Monomoy Kriek - Cisco Brewers Inc.

trappistlover

Arizona

4.2/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(750ml bottle courtesy of LarryG!!). Pours red-brown with off-white head. Aroma has cherry, apple-cinammon and some funk. Taste is mostly tart. Medium bodied with dry finish. This is a very nice beer and exceed expectations. Thanks Larry! Stupid that I have to have 250 char.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 22:24:23 | More by trappistlover

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Random week nights at wisconsinality's house are always fun. Usually we walk through his cellar and he lets me pick out any bottles I want to crack. This one caught my eye right away.

A: Dark blood red hue. Just a tiny hint of dirty white/pink head. No lace left behind.

S: Pure oak barrel soaked cherries. Sweet and tart balance perfectly. Hints of vanilla and pie crust. Reminds me of a less powerful LP kriek.

T: Awesome tart cherry flavor. Mild wood, pie crust, vanilla and oak.

M: Medium body with mild carbonation.

D: This was an absolute surprise gem. Super flavorful and a joy to drink. I will be looking for bottles of this myself. Thanks Kiley.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 01:48:17 | More by beerwolf77

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-light brown center with bright red edges and a light tan colored head that is somewhat creamy in appearance.

S-light oak up front with some slightly sweet vanilla, fleshy ripe cherries in the nose, maybe a hint of medicinal flavor with notes of sourness and a light acidity.

T-the taste is solid following the nose. the oak is very subtle and provides notes of sugary vanilla. there are lots of fleshy cherries, decent bit of sourness and a touch of acidity in the back. the medicinal flavors seem to have gone away and this has some great robust flavors.

M-lively grainy feel, very prickly on the throat with strong carbonation and rather dry finish.

D-this is extremely drinkable. not overly complex but very nice flavors, the oak imparts subtlety and vanilla, the vanilla may be a hint sweet, the cherries are sour and bright and there is just a touch of acidity to it with the nice dry finish. solid stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 18:11:38 | More by cpetrone84

THECPJ

Delaware

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

reviewed from notes:

appearance: redish brown with a lace of head

smell: sweet, sour tart cherries

taste: cherries soaked in alcohol, tart

mouthfeel: moderate carbonation, crisp,

drinkability: an interesting but pleasing beer. give it a whirl.

Cheers,

the CPJ

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 05:43:19 | More by THECPJ

larryi86

Delaware

4.55/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle poured into a tulip

A- A deep burgundy color with a small one finger head that fades quickly.

S- Tart cherries, oak, a hint of lemon and funk.

T- Sour cherries, tart lemons, some funk and oakiness. Well balanced.

M- Light to medium body, smooth, crisp, refreshing.

D- Easy to drink and very enjoyable. Solid sour and worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 02:20:37 | More by larryi86

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to BrewerDan23 for this killer brew.

Bomber split into tulip.

A- A deep prune red, small head and little lacing left on the side of the glass. There is a slight haze to it as well.

S- Big whiff of cherry pie, Luden's cough drops and some graham cracker. There is also a nice amount of oak to it as well.

T- Tart cherries greet the tongue immediately. There is some nice oak notes and a little bit of sweetness. Reminds me of a more sour Belgian Red.

M- Lighter bodied with a mellow carbonation and a nice tartness. Dry on the finish.

D- I am glad I traded for this beer. Great flavors and a nice balance with some good tartness. Can't wait to have another bottle in my possession.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 14:38:53 | More by Wisconsinality

pmlondrigan

New York

3.85/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice clear deep garnet color. Head is initially loose, puffy, and white. This fades fast to a thin ring of white. The aroma is cherry, graham cracker, pie crust, and hints of lemon and lactic acid. Not much barrel reaches my nose, nor funk. The flavor is much the same, not to say thats a bad thing. Citric and lactic tartness hit the tip of the tongue, sour cherry pie floods the mouth and is followed by sweet graham and pie crust. No funk however, and just faint vanilla created from the barrel. Even though this is well attenuated the mouthfeel is not thin, well bodied. Overall a good beer that lacks complexity in both the aroma and flavor department.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 01:42:33 | More by pmlondrigan

koopa

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased at Capone's in Norristown PA

Appearance: Pours a murky crimson with a slightly yellow beige crown that displays moderate retention and lace.

Smell: Tart cherries, oak notes, and lemon play nice over a mild funk.

Taste: Tart cherries and lemons drown out the beautiful nuances found in the nose.

Mouthfeel: A bit watery and murky.

Drinkability: Decent.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 18:29:46 | More by koopa

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

lantern corps beer summit 2010 - day 2, oct 9/2010. Jw347 contributed this one. thanks john!

