Lips Of Faith - Transatlantique Kriek - New Belgium Brewing

spoony

Colorado

3.39/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

From a 22 oz bomber into a tulip.

A-The brew pours a nice reddish, raspberry color. The head is one and one-half finger of long-lasting pink foam. The head fades slowly to thick cap that hangs around. There is a fair amount of visible carbonation.

S-I smell a decent mixture of funky, earthy, cheesy lambic style beer. Unfortunately, the fruit component is somewhat lacking here. You have to look hard for the raspberry and cranberry, but there is a little there.

T-The taste tracks the smell pretty closely. I get an uninspiring, sort-of tepid, funky raspberry and cranberry mixture. Some cereal grain flavor, too. This brew lacks sour power and complexity.

M-The feel is on the lighter side, with a refreshing carbonation. Relatively easy to drink.

O-I like New Belgium and I like the story of collaboration with Boon, so I am disappointed this is not a better beer, and not just because it is about $18 per bomber. As noted above, this brew is just is not that interesting. The flavors are lacking in intensity, and there is no sour or sweetness to make you want more. (I have also had the previous blend, and was similarly uninspired.)

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 04:16:11 | More by spoony

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.08/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

We poured this Lambic from a bottle into pint glasses. The Lambic pourewd a clear reddish color, produced an off white pinkish head, featured poor retention and left moderate lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of pale malted grain and cherries. Medium bodied, there was a base of malted grain, and a dominate flavor of sweet/tart cherries. Overall, the brew was decent but it tasted more like cherry juice then it did a lambic.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 19:00:07 | More by GossageBrewery

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.85/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a tulip.

3.0 A: Well hazed dark ruby red color. Half a finger of frothy pink head that falls quickly and doesn't leave much in terms of lacing.

2.5 S: Nose is pretty underwhelming. There just simply isn't a lot going on. Light, medicinal style cherry. Minimal tartness. Some musty basement funk, but in the context of the medicinal aromas, it doesn't work well. It's like a rancid cough drop or something. I don't want to give the impression that the nose is off-putting. It's not nauseating or anything like that, it's mainly just boring.

3.0 T: Taste is really much better. It resembles a carbonated fruit drink more than it does beer, like sparkling grape juice or something of that nature. Cherry is the dominant flavor, but even that isn't potent. Minimal tartness and mild funk. As disappointing as this is as a beer, it still doesn't taste bad, so an average score is warranted. It's not medicinal like the nose, but rather just mundane.

3.5 M: Lighter body. Good spritzy carbonation. Smooth with a hint of creaminess. Best aspect of the brew.

2.5 D: At a price of $12.69 for the bomber, I feel thoroughly boned. Aside from the cherry flavor, this doesn't much resemble a kriek. It's a poor excuse to come up with an interesting name that appeals to beer geeks.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:26:43 | More by DavoleBomb

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle into a couple of goblets.

Pours a clear rose-hued ruby in the glass, topped with a couple fingers of pinkish colored head. This retains with a foamy ½ finger that leaves back a robust cascade of sticky lacing that clings to the sides of the glass. The aroma smells has a core to it of tart cherries with a sweet sugary backing, surrounded by some funkiness on the edges that has a slight acidic tinge to it.

The taste is dominant tart cherry, backed by doughy sugars, with a flush of earthy funk on the backend. The finish is dry and woody with more lingering tartness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a firm creaminess in the mouth that is not quite sharp feeling but moves pretty readily across the palate. The 8% ABV is barely detectable here.

This was OK. While the lack of depth and balance to the flavor does hurt it, I still found it strangely drinkable considering. Maybe the smoothness of the body for a bigger beer kept this in the game more than I thought it would. Anyway, it’s disappointing as a Kriek and not worth the price for it but I do have to give it some credit here.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 15:34:44 | More by Kegatron

mdaschaf

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Review from notes.

A: Pours a deep pink/purple in color with a small pinkish foamy head that reduces to a very thin layer on top. Minimal lacing.

