Glühkriek - Brouwerij Liefmans

Viking

Indiana

4.93/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Mmmmmm.....hot beer!

When I first bought this, I didn't realize it should be served hot. Luckily, I got a nice chilly spring evening to enjoy this amazing brew properly.

This deep, dark red beer has no head or any carbonation (I'm not positive if that's by design or not - it's bottled in '98). It has an incredible aroma of molasses, sour cherry, and spices (cinnamon and ginger, I think). Sour cherry dominates the initial flavor, with the spices more prominent on the finish. Nice tingle on the tongue from this beer. Don't let this beer cool too much! It's amazing while hot, but loses a little something when approaching room temperature.

Honestly, this beer makes me think of Christmas morning when I was a little kid. It reminds me of eating the gingerbread house with the tart 'n' tangy candies while opeing my presents! I'll make sure I have a good supply of Gluhkriek next winter!!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2002 19:30:51 | More by Viking

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.65/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is from a fairly (7 or 8 years?) old bottle. Poured into a clear glass mug and nuked it for almost a minute. Water vapors rising from it after and very aromatic of the tart cherries, mulling spices, and a little malt. Color is maybe suffering as it's got some brown in it - kind of a reddish brown. Flavor is BAM like the aroma but lots more of it. Finish is a little like having had some tinfoil on your fillings, kind of tingly tangy sweet. Too intense for more than a nice dose. Glad I had it and look forward to next year one night when it's cold as hell again.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 03:50:36 | More by drpimento

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.6/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Comes in a clear green glass corked bottle, but beautifully wrapped in an inviting green tissue paper, with pictures of red cherries and the Liefmans white logo on it. Like a Christmas present, it just screams to be opened. It is supposed to be served heated up (instructions are on the wrapper) to steaming - but DON'T let it boil, you will ruin it. A fantastic bold deep red colour, with a very spicy aroma that reminded me of being sat near a warming log-fire at Christmas time in a snow encrusted England. I once had this at a bar in Ostende, Belgium on a dark cold November night, where the bartender put nutmeg and a stick of cinnamon into the pan whilst warming the beer - it really benefits and balances the incredibly sour cherry taste. Why does it remind me so much of Christmas?. Simply Amazing!!!.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2002 21:34:05 | More by TheLongBeachBum

francisweizen

Australia

4.47/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Notes: 12 oz corked and caged bottle with some nice overwrap. 1998 edition as noted by the date on the cork. This beer poured a perfectly still, dark, ruby red colour. The aromas were of fresh cherries, cour ale, yeast, and spices. The taste was a nice blend of cherries, tartness, spices, and alcohol. The flavors and aromas were definately more pronounced mulled, and at room temp than they were at fridge temp. The mouthfeel is thick, but not cloying and the drinkability is excellent as well for a specialty beer like this.

*Class*

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2003 06:37:18 | More by francisweizen

Realale

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cork dated 1997. Purchased October, 2002.

Deep, deep cherry red with some rich mahogany tones. Zero head, zero carbonation. Add me to the list of folks who didn't know this beer was supposed to be heated when they bought it! Regardless, I drank mine at cellar temperature.

Nose is incredible sour cherry. Instantly makes your mouth water. There are spices there as well. Definitely a cinnamon thing, perhaps some allspice. There's an old woody note to it as well. Smells like its been aged a long time in wood.

In the mouth its thick, with a definite sweetness present to balance the normal Liefmans sourness. The sour cherries are there and the acidity gives it great length. Seems to be a bit tannic from the cherry stones as well. A bit of an odd duck style, but definitely a fine, fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2003 09:05:19 | More by Realale

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.43/5  rDev +11%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

25cl bottle heated through and served in a chimay chalice

A- No head, dark ruby body.

S- Hot apple crumble/strudel. Nutmeg, dark fruit sweetness - cherries perhaps ;)

T- Lots of rich dark fruits, spice, nutmeg, stewed apples.

M- Minimal carbonation, light syrupy body.

D- Certainly a warming tasty brew on a cold winters evening. A nice alternative to say a mulled wine at Chrimas, but the only discernable difference between this and a mulled wine, is the lack of an alcohol kick in the gluhkriek. Enjoyable!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2010 21:15:27 | More by seanyfo

