Oude Kriek
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen

Oude KriekOude Kriek
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From:
Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
 
Belgium
Style:
Fruit Lambic
Ranked #31
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
96
Ranked #1,162
Avg:
4.31 | pDev: 7.42%
Reviews:
406
Ratings:
1,403
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 06, 2024
Added:
Sep 27, 2002
Wants:
  214
Gots:
  298
3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek is the result of macerating hand-picked whole sour cherries on young lambic for at least four months, in a proportion of one kilogram of fruit per litre of lambic. The kriek lambic is then blended again with more young lambic to obtain a minimum intensity of 35% fruit, and is bottled immediately afterwards. These bottles are then stored in our cellars for at least five months so that the kriek lambic can develop into a beautiful, traditional, and refined Oude Kriek. With a pleasant tartness and organic notes of almond and cinnamon as it warms in the glass, 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek, will age perfectly but may lose some of the vibrant red colours and forest fruit aromas. This unfiltered and unpasteurised lambic is all-natural with no artificial juices, syrups, or sugars added. Traditional Lambic is living, cultural heritage rooted in the Zenne valley!
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Ratings by augustgarage:
Photo of augustgarage
Reviewed by augustgarage from California

4.34/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 750mL bottle into my Drie Fonteinen tumbler. Bottled on November 28th, 2006.

Falu red and carmine body with good clarity. A choppy pour produced a brief bright pink head that rapidly diminishes to the thinnest collar I've ever seen. Tiny pixels of lacing blemish the clear lacquer-like ribbons of legs when the glass is swirled.

The aroma is transporting - the Brett. notes are akin to a rural farm road after the first rain. Fertile soil, wet hay, goat herds, blooming orchards. Next comes the cherry which is tart, lush, pure, and whole...similar to the finest maraschino liqueur (e.g. Luxardo). This seems to be a good age for drinking this ale, as the barnyard smell is strong but the fruit hasn't relinquished its power yet. I'll definitely revisit this review when I can try a 10 year old vintage.

Very tart yet earthy palate entry, with the real essence of sour cherry, pits and all, at play. Alfalfa, apple flowers, English daisies, loam, and some bacterial acidity play a note as well. Smooth, tart, crisp finish with lingering funk and a faint touch of oak or leather.

Rather flat, so lacking the effervesence I would prefer, but this seems to be an acceptable shortcoming for a traditional lambic, regardless of what the BJCP suggests.

I decided to pair my second glass with some cheese, so I shaved up some Ewephoria (a sheep's milk gouda from Friesland Holland, produced for the U.S. market). The combination was superb, bringing out a little more sweetness in the lambic, and emphasizing the grassy/herb/nut notes of the cheese.
Dec 05, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of moysauce
Rated by moysauce from Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
From Untappd 2022
Mar 06, 2024
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.27/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - dark red purple plum color with slight head nice rimming
Smell and taste - really nice tart dark cherry and dry
Feel - medium body and carb
Overall - outstanding
Feb 13, 2024
Photo of Beejay
Reviewed by Beejay from Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A: cranberry cookies with almost no head.

S: super funky smell. Like Stinky cheese and shoes, with BO on top.

T: thank Christ it doesn't taste like it smells. Very tart with cherry and a touch of funk in the background.

M: light and crisp with moderate carbonation.

O: overall I love the flavor, but the aroma is rough. I like it, but don't know if I'd drop the coin on it again.
Dec 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.31 by SierraFlight from Virginia

Oct 10, 2023
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4.44/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
The beer pours very little next to no head without a hard pour. The beer itself is an opaque dark reddish purple that looks like a plum.

The smell is wonderful. It has a strong and tart dark cherry smell with an orange woody note at the end.

The taste is wonderful. It has a strong tart dark cherry flavor with a light sour note.

