Friek - Odell Brewing Company

UCLABrewN84

California

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Cavery for sharing this one at the post Bruery Reserve Society party bottle share!

Pours a slightly hazy light red with no head and no lace. Smell is of sour cherries and some funky aromas. Taste is of funky and sour cherry flavors with an acidic quality. This beer has a high level of carbonation with an extremely crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good sour with a nice cherry presence.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 01:05:35 | More by UCLABrewN84

tobelerone

New Jersey

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

Nice and tasty wild with a lot of complexity.

Vivid red body, off-white, slightly pinkish hue to the head, which sinks slowly. Lots of lacing up and down the glass.

Fascinating aroma, tart cherries and a touch of raspberry but prominent barn notes, hay, must, funk, oak. Really a good one to stick your nose into and examine.

Tart and sour cherries and berries in the flavor; not sweet or overly fruity; strikes a good balance between sour and fresh ripe fruit aspects as well as integrating the woody oak note very well. Funky and barnyard notes emerge as it warms, horseblanket/hay/mustiness all there but not as strong as in the aroma. Sourness will likely not be quite enough looking for a truly puckering experience.

Fizzy, near seltzer-like carbonation on a medium light body actually aids drinkability. Overall it's very crisp and dry, refreshing and nicely watching with spicy foods. A bit pricey, could maybe use just a wee bit more sour bite to clean things up. Very enjoyable, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 16:34:16 | More by tobelerone

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this

Review adapted from notes taken 11/12/11

Appearance: Dark reddish brown, very cloudy, minimal head, but decent ring of carbonation - simply put, pretty looking with a lot of red

Smell: Super sour, super tart, super fruity - raspberries everywhere, like whole raspberries - flesh and juice - some wood, too - a lot of depth

Taste: So good - sour, tart, tons and tons of raspberry and cherry - wood - tons of oak in a good, balanced way - other light fruitiness - a lot going on, with a lot of complexity, yet oddly clean and refreshing - some earthy malts underneath for balance - not very sweet, which is a plus

Mouthfeel: Great feel - smooth, medium to heavy body, bubbly carbonation

Overall: A brilliant use of fruit

Odell Friek has a ton of flavor, with a great deal of fruit and a wealth of sourness. The balance of fruit and sour is impressive. It becomes more complex as it warms, but I am sorry to say that it does not approach the complexity of some other sours (I am looking at you, Russian River). This is remarkable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 06:50:40 | More by angrybabboon

julian

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Copper and crimson with medium light darkness and perfect clarity. Very little head, but an aggressive pour yields some sparse bubbles that fade quickly

S: Nice lambic style funk, wood and must and brett and fruity cherry aroma.

T: Lots of cherry flavor, not so much raspberry. Cherry is a pretty dominant flavor here at least where the fruit is concerned. Some vanilla oak sweetness, mild fruity tartness, and funk. Very well crafted. Major like.

M: Nicely carbonated, on the high end but apropos for the style. Dry, light, and very crisp.

O: Was not expecting this to be as good as it is. Although Belgian inspired, it's also very Belgian in every aspect. The fruit flavor tastes a bit artificial, and unlike that of traditional Belgian lambic brewers, but the funk/tart/oak in the nose and taste is definitely very similar. Very drinkable and very delicious. Need more!

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 07:10:53 | More by julian

adrock7309

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Shared a bottle with my wife over the weekend.

Poured into a snifter.

Body was a dark pinkish tan - with light whitish pink fluffy cap. Lost of carbonation on this one as the head fell slowly.

Aromas were big on the sour raspberries, a bit of tart cherry jam, some definite funk and citrus rind.

The flavor was very crisp and bright with more cherry than in the nose.

Drank the majority of the bottle myself and was really impressed by the pronounced sourness and funkiness of this rather young beer.

If it weren't so expensive - id probably pick up some more.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 19:20:44 | More by adrock7309

DCon

Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 750 ML 1PT 9.4 FL.OZ. bottle of this from Whole Foods Market in Town & Country, MO for $18.99. Poured from the Orange labeled bottle w/ FRIEK, cherries, & raspberries drawn on with what looks like colored pencils into my 0,3l La Fin Du Monde Tulip Glass. Has 11-0512 on the side of the label but not sure what to make of it... No freshness date I'm guessing.

