Krøkkebic - HaandBryggeriet

kevanb

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This Norwegian sour beer is made with crowberries, which until drinking this beer I had never heard of, but learned it’s very similar to a blueberry but a tad sweeter. It pours a nice reddish brown, typical of the lambic style, minimal white soapy head that dissipates really quickly leaving behind some soapy film along the top of the beer. Big berry aroma, but lots of funk in there, and faint grain. The aroma is really interesting as I’ve never smelled a crowberry before, but it is quite like a blueberry, tart with mild sweetness. The flavor is really nice, lots of blueberry or crowberry flavor, it’s a bit sweeter than a blueberry but amply tart, there some stronger much earthy flavors as well, some tobacco and barklike flavors come through, not sure if this is aged on wood or in barrels but there are some very interesting and similar flavors. The body is nice, bubbly, very juice like at times.

Verdict: Really interesting and delicious lambic, one of the few Norwegian beers I’ve been able to try and this was no let down. Nice tart but sweet flavors with a nice unexpected earthiness as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 05:03:32 | More by kevanb

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%

05-12-2013 18:36:54 | More by Bonko_the_sane

mbs11

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +13.9%

03-12-2013 00:23:22 | More by mbs11

eric5bellies

Australia

3.64/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Drank from my Duvel tulip

A -Pours a red dark copper colour with no head.

S - Sour cherries and other fruits. Nice

T - Really nice sourness up front followed by the dark fruits like cherries, etc. The finish is lingering with Brett, and sourness.

M - Light to medium body with minimal carbonation

O - Not a bad example of a fruit sour. Would have liked to have seen more carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 13:53:18 | More by eric5bellies

SmashPants

Australia

2.33/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Bottle: standard light brown 500mL bottle with a completely rubbish looking label. Looks like it was printed on a personal / home computer.

Appearance: looks like a dirty soda - a heavy reddish-brown in colour with absolutely no head whatsoever. Bubbling head, but no head - and I mean no head at all. I tried to bring one up by pouring high, but there wasn't even a touch of froth on top during the pour.

Aroma: a solidly pungent sour cherry aroma - very different to anything I have had before. Very... Interesting.

Taste: an incredibly pungent, overpowering sourness mixed with melted dirt and off earth flavours. The more I try to choke this down, the more the concept of self-harm becomes appealing.

Aftertaste: follows the same flavours. Doesn't linger long, but the ideas of self-harm carry through just fine.

Mouth feel: oddly enough, the mouth feel seems just baout right. Medium in body with just enough carbonation to carry the flavour through.

Overall: I realise this is probably one of those "not used to the style" things, but I have certainly had lambics, krieks, etc before, but I don't think I will ever get used to this horror. I think not.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 11:00:40 | More by SmashPants

GrindFatherBob

New York

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%

01-24-2013 13:22:46 | More by GrindFatherBob

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +7.2%

01-23-2013 02:08:22 | More by JAHMUR

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours an orange struck dark reddish hue, hazy with a light head that recedes rather quickly leaving no trace of itself.

S - Fruity and funky! Starfruit, melon, raspberries, blackberry cobbler, acidic aroma, dank musty wood, hints of floral

T - Woody ocean water, salty apple cider, earthy minerals, hints of tart berries and bright and sour citrus, it's pretty earthy and floral. While the tartness is there, it's slightly muted. Cooked stone fruit, and salty honeydew. Earthy mineral notes on the aftertaste.

M - Firm medium body, low carbonation, salty with a dry finish.

A very interesting lambic. Lots of salty/stone/mineral/earthy flavors that are mixed with tart fruits and funky yeast. I like the effort but feel it's slightly too salty without enough tartness. With that being said, it was an enjoyable drink that was fun to explore.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 03:01:55 | More by StaveHooks

emerge077

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This really comes across more as a rustic Flanders-esque Brett wild ale than lambic.
Served near 50º in a Duvel tulip glass.

Deep sanguine reddish orange brown, about a third of each, with a distinct ruby highlight when backlit. Initial fizzle and fingers width of off-white foam, which rapidly seems to fade away audibly.