750ml corked and caged bottle.

pours lightly hazy deep reddish brown with a light tan head. the head drops fast and leaves a bit of spotty lace.

aroma is good. holy montmorency cherries batman! big spicy sour cherry character. white bread and cracker. earthy and woody.

taste is great. as in the aroma, there's a ton of spiced cherry character, similar to a montmorency character. bit of dark chocolate. bit of dark fruit. this one is all about the cherries. vanilla. mellow sourness. more cherry than funk. white bread and cracker. earthy and woody.

mouthfeel is great. just over medium body with a dry finish. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is good. great balance. restrained sourness. good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 17:13:09 | More by grub

Bmoyer0301

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:

Tonight I am going to be using one of my favorite glasses in the cabinet, my Dogfish Head goblet which is perfect just about every occasion. I pulled the large champagne bottle out of the fridge and proceeded to unwrap the wire cage and wrangle the cork out. Thankfully I didn't need to get my pliers to finish the job and the cork slipped out fairly easily and heard a generous pop while the carbonation gasses floated out. I decided to tilt my glass fairly hard to make sure there wasn't a overflow of head and it poured beautifully. When I was done I was left with absolutely no head at all, it looks as still as wine with no carbonation bubbles. As I hold my glass up to the light it appears to be deep red almost ruby with some purple tones thrown in. A fair amount of haziness and there is no light passing through the murky ale. As I give a quick swirl the viscosity appears to be pretty light and only leaving slight legs that go away quickly.

Smell:

Huge amounts of cherry pie right off the start followed by lots of tartness. Some barnyard funky, musty, wet basement aromas that are from all the brett and other creatures that bring this beer alive. Oak and some red wine vinaigrette really are shining through the middle with some other slight acidy flavors which are puckering my nostrils. There is no hop presence here and something that is floral and sweet in the finish which is refreshing.

Taste:

Wow, this is sharp and bitey on the palate with a explosion of cherries. The lactic sourness is very present and curls my tongue up a little bit. Lots of musty funk which is surprisingly good and adds lots of complexity. I don't want to forget the oak because it is very present and rounds out the flavors and adds some slight vanilla and earthy spice. My only complaint is that the carbonation is lacking and I really wish there was something to make this a little bit prickly. In the finish there is a little bit of cherry cough medicine taste that is lingering around and as the glass gets warmer it fades away thankfully.

Drinkability:

Overall this was a great sour beer and I really wish I had another bottle to hang on to. Although the carbonation was lacking the flavors were spot on in my opinion and had lots of complexity. This beer drinks easy and doesn't over curdle my stomach like most sours do after a few minutes. This is a very respectable beer and I would say if you get a chance to get one go for it because this is one of the better offerings from Cisco. Maybe the only fallback of this beer is that is has a steep price tag of $25 so choose wisely.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 21:18:56 | More by Bmoyer0301

kfsv034

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Chris for this one

A - pours nyquil red with a small head that lingers just a bit and dissipates

S - sour cherries, funk, oak, cherry cough drops

T - sour cherries, oaky dryness, cinnimon, and minimal funk

M - medium bodied.

D - easy going at 6.70%

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 00:31:19 | More by kfsv034

jrallen34

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Alex for bringing this and stopping me from trading it, now we've had all "woods" beers...A dark ruby red body, very deep color complexity, only a little transparent. The light pinkish head provides a thin whispy cap, not much lacing...The aroma is great as it actually reminds me of a Belgian Kriek, sweet yet tart cherries, cherry syrup, funk, musky, just good...The taste is a letdown, guess I was expecting more after such an authentic start. The front is basically devoid of flavor, then I get a bit of sour, and only a bit of cherries. Disappointing, but some nice oaky flavors come through and try to put in a save. Needs to be more sour...The feel is very dry with a nice finish...Super easy to drink.

One of the best American Krieks out there. I can't totally recommend as there are so many better Belgian options but if offered I would drink again. Wouldn't trade for it though.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 17:00:41 | More by jrallen34

MasterSki

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to SneezyAchew for this one. Served in a wine glass over dinner with friends.

A - Quick-dissolving white foam that settles to a thin ring, leaving minimal lace. Dark ruby red color that is slightly transparent when held to the light.

S - Lots of sour cherries, tropical brett notes, vanilla, a yeast malt backbone, and some light funkiness. One of the few American Wilds I've had from the Northeast that doesn't smell like the same starter packet. Actually smells like a kriek!

T - The taste is more tart and less funky. Nice notes of oak, vanilla, and acetic acid mingle with unsweetened cherry juice. Finishes with light pucker. Not quite as good as the aroma, but still one of the better cherry-laden American Wilds. It's a 4.25 so I bumped up the appearance score to compensate.

M - Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, and a dry, tannic finish. No obvious alcohol (nor should there be at only 6.7%).

D - I could drink one of these on my own if it weren't for the price. Reminds me a little of on-tap Cantillon Kriek (NOT the bottles), which is quite high praise. I'd definitely have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 16:18:54 | More by MasterSki

Damian

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Drank from 1 pt., 9.4 fl. oz. corked and caged bottle
Served in a tulip

Slightly hazed, rusty-brown in appearance. The liquid was topped by a thin, frothy film of tan colored bubbles which quickly faded to a lasting ring.

The aroma was fantastically oaky and potent. Sour cherry notes came through strong. Tart, funky and somewhat acidic with a trailing, brown sugar-like sweetness. Hints of balsamic vinegar and vanilla appeared as well.

The flavor profile was a nice mix of sour cherry tartness, oak and fruity sweetness. Balsamic vinger notes were apparent. Some brown sugar too. Oaky and woody on the finish. Tannic and dry. Slightly steely. Lemon notes lingered in the aftertaste.

My one complaint about this beer was the mouthfeel. The body was medium for the style but the lack of carbonation made the liquid seem watery and flaccid.

Monomoy Kriek drank like a dream. This beer was enjoyable in the dead of winter but would be a fantastically refreshing treat at any time of year.

Cisco Brewers have really stepped to the plate with their Woods series. Lady of the Woods was fantastic and this beer was nearly as good. Despite the high pricepoint, I would definitely love to revisit this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 03:07:18 | More by Damian

Brez07

Maine

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Featured at the recent SMBDC sour meeting. 4-5oz pour

A: Dark cherry red/mahogany color. Small amount of white head with the pour, with some retention

S: Mix of sweet cherry and raspberry. Burst of fresh berries. Some barnyard funk. Subtle vanilla from the oak aging

T: Starts off with tart, yet sweet cherries. Cherry pie almost. Maybe some raspberry too. Slight touch of oak. Nice graham cracker finish

M: Medium bodied. Not overly sharp, but carbonation present. Slight tartness left at the front of the tongue

D: This was a smooth, light drinking wild. Some initial tartness fades during each sip. I think it was well balanced with the fruit and funk. Aside from the price, nothing bad to write about

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 00:57:18 | More by Brez07

StormKing47

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared with cmurren25, Jwiss22, JayW73 and Lane23 at a little tasting, have been interested in this one for some time and here's the breakdown...

A- A very nice looking brown color with a ruby/maroon hue. An interesting brown that I would have thought would have more of a deep red hue, but it was subtle and light. Has a good amount of carb with s steady stream of bubbles leading to a thin white head. Looks very subtle and unappealing for a wild ale.

S- An immediate rush of tart pie cherries with a nice subtle vanilla note to accompany the juicy, tart cherries. As it warms the musty, earthiness shows up with the great aromas of oak. A pleasant smell that is not overwhelming just clean and simple.

T- Similar to the smell there is a faint tart cherry taste in the beginning, but it's more of a bing cherry with some sweet, sugary syrup. As it warms it brings along a nice rush of oak, a slight mustiness and a nice, clean vanilla finish. Almost like a poorly done cherries and cream soda. It's very underwhelming and not as good as I would have thought from them.

M- Has a great syrupy and coating feel that is pushed along with a nice carb tingle. Also has a subtle puckering, but more of a tartness.

D- Not as much cherry or sourness as I would have liked, but it's definitely enjoyable and a little refreshing. Not really and heartburn inducing acidity so it's more of an approachable sour, but more in the realms of a sour with training wheels. Could have been a much better beer.

I wasn't let down by this one just not blown away. They definitely make better beers, but this is definitely worth a try!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 02:12:16 | More by StormKing47

tpd975

Florida

4.28/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very very vibrant blood red hue.

S: Nice rich tartness, hints of vinegar, oak, and cherry skin.

T: Earthy Cherry skin tannins. Subtle vinegar with notes of oak. Lightly acidic, dry with cherry goodness from start to finish.

M: Medium in body, sharp on the palette, with a dry finish.

D: Wonderful, a tasty tasty beer. Cisco can hang with the big boys when it comes to American Sours.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 02:17:12 | More by tpd975

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Medium red-brown body, pinkish-white one cm head. Quickly receded, spotty lacing.

S: Tart cherries, earthy-oak, some vinous notes.

T: Like the nose, there is a bit of oak and vinous notes, but the cherries have taken a serious step back. Tartness is still there, but the depth of flavor is muted.

M: A bit thin and under-carbonated. Not particularly enjoyable.

D: While the nose and taste were respectable the weak body made drinking this somewhat of a chore.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 16:48:21 | More by callmemickey

glid02

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Grant - much obliged!