S: A little bit of cherry, but much heavier in terms of the brett funk. Doesn't really have that in your face kriek aroma. Slightly tart.

T: Light cherry, on the sweeter side, and not overly tart. There is some grainy malt with only a little bit of straw/funk. The subdued cherry tartness is probably from the 45%/55% blend of kriek and golden ale.

M: Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation. Finishes dry.

O: Again, not really bad, just doesn't live up to other krieks.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 20:17:36 | More by mdaschaf

warnerry

Michigan

3.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Purchased August 2010

A - Pours a mostly clear red/amber with one finger of white head. Head has pretty good retention and leaves some lacing before fading to a persistent collar.

S - Cherries dominate the aroma, with a nice tartness. Also some funky. Cherry aroma seems a bit dirty, for lack of a better term. Not bad, but not too exciting.

T - Taste starts with a punch of tartness, with cherry flavor gradually coming through. The tartness is followed by a decent funk and a surprising bread malt taste. Has the elements of a good kriek, but both the tartness and funkiness just seem a bit off.

M - Medium mouthfeel is dry and a bit earthy.

O - I didn't have any problems finishing this, but I never thought of it as a very good kriek either. Wouldn't but again.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 03:25:15 | More by warnerry

Gatch

Massachusetts

2.58/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Cloudy, beautiful red with a brownish hue. White head. Little lace and retention.

S: Sorta funky & sour, but in a juice kind of way.

T: Again, slight cherry juice. Nothing special. Disappointing.

M: Sweet and good but no body or character.

O: Like a sour cherry lollipop and sugary water. Meh.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 03:17:07 | More by Gatch

Gobzilla

California

3.93/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a deep crimson red in color with a pinkish colored head that left a little lacing sticking to the glass. I had hints of cherries upfront almost like it was cherry juice, slight acidic notes, some citrusy qualities and a little vinegary as well. The cherry character was more apparent on the palate alongside vinegary, oaky, and tart accents. The brew was medium in body with a fair amount of carbonation which had a sweet, fruity, and tart finish. It was pretty good beer but would not get more due to the stiff price tag.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 23:49:59 | More by Gobzilla

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I don't know when this was bottled. Was sitting on a back shelf back in a random bottleshop for who knows how long.

A - This poured maybe a finger of light pink head which quickly falls to a trace. Body is more of an indian red in color. Slightly cloudy.

S - Quite delicious. Not a full lambic/kriek scent, but some good sour raspberry. No funk at all.

T - It is a sour, but not very fruity. More bitter sour. Some funky grapefruit rind.

M - Fairly light body and strong carbonation. Pretty good all around.

O - A decent job. It may be a little past its prime. No fruit flavors and a more bitter than sour, but still pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 15:15:52 | More by RuckusDu

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy ruby red color with a finger of frothy white head atop. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of some cherries with some light farmhouse funk and a bit of malt.

T - Starts off with some cherry flavor with some tartness and sourness. Through the middle some funk comes through with a bit malt. The finish is a mix of more cherry flavor, sourness, and some light pale malts.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sour, sweet, and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. The cherry flavor is nice and strong from start to end. The beer could have used a bit more depth, it had a nice delicate flavor to it.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 03:57:46 | More by ngeunit1

ehammond1

California

3.33/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle

Papago Brewing
Scottsdale, AZ

Clear ruby and red with a moderately sized light pink head that leaves webs of lace down the glass.

Sweet aroma predominantly of cherries, though the aroma is somewhat medicinal and artificial in nature. Not bad per se, but not good, either.

The flavor too is quite average. The cherry flavor doesn't seem particularly authentic or vibrant, though it is there. There's also a bit of freshly baked bread and mild bitterness.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

A boring kriek, though not at all bad.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 20:38:48 | More by ehammond1

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.03/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dull red, a slight pink head on it, I'd venture to say around 5/16" of an inch, sticky on the edge of the glass. Aroma didn't impart the tangy sour cherry I was looking for. I dunno, maybe its because they're Polish cherries, they haven't figured it out or something.

