Kasteel Kriek

Brewed by Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck
Style: Fruit Beer
Ingelmunster, Belgium

Serve in Flute

On tap at the Brick Store. Pours a dark red with almost no head. The aroma is distinctly cherries. The flavor is unabashedly sweet. Feels more like a bubbly wine than a beer. Heavy carbonation makes the palate lively and smooth. Generally, this is an unashamed cherry beer. A unique drink, and very pleasant.

Rating #387, bottle from Fish and Beer

I find this hard to rate, as it reminds me too much a the danish christmas-dish of ris a la mande alone by the aroma. But let’s start with the appearance. It is a completely dark red beer with practically no head. The aroma reminds as told, much of ris a la mande. That means extremely sweet cherry sauce. Anyway, this definately means that it has obvious cherry aroma, which of course is the point with a kriek, and that is a plus. Taste is likewise sweet cherry sauce, but with a certain amount of sourishness as known from the belgian lambics - allthough it is tasteable that this is not a real fruit lambic. Some elements of wood and alcohol are present too, which I welcome very much to prevent the beer from becoming too candy-like. It is a creamy and soft, but well-carbonated beer. All in all an expierience and quite fine, but a bit too candy-like.

Appearance: Dark red. Some tan head. Aroma: Wow. Cherry bomb. Sweet. Nothing else. Taste: Lots of cherry. Some slight bitterness. Sweet. Info: 330ml bottle, 18/6-2010

750 mL bottle. Pours like carbonated cranberry juice; head dissipates instantly and appears very effervescent. Loads of cherry off the nose, quite sweet, like candy cherry flavor. However, it isn’t overbearing; quite pleasant. The taste is a cherry/cranberry explosion. There’s an absolutely enormous amount of flavor; similar to punch. That candied aspect is still present. Has a slightly medicinal aftertaste but I somehow find it complimentary here. A light splash of lime in the finish. Light bodied with a medium level of carbonation and a fuzzy mouthfeel. Dangerously drinkable; a nice treat.

330ml Bottle - Red with a pinkish head. Cherry aroma with hints of jam and almonds. Sweet and slightly tart taste with cherry, jam and a fruity, bitter and tart finish.

The pour reveals a murky dark red color with a thin pink head. Nice aroma of dark cherries with a promise of some tartness. Good flavor of cherries with mild tartness. The body is light to medium while the carbonation is soft. I was afraid this would be sweet, like other Kasteel beers, but it’s not, which is a relief. It could be more tart though.

Bottle from Csakajosor.hu. Poured with deep gemstone ruby color and a sexy pink, lacing foam. Delicious sour-cherry aroma with hints of berries, vanilla, and dark-chocolate. A bit of acidy but sweet taste, lively high carbonation. Taste of alcohol is just not there. Excellent!

Bottle. Rouge pour with some pink head. Smells like cherry pits and while cherries, some oak, and vanilla. Flavor is cherries, although a bit sweet. I guess its a fruit beer.