Oude Kriek - Hanssens Artisanaal bvba

cnbrown313

Illinois

4.39/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml cork and cage bottle into a wine glass

A - Beautiful looking beer! Ruby red with a nice 1 finger off white head that sticks around for a bit and leaves some lacing.

S - Smells like lemons and tart cherries with a little bit of barnyard funk

T - Very tart and acidic up front. You have to be ready for a big, sour, beer - but this doesn't disappoint. The tart cherry flavor that follows is nicely balanced by a little bit of barnyard funk at the end.

M - Dry mouth feel, with a nice, fine carbonation. Maybe not as nice as a 3F or Cantillon, but good.

O - I'm glad that I gave this one a go. When I have an itch for a good sour kriek I will likely revisit this again!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 12:29:31 | More by cnbrown313

deebo

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A fresh bottle. Pours a very dark red with a non-existant head. This beer is very acidic. Acid is predominantly acetic. This dominates but of course there is plently of funk but also notes of smoky oak and even some raw meat. Overall, a decent kriek but a little over the top with too much vinegar taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 01:25:03 | More by deebo

Beerenauslese

California

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle has been cellared two years. Bottle opened with no pop. Nice garnet color. Little/no carbonation.

Smells of vinegar with some cherry fruit.

Tastes like Mother Funker on cherries. Very acetic-could use this to make salad dressing. Not mouth puckering though, and there is a good flavor of cherries.

Body is light, no carbonation, and stickiness doesn't make a good mouthfeel.

Overall, this is too sour and the acetic acid is too strong, detracting from the cherry and funk aspects. Clearly, I didn't do this any favor by cellaring two years. Hope to try this again fresher/on cask.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 21:53:25 | More by Beerenauslese

Gushue3

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into Portsmouth Snifter

A Murky red with no real head to speak of. Lots of big carbonation bubbles stuck on the side of the glass and some lively carbonation along the glass.

S Vinegar, sour cherries, oak and a hint of sweetness. Really hits all things i wanna smell in a Kriek

T Very tart upfront that goes to the finish. Almost a shock tart pucker toward the middle and some cherry comes out as well. Slight oaky barrel comes out toward the end and the finish is dry and tart

M Medium carbonation for a Kriek, along with a medium feel on the tongue. The finish is quite dry.

O Pretty nice reasonably priced ans easy to find sour in my area.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 02:07:47 | More by Gushue3

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.09/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

375ml bottle served in a flute glasd.

A: Pours a dark red to violet clear color forming a minimum rose bubbled head with low retention and only few lacings left

S: Sweet and fruity. Strong notes of cherries and Lambic yeasts. Tart in the nose with some light notes of oak

T: Slightly sweet upfront with strong notes of cherry, grapes, vinegar and oak. In overall, a wuite dry and fruity taste. Lambic yeasts. A little bit metallic

M: Light body. Good carbonation. Fruity and tart aftertaste

O: Good drinkability. Good Lambic Kriek

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 21:34:03 | More by eduardolinhalis

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.21/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle to hfs sniffer

A: ruby red with a redish foam head that goes away quickly opaque

S: smells like oak cherries and funk but mostly the oak barrels

T: starts off with a crisp taste then A punch of sour cherries but is not overwhelming I can taste the oak with a bit of funk that would definitely come out more if it was aged

M: there is a crisp tingling on the tongue then a lip puckering sour it is a bit oily but very drinkable for me at-least

O:this is my fist kriek but I feel like I started off with a bang and I really like the style I am interested in seeing how this beer would change with age but I like it right now as I have a very high tolerance for sour which this really gives I would recommend it to anyone who likes krieks or sours

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 04:50:33 | More by Pinknuggets

spicelab

Australia

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375mL bottle. Lot D. BB 07/08/2027. Based on quick internet research, there's at least 3 years of age on this.

Deep crimson with just a skerrick of carbonation that quickly disspates, despite the healthy pop of the cork. Swirling produces the same effect.

Broodingly dark and rich, dank and woody, balsamic sour cherries. Moderate sweaty sock character. At once straightforward and complex.

Taste isn't quite as layered, but is still seriously good. Strong tannins, moderately lactic and salty. Striking resemblance to a big Shiraz or Cab Sav.

Pretty big from the tannins and fruit. A tad more carbonation than anticipated, which helps cut the intensity a little. Plenty of lactic tartness.