A deep woody mustiness, sandalwood and mellow berry aroma, like opening an ancient book while deep in a subterranean library.

Tart and fruity upfront with a bit of wild Brett complexity in the middle, wet hay and horsehair, stonefruit, cherry pits. Clover honey in the aftertaste. Pleasant fruit character and complexity to it, mildly acetic. Those looking for extreme sourness may be disappointed, but therein lies the beauty of the wild ale spectrum. It has low carbonation and lacks a sparkle, though it's medium bodied and fine enough to sip.

Tried this a year ago and it was memorable enough to pick up again when I saw it again recently. Thanks Aaron for sharing at Wil's Thanksmas '11.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 01:51:33 | More by emerge077

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A somewhat unremarkable and ultimately disappointing attempt at a sour, lambic-style beer and the 10 dollar price tag helped to make it even more unpalatable.

Pours a murky brown with a distinct cherry red highlight; no head or lace at all, just some soapy, quickly dissipating bubbles upon first pour. Nose is woody, oaked, slightly tart cherries and cranberries; distinct boozy note; something vaguely medicinal.

The flavor has a tart, very mildly sour cherry and cranberry taste that feels muddled and not in crisp, clear relief. Lots of oaky tannins present; some booze; again the slightly medicinal, herbal, menthol aspect implied in the aroma that didn't work too well in the overall flavor. Medium sweetness but a dry tannic finish.

Medium bodied, combined with an undercarbonated feel, made this heavier than in should have been. The entire effect was a beer that seemed undefined, lacking clean crispness; muddled and not all that enjoyable to drink, simply put. This isn't a bad beer, per se, just a mediocre one, and certainly not something I'd be rushing to try again.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 13:44:04 | More by tobelerone

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

10-09-2012 02:49:21 | More by t0rin0

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

2.7/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle from Belmont Station.

Appearance. Pours a lightly hazy amber with a slight blueish-purple hue and a very thin white head.

Smell. Nice sweet red and dark berries, cherries, and a light sweaty-horse funk.

Taste. Light berries, some really musty, bretty funk. Slight bitterness which I'm guessing is from the fruit or it's seeds? There's a bit of leather and a faint floral quality going on as well.

Mouthfeel. Watery, medium-light body with very, very low carbonation.

Overall. This wasn't really up to par with any of the more common fruit lambics out there. The fruit flavour was a bit interesting, but so not worth the $10.65 that I paid for this.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 00:06:00 | More by Rutager

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I think this one somehow lost a little of its pizzazz. Poured a bit cold with a small, fizzy, tan head that quickly vanished. Color is a hazy honey amber with a bubble trail. Aroma is the best part of this beer and is a floral, perfume, wine vinegar. Flavor is similar to nose, but missing the finer qualities and muted. Body is good but carbonation a bit flat. Finish is like flavor, of average lenght, and a bit boozy. Kind of a disappointment; I was really curious to try a Crowberry sour brew. Oh well.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 03:15:13 | More by drpimento

Etan

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16.9oz bottle into a tulip.

A: Pours a nice deep auburn with a tiny white head.

S: Mildly tart with what I can only imagine is the aroma of crowberries. A little lactic, musty, berry sweetness, a bit herbal.

T: Mildly tart musty berry flavor, a bit cranberry-like with a palpable smoky note on the end. Earthy tartness and oak.

M: Very little carbonation, light-bodied.

O: Not bad. The crowberry is a little odd and maybe a little too subtle, but it was decently pleasant to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 13:51:06 | More by Etan

wesley14

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%

07-24-2012 18:06:37 | More by wesley14

polishkaz

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%

07-24-2012 00:14:15 | More by polishkaz

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber in color with a small white head. The nose is very fruity with a definite berry aroma. A moderate tartness, a bit of vinegar, and some lactic notes, as well. There is a mild funk, mostly straw and grass, maybe some musty oak. The flavor is very similar to the aromas. Lots of berry and fruit notes with a bit of vinegar and oak. Slightly tannic and dry on the finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 21:34:23 | More by womencantsail

ccrida

Oregon

3/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

50cl bottle poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, Krøkkebic is a dull brownish red with a small off-white head that leaves very light, scattered lace.

