Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek - Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen

doppelmeup

North Carolina

1.9/5  rDev -55.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

Let me start off this review by saying that the only other lambic I've had has been Lindemanns, which I liked alot, probably because it was quite sweet and reminded me of a fruit pie.

With that said, I was excited to try a "real" lambic to see what they were like. I have to say that I hated it and found it to be disgusting. I couldn't drink it and it became a very expensive drainpour.

In my review I tried to review it to style where appropriate, and found my comments similar to other reviewers, so I scored it accordingly in those areas.

Poured a pretty ruby red with just slight lacing into a snifter glass. 350 ml bottle dated 12/2005. So far so good.

Aromas of funk, hay, vinegar and a bit of cherry. I guess this is typical of the style.

The taste was horrible. I could only drink a few sips. Very funky barnyard mixed with sour/spoiled vinegar, and not sour in a good way like a nice balsamic would be. Funky aftertaste as well. Only a hint of cherries, and they were very sour.

Mouthfeel, from what I could drink, was lightly carbonated.

Overall, I couldn't drink this beer and poured it out. I guess that I'm not much for the funky Belgian ales, as I also disliked a Fantome Saison, which was also quite barnyardy.

So, take my review for what it's worth.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 16:22:16 | More by doppelmeup

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2006 vintage poured into New Glarus flute.

A- Pours a deep ruby red that is completely transparent. Almost no head to speak of. No lacing of course.

S- A little funkiness, some tart cherries and some oak. I was expecting a little more going on with this one.

T- This is where the let down begins. I think this one has not aged well. There is a little bit of funk, some book dust and attic cobwebs, thanks Alcstradmus for adding those to my vernacular. A little cherry but more on the dried side than fresh tart. Seems as it might be oxidized.

M- Seems quite flat to me. I think some cherry juice has more carbonation than this. Lighter bodied but not dry on the finish like I was hoping.

D- I am glad I shared this but wish I hadn't plunked down as much cash as I did for this one. The result may differ for you but I won't be revisiting this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 16:23:59 | More by Wisconsinality

monitorpop

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev -24%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottled March 2009

A: Dark ruby red. Zero head.

S: Tart, musty funk.

T: Mild sour, tart cherry skin, some vinegar with a bit of earthy funk.

M: Almost no carbonation. Mild pucker.

O: The lack of head and almost non-existent carbonation seems off. Almost flat...

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 04:10:04 | More by monitorpop

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.33/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Wow. Simply put SOUR cherry beer. And very red; red in the head like the dick on a dog. Poured with a deep pink small to medium sized head that mostly subsided and a wee bit a lace. Color is a hazy/cloudy burnt red. Aroma is sour cherry yeast musty. Flavor is like aroma. The tartness totally dominates all of the other flavors. Which are cherries malt yeastoids. Good body and excellent carbonation. *burp* Finish is like flavor. Can't think, off hand, when I'd be in the mood for another of these, despite my score.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 00:09:35 | More by drpimento

mbrasi

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

375mL Lot 01 Bottled Feb. 2005. Pours an orange-red with minimal head. Aroma is tart cherries and wood. Flavor is very sour cherries and wood at first. Finishes very dry and tart. Not very complex, you are overwhelmed by sour cherries with woody undertones. A slight sweetness in there towards the finish but not much else.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2008 19:05:50 | More by mbrasi

Tilley4

Tennessee

3.48/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've been sitting on this one for a bit and decided to crack it tonight.

Poured into a Duvel tulip... Bottled November of 2006 so it should be nice and funky and sour...

Pours a deep reddish burgundy with absolutely no carbonation whatsoever.. Very red wine like in the glass...

Very sour wine like aromas at first but as it warms I get the oakiness big time and its really nice... Those cherries are uber juicy and sour smelling... My mouth is puckering just thinking about the first sip of this one...

Surprisingly smooth! There's a hint of sourness here but nothing like I would expect from the aromas... There's a little vinegary aspect but nothing crazy... Very vinous actually, sort of like a semi-dry red... I can taste those oak barrels though and maybe that's what has this one smoothed out... I really wanted this one to be more sour and funky I guess so the score might suffer a little... Its not bad at all, just a little subdued for my tastes...

I'm wondering if this one would be more bracing a little bit fresher...really wanted this to be more sour and tasty...