Pours a hazy reddish-tan color with a one-finger light tan head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of tart and ripe cherries backed by medium malts and hints of spiciness from the oak. All the aromas are very crisp and stood in stark contrast to a De Cam Lambiek we had earlier.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Medium and nondescript malt flavors kick things off and are quickly overtaken by loads of tart bright cherry flavors with very slight hints of medicinal flavors. Slight amounts of spiciness reminiscent of French Oak come into play midway through the sip. The oaky spiciness and solidly tart cherries carry through to a crisp and moderately tart finish.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I had no problems finishing my glass and could have another.

Overall I was impressed with this beer as I have been with most of the Cisco Woods series. An unexpected showcase for oak. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 01:55:48 | More by glid02

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by mdfb79. Thanks Dan!

A: This beer pours a deep ruby hue with a quarter inch of white head that leaves some decent lacing behind.

S: Really fabulous aroma of tart cherries and some funk.

T: A very tasty brew, with flavors of oak, tart cherries, and funk.

M: Acetic and a bit biting, in the best possible way. The mouthfeel is otherwise light.

D: A very tasty beer. I would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 01:32:18 | More by Huhzubendah

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Dan for opening up this bottle at a recent tasting. Served in a snifter.

Pours a nice, dark red color with a single-finger white head and a bit of lacing as it makes its way down. The nose brings a really great cherry presence plus a bit of tartness from the same. A bit of light oak and funk are there beside a nice sour presence. The taste is of tart cherries, light funky characteristics, some oak, and a bit of sweetness. Mouthfeel is light with good carbonation and a good amount of acid all around. Drinks quite well; I really enjoyed this brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 23:50:37 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Dan, thanks. I have been generally unimpressed with the wilds coming out of this brewery.

Beer is dark red with a white head and low carbonation.

Beer smells like oak and funk with some tart cherries in there.

Beer tastes like sour cherries and oak. Lots of nice brett character on the midpalate of the beer. The finish is tart and funky. I like it. The body is light and has some nice carbonation on the palate. This is probably the best sour I've had from this place so far.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 21:49:52 | More by drabmuh

mdfb79

New York

4.2/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 12/12/10 notes. Brought to a local tasting.

a - pours a dark ruby red with one inch of white head and light carb evident

s - Smells of sour cherries, tart dark fruits, funk, oak, and a tiny bit of vanilla as well. Not super funky, just a hint, but the sour cherries are still very enjoyable.

t - Tastes of sour cherries, dark fruits, funk, and oak. Again, not super funky or sour, but enjoyable.

m - Light body and moderate carbonation. Pretty crisp body.

d - Overall I enjoyed this sour quite a bit. While it is not overally funky or sour, it has a great nose and is pretty easy to drink. I thought it was better than Cisco's Dark Woods, and pretty on par with their Cherry Woods, maybe a notch below.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 20:34:58 | More by mdfb79

timtim

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

wow. i had no idea that Cisco was doing this. HUGE props to them for being ahead of the curve. dark and hazy cherry juice colored. poured in to a wide mouth glass like recommended on the bottle, and the pink-brown head pops and fizzes and fades away pretty quick. nose is gorgeous. not necessarily evoking sense of place, but properly expressed and pretty spot on for what i think the brewers were trying to achieve. sour cherry, oak, vanilla and a tiny hint of funk. taste to me is mild tartness followed by fresh, real cherry pie and wrapped up again with a slightly vanilla sweet cherry tartness and a hint of oak that seems to help round the whole thing out. awesome. fun. great to see good wild beer coming from this part of the US. looking forward to trying the rest of the line!!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 03:18:50 | More by timtim

craytonic

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I tried this one subsequent to Cherry Woods. This brewery is on the up and up!

Appearance: Pour is a very nice glowing mahogany-ruby, well carbonated with about a 1" off-white head.

Smell: Light funk and sourness with tart cherries, oak and vanilla.

Taste: Similar to the smell, light funk and lemon acidic sourness, followed closely by tart cherries, oak and vanilla with some honey suckle on the finish and vinegar underneath. It does taste a bit young.

Mouthfeel: Very well done, smooth; a bit light though, I feel the tannins from the cherry skins could have given this a bit more oomph as my only real complaint about this beer is that it is a bit thin/watery.

Drinkability: Goes down very easy; it is my believe that some of these newer American Wild Ale producers like Cisco, Captain Lawrence, Upland, etc are really starting to shine and are surpassing some of the old guard like Russian River that has mostly stood still as time passes them by. I wish I could get this stuff locally, will definitely visit the brewery next time I am in Nantucket.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2010 02:59:14 | More by craytonic