Monomoy Kriek - Cisco Brewers Inc.

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 4/11/2012 at Track 84, in Warwick, RI served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a dark red color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves very little lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains cherries, grapes, light malts and wild Belgian yeast.

T: The taste starts out with a nice sour bite of tart cherries and grapes followed by wild Belgian yeast and a thin malt character. The hops presence is very mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sour.

M: Crisp and smooth, light-to-medium body, light-to-medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a nice sour beer to drink for a long time.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2012 22:09:56 | More by TheManiacalOne

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

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Ruddy brown. Head if off-white. Thin vestiges of lacing. Head dissipates quickly. Carbonation is lively, but not crazy,

Smell: Oak. Loads of cherry, both tart and sweet. Malts run on the sweet side, but it's quickly tempered by a sharp, tart sourness. Faint hints of toasted malt. I'm also getting a nice burst of sweet cinnamon, which is unexpected to say the least.

Taste: Loads of cherry, some sweetness from the malts, and oak, lots of oak. Cinnamon comes through the back, but works as a nice spicy compliment to the fruit flavor, and the slightly toasted and caramel malts. Hints of biscuit. Warms to some seriously tart cherry and oak magic. the cinnamon sits throughout. Everything ends up blending wonderfully after a bit of warming and produces a complex sour that gives way to a balancing sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Oak smooths the whole thing out. Faint hints of carbonation from time to time. Heavier than I've encountered with the style, but still delicious. It's definitely a sip and savor kind of beer.

Overall: A great American Wild. Loads of flavor and a solid use of cherry. Well worth drinking now or throwing down for a bit of age.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 16:06:28 | More by Goblinmunkey7

birchstick

Missouri

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

A - pours a reddish / rustic brown with a tiny head

S - smells of cherries, brown sugar, vanilla, and raisins

T - starts off with some lightly acidic citric tones. These were pushed aside by some caramel malts accompanied by cinnamon, brown sugar, and other spices. Tart cherries round it out very nicely; there is also a bit of citrus sourness to accompany it.

M - light, spritzy mouthfeel with a modicum of carbonation - worked well for the style

D - Solid kreik style ale. Nice complexity all around and the cherries brought everything together really nicely. A bit pricy but worth the occasional splurge.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 23:55:52 | More by birchstick

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a rusty reddish tinted brown with surprisingly soft cap of medium sized white bubbles from the active carbonation. Little retention or lacing. Scent is a big rush of tart cherry and sour funk, ample wood notes with some shortbread like malts, mild notes of vinegar. First sip brings a rush of tart and sour notes before the actual flavor of cherry comes through, earthy and woody with mild funk, decent pie like notes of shortbread and vanilla. Lighter side of medium bodied, bubbly and lightly dry. Overall, good nose and flavor but lacking complexity and somewhat overpowered by the strong tartness.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 14:03:29 | More by rfgetz

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a dark pink to light red color with a good sized off white head that recedes fairly quickly. The smell is cherries with some funkiness and a little bit of sourness to it. The taste is more sour than any of the other woods beers I have had. The cherries come through was well as some of the sourness. The mouthfeel is light bodied with medium to high carbonation. This is a great sour definitely the best of the woods series I have had so far.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 11:49:39 | More by rowingbrewer

Tschnab

New York

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- a hazy ruby color with a pink foam that dissipates pretty quickly.

S- funky sour cherries and wood are the main traits here, followed also by some wine qualities as well.

T- quite sour, vinuous, barnyard funk, green apple, tartness, cherries, and a kiss of sweetness.

O- My first experience with the Woods series, but I will have to try the others because this one was good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 06:45:21 | More by Tschnab

davey101

Connecticut

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

750ml bottle into a tulip glass. Allowed to warm up a bit.

A - Dark brown/red body with a pinkish/brown head. Looks a lot like a Flanders red.

S - Cherries, oak, vanilla, and lactic acid. Fairly funky and sour aroma.

T - Sour cherries followed by vanilla rich oak. Tart and slightly mouth puckering. Really sweet and smooth. Carbonation is pretty low but it works for the style.

O - Another good beer from the woods series. It is very refreshing and I love the sweet cherry pie and rich oak flavors. A good interpretation of the flanders/oude bruin style.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 03:00:46 | More by davey101

billab914

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into my Allagash glass. Dark cherry in color with a thin white head clinging to the sides of the glass.