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 04:37:44 | More by Tilley4

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This was really strange for me, had a real stinky, dirty diaper nose, with a suggetsion of sour cherry. I foiund this to be a bit cloying and syrrupy even. strange taste that was a bit off-putting, very earthy and even a bit detergenty for some reason, i loved their gueuze, but couldn't really get into this one, still interesting, and on the whole pretty good, i will surely sample another day though.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2002 18:17:20 | More by rastaman

Erdinger2003

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The cage looks pretty old and the label says: 26 Februari 2005. It says that's the bottling date and it's good for ten years after that, so I have a 2005 vintage.

Pours a wonderful looking ruby red with a nice head, but lacing. The smell like a strong flavor of horse blanket and that's it. The taste isn't very tart, just a light sour, slightly fruity flavor with dominate horse blanket. The most horse blanket I have ever had in a beer before. The body is very light as well. The mouthfeel is nice, there's nothing bad about that. Overall drinkability isn't that high, but I would try again if I was in a Belgian mood and it was the best option.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2007 02:35:05 | More by Erdinger2003

texashammer

Texas

3.55/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

brought this bottle back from the brewery, where I drank the same beer on cask and found it phenomenol and very unique. (reviewed separately)

pours a bright pink color with barely-pink-but-more-white head that is thick and meringue-like but fades pretty quickly into nothing. supertart smell of cherry candy and a touch of sweetness with lots of tart. in the mouth, there is no puckering bite, although it finishes very dry. acidic in nature. by the end of a glass there is an overwhelming sense of cherry-flavored candy or cough syrup; a fake taste. champagne effervescence is very pleasant though.

conclusion: while not a bad beer, I was so very, very disappointed when comparing with the cask, that I wanted to cry.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2006 01:16:56 | More by texashammer

yesyouam

New York

3.55/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek is a solid, sparkling, red beer with a small, frothy, pink head. It has a musty wooden aroma like cherries and barrels. There are champagne notes in the nose. It has a bubbly light body with a lively finish. It is very sour with no sweetness. It's mostly sour cherry and bret. There's a resiny oak flavor that creeps in and the aftertaste is all sour cherry. This sounds silly, but if you toss a little Disaronno in this, it makes a great cocktail.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2009 16:36:40 | More by yesyouam

russwbeck

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle date: 3/31/09

A: Deep red pour with a small white head. Not a lot of retention, but a nice amount of lacing.

S: Lots of nice sweet cherries, balanced out by a slight sourness. The oakiness is present as well.

T: It isn't over the top sour, but the cherries are a bit overwhelmed by the funkiness. Acidic at some point. Some oak, and a dry finish.

MF: Carbonation is decent, and the body is light. Very dry throughout. Not a lot of lip puckering, however.

O: It's alright. I sort of like sweeter Krieks more than the really sour ones. I'd still like to try some more though, they seem to be gaining on me.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 04:29:19 | More by russwbeck

01001111

California

3.58/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: A deep rose, somewhat similar to sparkling red grape juice.

S: Dry, tart, acidic with a slight fruit aroma.

T: Sweet, tart, with a mild fruit flavor that increases with consumption. The tartness is sharp and crisp, as is found in a gueuze, as opposed to the thick, sour pucker you might find in an exceptional sour ale, like Supplication.

M: Light, fizzy, and crisp. A touch too thin.

O: Sour ales have stolen my heart and I appreciate a good lambic. This delivers fairly well in both departments but is slightly too thin.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 01:33:05 | More by 01001111

mindspin315

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Huge foamy reddish pink head faded away fast. Deep ruby red body and a bubble ring around the sides of the glass.

Big dose of funkiness comes out right away. Wet hay, minerals, musty, and tart over-ripe sour cherries underneath all the funk.

Sour cherry flavor right out of the gate. Drys out very quick, mineral quality, low-medium amount of carbonation, and finishes a bit syrupy. A touch more carbonation would help to break up the syrupy finish. The cherry flavor turns slightly medicinal in the aftertaste. The dry aspect to the beer is quite nice though and feels good on the palate.

[86/100]

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 20:02:04 | More by mindspin315

sweemzander

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750mL corked&caged bottle poured into a flute. Bottled Feb. 07, 2007.

