Battle Kriek
Arcadia Brewing Company

gosh almighty! this should just be so much better than it is for what it is. a pretty neat beer on paper, but its right lackluster in overall quality, and i was super let down by this one. washed out red in color, kind of hazy and rather still from the tap, it doesnt look like much. the aroma and flavor show some slightly sweet and a bit medicinal cherry, with a much too cereal dusty grain profile and a sort of off flavored immature wild component thats a little tart but not acidic enough to cut the fruit sugars, and even a mild belgian thing that comes and goes. the good news is that it gets better and better as it warms, with a more genuine cherry flavor developing with a little temperature, but that weird wild virginal thing is odd, off, sweaty, and not right in the finish, and it detracts from the parts of this that i like. i wanted a mature sour woody interesting beer, and thats just not what we have here. i have given these guys every opportunity to impress me, and across a huge range of styles now, but i still have not had one single arcadia beer that i really loved, despite my best efforts to find one. this should have been amazing...

 

 

 

I don't write many reviews, but since there are none here, will add my thoughts. 750 ml corked and caged bottle from the Battle Creek location of this brewery. Poured slightly cloudy, dark ruby red with an aggressive head that dissipated quickly. Aroma full of fruit and a bit of funk. Flavor follows with some sweetness on the front end followed by sour cherry, sour apple, with a vinegar-ish finish. Medium body, effervescent mouthfeel which nicely compliments the tartness.

The more I drink, the less cherry comes through and more vinegar. I would prefer to have more tart cherry come through in the flavor. Overall enjoyable beer.