Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic - Brasserie Cantillon

ThaCreep

Belgium

3.83/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Color red cherry nose and blood, even if it is not really pronounced, which is discernible flavors and acid woodland. In the mouth it is sour and acid without being in abundance, as are the Cantillon. It feels as cherries with pits, but also hints of fermentation. The finish displays a woody dryness, without being in abundance, which emphasizes the presence of cherries. This lambic, without using an abundance of cherry taste or acidity of the drink remains extremely refreshing.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

05-05-2010 18:36:44 | More by ThaCreep

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.54/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip. Bottled (May 27, 2011) drank (May 9, 2013). Gave a nice spritzy pink head, receded relatively quickly leaving some light lacing. Colour is a rich cherry read, with lots of visible carbonation. 4

S – sour cherry, viney-ness, macaroon?, bakery sweets in anycase, some macerated sweetness. Honey cake, smoky chestnuts, a definite full yeastiness, slightly toasty (with cherry jam on top obviously). Very interesting, with well-integrated subtleties making a very characterful aroma. 4.25

T – A thoroughly mesmerizing experience. A balanced cherry sourness, a lot of fruitiness coming through, with light biscuity maltiness and an underlying macerated sweetness. A pleasant earthiness, almond, farmy hay, with a pleasant ‘meaty’ yeasty character, some blood orange. Sourness is not as intense as I might have expected, more of a deliciously balanced tartness. Yet it remains refreshing and very full on the palate. 4.75

M – Pleasant and light, with an upfront tartness, pleasant refreshing carbonation, but a full body of balanced sour cherry flavor that coats the palate, finish leaves a coating cherry sweetness, almost filmy on the palate, lingers on nicely, vineyard character. 4.5

My first Cantillon and the best lambic-style I’ve come across, I think that’s because the sourness is not as intensely in-your-face, this offers a balanced, intricate tart, semisweet flavor profile, with amazing feel and complexity. A work of art in every sense, this will definitely entice me to try more from Cantillon. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 18:56:11 | More by mick303

GuzzLah

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - pours an opaque pinkish purple with a pink head. Some lace. No bubbles.

S - dry cherry, soft leather, mild floral, wood.

T - dry cherry, acetic, wood, slightly salty.

M - light-medium body. Semi-oily and creamy. Mouth watering. Moderately sour.

O - a very good example of a traditional Kriek, but Cascade Kriek is still number one for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 19:39:37 | More by GuzzLah

shand

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Cantillon Kriek pours out a brilliant ruby with a small light red head that quickly drops. Beautiful looking. The aroma is a nice musty, tart cherry with a solid amount of acidity. The taste is beautiful, providing layers of yeast, tart cherry, oak, and lactic acid. It's a very bright and crisp beer. The aftertaste is a thing of beauty, with a lingering delicate tart cherry skin flavor hanging out for quite some time. Basically - if you like fruit beers, you absolutely have to try this. Cantillon Kriek and New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red are easily the best two cherry beers on the market, and each represent a different side of the coin - sweetness for the New Glarus and tartness for the Cantillon.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 20:08:03 | More by shand

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

3.96/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on 06/29/2012

Pours with a finger of white foamy head that rests neatly upon a vibrant ruby beer. Rather opaque and hazy and does not lace with minimal head retention. All in all a very pretty beer.

Nose is almost entirely cherry. Cherry upfront, cherry in the middle, cherry at the end, only also with the slightest hing of some sour notes thrown in right at the very end. The aroma sets up for a very hopeful tasting experience.

Taste is also predominately cherries but with a far more pronounced sour note as well. The taste is very stable from beginning to through to the end but does transition from a more cherry forward start to a more sour finish. However, this transition also seems to bring forward a rather unpleasant after taste that tends to linger which really detracts from the overall flavor profile.

Body is rather light and tart due to both the cherries and sour notes. All in all you don't really notice the mouthfeel as your mind continues to wander to the rather unpleasant off flavor note that hits in the after taste. Mouthfeel doesn't really add or subtract from the overall enjoyment of this one.

Overall this is a very solid example of the style that could be nearly world class if the unpleasant after taste did not exist as part of the transition of the flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 14:29:27 | More by ElderPuma

Beerenauslese

California

4.7/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Aerated cask at Moeder Lambic Saint Gilles. Drinking on a sunny afternoon on the patio, Monday April 22. Life is good.

Lovely presentation in a tulip glass. Bright red, a little hazy, with a bright pink head of foam.

Nose is red cherries, flowers, wheat malt, some old wood.

Served at a nice, slightly chilled temperature. Tastes so smooth of fresh cherries, wheat malt, with a hint of lemon. A little bitterness from the cherry pits and a hint of hops. Not very sour and not much more sour than fresh cherries. A little overpour on the glass is sticky, suggesting a little residual sugar or sugar addition.