Impressive and seriously assertive. One of the better Oude Krieks I've had, although not quite in the league of 3F.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 05:23:57 | More by spicelab

WillCarrera

Illinois

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

375 ml bottle, no bottle date, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a clear red color with a finger of pink head, leaves spotty lacing.

S- Mild cherry aroma, lots of dry musty funk.

T- Lots of lactic acidity, dry, musty, barnyard funk, cherry skins. Dry wood and barrel flavor, it's a very dry, super acidic kriek.

M- Light-bodied, high carbonation with a dry finish.

O- A solid kriek, there are others that I like more but this is a really enjoyable beer, definitely worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 05:09:25 | More by WillCarrera

mynie

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very, very dark red with a small white cap. It pours out fizzy--didn't glug out or nothing--but no effervescence is noticeable just by looking at it.

Smells sharply tart but also smooth. The oak aging is salient only in the nodes it blots out. Big cherries, not much funk.

Tastes a bit like an organic Shock Tart, like if something unnaturally intense were somehow robbed of its cloying fakeness and all that's left behind seems wholesome and real in spite of its intensity. It's like how exercise feels: a good high.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 01:27:27 | More by mynie

gr0g

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliant, slightly murky coppery-red. A three finger pink head leaves no lace, but retention is good and an ever-persistent small head remains. Aroma has nice depth and complexity starting with a slight vinegar and following with a musty, earthy scent. Of course, there's some cherry, too - sour cherries amid a light funk.

From other reviews I expected this to be quite sour, and it is, though not bracingly so. Tart and sour pick up immediately and hold on through to the finish. I could do with a bit less, as i feel that it's masking other elements of the flavor profile. What I could do with a bit more of is fruit, which would counteract and even balance out the sourness. Vinegar presence is well-muted. I get a little bit of oak, but it's being squashed by sour. Mouthfeel seems to be a really good match for the style. Medium carbonation that's in the Goldilocks zone - not too harsh and not too soft.

While this is only my 3rd lambic or so, and only the first I've reviewed, I think I might be coming around to the style. On a hot day this would be quite enjoyable as-is, but I could do with a little more fruit and a little less sour. Those who are big on sour notes would do well to seek this out.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 20:28:38 | More by gr0g

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

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

Pours a dark amber red with lots of head. Tastes of cherries and dark fruits, with some good tart sourness finishing through. Not overpowering was the sour taste however. Drinks down really smooth and I would have no problem drinking more bottles of this. I love the way sours tastes on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 02:31:29 | More by WeedKing4

drpimento

Wisconsin

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

After reading about the potential for aging the beer, kind of wish I'd done so. Oh well, just have to get some more and do so. Poured this at a good temperature with an amazing roiling head that is maintained by the incredible effervescence of this wonderful brew! No lace, clear amber cherry color and loads of teeny bubble trails. Aroma is cherry, musk, yeast, oak, vinegar. Flavor is brut champagnesque with a demure cherry presence and the yeast bitterness is exactly matched by the small sharp peaks of tartness from carbonic acid and wild yeast. Finish is like flavor, gradually diminishes, and is satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 03:57:47 | More by drpimento

wd40

New York

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

Pours a clear, dark ruby red color with a bit of reddish/white foam. The smell initially was off to my nose (chlorphenols?). After the brew settle down a little, the fragrance was definitely that of a sour beer, but not a ton of fruit. The taste has a bit more cherry in it than the smell would suggest, but overall it's a pretty light beer. The sourness is pretty strong, but it ends up being a very nice refreshing beer. The carbonation helps give it a bit of lift as well. Overall, I would probably drink this beer more regularly if it was a bit less expensive and I didn't have so many other beers I still want to try!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 04:01:12 | More by wd40

yamar68

Minnesota

4.48/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a vibrant raspberry juice color with a finger of noisy light pink carbonation that recedes back to a collar that retains well and laces fittingly.

Super funk, overripe bright fruits, wet hay, intense fruit mash smells, it doesn't get too muddy though... tons of depth without losing balance.

Oooh that is good... intensely sour at first in the best kind of way, waves and waves of red fruit... cherry, raspberry, strawberry... even some sour citrus qualities. The finish is beautifully dry, clean.

What a delicious surprise of a beer this was. Wow.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 00:51:28 | More by yamar68

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375mL bottle poured into tulip - thanks cj

Pours a deep ruby color with some darker, ruddy hues. Pinkish, foamy head bubbles up and dissipates, leaving a few spots of lacing on the glass.