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

According to the cork, this is either from 1996 or 1998. Makes sense, as I haven't seen this brewery's products on shelves around here in a long, long time.
Impenetrable appearance, a murky maroon, with no head, just a gathering of bubbles at glass's edge.
Invigorating, bewitching aroma, deep, cavernous, funky nose with a cherry kick in it. Sour, musty, a little tickle of sweetness.
Taste: twisted! Thick and chewy, dancing toward and away from cherry cough syrup, bracingly tart, then levelling off, mellowing out, leaving the palate a well-rounded, cherry-bedabbed arena, all the juice spilled out of the punch bowl after the cotillion comes to a close. Each sip begins this shuffle again, each time a little less intensely.
Medium-bodied, with a tenacious fruity finish.
A fandango in the mouth, and a treat on all levels.
Defines delicious.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2005 22:30:31 | More by feloniousmonk

alexgash

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served hot, but perhaps not quite 70 degrees C. Anyway, pours a murky amber with some cidery brown and not really any head, just a small ring of bubbles. Nose is spicy, apple cider, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg (?), cherries, cherry syrup, and slight alcohol. Nice, interesting. Sweet cherry flavors up front. Kind of syrupy, but not cough syrupy (thank god). Cherries turn sour and lambic-like as the spices come on stronger: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg to name a few. Full-bodied with a syrupy, warming feel. I really like this stuff warmed up. I have had it at room temp before and it just wasn't as good.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2005 20:45:49 | More by alexgash

marc77

California

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served mulled. Bottled 1998. Purchased in 2000 and cellared since then. Lightly hazed deep rose hue and utterly still. In aroma, pungent wafts of peppermint, clove, nutmeg and licorice are all in equal strength. Green raspberry and cassis undertone. Welcoming aromawise. In flavor, red apple sweetness upfront leads into a tart and earthy combination of underripe black cherry and fresh tobacco. Judicious, red sweet pepper and sweet clementine notions are static throughout. Trace grape skin astringency emerges mid palate, but adds an agreeable coarseness. Comforting hints of fresh sawdust add both sweet and woody notes late. Moderate in body overall, and akin to a thin Port in mouthfeel. Finishes with a resurgence of cherry tartness and also with lingering key lime like tones. A truly unique and complex brew. Served very warm, all fruit notes are very vibrant. Delicious and soothing.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2004 02:41:09 | More by marc77

Dukeofearl

California

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

My first mulled beer. Wow. I warmed this up in a way I'm not proud to admit (microwave on low, for a few seconds at a time, bringing it to a nice temp.). I'm sure that's not how it was done by the Belgians when they first came up with this winter warmer, but what's a bachelor to do? The Bros. suggest a crock pot,and I don't have one, the only other option was a metal pan on the stove, and I was worried that it would give the beer a metallic flavor. So m-wave it was. And it actually worked ok, although I wasn't sure...

Pours a medium reddish brown with NO head, NO carbonation. A less than exciting visual presentation. But the other aspects more than made up for it. Aroma is of cherry and warming spices on a cold, rainy day (it is Southern California, after all- not much snow in my neck of the woods). Incredible. Flavor is sour cherries, light, feel-good sour, not the overwhelming sour of traditional lambics. This is good stuff.

Mouthfeel thick and syrupy, just as you would hope. Good stuff!

This is a beer to have on special occasions, and I hope those occasions come around more often!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2005 06:15:28 | More by Dukeofearl

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served mulled.

A - Clear reddish brown with absolutely no head and no lacing. Atypical, but appropriate.

S - Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, fainter cherries and caramel malt with a bit of alcohol.

T - A slightly sweet natural cherry flavor with a lot of cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg. The spice is very strong on the back of the throat.

M - Very smooth, very slick and thin. Very refreshing.

D - Really hit the spot after a cold day outdoors. Drinkable, but not sessionable. Definitely pleasant. More in league with cherry wines than other beers, even cherry lambics. Worth a try for sure, but be sure to mull it.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2007 23:13:22 | More by mrasskicktastic

Erdinger2003

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 1997

Pours without much head, and a clear dark amber color. The smell is outta this world great! I can smell so many different things and spices. I can taste licorice and cinnamin. The taste starts out light and then has a giant kick of complex flavors that are just awsome. The mouthfeel is very smooth and great. Overall if there was more I would drink this at least once of month.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2007 03:53:33 | More by Erdinger2003

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought this year but the cork said 1998. I mulled it for the tasting. From the 33cl bottle.

Pours a hazy, opaque reddish-brown. No head very still. Smell is spicy and sweet. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and tart cheries. maybe hints of alcohol.

Taste mirrors the smell. Spicy and sweet. Cinnamon and nutmeg underpinned with ginger and clove. A light chery tartness on the tongue and quite sour on the back of the throat which makes for a nice balance. Medium bodied and sweet but not sticky. really tasty warm, not so hot (pardon the pun) as it cools. Definitely shines when warmed properly. I probably could have heated it longer. A good winter beer that I had not had in about 10 years. It was too long!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2004 02:47:25 | More by ViveLaChouffe

the42ndtourist

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

250mL bottle, pop-off cap.