Body is light and the mouthfeel is soft with big round bubbles that float on the tongue but without hardly any fizziness.

A lovely beer to be drinking when the cherry trees are blooming. Although it lacks the complexity of a gueze kriek, honesty and simplicity is this beer's virtue, as well as its price.

Serving type: cask

04-22-2013 15:56:40 | More by Beerenauslese

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle opened on 4.16.13
Bottled 10 November 2011

A - Pours a bright red with a fizzy light pink head that fades very quickly.

S - Tart, over-ripe raspberries, funky-earhiness.

T - Sweet cherry, funk, raspberry, earthy, very complex and wonderful.

D - Good carbonation with a light body.

O - Fruit, slight funk, complex and lovely to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 04:21:21 | More by HuskyinPDX

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a beautiful pink hue with a finger of light pink head. the first smell i get is very reminiscent of sunday mornings as a child when my mom would nair her legs and the whole house had that funky smell. tonic, socks, hairspray all at first, once all the funk settled, you get a pleasant cherry aroma.

the taste is very sour, cherries, cork/wood, hay. high carbonation and a light body makes this a crisp refreshing, yet puckery sour beer.

an excellent sour cherry taste and great kriek. not as sour as fou foune was, but still a delicious sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 09:27:42 | More by facundoCNB

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

4.8/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Brilliant pink in color with a very very pink head. Lacy head. Head comes back to life with a little bit of a swirl.

Aroma is a cherry bomb. Full, sweet, a bit tart, just a wonderful mixture of everything that a cherry can be. A little lactic sourness in the aroma.

Tart sour cherries in the taste. Somewhat sweet to start with a dry and tart finish. Almost puckering in the finish. Very sour. Some notes of red fruits like currant.

Body is light, carbonation helps make the beer crisp, silky mouthfeel.

Overall an excellent beer. Balanced. Cherry is displayed perfectly. Very sour

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 18:14:13 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.13/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 375ml bottle into a Fullers snifter glass. 2012 bottle date.

Pours a classic kriek colour - dark, reddish pink with a light pink head.

Smells of soft, sour cherries.

Tastes of sour cherries. Quite dry and thirst quenching.

Overall a pretty good beer, and an excellent kriek.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 20:57:55 | More by CwrwAmByth

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4.61/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

From the bottle.

Appearance: the best looking beer I've seen to date. Incredible pale pink color with a small off-white head with a pinkish tint.

Nose: obvious sour cherries, but much lighter and more fragrant than the typical black cherry aroma. Almost a mustardy sour note, but it works with the cherry. Baking spices are evident: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Way more than just a bit of cherry and a bit of funk. All comes together in a really intoxicating aroma.

Taste: Tart cherry and lemon zest up front melds into a funky barnyard and hay bale middle. As it finishes the sourness fades away and there's a sweet cherry pie note when the baking spices hit. Really quite a unique and incredible taste.

Mouthfeel: Nice full carbonation but its a bit coarse. Body is nice and light though, which perfectly conveys the flavors.

Overall: Really enjoyed this. Won't hesitate to re-purchase if I see it again. It was brought to a tasting and was easily the most enjoyed beer among the tasters (not big beer geek types). One of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 22:38:26 | More by fdig23

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.29/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at three penny taproom to hfs sniffer

A: ruby bright red in color almost candy like with a redish tan had that leaves a thin lacing

S:a fruity smell you can definitely smell the sour cherries. The oak has a fairly strong presence as well. There is also a bit of funk high quality stuff

T:sour and tart flavor up front but not overwhelming it is extremely juicy fruity flavor distinctly of cherries and a crisp light finish

M: it is puckering upfront but not overwhelming then the carbonation makes it light crisp and clean like champaign or soda. That makes it go down easy I have to stop myself from drinking it too fast

O: cantillon lives up to the reputation this is my first loon expierence and I will be back not necessarily blowing other krieks away but it is better and a really good beer

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2013 22:57:44 | More by Pinknuggets

bashiba

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured a nice clean bright pink with a creamy pink head.

The smell is lightly tart with some mild mustiness and a touch of tart cherry.

The taste is lightly tart with a nice bit of sourness and a tart bit of cherries. A bit musty.

Has a nice dry finish with a long lingering tartness.

Very solid, benchmark quality kriek.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 22:48:05 | More by bashiba

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.19/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 350 ml bottle into a Half Acre snifter.

A- pours a bright reddish purple with a 1 finger pink head. No lacing.

S- stinky cheese, funk, light dark fruits

T- sour mash, light pale malts, sweet and tart cherries

M- light body and high carbonation. Acidic with a dry finish.

