Monomoy Kriek - Cisco Brewers Inc.

davewlfpckfan29

Connecticut

3.81/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aged in cherries, over 2 years old.

You can tell its aged in oak right away. Really pleasant smell from this brew.

Reddish brown, with not alot of carbonation at all. A little bit of bubbles when it was first poured.

The cherries, oooh the cherries. So sour, so tart. Some serious sediment.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 18:08:40 | More by davewlfpckfan29

barleywinefiend

Washington

3/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a murky reddish burgundy color with a whispy pink cap, some light bubbles but not much in the head retention department iof I recall.

S: A blend of dark and red cherries, with some lactic sting, Earthy notes and old wood

T: Initial sting and bite with a jab of unripe red cherries which tends to hang around but it seems to be a little flat on the palate. Taste buds continue to pickup some Earthiness, light must and old wood. A little bit of spice is noted as well. Finish is dry, a little sting and tart.

M: Light to medium bodied, I felt is was a little undercarbed perhaps. Cherries dominate the mouth as does the lactic tartness

O: Average.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 17:39:39 | More by barleywinefiend

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750mL bottle poured into taster - thanks alex

Dark cherry color with pinkish hues. Thin head dissolves into a thin film with little lacing.

Fruit-forward with plenty of cherry in the nose. Slightly jammy, sweet and funky. Tart cherry skins and oak with slightly lactic tart and sour notes.

Sour cherry through and through. Acidic with fruit skins, oak and vinous notes. Acidic with light funk towards the finish with more sour cherry.

Lighter medium body, higher carbonation, crisp, dry and sticky on the tongue. Pretty straight forward cherry-driven sour here, drinkable and flavorful for an American take on the kriek.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 13:33:05 | More by xnicknj

mltobin

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Split a bottle of this with a few friends, poured into a wine glass.

Appearance is a burnt red color with a thin head. Its` nose has cherry, wood, vanilla, a nice tinge of sourness. The taste of this offering from Cisco is citrus, cherry, light vinegar and some wood. Mouthfeel of this interesting wild ale is medium, a bit sharp, some potent sour aspect that lingers on your palate. A very good beer that I was glad to have the opportunity to try.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 02:24:55 | More by mltobin

chugalug06

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

About ~two years old. Poured into Bruery tulips.

Barely raises 1/2 finger of caramel colored head. Brew is slightly fogged with either oxidation or yeast..

Cherries are strong, but cinnamon and nutmeg lie a close second. Smells tart, but it's TBD...

This is acid-reflux in a bottle... Tons of tart cherries, but not overly tart. Carbonation is perfect and light. Wet, slightly bitter, and without any heat. Cinnamon and other eclectic flavors take second stage to a strong palate of cherry flavor. Cherry is sweet without being over done, bitterness is more acidic then anything...

This brew rocks! Very balanced and relaxing. a nice representation of a well done cherry (sour) brew. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 03:29:30 | More by chugalug06

Pete27lax

New York

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Opened on 9/28-29/2012

Pours a pretty still hazy light brown color. Not much head at all (only a few bubbles) and no lacing. Similar to many wilds.

Smell is very funky. Sour cherries and typical funk are really all I'm getting here. Enjoying smell.

Taste is very good! Sour funkiness with cherries coming into play. Call me crazy but I taste hints of cinnamon. Not quite as sour as I'd like but I'm really into mouth puckering beers.

Could be more carbonated but not bad. Not a dry finish which I liked and the sourness does kind of tickle the tongue.

Overall I definitely enjoyed this brew! For an off the shelf american wild it was great and is definitely going to be my new "go to" when I'm in need of a sour fix.