(A)- Pours a thick blood red opaque color. No head formation. Looks almost flat.

(S)- A big sour, almost vinegar kick up front with a funk hay & barnyard earthiness with just a twist of tart cherries.

(T)- Pretty much just like the smell, only with a much more pronounced funkiness. Much less sour than anticipated, but is still potent.

(M)- A very subdued carbonation level which was different than anticipated; it certainly could explain the toned down sourness. This is actually almost flat. Has a hay-like dryness in the background. Gets thin in the middle, but then the cherry comes through.

(D)- A different beer for the style than I am used to. I dont know if this is meant to have such a low carbonation level, but it does. Has much more funk to it than normal, but by no means is it a complaint; just different. A big sipper than took me a good hour or three to finish this guy.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 13:46:44 | More by sweemzander

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a nice, bright light red color with a slightly-pink head and a bit of lacing. The nose is bright cherries with modest funk and oak. Not too much acidity. The taste is, unfortunately, mostly cherries and not too much of the funk, oak, and acidity I normally really enjoy from Drie Fonteinen. Fairly nice cherry presence and a bit of tartness from them. In the end, this is just too cherry forward without much involved. Will have to get an aged bottle at some point.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 01:17:38 | More by Thorpe429

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared as a sampling of three fruit lambics with friends, purchased from Etre Gourmet.
Bottled in January 2011.
Poured into a US pint glass.

Drie Fonteinen's kriek displays an impressive, sharp tartness that embodies a positive aspect in lambic/gueuze beers. I felt that it was fairly one-dimensional with that tartness, though, lacking the complexity I expect from lambics/gueuzes; I was unable to detect much in the way of cherry additions to the brew, unless the cherries detracted from the traditional flavors I was anticipating. This was an enjoyable beer, but something I don't think I'd need to seek out with intensity.

Pours, into the glass, a light red to pink head of fairly small bubbles, about 2cm tall. Head descends quickly, leaving little lacing and reducing to a ring around the glass. Body is deep red in color, with visibly active carbonation.

The main aroma I detect from this beer is Brettanomyces-produced scents, typically described as "funk." Very little cherry, if any at all, is detectable for me, which is disappointing.

Taste is primarily tart/sour upfront, a bit of fried electrical Brettanomyces character appears midway, also with a very slight nod towards cherries occurring mid-palate. Has solid lambic characteristics plus a slight fruitiness. Pleasantly sharp, tart aftertaste.

Body is fairly light to medium-light with aggressive carbonation, producing a crisp and effervescent mouthfeel, as expected for the style. Finish is dry.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 05:48:03 | More by falloutsnow

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12.7 oz bottle split in a Bruery tulip.
6% ABV, 14/12/2007, "Good for at least ten years after bottling date."

Ugh. I can't even get away with having Beerwolf OVER for beer without thanking him. Cheers to the sour tick, Todd!

A - Dark blood red in color with a faint haze, it's topped by a slightly pink head with low retention and no lace.

S - Funkier than all get-out, there's a sweaty armpit nose with a strange combination of new shoe and new plastic-resin action figure smell. Tart notes of cherry skin and tannins.

T - Tart cherry skin with lactic acid and wild yeast funkiness. Not much else going on in the flavor though. Not very complex.

M - Medium-light bodied and carbonated at a lower level, this sour finish with complimenting dryness is very nice. Not sugary at all.

O - Not bad, but definitely a little underwhelming, this Kriek has little complexity found in others of the same style.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 01:00:27 | More by BeerFMAndy

davey101

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottling date of December 14, 2007. Foil wrapped corked and caged bottle poured into a palm tulip at fridge temperature, allowed to warm up for a half hour.

A - The pour produced a frothy light pink head (much like the background color on the label) and a deep violet body. The head settled quickly to just some pink froth around the edges. Little to no carbonation.

S - Funk. I honestly don't smell cherries. Its just this very strong barnyard musk and a certain rubber like quality. Very potent and not exactly "pleasant".

T - Tart and sour. Strong cherry presence, some faint lemon rind and some oak notes. The finish is musky. The lack of carbonation shows, but the tartness and mouth puckering makes up for this.