Aroma- Has a deep sour cherry aroma from the beginning. Afterwards has nice light goaty and deep barnyard characters. I would say this is a fantastic Lambic from the smell already!

Appearance- Pours a 1 finger head that dies relatively quickly. Has a long island ice tea colored body (orange/copper blend) with good depth. Leaves light lacing behind.

Flavor- Sweet cherries start off the tasting with a great amount of sourness. Light barnyard once again and very sweet! The lightest oak flavor comes across at the finish with a light bitterness but nothing huge.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Highest Carbonation possible, Sweet, Sour, and a nice puckering at the finish with cherries.

Overall Impression- While I've heard this wasn't the best brew, I beg to differ! Maybe this years version is better than in the past. I'm not sure. Perfect cherry flavors throughout. Didn't find raspberries much in here but when the sourness and cherry characteristics come together, almost everything else fades. I enjoyed this GREATLY and recommend getting a bottle or whatever offering you can get it in.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 23:45:22 | More by DCon

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Note on bottle:

"Friek is an evolution, an imaginative amalgamation invented by our brewers. Multiple KRIEK Lambic style ales are fermented with WILD yeast and TART cherries and then moved into OAK BARRELS to and and sour taking on the CHERRY flavors. As the beer matures, FRAMBOISES (raspberries) from Schroyer Family Farms in Fort Collins are handpicked and readied for the beer. The fresh RASPBERRIES are added immediately prior to the final blending. The sweet and tart flavors MINGLE on the tongue with a sparkling dry finish."

Poured from 750ml to snifter.

A - The beer pours a hazy cherry red color with a small pink colored head that fizzles down to a very faint film. Not much retention or lacing.

S - A variety of aromas in the nose! There is a noticeable fruity character from the raspberries and cherries. A pleasantly light yeast aroma of the style along with hints of vanilla, malt, and sour. Very smooth and pleasant.

T - The beer starts out with a fresh cherry flavor. Sweet. The beer quickly evolves to a nice tart and sour character. The beer remains rather sweet, but not overly so, throughout. The middle of the beer brings a hint of vanilla and malt and a light sense of oak. Surprisingly clean.

M - Light bodied and lightly carbonated.

D - Very drinkable.

Overall, this is a very refreshing beer. Not too tart or sweet but a nice blend of both. I wasn't too keen on the price tag but am glad I purchased it. Would recommend.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 02-23-2011 02:22:06

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 14:43:41 | More by hopfacebrew

neorunner

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer #2 thanks to DougoftheFuture in Round 6 of the Blind Beer BIF.

Opened this bottle after Beer #1 on the same day. By this time BZero007 had joined the party. 750ml cork and caged bottle, opened with eyes shut so I didn't see the cork. Loud pop told me I had succeeded in removing the cork. A few wisps of CO2 are drifting out of the bottle.

Poured into three tulips. Aroma is sour, funky, and fruity with a strong cherry note. The color is akin to a dark ruby red grapefruit. At this point Desaparecido is guessing that its Scharsbier Kriek, Bzero and myself decide to join in the game and I go with Lou Pepe Kriek and he goes with Cascade Kriek.

The flavor is a nice robust kriek with a good amount of earthyness to the taste profile. I'm beginning to doubt my initial guess as the tart kick is not nearly as strong as Cantilion. More residual sugars are present possibly detracting from that bite. Overall this is a tasty beer that I feel like I've had before.

The reveal: Odell Friek

Awesome, I got to taste this beer at Savor last year and loved it. Glad I got to enjoy some more.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 15:26:24 | More by neorunner

harrymel

Washington

2.63/5  rDev -35.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

pours a pretty dark pink with a finger of light pink fleeting foam. The beer is pretty. Smells like cranberry, cherry and oak. Some hints of flanders style metallic sourness, lactic sourness and some soil.