The aroma has a good sour funk to it. The cherries really come out nicely and add some fruity, sweet notes. Just a little bit of an acidic bite to it. I get a little of the woody, oak but it's pretty well hidden behind the cherries. The sour, tart, sweet cherries are really good in it though.

The taste shows more of a sweetness to it at first. Midway is where the sour and tart cherries really start to come out. By the finish it turns more sour and funky with the fruity cherries showing a lot of tartness to them. A little oak comes through in the finish as well.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being above average. Overall it was a delicious beer. I love cherries so this one was right up my alley. The cherries were very flavorful and showed sweet, tart and sour characteristics at different times which really did it for me. Really loved this beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 21:45:13 | More by billab914

Arenbeer

Connecticut

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

750ml bottle into a Goblet

No date on bottle but arrived in the store not to long ago

A- Pours a cloudy reddish brown with a less than a finger head that dissipates immediately leaving nothing on top of the beer or retention.

S- Sweet dark cherries with tons of funk and fruitiness from the yeast. Also has a nice woody character that gives off some sweet vanilla and must.

T- Up front the lactic sour and funk take over the mouth immediately drying it out creating a strong tart presence. After the bubbles settle on the tongue the sweet dark cherry flavors come out and combine nicely with the vanilla and oak. The more I drink it and get down the bottle, it reminds me and has the same flavors and tartness of eating an aged block of extra sharp cheddar cheese. Delicious

M- Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation that almost champagne like. The finish is wet but extremely tart and sour.

Overall of the Woods series this is definitely my favorite one. They kept it simple and made it extremely sour. Everything i love in a wild ale.

SkÅL!

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 21:05:16 | More by Arenbeer

AgentZero

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Amber colored beer that is slightly red. Slightly pinkish head didn't stick around for very long.

s - Sweet cherries, with some good tart notes. Little bit of wood and vanilla from the wood.

T - Reminds me a little of cherry pie with some sweet, tart cherries and a bit of a syrupy taste. Some wood, although not as pronounced as the nose. Solid.

M - Medium-light bodied, moderate carbonation.

O - Not bad, it's not fantaastic, but straightforward and pleasant to drink. I'd definately partake again.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 19:39:48 | More by AgentZero

billshmeinke

California

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

Review from old notes.

Pours a hazy, dark ruby color. About a finger of off white ruby tinged head.

Lactic sour notes, with oak, vanilla and dark cherry, cherry pie even (just a hint though). Also some light notes of tobacco.

Taste almost exactly follows smell. Quite sour, some nice light tannins with jammy dark fruits. Nice mineral and earthy qualities too.

Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Good amount of acidity.

A really nice and vinous beer. However, it does remind me a bit of Supplication (which is not a bad thing at all).

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 22:06:37 | More by billshmeinke

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 22 oz. corked and caged bomber bottle. Poured into my Portsmouth tulip glass.

Appearance: Amber to dark red in color. Pours a one finger beige head that leaves a nice lacing with each sip. A tad cloudy as no light penetrates the glass.

Aroma: Sweet cherries, vanilla, and a touch of a caramel note. Definitely some sour note is present, although not that forceful in the nose. Nice and fruit forward.

Taste: Sweet cherries and some lactic sourness are present upfront. Really nice fruit flavors throughout, and I am enjoying them more the farther I get down the glass. Some smooth vanilla and lemon notes on the finish. Nicely refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and some nice carbonation. A little more carbonation wouldn't hurt but this drinks incredibly smooth.

Overall, an extremely refreshing and tasty wild ale. Not up there with some Belgian krieks like Cantillon, but certainly an incredibly refreshing and tasty replacement. Very fruit forward with some nice complexity. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 00:53:23 | More by Gosox8787

jgasparine

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on 12/31/2010- reviewed from notes.

A- Poured from the bottle with a thin pinkish-tan head, which receded to a haze layer and a collar over a completely opaque, well-carbonated, ruddy, rusty brown body.

S- Aroma is rich with tart wheat, tremendous tart cherries, and some mild oak lactones. A very rich nose overall.

T- Wow. It starts out with a tremendous flavor of fresh-picked cherries, and is quickly overwhelmed with some lactic and acetic sourness, with a touch of brett. It is completely dried-out in the finish, with an echo of almondy cherry pits and a very mild acetic quality.