Took the cap off, and heated it (slowly) in a pot of water. Interestingly enough (or I thought so), a head forms while heating, which gradually builds to the top of the bottle, and then spills over. Or, if you're like me, you continually use your finger to rescue it and send it where it's needed most.

I'm a little short on glassware (of any kind) at the moment, so I thought the best receptacle would be an insulated stainless steel mug. After all, Quelque Chose gets drunk out of a glazed ceramic cup/mug sort of thing when you're in Chambly. It pours without much head at all after all that buildup while heating.

Nose of spice, acid. Cinnamon and cloves, I should think. Big helpings of sour cherry. As you go to take a mouthful you get a dose of acidic vapour in the mouth and nose just before the beer. This isn't nearly as severe as with Quelque Chose, though. Taste is quite tart, but full and fruity. Cloves are certainly the most evident spice. In the end, it tastes like something between mulled wine and one of Liefmans' sour beers (Goudenband or Kriek).

This really is perfect as a winter warm-up. And if I had a steady source for it in Ottawa, it would quickly become a standard fixture. However, here in Southwest England (cornwall), it doesn't really seem like winter, what with constant 10 degree (C) temperatures, so Gluhkriek may not reach the same status. Still, a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2004 11:42:28 | More by the42ndtourist

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

250ml bottle bought from Onlyfinebeer.co.uk... heated to 70%C in a bain-marie... drunk from a Gluhkriek glass...

Poured a nice deep mahogany red colour. A suprisingly thick head poured slightly off white and stayed throughout... lots of sticky lacing...

Aroma - Sweet dark cherries, lots of mouth tingling Christmas spices - nutmeg, strong clove, some cinnamon, allspice... some light anise coming through, fresh vanilla, light leathery traces, some sourness..

Taste - Pretty much as the aroma - lots of sweet dark cherries and strong clove spiciness, cough medicine notes, allspice and nutmeg also, some almond nuttiness, light vanilla, faint sourness..

Feel - Smooth and creamy... medium bodied... probably couldn't drink too many of these - a 250ml bottle was just about right..

Overall - My first mulled beer and i wasn't disappointed - i would take this over mulled wine any day. If only it was more readily available... recommended...

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2008 09:00:31 | More by mdagnew

Jason

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served hot from crock pot filled by a couple of 750 ml bottles.

Appearance: No head as this beer has no carbonation, clear burgundy brown in colour.

Smell: Dominant clove and sweet tart cherry juice aroma.

Taste: Tart up front with a ton of ripe cherry juice flavour, this is countered by spices … mainly clove but close to an all spice as well. Alcohol has not been burned off as it gives quick vapors after each sip.

Mouthfeel: Leaning to a wine like slickness in the mouth off of the medium body. No carbonation.

Drinkability & Notes: Just the experience alone got my vote and something I’d love to sip on occasion though not something I could drink more than one of a night.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2003 12:53:14 | More by Jason

bditty187

Nebraska

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1998 Vintage

Clear, burgundy brown in hue, it seems darker once mulled. Maybe I was seeing things but there seemed to be a tawny-red tint straight out of the bottle. There was no head or lacing at any point. The appearance is unremarkable.

When cold the nose is spicy, like a Christmas bake sale, cherries underneath. Modest potency. Firm from the chill but still rich. Inviting [3.5]. The palate is spicy, cookie-like with orange zest and cherries. Minty with hints of clove. Tasty. Unique. Modest tartness. It says, “drink with duck” [4].

At room temperature the nose is milder and wider; spices are softer but more developed as I could distinguish the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, coriander, etc. Cherries are more in the background but easily noticeable [4]. The palate is soft, spices are clear, cherries are weaker; tartness is pliable, orange zest at the end. Overall the taste is mild and yummy [4].

When mulled the nose is lively; cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg are the most dominating aromas. Tart black cherries. Orange zest. It is very juicy. Inviting. The palate is shockingly developed and flavorful compared to cold and room temperature. The cloves are loud and very aggressive at the back of the throat. It is amazingly juicy with a big blast of black currents, prunes, and cherries (these flavors are very strong at the finish). The spices are noticeable on a one on one basis but the sum of the parts remind me of a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven. Very complex, it blows away many of its kin (i.e., a non spiced fruit lambic). This is the first time I mulled a beer and it won’t be the last. Medium/medium-full in body, the lack of carbonation is very noticeable as the mouthfeel as a slickness to it. It is pleasant though. This beer is drinkable to a point, I can’t see myself drinking more than one a night. I like the beer, I really do, but the spices are overwhelming after awhile. What a great cold weather beer. I purchased my bottle in Lincoln, NE. It is a “must try” just for the experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2004 14:59:19 | More by bditty187