The cherry is a little more noticeable in the taste, the tartness is respectable, but not like the greats. I don't really pick up much in the way of wood/oak on this or the other counterparts like vanilla and whatnot. Body hides the alcohol decently. Sugar in the mouthfeel is just too high.

Had really high hopes for this beer, but at $15 a bottle, it is nothing but disappointment. How is it the most expensive lips of faith beer is also one of the worst?

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 17:59:07 | More by Beerandraiderfan

rawfish

California

3.25/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours maraschino cherry red, very intensive yet sparkling clear. Forms ahuge off white, Valentine's Day pink tinged fizzy head of 3 fingers that reduces to a sparse cap. Rocky lacing on the glass with a good stick.

Thin pale malts with considerable alcohol at first as tart cherry and a bit of woodsy barnyard creep in and ultimately dominate the aroma. Kind of simple but funky is always interesting.

Pale malt, slight cereal and bready character keep this together as juicy cherries fill the palate. But that's as far as the complexities go, finishes with a dull flash of sour on the back of the palate with a bit of yeast as well. Tartness makes the mouth water.

Thin body, very drinkable and prickly carbonation. Not getting the full impact of the sour or the cherries, overall more yeasty and dulled that I would like. Drinking colder makes the beer brighten up considerably.

Just getting my feet wet in the world of lambic and fruit beers. This offering is a bit simple and a good starter, not very intense. In short, a thin blonde ale with tart cherries. Not a good value at $15 for the bomber.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 05:45:52 | More by rawfish

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle dated 6/25/2009
Consumed 1/6/2012

The beer is cherry red and pours with a slight head that soon falls into the beer and becomes a thin lace around the edge of the beer. The beer is very clear allowing you to see straight through it to the bottom of your glass despite the intensity of the red color.

The aroma is fruity and somewhat sour. Based of the aroma I would think that flavor would be rather sour in the finish.

The beer is a little bit harsh on the palate but otherwise has a very full mouthfeel.

The taste is sweet with a little hint of fruit and finish with a very slight tartness.

Overall I am not that impressed. The beer is beautiful to behold and smells wonderful but the flavor lacks any depth.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 23:59:48 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by BeerFMAndy.

Hawaiin punch red. Small light pink head. Nice amount of funk in the nose. Arm pits, pencil shavings, pool toys, sour cherry, wine barrel, tomato vines. Flavors are mostly barrel soaked cherries. Mild cough syrup, brett, pool toys. Medium body and rather dry. This would make a great gateway sour for someone looking to get into the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 19:11:12 | More by beerwolf77

hardy008

Minnesota

2.58/5  rDev -25%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours a red color with a light pink head which fades quickly leaving no lacing. The aroma has a combination of sweet and tart cherries with green apple. Not overly appealing.

The taste has tart cherries, with a little bit of sweetness and green apples. Quite a bit of tartness and some oak as well. Not one of the better tasting Lambics I have had.

Light to medium bodied with below average carbonation. Has a dry finish. I am not very impressed by this beer. It was stored properly. Just not very good.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 03:22:58 | More by hardy008

BillHilly

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

June '09 bottle in a Duvel tulip (god's gift to glassware)

A: Dark amber, nice ring, etching on D/T brings out the yeast.

S: Very subtle, mild acidity

T: I don't get a lot of cherry, and not sure of the "polish cherry" lol, as I have cherry trees in my garden!

M: Time has done this beer well, decent mf.

O: Solid Kriek, wife hated it, but she's CZ, so don't mind her...price per oz and taste for kriek, worty buy.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 06:05:58 | More by BillHilly

miadw3

California

3.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a vibrant red with pink head which leaves decent lacing.

S - Strong smell of sweet cherry. Very overpowering.

T - Very sweet cherry dominate the taste. Very little tartness is noticeable.

M - Light body with medium carbonation.

O - The sweetness makes this a definite sipping beer. While the drinkability on this is high, I feel the sweetness is a bit too overpowering and would benefit from more of a funk.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 01:26:43 | More by miadw3

Soonami

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to the Texas Gang Bang BIF crew for sending us a bomber of this.