O- 6.5/10 sourness. Good sour with nice cheery pie like taste from the sweet and tart cherry.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:47:03 | More by kawilliams81

cnbrown313

Illinois

4.69/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

On tap at The Publican in Chicago - 12oz pour served in a tulip glass

A - Absolutely beautiful looking beer. Bright ruby red / pinkish in color with about a half finger of pink head that fades pretty quick.

S - Tart cherries, barnyard funk, dry champagne smell

T - Lots of tart cherries up front provide a fair amount of sourness, but not overly sour. Then on the back end you get that funky barnyard taste, followed by a touch of sweetness. I keep wanting another sip after each one...

M - Light / medium bodied with a very fine champagne-like carbonation which allows the flavors to really move around from sour, to funky, to sweet.

O - An outstanding, world-class lambic. If I could drink this all of the time, I would. The best kriek I've had to date.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 14:26:33 | More by cnbrown313

Resuin

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 375 mL bottle into a Golden Monkey Goblet. This is a 2012 edition.

Appearance: Pours a deep cherry, red. Very pleasant body with a light pink head of about a finger, which fades relatively quickly.

Smell: Definitely cherry and funk upfront, lactic acid, sour.

Taste: Matches the smell. Very well balanced though, not too sour but just the right amount. Cherry and lemon come through and plenty of acidity. Absolutely delicious.

Mouth-feel: Pretty light body to this one and a good amount of carbonation. Very smooth for a sour.

Overall: This is definitely the best kriek I've had and one of the better sours I've tasted. The tart cherry flavor is a good balance of sour which makes this one very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 03:59:25 | More by Resuin

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled June 2012.

Beer is dark pink, with a good-sized rose head. Fades steadily.

Very funky nose- more than I expected. Cheesy, but not in a bad way. Sour cherry. Wheat.

Tart cherry is the obvious flavour, and is quite strong. Fairly sour, with a funky, slightly barnyard flavour. Crisp wheat. Very nice.

Light bodied, moderate to high carbonation level, but the bubbles are small and gentle. A bit of pucker.

Overall, very good in all respects. I enjoyed it very much.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 03:44:16 | More by jrenihan

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Had this on 2013-02-03 in Columbia, PA

A - Bubbling, hazy reddirose-pink with a short pink-white head and mild lacing.

S - Sweet and sour cherries, raisin bread, tart applesauce. Very pleasant

T - Very tart cherry pie with some must and spice (leaning towards cinnamon). Very, very dry. Wonderful, spicy and tart cherry long-lasting aftertaste

M - Light body and light-medium carbonation. Puckering.

O - Another fine sour. Quite a treat and my wife really loved it.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 02:33:04 | More by Tucquan

tectactoe

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to BA doobliebop for this one! Paired with a medium-rare steak and baked potato. Pours a light-crimson, Bloody Mary colored red, completely opaque and murky everywhere but the very top. Very volatile, causing a faint-pink head to form quickly but fizzle away completely within thirty seconds.

Aroma is heavy, musty cherries; sweet and aged, with a little bit of a vinous character; more wine-like than expected. Some grape peel and raspberries are hanging around there also. Very authentic, juicy, and acidic. You can just tell from the aroma that this is gonna be a sour ass beer. The sour doesn't stand alone, however - decent amount of funky yeast creeps in trashes about. Light barnyward, wet wood, mild hay - overall, the funk doesn't quite stand up to the tartness, but it's enough to contribute to the aroma in a big way.

I bring the glass to my lips and the brew hits my palate thin and heavily carbonated while my nostrils are being raped by a thicker, heavier cherry aroma. Wow! This beer begins with an intense tartness right off the bat - extremely sour and acidic. Puckering and lip smacking, the sourness lasts for a good few seconds or so before it settles down and begins to subside. Overwhelming, juicy, ripe, authentic cherries make for most of the flavor, alongside some grape peel and various other "berry" types. Even at 5% ABV, the alcohol is detectable, but very soft and playful. Once the incredible sour component fades, the last few seconds of the sip are filled with a delicate sweetness that turns to a slightly corky and funky flavor. Enough to give you that wet hay and barnyard kick without distracting from the lovely tart cherries. The very acidic nature of this beer makes for a deceivingly dry finish, despite the juicy character of the flavor profile.

Holy sheeyat. Excellent brew, here - a good departure from the normal brews I drink. Sourness was intense, but it became addicting and I was disappointed to have this one end. This beer is authentic, raw, sour, and juicy, through and through. I really wish this stuff wasn't so difficult to come by in America! I need to get my hands on some more Cantillon brews. Two thumbs up.

