Kriek Ale
Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

2021

Divine

 

April 2017: 750 ml corked & caged bottle, as Cascade Kriek Northwest Sour Ale, ale aged in oak barrels with cherries, 2015 project. ABV is 7.1%. At Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Brownish red colour, moderate to small off-white head with a peachy hue. Aroma of sour cherries, lactic acid, oak and farmhouse. Medium sour flavour, distinct notes of sour cherries, lactic acid and oak.

 

 

2013 drinking amazing

 

 

 

A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2015 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.

Appearance: A lightly hazy deep amber red colour with a one finger beige head that dissipated quickly but settled to a thin layer while leaving some nice lacing.

Aroma: Tart, cherries, oak, maybe some mixed berries.

Taste: Sour, tart, cherries, oak and a hint of spices.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Nice cherry flavours, slightly acidic, but not overly so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017 from the bottle...

A deep dried blood red with auburn and chestnut highlights bordering the clean body towards the browner side of the spectrum. It would be still looking if it weren't for the few rising bubbles hopelessly devoted to supporting some kind of cap above, but a failed attempt nonetheless.

Sweet and sour cherries clearly and proudly display themselves front and center with a mouthwatering acidity. Deep red wine, oak barrel and all shine from withing. A touch of pepper and damp mulch linger in the end.

Wow, this thing tastes like straight sour grape and cherry Fun Dip. I think the puckering powdery tartness not only exemplifies the feel, but must be considered a flavor to this beast as well. As it warms, oak certainly comes through along with a boysenberry sweetness.

Feel?... See above. Add some strong tannins, an initial slickness, a wood stripping acidic drying tartness,and almost no carbonation, and viola. There you have it.

This is a sour to compete with the most of sours. Delicious, well executed, but so friggin intense like most of the offerings I've had the pleasure of enjoying. Certainly not for the faint of heart.

Cheers.

 

 

5 oz pour on tap. Nice sour brown ale/cherry pie flavor. Moderately complex with hints of oak and leather. Slightly sweeter than I would prefer. A tasty beer but not world-class.

 

 

 

 

 

Deep mahogany; insane pomegranate, glace cherry, port, soil + a bit of cheese rind on the nose; autumn leaf, tannins, barrel, lactic, deep cherry + winey linger.

4.25 4.75 4.5 4.25 4.5

Outrageous nose. As much barrel as sour and the cherries play well. Only more beautiful as it opens. I’m still a bit baffled by the variations in Flanders Reds, but this is possibly Cascade’s best, and that’s no small feat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It pours hazy reddish brown under a pinkish tinted cream colored cap. It has funky tart cherry smell with a hint of oak. The flavor is lemonade tart and filled with cherries. An elegant and very drinkable beer.

 

 

750 mL corked bottle into a Duvel tulip glass

2013 project, opened on the date of this review.

Leather-mahogany appearance, effervescent with low viscosity, resulting in a quickly dissipating head.

Funk-forward nose, with lots of surrounding oak, tart cherries and must. A bit more cherry-forward in its flavors, while aging has mellowed any sharp sour aspects, revealing more malty sweetness. Plenty of brett-funk and dry grassy notes, layering the flavor profile. Brew has relatively long finish, dry and berry tart.

This holds up really well in storage. I've had this fresh several times, it's actually easier to throw back with a few years under its belt.

Best US-made Kriek I've laid hands on, and in competition for my favorite full-stop. Leathery funk and cherry pit. Somehow outside the realm of what humans are usually allowed to put in their mouths. Yeah. Ok. Yeah.

2014 project