Echt Kriekenbier
With my recent foray into all things sours and lambics and krieks, I’ve been grabbing singles of the styles from various breweries over the past couple of months. This particular bottle of Echt Kriekenbier from Brouwerij Verhaeghe (just like the Vichtenaar I reviewed the other day) had been sitting in my chest freezer for a while before I was blessed with a warm weathered day earlier this month — just the right kind of day to crack it open.
Appearance
This 6.8% ABV (blended) Flanders Red Ale sits in the glass a vibrant ruby in color with a quickly falling, effervescent head.
Aroma
It certainly smells wonderful with hints of tart cherries, a sourness and a light woody presence.
Taste
Fruity cherry juice arrives first, but doesn’t hang around long as a solid tartness grabs your tongue and holds on tight for a good long while. The beer has a moderate sweetness to counteract the sourness, as well as an accompanying bit of wood in the finish. The lively carbonation resulted in a fruity, tart and refreshing beverage.
Overall
I think the next time I pick this one and the Vichtenaar up, I’ll be doing a side-by-side comparison of the two to see just how different (or similar) they are. As it stands with over a week apart from the the two tastings and half the month since I took my notes, I’d be hard pressed to differentiate the two. Sounds like I have one tasty mission on my hands.
Rating:4/5