This is a beer I've had a couple times, but each time its a disappointment. The beer certainly looks like a good lambic, with a nice bright red, but the aroma is a medicinal, candy cherry. The beer is not all that sour or lambic-y. There is a little tart cherry, but straight blonde base beer is like 75% of the beer equation. I'm not sure if there is wild yeast in the bottle, but it doesn't seem like this beer has developed much over time. The sourness is only noticeable, and in the end there is a good deal of artificial sweetness in the finish of the beer that is very off-putting. Truthfully, it's better than a lot of back-sweetener fruit beers but if you think this is a lambic like Cantillon, you are mistaken.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 23:17:43 | More by Soonami

jsanford

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a NB Globe.

A - Pours a lovely ruby-red with a thin rose-colored head that recedes to a slight ring and haze.
S - Nice aromas of dried tart cherries, oak, sugar, and just the slightest amount of funk. Reminds me a bit of Boon Kriek (not Oude Kriek), which makes sense given the pedigree.
T - Close to the nose, mostly cherries and a bit of sweet malt. Very one-dimensional, but the heat from the 8% ABV is definitely noticeable.
M - Smooth and slick, with a medium mouthfeel and good carbonation.
O - Decent, but lacking the complexity of a World-Class fruit Lambic. Probably good for a sour "newbie", but not really for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 03:13:22 | More by jsanford

jcartamdg

Florida

3.53/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark red hue with a paper thin head that disapates into a steady ring clinging to my glass aroma of cherries funk and oak. Taste follows the nose, tart up front then cherries with an aftertaste of funk and oak. Pretty good, different than the norm and not overly sweet. I like it!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 01:57:03 | More by jcartamdg

nanobrew

California

2.38/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A: The appearance of this beer is great. A beautiful ruby red color with a thin bubbly head

S: Smells like dried sweet cherries, which is good, but then also smells of cough syrup, not good.

T: The taste is very similar to the smell. It is sweet cherry syrup, similar to a medicine. The tartness is VERY faint.

M: Very thick sweetness, but finishes fairly dry

Overall, I do not like this beer. It is not a kriek at all. More like a fruit beer, and not a good one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2011 22:11:42 | More by nanobrew

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served from bottle into a Boulevard Smokestack tulip. Poured a reddish pink with a two finger pink head that subsided to a half a finger slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, cherries, wood, earthy, and very subtle funk. The flavor was of sweet malt, cherries, tart, wood, and an earthy note. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this brew wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that great either. The flavor profile on this one seemed to be really dilute which was quite unfortunate. If I am honest this one really reminded me of some of the reasons why I enjoy Cantillon so much, but it just fell short. Worth trying to say that you have but I would leave it at that.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 16:34:53 | More by thagr81us

glid02

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Brick Store at an event with Lauren Salazar.

Pours a crystal-clear deep amber color with a slightly off-white head that leaves decent lacing.

Smells of light malts with good amounts of robust cherries that are both sweet and tart but lean toward the sweet side. Also present are very light hints of vanilla.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Crisp light malts up front are joined quickly by bright dark cherry flavors with hints of cough syrup, though not in a bad way. The cherries carry through to a crisp ending. Mouthfeel is very good, with grainy carbonation.

Overall I like what the lager did to this beer, it took away some of the sweetness and added a bit of complexity. Worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2011 03:16:21 | More by glid02

IKR

California

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Reddish gold color. Moderate light violet head that slowly dissipated. I'm a fan of the beer's appearance.

Smell: Mild funk is what I get.

Taste: Mild lactic sour, a touch of funk and maybe just the slightest hint of cherries, though it's so slight I'm not positive. not a complex beer taste wise.

Mouth-feel: Moderate body with a brisk sparking carbonation.

Overall: The mouth-feel and appearance really work for me. The taste does not rise to the level of the appearance and mouth-feel. The cherry notes, really the overall taste, and the level of sourness leaves me wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 01:47:49 | More by IKR