Kriek Lambiek
De Cam Geuzestekerij

750 mL bottle. Pours like red wine. No head. Smells very winy also. Cherry, a little jammy, oak, and a red wine aroma. Some dried grass too. Tastes tart. Red wine acidity up front. More dried grass. Sweet cherry. Back end is even more red wine. Dead flat. Well, I was a bit put off at first, but I ended up enjoying it.

Shared 750 ml green corked & caged bottle at local tasting. Deep red colour, pink head. Intense aroma of farmhouse, horse blanket and sour cherries, also almonds / marzipan. Moderate carbonation. Medium sour and tart flavour with notes of brettanomyces and sour cherries, hints of almonds.

A 750m corked and caged bottle, 2015 vintage, with a best before date of the year 2035. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.

Appearance: A deep ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some spotty lacing.

Aroma: Cherry, oak, cherry pit, funk, lightly tart, with almond notes.

Taste: Lightly sour and tart, cherry, cherry pie, almond, oak, funk.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Very enjoyable and easy to drink. Lots of great cherry flavours balanced with almond, oak and funk.

 

Bottle from Etre.
Pours still but a fairly clear dark red bordering on purple. Tart lemony lactic with huge cherry aroma and flavor. Light earthy funk great cherry sour.

 

 

 

‘2009’ label consumed 3/19. Likely 2012 or earlier. Dark ruby red color. Light pink head.

Cherry pie and and cherry pits. Lightly sweet but not tart. Minimal acidity. Very fruity and flavorful. Light carbonation. Great feel. Great bottle.
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2018 cage consumed 4/19. Ruby red color. Pink head.
Aroma is cherry pie but light. Taste is cherry skins and cherry pie but a bit medicinal. Light cinnamon. Kind of light flavored in general, but still enjoyable. Got better as it warmed. 4.15

really amazing experience with this one, a bottle with the old yellow labels, dating back to the early to mid 2000s, likely 05 or 06 from what information we can collect. its one of the older lambic types i have ever had, but its also one of the more compelling kriek types i have known as well, with a maturity that is unrivaled, a depth of cherry flavor that ranges from candied to pie to fully sour, its a delicious novelty at this point, impressive in its shelf life and its overall quality, i wish more beers from de cam were available here in the states. this has an intense candy apple red color to it, relatively clear until we get to the bottom of the bottle. i know its supposed to be still because there is no young lambic added at bottling to encourage a secondary fermentation within, but this has a little head and a little fizz to it, maybe some cherry sweetness has cooked out over time. the aroma and flavor both remind me of a ludens cherry cough drop, but like one that got lost in the crack of the car seat and melted in summer and froze in winter for like ten years and is now all gunky and chewy, its that kind of cherry to me for some reason, along with a citrus tartness and an enormous amount of basement and hayloft funk, high end lambic underneath all the fruit still is fully intact. not overly acidic considering its age, still woody, tannic in the right instances, and musty and mature, i love it. a rare experience to get to drink a bottle this old, i see why folks buy them up to store away for decades, this was truly remarkable. i hope to be able to find it somewhat fresher soon for comparison..

 

750ml bottle that I think I paid 23 euros for. Nice pink color, massive head that immediately dissipates. Mild funk and cherries. Delicious cherry flavor, very little sourness, cherry pie filling. This kind of reminded me of Lou Pepe Kriek. I will definitely buy another the next chance I get.

 

 

 

Had this bottle for several years now, I believe. Pours a rich burgandy, rose -beige head. Lovely dark cherry nose, almond and dank old wood. Big leather funk, nice cherry juice and light stone notes. I dont know what the other guys here are drinking. A real treat, thanks Jeff!!

750ml cork and caged bottle. The cage states 2015. Poured into a snifter glass.

Cork comes off with a weak pop. Pours a dark purple-reddish body, one finger pink-purple head, good retention, otherwise no film. Small islands of lacing. Smells of cherry skin, tart cherry juice, mild-moderate acetic acidity, light oak, touch of musty funk, touch of lemon. Flavour follows; mostly tart cherry juice, bit of cherry skin, moderate acetic acidity, light earthy funk. Strange herbal flavour lingers on the finish as well. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, fair carbonation, with tart cherry skin and earthy funk on the finish. Tastes like a De Cam beer with a good bit of cherry tartness to it. The herbal flavours are a bit weird though.

 

 

BOTTLE: Clearly 750ml, but erroneously labeled 37.5cl. Green glass. Unbranded hood and wire cap over a cork. Dark grey label. Purchased at BEERA in Sofia, Bulgaria for 28 leva. Bottledatum: Jan. 2009.

6.50% ABV. Kriek Lambic.

Served chilled into stemware. Reviewed live.

HEAD: White head fizzles out within 10 seconds, leaving no lacing.

BODY: Translucent semitransparent red of average vibrance. Appears well-carbonated.

The head could last longer and the colour could be more vivid, but overall it's about what you'd expect of a Kriek. Sure, Brasserie Cantillon's and Hanssens krieks look far better, but this is nice overall.

AROMA: Suggests a powdery but prickly brew with pleasant notes of powdered sugar and tart cherries, though I also pick up on a framboise-like raspberry presence. Sourness is noticeable; this suggests a moderately sour Lambic clocking in at maybe a 5-6/10 in terms of intensity of sourness. Intangible complexity is lent by brettanomyces lambicus yeast, with a clean subtle funkiness teasing the palate. Bacterial presence could be more pungent; there's a blip of acetobacter and some mild lactobacillus if I'm detecting them right. No green apple or other off notes.

Malt profile is neutral, letting itself be eclipsed by the fruit.

I detect no oak or barrel flavours.

I have encountered more pungent and more intricate kriek aromas, but this has me very excited to try the beer.

TASTE & TEXTURE: Wonderful smackiness accompanies the bacterial sourness in this delicious kriek, which boasts a sourness of about a 6-7/10 in terms of sourness intensity. Hardly puckering, but balanced. Perceived sournessus bolstered by a high acidity, which plays well with the subtle acetobacter to nod ever so slightly at a burgeoning vinegar character; I suspect this will age nicely.

Cherry is present, but could be more pungent (and more tart). Powdered sugar covered fruit comes to mind - possibly redcurrant or raspberry. It's jammy without being too sweet, and the clean lambicus yeast funkiness lends this balanced lambic still more nuance. Cherry skin is seemingly more vivid than cherry itself.

Luscious on the palate, with a powdery, refreshing , smooth, wet, twangy feel. Could be softer, I suppose . Slightly overcarbonated, but it's forgivable. The acidity of the texture helps accentuate the sourness and bacterial twang featured in the flavour profile.

Maybe it's a by-the-numbers kriek build, but its balance sets it apart from other producers trying to nail the style.

Above average depth of flavour. Average flavour duration and intensity.

Sweetens on the finish, closing out jammy.

OVERALL: There's room for still more subtlety, sourness, and cherry presence. This beer has no flaws - only shortcomings. Gestalt in its build, with superb cohesion and harmony of flavour. I'll enjoy finishing the bottle and would happily have another, though I do have to say that in terms of Senne valley krieks, I'd sooner reach for the likes of Cantillon or Hanssens (both of which are around the same price). Those who like their krieks jammy will adore this, and I'd absolutely recommend it to others. Good stuff from a tragically underappreciated Lambic producer, though I do wish there was more tartness and cherry, and less acidity.

B (3.61) / GOOD