Well done Cisco!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 06:31:55 | More by Pete27lax

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is quite the sour ale. The nose fortells it and the flavor is certainly following suit. At first it seemed just a sour punch in the mouth. But the cherries show through nicely with well placed wood tones. Not bringing the biggest pile of complexity, but it's a nice drinker. However, if you don't like sours, you will definitely not like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 04:20:47 | More by RblWthACoz

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter, the beer is a dark, ruby-highlighted brown coloring with no head of any sort on the surface. Aromas are tart and rich cherry in the forefront, with some tangy and sour tones throughout and a base of woody and earthy blends. Enticing nose. Flavors are initially smooth, with a slightly roasted and earthy tone that transitions into a slick, slightly tart and smoked dark cherry sweetness. Not as "in your face" sour and lock-jaw tart as some Krieks tend to get, making it much more drinkable for the average beer-goer. The aftertaste is light, with currant and cherry tang. Slick, quick finish with a slight tart and dry feeling left behind. Very smooth and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 03:36:45 | More by GarthDanielson

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear garnet red in color with some light hints of haziness as the beer warms. The beer has a minimal beige head that reduces to the thinnest two tiny patches of bubbles at the edges of the glass. No lacing is observed.

S: Very funky in the nose with lots of sour cherries and oak/wood from the barrel aging.

T: Huge flavor of sour cherries along with substantial notes of oak and moderate amounts of funkiness. Very enjoyable.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Light dryness.

O: Quite enjoyable and tasty - I really enjoyed this one quite a bit. I could sip on this one all afternoon long.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 13:08:42 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy garnet in color and poured with a small off white head that completely died down, leaving only a few bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: The nose has light to moderately strong aromas of sour cherries and oak.
T: The beer has flavors of sour cherries and oak from the barrel aging process. The sourness is not that overpowering.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and quite tart on the palate with a light to moderate amount of carbonation. Some hints of dryness are also noticeable.
O: This is a very nice wild ale. It has a good amount of sourness and tartness, but neither of these are overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 21:54:55 | More by metter98

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 2.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 4.25

Cisco Monomoy Kriek. No freshness date. $21.99 for the pleasure. Enjoyed side-by-side with Jolly Pumpkin La Roja.

Tiny hiss after removing the cork. Scarlet color. Glugs into the glass with no effervescence. Just a few forced bubbles that gravitated to the outside of the surface; about as many bubbles as would be formed from force-pouring grape juice.

Wine-y aromas full of aromas of oak barrel and tart cherries. Has a tannic nose with lots of woody notes and fresh fruit skins. Pithy lemon aromas fall by the wayside to light sweetness. Hints of vanilla powder.

Taste follows the nose. Lightly sour with lots of vinous notes. Tannic without the bitterness, and with a showy and juicy fruit character. A little bit of 'close-to-the-rind' honeydew melon flesh, lemon, sour cherries, lively oak, white vinegar, and rooibos. Finishes pretty tart and showing some of the alcohol.

A little stinging in the back of the throat upon the swallow. Medium-full body with a syrupy feel to it. All of this, and hardly evidence of any carbonation at all. Almost completely flat.

Excellent kriek/wild ale. Prominent barrel quality, exponential complexity, and enough funk to make it comparable to big-time Belgian fruit lambics. Will have to secure another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 03:09:36 | More by thecheapies

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml Bottle shared by Lubiere - thanks!

Appearance – Slightly hazy copper colour with an average size fizzy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Grains/wheat, vinegar, cherries, caramel, lemons

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste ripe cherries mixed with caramel and lemons. There is also some vinegar flavour mixed with a hint of chocolate and a bit of a woodiness. At times the beer reminded me of a cherry blossom chocolate candy or even just a chocolate covered maraschino cherry to some extent. It end with a tart yet slightly sweet cherry aftertaste.

Overall – An excellent beer that does a great job of showcasing cherries while not tasting too over the top. I find most of the Kriek's to have too much of a artificial flavour, this one didn't have that at all. The bottle rings in at 22$ which is a bit pricey, but it would be nice to have for special occasions.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 13:48:08 | More by spinrsx

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A fairly traditional, well-made kriek with a noticeable oak character. My bottle was, fortunately, lightly but adequately carbonated and while a bit thin, had an appropriate mouthfeel for the style. It pours a clouded, dark red, slightly brownish color with a decent little tan head that settles down slowly. Lacing is minimal.