Smell is flanders red, sweet malt, slighty acidic, cider vinegar, and some cherry.

Taste is pretty similar. It's mild on the sour, a touch chalky, perhaps soapy. Nothing offensive or anything, it's just not that exciting. I've never had a crowberry, but I assume it is some of the tart fruitiness here.

Mouthfeel is dry and medium-light bodied.

Drinkability is nothing special. An average flanders red, except for the cost, which is high.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 01:47:39 | More by ccrida

wethorseblanket

California

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy light crimson, slightly brownish with an initial 1/4" white head which fades to the rim leaving trace lace. A swirl bring back a short lived cap.

N: Sour and earthy notes along with fresh fruits/berries, peaches and green apples. Some oak, spice and slight funk. Floral with grape skin.

T: Tart and sour with a mild tannic bite. Fruity with grape skin and musty earth. Somewhat juniper/spruce-like resiny quality.

M: Medium body and carbonation. More tart/sour than sweet. Semi-dry finish with lingering tingly berrys and fruit.

O: Well, 1st crowberry beer and probably my last. Interesting flavor and aroma. Allow to warm to cellar temp for more pronounced fruit taste. Enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 21:46:17 | More by wethorseblanket

GRG1313

California

2.5/5  rDev -33%

05-23-2012 06:38:03 | More by GRG1313

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours an orange-amber color with a white head. The aroma is full of biscuit malt, as well as some cherries, grapes and light funk. The flavor is a little bit more complex than the aroma. I get a lot of vinegar and acetone, as well as some leather and tobacco notes. There is also a little bit of cherry and grape notes, but they are hidden in the background. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 04:33:38 | More by Mora2000

sweemzander

Illinois

1.88/5  rDev -49.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours kind of a murky/cloudy rose color. Some white bubbles and lace.

(S)- A really nice lactic oak sourness up front. Maybe more acidic than lactic, but it does have a nice subtle funk with some fruitiness in the background.

(T)- Much much more bland than the smell led me to believe. Its actually quite plain; the tiniest hint of fruit with the mildest hint at a tartness if any. Has an overall dry "cotton" taste to it.

(M)- A smooth carbonation level. While the balance of it is fine, it just has such a lack of overall flavor that it almost tastes like it was watered down (which I doubt, but that is what I see in front of me).

(D)- The smell quickly got me excited about this one, but it turned out to just be so bland that it almost tastes like nothing; what happened?

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 16:56:21 | More by sweemzander

hoppymcgee

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.2%

04-30-2012 00:37:48 | More by hoppymcgee

JThomasSmith

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Long time beer guy making his first post here. And can I start by saying this- why review a beer's appearance with a number? Really, unless we're talking lambic or dark beers the only important appearance worth noting is color. Who gets excited about the paleness of their pale ale for example? And now to review a beer I loved so hard:

a- Deep amber garnet, a little hazy. Head was minimal, and soapy, like a cask pour

s- Lambicky, with odd Euro fruit wafts. Like some other reviewers, never had a crowberry before

t- Slight tartness, with a little bite from the fruit, and overall pretty dry. Has the classic wild taste, the "bic" part of the name comes through. Not crazy sour, very solid.

m- This is not your fizzy beer. Weak carbonation gives it a minimal sparkle, very cask-like

o- Really F'ing good. I'll be picking up another one

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 19:16:02 | More by JThomasSmith

ehammond1

California

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2011)

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Thanks for this one, Rebecca!

Dark, slightly muddy looking crimson (at least in the dark light of the pub) with a small off-white head that doesn't leave much behind on the glass.

The aroma is a sweet, tart, and funky aroma, consisting of blackberry and dark cherry (though I guess what I'm actually smelling is crowberry). There's some vinegar and a bit of Belgian yeast presence as well. Interesting, though not great.

The flavor is a bit surprising following the aroma, with distinct fruit and tart presence, along with an earthy, mustard-like flavor, which is a bit distracting. Everyone too wished it was more sour.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Interesting and unique, though I don't feel a need to revisit this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 15:54:33 | More by ehammond1