Boon Kriek
Brouwerij Boon

Bottle 0.375L, labeled 2014. (tasted in 2016)
Ruby body with a large, frothy, pink head, average lasting with some nice lacing.
Aroma is dominated by cherries with notes of wine and alcohol (cherry liqueur).
Quite balanced, moderate sweet and acidic flavour with a dry finish.
Unexpected medium body with watery-to-oily texture; lively carbonation.

 

2024 Harvest. This bottle is 4% ABV
Pours a couple inches of pink white foam. Deep ruby color and smells primarily of red wine.
The taste is awesome. A little sweet and sour with a perfect amount of real red cheery flavor. Tastes somewhat similar to red wine. In general I really like all of the Lambic style beers and this one sits high among some of the others I've had. Would proudly buy again if given the chance.

 

At my lady Pamela's house; bottled and chilled, 375mL in a pint glass. From the Huron Church Rd. LCBO in nearby Windsor. My first beer from the Halle, Belgium brewery. With Gracie the cat...

Ruby color with good pink head. The aroma of cherry. Sour, acidic, and sweet cherries in taste. Very good.

Copenhagen 29/1 2023. 37,5 cl corked bottle from Meny, Vermlandsgade, Kbh. S. Very red label with some cherries for good measure.

Pours clear dark red with a big pink head. Stable. Settles as 1,5 cm thick, frothy layer of foam covering the surface of the beer. Crawling up the sides of the glass. Substantial lacing.

Aroma is fairly intense with a sweet slightly sugary fruity odor mingling with a tart unripe scent. Sugar and marzipan. Tart cherries and sharp citrus. Soapy notes.

Medium strong carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, soft, lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is medium intense with a medium strong sweetness followed and balanced by a medium strong tart sourness. Aftertaste is sourish. Lingers for a bit. Finish is tart and dry.

Solid Kriek which avoids being too sweet.

Got a glass at De Brabantse Aap, Amsterdam.

Simply not a that good of a kriek. Doesn't really have the funky smell, and there was an off putting taste to it. The taste of cherry is not too clearly tasted either. There are much better options out there.

 

 

375ml Bottle - Pours a deep red with 1.5 finger pinky head that dissipates after a few moments. Aroma is sour fruit and vinegar. Taste is sweet cherry with no major tartness. Overall, it's a decent beer but I found it surprisingly underwhelming.

 

375 mL cork & cage green bottle from the LCBO; "2020 Harvest" best before 04/08/2025. Served barely chilled.

Pours a deep ruby-red colour, its clear body initially capped with one finger of bubbly, pinkish-purple tinged suds. Within three or four minutes, it has faded down to a tight collar and a sudsy patch on the surface; no lace at first, but it does leave some behind as you sip. Its aroma is tart, fruity, and slightly funky - I'm getting sweet black cherries for the most part, with hints of vinegar, red wine and sour cherry.

It's palatable, but very tame for a lambic, vastly favouring sweet flavours over sour. Black cherries & sweet red wine at first, with hints of sour cherry; I'm not really getting the vinegar/funk I got on the nose. Finishes with black cherry, hints of grape juice, almond and weak tannins, leading into a sweet, juicy aftertaste that dissipates after a moment or two. Light in body, with fairly gentle carbonation that softly rolls across the tongue, adding the slightest of bites to this brew's smooth, slightly syrupy texture. This serving size is about right for this beer.

Final Grade: 3.92, a B+. Any kind of lambic is a rare treat for this BA, but I guess I had unrealistic expectations going into Boon Kriek. A slight disappointment compared to their Kriek Mariage Parfait, if I'm being honest - not that this is a bad cherry beer or anything, it's just not an amazing lambic. I guess it might work as an introductory example, and if you simply want a good cherry fruit beer then this is an excellent place to start. I just wish I'd picked something more interesting and/or memorable for my 3222nd review.