Aroma is what you’d expect for this style; lots of tart cherries, a nice woodiness, some sweetness and a hint of vinegar. The flavor pretty much follows suit; middle-of-the-road sourness and tartness from the cherry mingled with vinegar and oak. Somewhat musty and funky, with medium sweetness and light acidity. Seems pretty well-balanced, again with a more prominent oak character than other krieks I’ve tried. Glad I gave this one a shot after almost being scared off by talk of uncarbonated bottles. Very tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 03:46:21 | More by tobelerone

FosterJM

California

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1305th Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
750ml C/C

30th Birthday Party
Thanks to Twstandley for this one

App- A ruddy brown/red crimson beer with a good bit of density. No head really formed and maybe left a couple dots of cling.

Smell- A huge aromatic vinegar and sour cherry comes first. A large amount of oak comes next with a bit of lactic acid. A bit earthy as well.

Taste- This is what I love in a sour with cherries. Boom! Straight to the point. Lactic, Sour, Cherry, Oak. Thats it. Its well balanced between these flavors and hits it hard. Damn tasty.

Mouth- A bit of a fuller medium body. A medium complex carbonation with a lot of residual cherry and oak on the finish.

Drink- A very good wild ale. More of a wild vs. kriek and I enjoyed it very much. Thanks to Tom for the trade on this one. Would love another one.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 23:11:48 | More by FosterJM

UCLABrewN84

California

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared at FosterJM's birthday celebration courtesy of FosterJM.

Pours a murky crimson brown with a khaki head that fades to wisps of lace on top of the beer. No lacing on this one. Smell is of sour cherries, funk, and slight vinegar. Taste is the same with a woody and dry finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good straight forward sour cherry beer with a better taste than smell in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 23:15:54 | More by UCLABrewN84

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a rusty brown with no head, seems flat at pouring. Just a little bit of haze in here, but overall a nice color

S: Mostly sour lactic aroma, some cherry , a bit of funk and oak

T: This starts off with a nice sour bite. It is lactic and tart as I was expecting, maybe even only slightly more than I might have expected. This is a good thing, for some reason I thought this might let me down a little bit. The malt is very subdued as it should be. This is no Schaersbeekse lambic, but it is pretty good. Not bad at all for my first Cisco Woods series sour.

M: Very light and watery with no carbonation.

O: This is a decent Kriek. It has basically all of the things that I like in a Kriek, but is just a little flat. Just needs a little more complexity to take it to the next level, but otherwise the flavors are all good. Very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 01:22:39 | More by alpinebryant

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

No head, reddish-amber body.

Nose is of some spice and cherry pie.

Quite tart on the start and finish, which is accompanied by spice. Cherry is easy to get wrong, but this nails it. Trace of oak. Faintest hint of bitter leafy greens.

Mouthfeel is not super thick, but not too thin either.

Really worthwhile kriek-- remarkable spice character. Not sure what this would do in time, but it's darn good fresh.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 01:29:11 | More by zaphodchak

russwbeck

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer pours without head, but a very nice red color. Deep and hazy in the center, the side hint towards see-through.

S: It smells cloyingly sweet with some oak and booze underneath. The tart characteristics are there, but it just doesn't have enough to call this aroma balanced.

T: The taste is a bit light with an underlying tartness. The cherries, oak and other barrel treatments are noted, as is booze, but the overall taste just isn't that great for an American Wild. It's a lot like a Belgian Lambic, but just not quite there.

MF: Medium body without any carbonation. It is insanely drinkable, probably one of its redeeming qualities.

O: A really good beer, but just not quite on the top level. Pretty average in terms of American Wilds, I was expecting a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 03:34:53 | More by russwbeck

potownbill

New York

1.7/5  rDev -59%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

This beer was absolutely, totally, flat. Zero carbonation. I was worried when the cork was very easy to pull out. I am not going to give this one another chance, because I spent over $20.00 for this, even though the other reviewers did not have the same problem. I bought this from a very reputable supplier, so I don't think the problem was there. Refrigerated it as soon as I got home.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 22:51:20 | More by potownbill

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks goes out to beermeX2 for sharing this one at a recent tasting! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured ruby red with a half finger bone white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, cherry, funk, wood, subtle sour, and subtle tart. The flavor was of sweet malt, wood, cherry, fruit, earth, and subtle tart. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. The cherry definitely made a very nice presence on this one. I really like how the tart aspect took over and avoided the sour. Made this one very enjoyable. A definite must try if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 03:34:20 | More by thagr81us

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into an Allagash chalice and an Ithaca tulip. No bottle date.

