Kasteel Kriek

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

Serve in Flute

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This brew really impressed me. It has a nice burgundy body topped by a medium thick head with a decent amount of lacing. The aroma and flavor are very similar, both being sweet, fruity (black cherries) and malty with a slight spiciness. Full bodied, smooth and slightly dry.

Aroma: sweet cherries, roses, cinnamon, apple spice, pears?, wood, and alcohol
Appearance: murky brown, small white head
Flavor: cherries (like cherry pie), sugar, nectar (hummingbird food), and brown sugar
Palate: very smooth, fills mouth, cherry pie aftertaste
Overall: a great beer!

I liked this kriek-style beer more before I had a few others (like Mort Subite). Not bad, though: almost no head, obviously a lot of cherry flavor, somewhat sour but with an occasional sweetness that tastes a bit artificial to me.

Chocolat covered cherries and cigar nose. Smooth mouthfeel with slightly tart bing cherries, cedar, cherry cordial, and coco. Finished with a touch of chocolat covered cherry.

UPDATED: SEP 12, 2004 Rating # 580
Vintage Dated 04-2001
I’ve been holding on to this bottle for over a year now.
Pours a muddy mahogany colored body and almost no head at all. The aroma is a spicy tartness, ripened cherries, cinnamon, note of clove, very floral like petunias or marigolds. The flavor and the mouth-feel are fully inviting. More spiciness shows in the flavor. a hint of rosemary to accompany the clove and cinnamon… I believe there is a hint of cardamom as well. This really is like a homemade cherry pie! The tart yeasty-ness is there as one would find in a slightly undercooked pie crust.. especially that doughy / crust that is on the bottom of the pie. Anyway.. This is a pretty damn tasty brew! Has a nice warming finish which reminds me of that Holliday merlot or cabernet wine with the mulling spices in it.
This must be Kasteels best offering, IMO!?

Bottle pours a murky brownish plum color, tiny fizzly off-white head, strong carbonation, with spotty lacing.   Aroma is quite vinous, dark cherries, and slightly woody.   Cherry sweetness up front, slightly tart in the back.   Medium body and mouthfeel.   Finishes like a light cherry cough syrup, but in a decent way.   Good, but I’d recommend New Glarus versions over this one.

Pours a ruby red color with a pink bubbly head. Lots of pop sound-very carbonated. Aroma is the tart and sweet of a typical kriek...this one is not overly sour though, like some tend to get. Taste is very wine like, with a sharp edge to it. Sweet, warm, a little sour aftertaste, but not overwhelming. Finishes sweet, a little light, very nice.

Score another one for the Belgians. Nice blend of fruit and spices. Not too tart and not too mellow. Very nice balance of complexity.

UPDATED: JUN 20, 2004 Got this at the Bier Garden in Portsmouth VA on 6-19-04. Cork is dated 04-2001. Pours a deep reddish brown. Aroma is dark cherry and alcohol with some spice. Taste is a nice tart cherry taste with some malt and spice. Very pleasant cherry body. Mouthfeel is a bit tart but is overall smooth. Bit of effervescence and faint acidiity. Finish seems to be all fruit and some lighter spice notes.

hazy deep red, off white head. subtle cherry and spice aroma with a bit of dark bready malt. cherry jam and butter. very malty flavour with lots of caramel and cherries. dark bready and molasses play against the fruit. quite nice.