EDIT: 3/22/2013

Enjoyed another '12 thanks to Ron. Even more sour than I remember. A lot more funk to it, too. Overall, just entirely more flavor-packed than I remember (and believe me, it was already incredible before). Super sour and acidic cherries, raspberries, and grapes. Less vinous this time around. So quenching and addictive. Gotta bump the score up on this one. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 21:08:23 | More by tectactoe

heygeebee

Australia

3.85/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

From Leura Cellars.

Pours all head and no beer to start with. Head fades quickly. Deep pink. Clear and bubbly.

Aromas of lemon, sour, funk.

Taste is very sour to start with, vinegar, lemon, tart, cherries. Dry finish, very refreshing. Sour/tart flavours diminish as bottle goes down and becomes more drinkable.

Mouthfeel light and spritzy.

All in all a little too tart for this palate. I had high hopes of excellence, but never mind....

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 09:45:03 | More by heygeebee

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.69/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Purchased at Avenue Pub in NOLA - One of my favorite beer bars in the US.
33cl bottle. Bottled june 29 2012. Of course, Avenue does it right...provided in a Geuze/Lambic basket.
Pours a see through slightly hazy ruby red with perfect carbonation into my wine glass. The aromas of funk and cherry just fill the air around me..so awesome. More aromas of barnyard funk and hay. Sour notes are also coming through. Taste is mouthwatering tart cherry and funky pale malts. Wow...this truly is amazing. I had huge hopes on this and it didnt dissapoint. Ive had it at Cantillon but it was a single glass...(the word but seemingly doesnt belong in this sentance), but this time I had the entire bottle for myself. Such a great brew. If you like sours, Cantillon sets the bar...if you are new to sours, dont start here...it only gets worse.
As perfect as I will rate...

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 04:57:33 | More by DrinkSlurm

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

poured into tulip glass.

reviewed from notes taken on 1/8/13.

Appearance: Rose red body with a white cap. Drops quickly to a ring.

Smell: Big funky nose. Touch of cherries and oak.

Taste: Moderately tart cherries, oak, and hay. Moderate funk. A slightly sweet aftertaste that reminds of honey.

Mouthfeel: light end of a medium bodied beer with medium carbonation. Dry finish. The carbonations is so smooth and gentle on the palate. Its perfection.

Overall: This is my second favorite cantillion to date. Only bested by Fou Foune. Kriek is my favorite type of sour and this is just awesome!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 13:26:39 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Duff27

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Beautiful ruby red with a white collar, some clumpy lacing.

Wonderful integration of tartness and cherries. Whiffs of sweet sugar?

Retarted cherries up the wazoo. 6.5 on the Duff27 sour scale. Tastes right at 5%abv.

Medium-high carbonation which suits it well. Medium-low mouthfeel.

Yum yum. One of best lambics I've had. Thanks 4DAloveofSTOUT via Jim C.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 00:22:13 | More by Duff27

kevanb

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle dated July 29, 2012. Poured into my favorite Cantillon balloon glass.

My midnight toast for ringing in 2013!

The beer pours a lovely ruby red color, hues of garnet and crimson even as dark as plum depending on the light, nice hazy complexion with a bright pinkish white head that rises very quickly, fizzy and light that recedes very quickly, a bit of film is left behind with no lacing. The aroma is wonderful, massive amounts of cherry, a bit of funk, but such a nice grainy malt backing, very inviting and pleasant. The flavor is a knock out, just like a fresh juicy piece of cherry pie. Great fruit, super fresh cherry, a bit of pomegranate flavor as well and even a bit of light strawberry come out, just like a great jammy pie filling, a touch of vanilla and light bready malt is present, just adds to that pie like experience. The body is nice and lively, high levels of carbonation, dances on the tongue, crisp finish.

Verdict: Such a delightful kriek from Cantillon. The fruit is so fresh right now and the pie-like experience is really wonderful. It's always a treat to have a fruit lambic from Cantillon as they really don't take shortcuts when it comes to using fresh fruit.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 06:21:51 | More by kevanb

cfrances33

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle, poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Bright, radiant red with two fingers of both half fizzy, half fluffy pink head. Leaves mild lacing, and remains and a ring on the glass. Body is really glowing.

Smell: A hay funk up front, followed by some funky cherry skins. A definite lactic aspect. Some light pears. Nose goes out with raw cherries and funk.

Taste: Nice clean cherry tartness up from, followed by a light lactic sourness, and funk. Funk carries the body, along with a nice bready sweetness. Finishes tart with cherry skins, pear juice, and hay.

Mouthfeel: Exceptionally drinkable. Cherries are not too sweet. Sourness is perfect. Great carb.

Overall: I think I enjoy this better than the Lou Pepe Kriek I had. Have to keep in mind that was a 2007 (sticker) vintage, so it would definitely be more sour.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 04:12:39 | More by cfrances33