Appearance - Ruby red body that gets cloudier as I pour it. Dark, like an oud bruin, but still with a bright pink luster to it. Big head that limits the amount I can pour into the tulip.

Smell - Musty and acidic smelling. Sour cherries and a hint of funk. A touch oaky, perhaps in a slight vanilla smell in the background.

Taste - Acidic, but not quite puckering until the finish. Cherries come through, as does the malt. Not sweet, though, just a touch of malt. Oak and vanilla in the finish, which turns quite sour and dry.

Mouthfeel - Tannic and dry, to the point that it makes my teeth hurt. Makes it a bit tough to drink.

Overall - A nice sour with appealing oak notes. Like an oud bruin with cherries. It's tasty and has a good depth to it, but not mind-blowing.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 02:21:59 | More by Alieniloquium

kmatlack

California

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 into a large red wine glass. When unwinding the cage, it broke. Yeah, that wasnt a pain in the ass.

A- Aggressive pour renders a half finger pink-orange head that sits on top of a cloudy dark pink beer. Surprising amount of head retention from a great looking creamy froth. No real lacing as the beer is drank.

S- Smells of strong vinegar, lactic acid, sour apples, cherries, lemon peel. Plenty of funk on the nose, especially as the beer warms. Plenty of oak presence as well.

T- Sweet and sour on the front palate, lots of sour cherries, lemon, funk. Mid palate, the carbonation masks the beer but the sour cherries are still present. On the back end, there is a lingering bitterness with lots of green apple peels and sour cherries.

M- Prickly carbonation, almost creamy mouthfeel, no abv present.

O- First beer from Cisco Brewers and i have to say, i am impressed. Looking forward to trying some more offerings from them.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 02:26:48 | More by kmatlack

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - No real head to speak of... The pour yields nothing more than a very thin veil of lace with a slight crescent shape worth of foam on one side of the glass... No retention... Small carbonation which is sluggish to moderate paced climbs along the sides of the pour... The color is a deep rich ruby red...

S - Raspberries.... Tart... Light vinegar notes... Some woody oak characteristics... Good complexity... Very appealing...

T - The wood and oak notes dominate but never over power... Some faint vanilla... Fruity... Mostly raspberries... Some strawberry notes as well... Just a kiss of brown sugar on the finish...

M - Light to medium bodied... Very limited carbonation... A bit syrupy... Just a touch of puckering... Smooth... Sleek... The finish has a touch of dryness...

D - Surprisingly quaffable... I could make this bomber disappear real quickly... Very refined... Fairly simplistic, but yet rather complex at the same time... Very good, but not great stuff...

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 02:13:08 | More by philbe311

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.47/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review adapted from notes taken 7/17/11

Appearance: Light brown color with the hint of dark red, hazy - beige head, nice lacing

Smell: Simply great - sour, tart cherries, with a perfect amount of sweetness - more straight-up sour than funk - some subtle, yet nicely toasted malts in the background, as well as some wood

Taste: Also great - a superb amount of tartness - sour, but not puckering, this flavor profile is really about the tart - sweet cherries and cherry pits - some spices, including something that may be described as cinnamon - wood - some red wine-like characteristics - complex yet very clean tasting

Mouthfeel: Just about perfect - smooth, crisp, with a nice lingering sour juiciness - dry, too - nicely carbonated

Overall: A fantastic sipper

This was a great kriek. These Cisco Woods beers have such a surprising amount of complexity. I've never been disappointed. If I see this again at a reasonable price, I may buy more than one.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 00:05:29 | More by angrybabboon

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 mL caged and corked bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: Fairly clear cranberry color; it has a faded look to it. Soft off white lace remains from a small head.

Smell: Sour cherry, just a little bit of funk.

Taste: The flavor starts off with a little bit of maraschino cherry sweetness, but the flavor quickly turns sour. Just the slightest bit of barnyard funk at the end.

Mouthfeel: This is tart and sour enough to get my lips to pucker. It is fairly acidic, with a light to medium carbonation wrapped up in a medium body.

Overall: This was good although it lacked the complexity to bring it into the same category of some of the great ones.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 00:05:46 | More by KickInTheChalice