Suds

Pennsylvania

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

I tried this beer both warm (quite warm, but not quite hot) and also at room temperature. It is interesting to note the differences. I actually preferred it served warm. The beer is an intense reddish color. Cherry ans spice are really notable int the aroma, but much more pronounced in the warm glass. There's maybe a slight pale malt smell as well, but it's far in the back, distantly behind the cherries. The taste is sweet, with a slight sour twang that provides the balance. Almost no bitterness. Spice flavors come out a lot more intensely in the warm glass, whereas the beer is almost too sweet in the room-temperature serving. Both are medium in body and very tasty, however. This would be great on a cold night. Wonderful stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2009 18:27:31 | More by Suds

Todd

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Notes from the 2002 Kerstbierfestival, Essen, Belgium.

** This beer was served hot. **

Dark ruby, near black, in colour with a still head. Aroma is 100% warm cloves -- like on a ham in the oven. Flavours freagin' nearly burst your mouth open! Mega juicy! Both sweet and tart characters, thick, notes of prune, black currant and grape.Coarse on the palate. With cloves rounding things off and running into the dry finish.

Based on the Liefmans Goudenband with the addition of North cherries. Very wine-like in many ways. Most impressive, especially when served warm -- the flavours increase ten-fold.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2003 03:55:09 | More by Todd

santoslhalper

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearence: Pours a darker copper with a thin, beige head.

Smell: The smell is a mix of strong cherries and spices. Some woody notes are detectable as well.

Taste and Mouthfeel: Odd. It's flat. It still tastes wonderfully, but the normal tart fizziness of a lambic isn't there. The cherries are wonderful tasting, and seem very fresh. It's incredibly smooth and lucious tasting.

Dtinkability and Overall: A different lambic for sure, but still enjoayble. The lack of tartness is a suprise, but makes it a little more drinable. This is an incredibly smooth lambic, but definitly not the normal.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2005 21:29:46 | More by santoslhalper

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1998 on cork.The real deal. Dark berry red with hues. Medium plus mouthfeel. Deep complex taste of choice fermented cherry. Not very tart, even my son liked this. The sugar is natural from the fruit. The yeast itself added some spicyness to it, or perhaps a bit added nutmeg and cinammon.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2006 03:52:10 | More by northyorksammy

dgallina

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

333 ml bottle. 1999 vintage. Served mulled, December 2004.

Pours a deep, wine-like burgundy with no carbonation or head. Strong clove and spice aromas over sweet wine and cherries. Flavors start with tart cherries, develop into port-like sweet wine, and finish with plenty of cloves, spice, and woody cherry-pit sourness. Smooth medium wine-like body with no carbonation. Much closer to a spiced port than a beer at this age. Very tasty on a cold winter night (assuming you know what you're getting into).

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2004 04:44:10 | More by dgallina

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased at Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena, CA.

1997 vintage.

Pours a murky crimson brown with a foamy brown head that fades to nothing. No lacing on this one. There are some chunks of sediment floating around in the glass after the pour. Smell is of malt, spices, and some light sweet/sour cherry aromas. There is a fair amount of oxidation noticeable in the smell with hints of cardboard that come out as the beer warms. Taste is much the same as the smell (including the oxidation) with a spice finish that lingers on the palate. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer for what it is and has held up pretty well for being ~ 15 years old. Definitely an interesting beer but the carbonation level is not helping this one out.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 07:04:40 | More by UCLABrewN84

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

i had this at its proper temp (and thats 70 degrees celsius) and i dug it a lot. It was complex, sweet, sour, fruity (cherries), warming and a very good drop, if you ever get the chance to try it, don't hesitate. Intersting with and array of flavours and complexities, perhaps a bit better tha Quelque Chose, theres not much in it.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2002 18:46:26 | More by rastaman

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

6 years old bottle courtesy of Matta the Florida connection (you had not told me it was 6 years old you rocker!). Liefmans Gluhkriek has a murky ugly brown body with no head at all. The aroma is intense and vinous, indeed comparable to Quelque Chose, but not quite as powerful nor complex. Nevertheless, there are some neat cherry skins flavors together with cinnamon, nuts, oak and a pleasant mild refreshing Liefmans sourness. The body is medium and rather oily. Aftertaste is old rotten tart cherries with lots of spicy character (nutmeg, cinnamon). When mulled, it becomes perhaps a little thinner with the flavors taking a more vinous and medicinal angle with notes of tart apples and blue grapes. I personally perfer it hot, but the difference seemed less striking than in Quelque Chose. Dangerously drinkable despite being very sweet, a unique style I just wish we'd have more examples of.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2004 14:37:30 | More by Rastacouere