Samuel Adams American Kriek (Barrel Room Collection)
Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)

Man I don't know how long ago this bottle ended up in my cellar, but it was at least over a decade ago. 2009 bottle. But ya know, we decided to pop this oddity (I mean look at the bottle shape alone) one of those holidays a few years ago (txgiving/xmas/nye).

Pours a brown color with a light whisp of carbonation. Aroma does not smell like Balaton cherries, its a much darker cherry vibe with brownish malt. Has almost nothing smelling like traditional kriek lambic, nor was I expecting such an impression. Called barrel room, no barrel detected. I dunno, maybe they sterilized it. Louis Pasteur possibly.

The taste is like an imperial cherry Newcastle brown ale. The mouthfeel is watery and low carbonation making the experience even less desierable. It was neat to say I've had not only cranberry lambic, but also a Sam Adams kriek. The downside is neither were any good. Surprised this was blended with a beer with funk in the name. Flagrant whatever Comic Book Guy says.

Mahogany color. Big, off-white head. Sweet cherries, caramel malt, and oak in aroma. Taste is rather on the sweet side with gentle cherry tartness. Flavors of cherries and wood.

 

2020 Brewery release, purchased at Cincinnati taproom.
1pint 9.4oz (750ml) bottle
Cherry galore with this one.
Light red color and a dark cherry smell. Taste is very much cherry but nicely balanced with the sour.

Pours a ruby red, fairly clear, with a thin, white head. Smell is tart, cherries, earth. Taste is cherries, tartness, earthy, a little sourness towards the finish. Medium light body, moderate carbonation. Pretty good, fairly tame but still tasty.

 

 

 

Poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a deep dark red color with a thick sheet of white foamy head. Slid off at a mild pace to leave some messy lace running here and there.
The aroma had some black cherry skin and flesh, sweet grassy to subtle spicy earthy tones, sturdy acidity, light sweet wood, some floral portions, and a light funk coming in.
The flavor leaned towards a sour to funky sort of blend up front and then brought in some light spicy to earthy, sweet and acidic levels in the background. Aftertaste centered around the sour and the funk.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied, perhaps just a touch under and having a decent sipping quality since the acidic level seemed to rising as I continued to sip. Almost distracting, the acidity seemed to delve into the dryness of the wood. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt fine.
Overall, it's one of the better Sam Adams beers that I'd give another shot again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

so they apparently serve this on nitro now, how weird is that. a fruited wild on nitro, maybe the first one i have ever seen, had to try it. i never had the bottle version, so it will not be possible to make a comparison. its lovely though in the glass, deep ruby red and perfectly clear with one inch of white head on it thick as wedding cake frosting. it smells sweet and acidic at the same time, the fruit may be a little medicinal here, but it seems to work. what i dont get is the sourness in the flavor, there is acidity there, but not really funky and lactic like the best of them, this is a different type of kriek for sure, so dont go looking for the classics. it has a neat flavor though, lots of cherry, more natural tasting than it smells, but still with more residual sugar than i like. creamy feel from the nitro though, and i think i like this serving format for a beer like this. it helps integrate the flavors and make it feel bigger, maybe thats where the acidity is lost. too sweet to drink a lot of, more weird woody funk would really help it i think, but how can you not try this on a nitro tap? same beer i assume...

edit: maybe slightly better not on the nitro, but overly sweet and certainly lacking the lambic funk i expect in good kriek. more of a beginners take on the style, less exciting from a fermentation standpoint, but pleasant enough in small doses...