Scarenbecca Kriek
Hanssens Artisanaal bvba

This was better than I was expecting it to be. Hazy red with very minimal head. Lots of sour cherry skin, oak, dust, and a little funk on the nose and a palate. Light acidity and carbonation.

Murky brownish dark red with a bubble ring. Giant lacto with dark cherry, brett, cheese cloth funk with darker oak as second wave. Smell is pretty much cherry and lacto with oak. Much better than I thought based on the nose. Feel is sour, slightly acidic, leans wet, lighter but never thin, and languid.

 

 

 

Had this at March Madness 2019, it was one of the bottles left over from a previous March Madness that chilled in the borrowed storage shelf in my cellar for the homies.

Pours purple, of the darker variety. Almost no head on it, even though carbonation was lower, I didn't see it as a problem. Right about that 1/6" light tan colored head. Aroma was cherry, I wonder why the color is so dark, I don't recall these being so dark like black cherries before. Relatively familiar territory, cherry and oak, seemed pretty clean.

Taste is nice. Its not 3F Schaerbeekse, but its still good. Darker, less sour journey with this one. Acidity is non problematic and average. Light burn from the acidity, sourness and alcohol. Light cranberry feels. The lower carbonation seems to give more depth to the cherry taste.

I guess if you think about the shortage with the cherries, its relatively affordable compared to other belgian lambics that have them. I wouldn't drink with any noobs who regurgitate "robitussin" for every cherry beer you crack.

Reviewed from (very) long-standing notes. Notes are from a 2015 vintage bottle. Poured from 375 mL bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass. Consumed 9/12/16.

A: Pours a very dark red with minimal (if any) head formation. Fairly low levels of visible carbonation. Very, very hazy - looks almost like red wine.

S: Bit malic acid, less lactic, and a touch of acetic acid. Funky – feet, cheese, and horse blanket – and a backbone of tart cherry. Some funky Lactobacillus, and likely Brettanomyces, as well. But this is acidic. Like a “my nose has heartburn” kind of acidic. Never one to give up, I dig further finding undertones of plums, black currants, and oak barrel with mild dry tannins. Sticky black cherries that are overripe to the point of fermentation.

T: Funk, malic and lactic acids, and fruity cherry lactic burning acid. Tart and horse blanket, plus some feet and a mild cheesiness. Black cherry juice and currants with more acid. It finishes dry with residual funk and woodiness plus more cherry juice. Fruity and acid and funk are all persistent after the swallow.

M: A medium to light body. Alcohol seems about average - I think the majority of the burn is from the acid rather than the alcohol. Very low carbonation - this bottle, at least, is nearly flat.

O: I quite enjoyed this. For my tastes, it's too acidic to become an all-night drinker. But for a beer to pop on an occasion, it's excellent. Nice cherry flavors while not being candy sweet – paying homage to the funk and acid. I don't know if it's intentionally a very low-carbonation beer of if there was a problem with this bottle. But while I did think it detracted a bit, it certainly didn't ruin the experience.

 

 

 

Pours brown but is gem clear and bright ruby red in a PBGC cider tulip glass. There is also a faint ring of fine lace.

The aroma is that of tart cherry vinegar. Earthy brettanomycies and oak tannins are secondary players. All of these aromas are quite powerful.

Raspberries and cherries are definitely prominent and the tartness is off the chart. Oak flavors are not lost. Sweetness is also strong, but is overwhelmed by the tartness. A long, tart, acidic finish dries out dramatically. Warmth allows the oak flavors to come forward while the fruit flavors diminish.

There is a medium body with a smooth but scratchy woolen texture and light carbonation. Alcohol is stronger than expected in this very dry Kriek.

There is a point where more is just more. Then after that, more becomes too much. While this beer is enjoyable, it is a workout that ventures well beyond too much. I will finish the bottle while listening to music after a long day of Spring yardwork. I suspect this would pair better with Brie cheese on a hot day.

 

 

Poured a purplish-red body with minimal head and no lace. Sour aroma, mostly sour cherry, hints of funky tartness. Sweet and sour cherry flavors with a thickness to it and then an acidic/tart crisp finish. Not too much going on but it's easy to drink and has some tastiness to it.

 

 

 

 

 

7/8/16
375 into a snifter - unsure of the vintage, but at least 3 years old.
Flat, ugly, some decent sour cherry aroma, but taste is overwhelmed by a very off putting soapiness. No sweetness. This is probably what cherry dish soap taste like.