Taste comes through moderately tart, some cherry some cranberry again. More oak - this reminds me more of a poorly made flanders than a wild or kriek. Thin mouthfeel with lower than expected carb and a semi wet finish.

Meh, twice what I'd pay again for it.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 05:14:45 | More by harrymel

portia99

Massachusetts

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

750ml corked and caged bottle courtesy of Hoppymcgee. Thanks Greg! Poured into a Tripel Karmeliet stemmed glass.

A - After an extemely difficult cork removal and a disappointing non-pop, pours with a surprisingly vigorous carbonation...very fizzy, dull pinkish half finger of head briefly lingers on top of a slightly dirty/muddy ruby red colored body. No lacing on this one...not even the thinnest of collars appears on this.

S - Ummm...quite tart on the nose, nice earthy funk, lactic sourness, cherries, raspberries...actually quite a distinct and powerful red wine character here. Nice notes of woody oak.

T - The red wine aspects continue into the flavors as well and give quite a dominant first impression. Tartness is subdued in the flavor giving only a small contribution in constrast to the aroma. Fruitiness is high...cherries at first and thru the middle. Raspberries kick in on the back end and leave a more lasting impression that lingers past the swallow (and actually after a second pour to refill the glass, got some of the yeasty dregs in the bottom of the bottle (intentionally) got quite a bit more raspberry impression). Mild oaky, woody flavors too. Getting a bit of an herbal coolness on the finish, that I'm thinking resembles wintergreen life savors - odd, but not entirely undesirable either.

M - Somewhat on the thin side as expected, carbonation is also on the light side. Earthy and marginally funky and a bit yeasty too. Overall fruity and quite wine-like. The combination of cherries and raspberries works quite well (with the oak too). Rich overall and fairly complex.

O - Quite good, rich and fruity, and fairly unique as well. I'm really enjoying the combination of fruit flavors...this is somewhat dessert like in its fruitiness. I could picture this being made into an outstanding sorbet (but would definitely be hesitant to "waste" a bottle doing this). I wouldn't call this the best wild ale I've ever had, but definitely enjoyable, on the very mild side of tartness/sourness/wildness, but satisfying nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 18:58:35 | More by portia99

Khazadum

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Great froth, creamy white emulsion. Cherry juice tea body. Decent sticky lacing.

Bright sweet nauseating vanilla. Light tart cherries.

Maraschino cherries, vanilla syrup, faint wood. Simple, not that great

Creamy, light carb, light body, just plain Jane lambic.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 01:53:11 | More by Khazadum

BrewerB

California

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Chambic offered up this gem as a surprising thank you for a ride up to Russian River last year to pick up some Framboise for a Cure. Have been anxious to crack it open since then.

Pouring into a Cantillon flute. Resembling, somewhat, a dark rose wine. Slight haze. Foam formation was white, minimal, and didn't hang around long.

Complex, intermingling aromas include a prominent sour cherry, funky barnhouse, wet blanket. Sweeter raspberry here too but subtler than the other aromas.

Very tart upfront on the palette. Funky lambic flavors making an appearance in the middle including a musty/wet blanket and hay. Raspberry in the finish provides a refreshing, sweeter change in the pace. Sour cherry certainly here, as expected and tends to underlie the entire session. Lingering tartness in the finish.

Light in body with a somewhat prickly mouthfeel. Carbonation is moderate-high and feels appropriate.

Huge thanks goes out to Phyllis for giving me this fine beer as a thank you for the trip. Not something I was necessarily seeking out but certainly something I'm happy to be sampling. Great mix of lambic funk, tart/sour fruit, and subtle berry sweetness. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 06:36:05 | More by BrewerB

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 01/14/12 notes. Thanks to drabmuh for sharing this one, I liked it quite a bit.

a - Pours a dark, pinkish red color with one finger of off white, light pink, head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of tart cherries, spices, yeast, wood, fruity malts, light vinegar, and sour dark fruits.

t - Tastes of tart cherries, wood, fruity malts, yeast, spices, earthy notes, dark fruits, and vinegar. A tiny bit more sour than the nose.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. Crisp and easy to drink.

o - Overall a really nice beer. Not super sour but smells and tastes great, and easy to drink. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 01:53:42 | More by mdfb79

JayS2629

Alabama

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks like a blush wine. Pink with a off white head that fades fast. High carbonation.