M- Mouthfeel is thin. Moderately carbonated- the carbonation is a bit prickly, which is a bit of a detractor, but does not ruin the experience. High astringency.

Overall- A very well crafted wild ale. Dynamic and very palatable. I would reach for this again!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 00:12:30 | More by jgasparine

Viciousknishs

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- pours a garnet red with a finger of tannish/pink colored head that recedes pretty quickly. Not much lacing but the rest of the beer makes up for it.

S- The nose on this bad boy is incredible! Starts out with rich oak from the barrel. Notes of rich almost cedar quality eminates from the glass. Assertive tartness and barnyard goaty funk blends in next with beautiful esters and acidity from the Brett and those crazy bugs that make wild beer so interesting. Gigantic tart cherry and rhubarb cobbler aromas on the finish with a crusty malt profile on the finish. The aroma is so well intergrated and each part complements the other with prosision and elegance.

T- flavor is tart and funky up front with big cherry pie and rhubarb cobbler. Crusty malt like baked pie crust explodes with an intense vineous note and big oak barrel. Finishs with beautiful flemish red like acidity, horseblanket funk and a bone driness with the oaky tart cherry lasting long into the aftertaste. This is beautiful it's one of those beers you hate to see gone.

MF- slick and smooth mouthfeel with a dry oaky finish. Heavier medium body with average carbonation.

D- delicious refeshing and complex. Hell yes this is drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 05:45:33 | More by Viciousknishs

ptykozoon

California

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Dirty pink, cap and some spotty lacing.

Acidic, strawberry, cherry, light oak, very fruit forward.

So much more restrained than the scents led me on to believe. Wet oak at the start mixed with cherries. Dry oak and sweetness on the finish. Simple, yet highly tasty.

Light, sweet finish. Very good.

A damn good kriek/wild. This is a must try, there are a shortage of good sours in the states, seems like Russian River gets all the credit but this brewery has got it down. Impressed, keeping my eye on these guys.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 15:30:18 | More by ptykozoon

benpopper

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a deep dark red with one finger of off white head that quickly dissipates but leaves a ring at the edge of the glass without any lacing.

Smells of deep fruit. Not quite cherries, but darker. That deep fruit smell is surrounded by a sour funky smell that melds nicely together.

Surprisingly, the first thing I taste is the funkyness. Dank, basement type wonderful that gets sour and tart. The oak and deep fruit come out right with it though and make for a wonderful combination of flavors.

Feels good drinking too getting a lot of depth from the barrel. Not over the top sour and medium carbonation lend to a great feeling drink.

Overall, I am very very happy I have another bottle of this!

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 02:18:27 | More by benpopper

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

25.4oz bottle poured into a Tulip glass.

A - Pours a dark reddish brown with a thin tan head that moves quickly to the edges.

S - Sour cherries, apple, oranges.

T - Similar to the smells, but with a slight funk to it.

D - Thin, light, nice sour balance.

O - What a Kriek should be.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 04:38:39 | More by HuskyinPDX

kscaldef

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to AlexFields for this one

A: not much head poured at fridge temp. Gorgeous ruby red color

S: good pure cherry note and some acidity. Gets the mouth watering.

T: Earthy cherry flavor, with nice woody notes. Good balance of sourness with a bit of sweet. Warming up, there's some minerality, a hint of apricot.

M: Nice carbonation and palate cleansing acidity.

O: Really glad I got a chance to taste this. Very drinkable and great with food.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 01:26:25 | More by kscaldef

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a La Chouffe tulip, sampled at the Batch 3 Rosso release. Thanks to whoever shared this?

A: Murky red-brown body with a thin layer of off-white head. Not bad.

S: Sweet + sour cherries; light brett funk. Vanilla and caramel. Amazing.

T: Sour lactic funk, followed by sweet cherry. Simple and very, very tasty.

M: Slick, smooth, and soft.

O: This was another great beer, but its place as the sweetest and least complex of the Woods series kept it from completely winning me over. There's certainly something to be said for doing one thing really, really well (viz. NG Belgian Red), but as good as Monomoy is at deliver a mix of sweet cherry and sour acidity, I really wanted more depth of funkiness or oakiness to balance out the fruit and sugar. I'd love to try it side-by-side with Cherry Woods to see how they compare.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 13:59:10 | More by woosterbill