The feel is good. It has a medium body with a jamlike texture to it and very little carbonation. The acidity is tolerable, it's about the same level as an orange.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer worth getting and having on a warm day. It isn't overly challenging to the palate and good for people who enjoy lambics or looking to try one out.
Sep 23, 2023
 
Rated: 4.28 by Jonathan-Morgan from Florida

Aug 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Gkruszewski from New York

Jul 16, 2023
Photo of detgfrsh
Reviewed by detgfrsh from Texas

4.29/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a bottle, season 19|20. Cloudy red color with no head. Sour cherry smell. Medium body and a slick feel. Tart cherry and some floral notes with a sour finish. Classic example of the style
Apr 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.36 by mojuyt from Massachusetts

Apr 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.27 by smithj4 from New York

Feb 28, 2023
 
Rated: 4.48 by RalphStanley34 from French Polynesia

Feb 17, 2023
 
Rated: 3.98 by LA2ED7

Feb 06, 2023
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

4.3/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Cloudy, purple body; nice initial head on first pour that quickly fades to nearly nothing except a faint circular wisp around the perimeter of the glass. A nice musty, fruity aroma; a very faint touch of horse blanket. A wonderfully balanced flavor of cherry sourness, low-key alcohol, and a touch of earthy woodiness; mild to moderate tartness counterbalanced with a moderate fruit sweetness; a smidge of wheat in the background. Medium body; nice mouth puckering tartness, not too intense and nicely offsets the cherry sweetness.

This is just an incredible beer. The blending and barrel-aging artfully melds together some great flavors and produces a sublime mouthfeel.

Pouring temperature: 49 °F; bottling info: BOTTLING DATE 10 OCT 18, BEST BEFORE 26 OCT 28, Blend n° 83 · season 17|18
Additional info: macerated for 5 months, lambics originate from 4 different barrels and 5 different brews
Jan 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.44 by Benish from Utah

Dec 08, 2022
Photo of lucat
Reviewed by lucat from Italy

4.87/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Smells like a classy parfume. The aspect remembers the "oinopa ponton", the wine-dark see, that Homer sings in the odyssey. The taste became more and more complex and satisfying while I was drinking it. It's a quite good balance of flavour, alcool, sour and fruit
Nov 14, 2022
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.44/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Blend 32, Season 18|19, Bottled 1/23/19

It’s funny, just last night I had Allagash’s Coolship Cerise, an Americanized Kriek. Now it’s time to have an authentic Belgian version of the style. I’ve been picking up more of these 3 Fonteinen bottles I see on the shelves because they’re pretty much always available for a decent price given what they are, and they never disappoint. Let’s get into this one

Pours a slightly cloudy ruby red with a finger of pinkish white head that quickly fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

The cherries are definitely front and center in the nose, but there’s a malty vibe that makes it feel like a funky pie. I’m picking up on aromas of sour cherry, graham cracker, lemon juice, wet hay, pie crust, apple skin, buttery oak, and light tangerine

It has just as much of a cherry presence in taste, but the tartness is even more focused. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tart black cherry, sharp oak, wheat bread, vanilla, juicy strawberry, lemon juice, and crabapple. The swallow brings notes of tart black cherry, pie crust, lemon juice, wheat bread, cinnamon, vanilla, sharp oak, wet hay, and light apple skin

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a sharp yet smooth beer. Finishes mostly dry and very refreshing

Oh yeah, this one is great. It goes down ridiculously easy but still has a wild complexity to it
Oct 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.34 by clm9 from North Carolina

Oct 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.2 by Allurex from Kansas

Sep 05, 2022
Photo of IKR
Reviewed by IKR from California

4.34/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Blend n` 71 season 17/18

Appearance: Clear red color with no head but a few bubbles that quickly disappeared.

Smell: Moderate barnyard and some tart apple and cherries aromas.

Taste: Tart cherry notes feature upfront in the flavor profile, followed by tart citrus notes, and some faint grassy/hay notes. While the cherries are noticeable there is no sweetness observed unlike many fruited wild ales. The beer finish is dry.

Mouth-feel: Fairly light-bodied with a low level of carbonation, appropriate for the style.

Overall: A good fruit Lambic. The flavor profile incorporates the cherries nicely and comes off very smooth.
Sep 03, 2022
Oude Kriek from Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 1403 ratings