Aroma is of tart cherry, raspberry, wet hay, vanilla, white wine.

The flavor is tart, sour and fruity. Raspberry, strawberry, tart cherries, and blush wine. Hints of vanilla and champagne. Delicious.

Thin, bubbly

Interesting sour beer. Enjoyed enough to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 20:36:48 | More by JayS2629

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by durwoodx. Thanks Darrell.

The beer is hazy and ruby/orange colored with minimal head. Cherries, oak, and wild yeast make up the aroma. Acetic feel with lots of tart cherry flavor. Well done. Delicious with lots of fruit. Slight pucker in the cheeks. Acetic finish. A solid fruit sour ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2012 02:08:47 | More by Huhzubendah

denver10

Colorado

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

A: As it poured into the tulip glass, the carbonation had a field day. You could hear them. Eventually the head dwindled down to minimal amounts around the edges. The beer itself was a reddish brown in appearance.

S: Some sweet and sour mixed with the barnyard funk. I do believe this is my first beer where I totally get that funky smell and understand what everyone is talking about in regards to that.

T: First thing I got was the tartness from the cherrie mixed with some funk, the raspberries come out towards the closing.

M: Definitely some carbonation there and it works very well. Not being a huge fan of carbonation, this amount of carbonation could easily be offensive to me, but I think it works quite well here. Medium bodied.

O: I really like this one a lot. I am new to the wild ales and I am definitely finding I am a big fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 01:25:34 | More by denver10

illidurit

California

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of scray24, shared at the December iteration of the Santa Cruz tasting series. Pours the color of unfiltered apple juice with no head. Aroma of fragrant cherry, citric acidity, tart raspberries. Flavor is more lemony than cherry/raspberry but those notes are definitely there. A little light but very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 09:58:23 | More by illidurit

phishsihq

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

What do you get when you cross a Framboise and a Kriek (don't forget to throw in a little barrel aging)??

In this case you get Odell's GABF Gold Medal winning Friek. A tart and sour combination that plays on lambic styles mixed with wild yeast strains, aged in oak barrels, and completed with locally picked raspberries. Friek pours a ruby-red with flashes of orange, a thin ring of a white head comes and goes, leaving no lacing. The aroma of cherries leads to a tart nose, underlined by the raspberries. The mouthfeel of this brew seems a bit light, but is brightened by tongue prickling carbonation. A slight puckishness first greets the pallet from the tartness of cherries, but develops a wider range of flavors (including tartness, fruitiness, and sourness) that mingle well on the tongue with the sourness preceding the dry finish. An interesting interpretation on a classic style, and Odell's has a winner here.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 02:57:14 | More by phishsihq

Jtthegreat

Colorado

2.45/5  rDev -39.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

750ml Bottle poured with a ton of carbonation. A slow pour made a large 4 finger head that dissipated almost immediately. A lot of sparking wine similarities in it's appearance. It had a translucent rose appearance in the glass with big bubbles.

The nose had raspberries, tons or barnyard funk and was a little musty and leathery. Not a lot came through but the barnyard smell, a little overpowering. The taste right away was tart raspberry, and a ton more barnyard funk with a little vinegar. I could taste other elements but the barnyard taste with the sour musty finish overpowered any sign of cherries that could have been in the background. The mouthfeel was light and refreshing with a nice effervescence.

Overall, the more subtle notes made it seem like this could have been a terrific beer. I don't mind farmhouse ales, and I love a good kriek, but the amount of funk I got from this overpowered most of what it was trying to be.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 15:43:30 | More by Jtthegreat

timtim

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500th review!!! mildly hazy reddish-pinkish-amber with a pink-white head that pops and fizzes like crazy while it dissipates and then disappears. cherry and raspberry blend to create an earthy strawberry scent that leads the nose. undertones of earth, funk and wood as well. really nice balance. nod to the og producers and tradition, but with a nice american flare. taste is near perfect balance of tart and sweet. sweet wins out, but the finish is tart and fairly dry. tingly carbonation that really elevates the flavors on the palate. fun experiment from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 01:42:42 | More by timtim

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle I picked up in April while visiting the cities. Not sure what batch that would make this.