Funky and fruity in the nose with cherries. Tart and sour with lactic hints, horse blanket funk and bread crust malts.

Nice biting sourness with cherries and lactic dryness up front. Sour and funky throughout with an emphasis on the yeast, horse blanket and barnyard. Oak and cherry skin with a slight vinous character. Finishes dry and sour with a light cherry sweetness.

Medium body, nicely carbonated (unlike the experimental lambics) and dry on the tongue. A nicely done fruit lambic, although there's better available, especially considering the price.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 13:57:24 | More by xnicknj

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

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

12.7 oz, LOTNR F
Poured into a 3F gueuze glass.

Appearance. Pours a rich and hazy peachy-pinky-red with a finger of bubbly pink head that quickly fades to a skim.

Smell. Sour cherries and marzipan with just a little sweet hayloft funk.

Taste. Sour cherries, lemon juice, some dry and earthy funk. Quite dry. Good stuff.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, medium+ lively carbonation.

Overall. Nice dry kriek. Plenty sour without being overwhealming.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 02:56:39 | More by Rutager

mdaschaf

Washington

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle date G, whatever that means.

A: Pours a very deep ruby color with a large, pink head on top, very foamy. Nice head retention, leaving a nice cap on top. Thick foamy lacing clings to the glass.

S: Light funk and barnyard mixed with some cherries and a little bit of wood. A little bit of tartness/vinegar.

T: Cherry mixed with a good bit of woody/oak. Not quite as musty as the aroma, but very earthy. The barrel really shines through as the oak intensifies.

M: Medium bodied with a nice level of tartness, was expecting it to be a bit over the top, but very approachable.

O: A pretty nice Kriek, not in your face cherry, but good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 01:51:59 | More by mdaschaf

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

375mL bottle courtesy of TPatuto. I believe this is from 2009. Reviewed on 8/31 from notes.

A: Dark cherry red, appropriately. No lacing, but carbonation freckles swarm the side of the glass.

N: Pronounced cherry and oak. Acidic sourness hits me pretty well. Marionberry, vinegar and acetone. Plum and grape.

T: Very powerful acetic sourness. Dark sour cherry and a heavy amount of tannic oakiness. Definite acetone and vinegar presence. Not a ton of funk which I'm alright with in a fruit lambic. I do have to say this super, super sharp, so drink accordingly.

M: Somewhat oily and prickly.

O: A good fruit lambic in a pinch, but at this point, it's more like a venomous Flanders Red. Or a Rodenbach Grand Cru with an extra dose of sour power.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 00:32:56 | More by writerLJBerg

DanK4

Maine

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A Pours dark ruby red, just beautiful. Decent head to it but it dissipates quickly. Looks like cherries.

S: Tart sour cherries, some raspberry, big lemon hint, and a bit of funk. Almost like a farmhouse funk but tart from the lemons.

T: Big cherry and sour raspberry flavor right off the bat. The carbonation keeps the beer off the tongue so it was hard to get a real flavor profile at first, but as it warmed up the carbonation died down and you could pick up even more lemon. The taste is what made this beer for me.

M: Lighter than I anticipated. Light to medium, once it's been sitting for a bit.

O: Solid lambic in my opinion. A nice step up from a Monk's Cafe.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 04:08:44 | More by DanK4

andrewinski1

Maine

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice. The color is ruby red. There are just a few bubbles in this one (more often than not I get very little carbonation in this beer, but every now and then a bottle will have some).

The aroma appropriately has a lot of tart, slightly medicinal cherry. A hint of lemon rind is evident.

The taste starts out dry with notes of wheatgrass and quickly evolves into sour lemon juice with cherry notes mixed in. The finish is very clean and very tart.

This has very mellow carbonation if any, with a light body. This is very good. I find this is one that has a lot of bottle variation. At times it's been one of the most acidic beers I've had. This particular bottle strikes a pretty good balance.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 01:12:28 | More by andrewinski1

kojevergas

California

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

12.7 fl oz green glass bottle with hood and wire cap over a cork served into a La Chouffe tulip in me friend's gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are extremely high given its current ratings.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm considerably over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor.

Not paired with food.

A: Pours a three finger pink head of good cream and thickness, and great retention. Colour is a nontransparent darkish red. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Quite appealing.

Sm: Bacteria, wild yeast, and hidden cherry. A mild strength aroma.