O - A very nice kriek. The smell was a bit off putting, but the taste was pretty pleasant. Not overtly sour, but it is a very funky beer. The brett is strong with this one! I found an early 2005 vintage today so I can't wait to see what an extra 2.5 years does for it.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 02:07:47 | More by davey101

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A 12.7oz bottle, bottling date 2/12/05 on the label. Served in a tulip glass, it was a deep red color with a little haze. The head, except for a few bubbles, was nonexistent. It had a cherry aroma with an oaken background. Tart cherry taste. The first few sips were a little too spritzy for me, but then it settled down. Decent beer, but I didn't finish this and think that I wanted another right away.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2008 19:07:42 | More by lordofthewiens

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottling Date: 02 December 2005

Appearance: Pours a purple-red body with a thinnish, bubbly, pinkish head.

Smell: A musty, funk-scented blend of cherry and strawberry preserves that's plenty moldy and plenty acidic with a note of cheese that is well past its prime.

Taste: Tart, sweetish cherries with a spoonful of strawberry jelly are greeted by a pinch of salt and a jolt of acidity. Punchy sourness. Hints of soggy leather and topsoil alongside some tough phenolics. Finishes rather dry with a hint of decaying wood.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. An initial flourish of carbonation, then it mellow out into a moderate carbonation level.

Drinkability: A fine fruit lambic, but, in all honesty, it makes me more than wistful for another dose of that Hommage.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2008 03:30:08 | More by ChainGangGuy

andrewinski1

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

375 mL poured into a Cantillon taster glass. Nice dark ruby red color with a pink lacing around the side of the glass.

Great smell here. I get a lot of musty sweet cherry aroma. Not much tartness in the smell.

The taste starts out with a hint of tartness and finishes with slight sweet cherry flavor. Not bad. I would prefer it a little drier though.

Nice carbonation makes for a champagnesque experience. Definitely a highlight.

Not as drinkable as others. But I will revisit this again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 04:23:03 | More by andrewinski1

DaveHS

California

3.68/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled April 1, 2011.

A-Pous ruby red with nearly an inch of foamy grapefruit pink head. Fizzes away to nothing, leaving almost no lacing.

S-Earthy farmhouse funk, tart cherries, tannic fruit skins. Very appealing.

T/M-Very little cherry flavor in this. This is mostly about the funk. Wet hay, musty old basement, dog hair. The cherries provide light tartness, but not much actual fruit flavor. I remember previous batches of this being more fruit forward. The finish is thin and tart, with diminishing sourness and light carbonation.

O-A good, not great lambic. I prefer Cantillon and Hannsens's Krieks.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 04:02:07 | More by DaveHS

seaoflament

California

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Joey for sharing this one at La Bella on 11/24. The bottle was a 2005 vintage.

Poured a ruby color with about a quarter inch of foam.

On the nose I got a plastic funk, band-aid, cherry pits, some sweet maltiness in the background, and also a hint of toast. The fruit component of the beer just didn't seem to take hold and neither did the funk, at least that's the impression I got.

The flavor was in line with the aroma but with an initial flavor of chlorine followed by plastic cherry, funk, oak, and a very reserved cherry flavor. Medium acidity and carbonation level with a semi-dry finish. Quite good but not among the best fruit lambics I've had. Would like to try a fresher example to compare.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2009 19:33:38 | More by seaoflament

Jonada

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

375ml bottled on Jan 27th 2012

Appearance: Dark red with hints of purple. No head or lacing. Looks fairly tepid. It actually looks like a glass of slightly hazy cranberry juice.

Smell: Sour cherry, musty basement, a little bit of barnyard funk, oak, acidic.

Taste: Sour pie cherries, oak, vinegar, funk. Medium sourness. Finishes dry.

Mouthfeel: Light, somewhat watery, with very very little carbonation.

Overall: A pretty good kriek lambic, but could done with a bit more carbonation. I was a little disappointed with this one. There are lots of better, easier to find options out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 04:21:47 | More by Jonada

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. Tasted side x side with the Schaerbeekse Kriek.

Poured a dark and cloudy reddish color with a smaller sized reddish/pinkish head. Aromas of cherries, yeast, and raspberries. Tastes of cherries, wood, funky, and raspberries. I preferred the Schaerbeekse.

Notes from and tasted on 12/12/05.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2008 05:59:30 | More by hopdog