Dark blood red nearing purple. Simply wonderful nose. Raspberries and cherries fight for my attention. Flavors are a great blend of both fruits. Mildly tart yet cut with a sweetness that doesn't come off cloying at all. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Fantastic beer. Shame it seems the bottles vary.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 19:53:46 | More by beerwolf77

Spider889

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -28%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Shared by MbpBugeye.

A - Dead flat. There was a pseudo head of large ugly air bubbles, but it was clear this wasn't from any lingering carbonation. Nice dark crimson color and good clarity though. Would be a stunning beer in the right circumstances.

S - Tart cherries are there alright, mild sweetness, this is definitely a sour, but exhibits nothing truly funky or extreme though.

T - Quite tart which quickly leads into acidic territory. This causes some serious warming in the throat. Fresh raspberry-esque flavor filters in and out of the sourness. Cherry is also noted and the flavor is of sweet, ripened fruit. Lactic build up makes this one a sipper as I fight off heartburn.

M - Flat. A little carbonation would really help this beer to pop. Dry leafy finish, and bitter like strawberry greens. Thin body.

O - I really wanted to like this beer but the lack of carbonation essentially harmed every single aspect of the beer. Shame, really...

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 06:38:52 | More by Spider889

BillRoth

Maryland

4.72/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a Liefman's Kriek glass.

A: Pours like champagne with light but beautiful rose accented red hue. Bright, bubbly head that immediately dissipates.Really catches the light.

S: Big cherries with a note of raspberry. Complemented by funkiness, but not overwhelmed. Very well balanced. Surprisingly fills the glass with complex aromas despite a beer that appears lighter in body/content.

T: Wonderful! A great blend of older and young flavors. Very reminiscent of drier Belgian blendings. The tartness was both pronounced but subtle that enhanced (not dominated as some American wild ales can do). What really grabbed me was the rich fresh taste of sour cherries that emerged midstream in the drinking...took me back to the superb cherries of upstate New York and upper Michigan. While the beer had a very complex well balanced flavor the distinct contributions of cherries, yeast, oak, raspberries and to a lesser extent the base malt/hops were easily distinguished.

M: Very pleasant soft French champagne carbonation. Highly drinkable and refreshing.the light body and carbonation elevated the nose and flavors rather than swallowed them. While I am more typically looking for big, velvety mouthfeel you'd associate with double imperial ales...this was just stunning in how a light mouthfeel can be no less lucious.

O: My favorite "surprise" beer of 2011 at the very end of the year. Can't recommend enough. I have always sought out Odell's beers, and have usually been very pleased. But this is world class.Get one if you can.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 03:23:48 | More by BillRoth

km715

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Yummy yummy in my tummy!!

It tastes like unicorn farts if a unicorn were farting while jumping over a rainbow. Delicious!

It is some of the prettiest beer I have ever seen. Golden like the hair of a mystical warrior combined with caramel and pure happiness. I would surely bring this beer home to mother based purely on the looks of it.

Smell is oh so lovely.

A delicious treat. Truly yum yums.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 01:40:49 | More by km715

blakelive784

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle served in a goblet, reviewed live:

A - Pours a semi-transparent pink/amber color, reminiscent of grapefruit juice, with a pink head the recedes WAY too fast, almost like champagne.

S - Tart cherries and raspberries, caramel, sweet candy, funky sourness. Very complex, and almost indescribable.

T - Sour cherries open over a pale caramel malt foundation. It's a bit oaky until the finish, where a tart raspberry bleeds into the finish. It's adequately sour, but not overly so. Really well balanced.

M - HIGHLY carbonated, and very dry on the finish, coaxing the next sip. Very well executed.

D - Bravo. Really well built and balanced. It's complex without being overbearing, drinkable, and delicious. I'd certainly have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 00:17:24 | More by blakelive784