Oude Kriek
Hanssens Artisanaal bvba

Oude KriekOude Kriek
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From:
Hanssens Artisanaal bvba
 
Belgium
Style:
Fruit Lambic
Ranked #92
ABV:
6%
Score:
92
Ranked #5,408
Avg:
4.12 | pDev: 11.17%
Reviews:
338
Ratings:
788
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 15, 2023
Added:
Oct 14, 2001
Wants:
  64
Gots:
  114
No description / notes.
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Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

3.9/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
1961
Name: Oude Kriek
Brewery: Hanssens Artisannaal
Location: Dworp, Belgium
Style: Fruited Lambic
ABV: 6%
Date: 2016
I am drinking the Oude Kriek today. I served it at 42 degrees. The pour created an airy half-fingered medium off-white head with poor retention using a tulip glass. The color has this pinkish hue with tints of rust—lots of yeast and fruit floaties. The overall appearance is suitable for this style.

The first whiff was a nose full of Brett, farmyard funk, and acetic acid. Swirling the glass a few times to get air in, I go back and nose it again. This time, I smell cherries, fruity sweetness, oak, and a touch of horse blankets.
This is fantastic. The beer is slightly sweet but balanced with Brett, funky barnyard, horse blanket, acetic acid, and cherries. The sourness is not overly mouth-puckering; it makes my mouth water. I do taste a slight honeysuckle note and fruity sweetness. The only con I have is the cherries are not bright and tarty. Does the age have something to do with it?
The mouthfeel is tart and astringent. The body is thin, and the carbonation is high.
I have consumed other fruity Lambic with more sugar to tame the sourness. I am glad the brewers allowed them to present the beer without sugar. I want more cherry flavor, which is my only major complaint.
Dec 15, 2023
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12.7oz bottle into a tulip. 2015 vintage, so 8 years in the bottle.

Solid plum colored body. Head quickly disappears. Sour cherry aroma. Taste follows the nose, though cherries seem a bit muted. It is a very tart drink, and there is a mild vinegar note left on the lips. This is pleasing rather than overwhelming. Finish is faintly sweet and very tart, but not drying. Good kriek lambic.
Oct 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by imperialking from Illinois

May 30, 2023
 
 
Rated: 4.25 by steverx8 from England

Feb 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.37 by Rhetion from Florida

Feb 09, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by smartassboiler from Illinois

Jan 05, 2022
 
Rated: 3.97 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Nov 30, 2021
Photo of DaveMaciolek21
Reviewed by DaveMaciolek21 from New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Rose-colored pour generating zero head. What stands out is the deep, deep cherry flavor, at once sour and sweet. Tartness does prevail, but never goes over the line. There is a subtle underlying touch of oak that creeps in. Had this with a barbecued steak, which complemented it well. Do yourself a favor and leave the sediment at the bottom of the bottle where it is unless you want to pucker up.
Aug 31, 2021
Photo of RobertColianni
Rated by RobertColianni from Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2yo (2019) bottle: any reviews higher than 3.50/5.00 are mistaken. Bottles from the past 6 years have been garbage.
Jun 10, 2021
 
Rated: 4.03 by TheEpeeist from Maryland

Apr 07, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.66/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
375 ml bottle, corked champagne style, at Plan B, Copenhagen. Red / "pinkish" / brown colour, moderate pale pink head. Sour cherry and funky barnyard aroma. Flavour is very sour cherries and red wine vinegar.
Mar 20, 2021
Photo of wisrarebeer
Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled January 2015. Not as balanced and jammy as say 3F. No almonds, but very nice all-around. Very dry and on tarter side but not overly tart and unbalanced.
Mar 07, 2021
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Vibrant cherry red color with no carbonation and no lacing.

S - Tart acidic cherry, tang with light oak on the nose.

T - Surprises here as it follows the nose exactly. Extremely tart, face puckering cherry sourness from start to finish that punches you in the face.

M - Thick and wet throughout the mouth with a big dry spot on the back of the tongue.

O - No bitterness here, just face puckering cherry through and through.
Feb 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4.5 by blisscent from Rhode Island

Nov 01, 2020
 
Rated: 4.16 by Budlum from Maryland

Sep 26, 2020
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.29/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
somehow it has taken me a really long time to try this one, which seems like one of their more popular beers. they do quite a few different kriek types, and this is another really good one, 2014 vintage if the notch on the label is correct, thankful to be sharing this in an online session with the homies! beautiful clear and glassy looking ruby red color through the first two thirds of the bottle, hazy thick sludgy dark and sedimented (even an apparent piece of cherry stem) blood red through the last bit, some head too which isnt always the case with their lambics. it smells brightly fruity, very natural, quite tart like acidic pie cherries, and has all the funk, woodiness, and maturity of good blended lambic, definitely old in a good way, and smelling very sour, even for the style, which a lot of theirs have been, but more mellow on the acidity when i actually drink it, way less intimidating than it smells on that. the flavor is crazy good, sour sure but equally as funky and weird, highly vinous with an obvious red wine and red berry character, oak tannins all through it, and a density to the fruit which seems to get more intense withe very sip and every degree it warms. traces of smoke, vanilla, raspberry jam, and even cinnamon, but this isnt one of those krieks that feels wintery like some do. very sharp, but i easily drink the whole bottle, enough carbonation but pretty light on it, very natural on the fruit, and not so much of it that its juice, the base lambic is distinctive and old and very good, a nice blend. i get to the point every month or so where i like physically need good kriek, and this was a great fix. always a treat to have beer from these guys, especially with the boys, even if digitally. yum! an awesome start to the weekend.
Aug 08, 2020
 
Rated: 3.92 by The_Kriek_Freak from Pennsylvania

Jul 21, 2020
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

4.01/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
File this under 'dude, i've had this beer a dozen times, why haven't I reviewed it yet?'

Pours a darker shade of red. Off white head, pretty thin 1/5" then recedes, might not be the greatest job on being carbonated. Aroma brings the dark cherry notes. Such a weird funky aroma, like equal parts woody brett and plastic underneath the cherries.

Taste is pretty standard unsweetened lambic/kriek. Plenty sour and dry, plenty of fruit notes. Everyone be all chasing Loons and Drie, but they forgot about Hannsens. But they didn't, its just too readily available for collectors versus drinkers or some shit. Its a hefty bit of sour, maybe 8.5 on the 10 pt lambic scale. I didn't get the cinnamon others spoke of, but there is so much cherry, I could see how the mind might gravitate to imagining pie crust and all the accoutrements. Its plenty good and serviceable. Its not Cuvee Rene levels of quality and affordability, but its close to the next best thing.
Jul 08, 2020
 
Rated: 4.02 by csmrx7 from Canada (AB)

Jul 03, 2020
Oude Kriek from Hanssens Artisanaal bvba
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 788 ratings