, shades of pink roughage, no head unaided by the lack of carbonation. In the body held is so much fruit it is uncompromising and in the light opaque, this is Lambic Smoothie. The palate grips, tears and streams. It is light and yet easily sinks into overpowering. Tart beyond reconcile but so much in control. Wamm, bamm this is fruity. Upfront a heavy tickle, mid-palate holds tart and souring cherries like those you dare not touch and the apex reeks havoc. I loved it, it was all funk and junk, acid and sour cherries, goat hair and sweaty horse blanket, baby spew, soft cheese, exotic, malpicked, tart fruit. All can describe, all can lie. This was fantastic, bueno, lovely, complete. Became fruity as it ended phase young. Quite heavy, acidic as it delved into life after opening. I had my taste buds on high alert and still surrendered to this Beer upon beers. Absolutely lovely. Heaven and this!. The perfect Kriek, devilish is best!!! (37,5cL, 6.5% ABV, bottled 09/05)

Cheers boboski! Horsey, dry, feint sign of cherries in the aroma. Pours beautiful red with a little pink on the outside. Acidic, funk, funk funk, very feint sign of cherries in the flavor, tart finish with a little dryness. So sour! and so good!!!1

Bottle, 37,5 cl. Very deep red color, with small pinkish head. Aroma cherries, sour. Medium body. Taste is sour, good cherries, very littte sweetness nice in balance with the lambic sourness. For me a very good Kriek !

375ml corked bottle bought from the store at Oud Arsenaal in Antwerp. Lively, but not a gusher. Cherry red color. Wonderful cherry wheat farmhouse smell. Delightful lemony tartness, with a hint of cherry in there as well. Those looking for authentic, sour lambics won’t do much better than this one. Intensely sour. A masterpiece.

2004 bottle and Delirium Cafe. Finally, a hugely sour, brutal and amazing lambic! We had 5 or 6 hard hitters before this, but this is definitely the star. Super-pungent, horse/sour aroma. Squinches the nose. Tongue-curling cherry sourness, horse-blanket and funk, perfectly aged... super-sour, super-drinkable, lively and complex. Nails the style. I’m sacrificing other bottles I was going to bring home for a big 750 of this stuff. I wish someone would convince these guys to bring their lambic to us desperate Americans!