T: Nicely sour, with fermented cherry coming through. The bacteria and wild yeast is fantastic. Very clean. The sourness is great, though its pucker-worthy character may turn off some drinkers. Unobtrusive malts. Some sugary sweetness. This is everything I want in a sour. Very subtle. Complex enough. Very balanced even though the sourness is dominant. The tartness is brilliant.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Perfect thickness and carbonation. Doesn't get in the way of the flavours.

Dr: Incredibly drinkable. I love this. This is what a Kriek should be. An excellent example of the style; downright paradigmatic. Hides its ABV well. I could drink this all night, though many drinkers could not. A sour lover's dream. It's even well priced. I'm looking forward to trying more beers from this brewery. Awesome. A near perfect beer in the style.

A

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 04:50:57 | More by kojevergas

superspak

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

375 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours lightly cloudy deepred color with zero head and no lacing. Cork did no pop off of this one at all; some small bubbles form on the sides of the glass. Aromas of huge tart acidic cherry, cherry skin, lemon, hay, grass, earth, oak, red wine vinegar, and big farmhouse funk. Very nice aromas with good strength and complexity. Taste of big sour cherry, cherry skin, hay, grass, earth, oak, red wine vinegar, and big funkiness. Strong sour acidity on the finish; with lingering notes of cherry skin, hay, earth, vinegar, oak, and funk on the finish for a while. Nice flavor complexity and balance. Zero carbonation and medium bodied; with a fairly rough and very acidic mouthfeel. Needed to take small sips to get this one palatable, it is not a bad thing with all of the strong flavor components. Zero alcohol presence as expected with the acidity. Overall this is a damn nice Kriek, despite getting a flat bottle. Very nice flavor complexity and balance. I will probably give this another shot, hoping to get a carbonated bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 03:48:37 | More by superspak

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Oude Kriek
Hanssens Artisanaal bvba
Style: Lambic - Fruit
ABV: 6.00 %

LOOK: Pours a limp and lifeless ruby color, fine clarity and virtually no head or trace of bubbles. Pours like cranberry juice.

SMELL: Musty basement, red wine vinegar, cherry, leather, shoe polish, barnyard funk.

TASTE: Sour to the extreme, the Oude Kriek has a big lactic bite from the wild yeast, and remains incredibly sour like a cherry warhead. Light wheat and grain elements and a bit of alcohol. There is a small note of sour cherries, then more puckering, straight up gut wrenching sour, and I like it.

FEEL: Medium bodied, with a modest but present carbonation. Has a good amount of life to it, drying sour bite and oaky tannins. Drinks like a true lambic.

OVERALL: An impressively sour and well blended lambic beer. The proportion of cherries just add to the tartness, and this beer ends up not for the weak of heart or stomach. Pounding acidity and a flavor that lasts.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 12:40:13 | More by Stinkypuss

champ103

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Like pretty much everything else I have had from Hanssens, I can not find a bottle date. So who knows how old this bottle is?

A: Pours a bright and vibrant reddish/pink color. I love the color. A one finger white head forms, and vanishes in a second.
S: Tart, acidic, and ultra funky. Cheesy, stinky, funk. Not a lot of cherry sweetness or fruit aromas.
T: Follows the nose with a huge tart, acidic, and sour bite. Cheesy, stinky, funk. Wow, everything is very strong and over powering. I love the style, but this is over barring.
M/D: A medium body that is very crisp and effervescent. I do like funky sours, and enjoyed this on a hot afternoon. Though, just a bit over powering.

I love me some sour and funk. This certainly fits the bill, and I did enjoy my bottle. Though over barring, in a sense that even puts Cantillon to shame. If you want to impress some sour heads, this is what you should bring.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 05:10:03 | More by champ103

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

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

poured into duvel tulip.

Appearance: pinkish red bodied beer with small white cap of head.

Smell: strong vinegar notes with mild hay funkiness. mild red fruits cherries and red apples.

Taste: moderately sour beer with little bit of vinegar taste to it as well. Lemons and really mellow funk. Little bit of fruitiness also red apples, raspberries, and tart cherries.

Mouthfeel: light bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Crisp carbonation that really carries the sour and fruit flavors. Dry finish very close to a champaign like mouthfeel.

Overall: A really tasty Kriek. It a bit expensive at 12 for 350ml C&C bottle, but its very enjoyable. The vinegar is a bit stronger than I like, but it not horrible.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 00:17:12 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT