Belle Vue Kriek - Brasserie Belle-Vue

hunteraw

China

3.43/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This is the first lambic I've had the opportunity to try, so I'll try to keep style in mind but I don't have another reference.

Appearance: Pours an attractive ruby/garnet color, nice offwhite head, beautiful lacing on the inside of the glass.

Smell is of cherry, perhaps black cherry specifically. Smells like it's going to be very sweet, which is worrying...

Taste: First a rush of cherry flavor, then the bitterness comes in, then it finishes sweet. I was expecting it to be sour, but I don't really get that here.

Mouthfeel: Aftertaste is, of course, cherry. The sourness comes in a little bit here, too - finally a little acidity, which I like. Carbonation is good. Mouthfeel a touch syrupy, but it works here.

Drinkability: This is more drinkable than I expected, very flavorful, but 375ml is more than enough cherry for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2006 23:18:26 | More by hunteraw

crwills

Ontario (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I've tried a few fruit beers now, and I'm still not getting into them. I don't think it's my thing. So bear that in mind...

Anyway, poured this from a corked bottle into a large red wine glass. Nice fluffy pinkish head. Beer itself was a dark red with pink highlights. Actually looks pretty nice.

Aroma and taste are very similar, and not complex at all. Overwhelming cherry Kool-Aid aromas, with a bit of cough syrup sweetness and some mild yeast or woody notes. Although the carbonation is low, I found that the aftertaste from this beer reminded me of champagne. Saving grace is a nice, smooth, sticky mouthfeel that fits the fruity style perfectly.

OK for something different, but not something I'd drink regularly.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2006 01:09:21 | More by crwills

atigerlife

Hawaii

3.2/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Review #2 (1/26/07]: poured from a 375ml bottle into a Belle Vue kriek glass. Overall, I enjoyed this more than my previous tasting which was on tap. The beer seemed to have more character and balance out of the bottle.

Original review:
Served on tap in a Belle Vue glass with matching coaster. Nice touch.

Appearance is amazing. Deep ruby red with large pink head. Beautiful. Quite startling for a beer. No carbonation visible.

Aroma of sour cherries with some wet grass.

Taste is of cherries, sour. Had an unpleasant aftertaste that I couldn't quite figure out.

Mouthfeel was light with no carbonation. Listless. Left a strange coating on the tongue. Rather unpleasant.

Overall, it was decent with chocolate and decent for the style, but not something I would try and have again. The unusual aftertaste and mouthfeel really were difficult.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2006 15:31:47 | More by atigerlife

mcallister

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark dense ruby. High carbonation in the pink head of a half inch. Very pretty kreik.

Deep sour cherry , with other berry nuances shining through the aroma.

Somewhat sour, bing cherry. I like the dry style. Taste is very pungent. Unlike the head this lambic is lacking overall carbonation. A bit thin in the mouth yet very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2006 19:22:23 | More by mcallister

ndekke39

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tried the Kriek at The Albany pub in London; came recommended by a bartender.

A: Slightly cloudy, bright red. Looked almost like fizzy Kool-Aid at first. Served in a brandy snifter, quite cold. Medium redish-white head on it when poured.

S: Strong, sweet cherry scent (go figure), though not overpowering.

T: Again, the strong cherry flavors. Dominating, but again not overpowering. Almost couldn't taste the alcohol over the cherry, except in the finish.

M: Almost too fizzy at first. Very tangy on the tongue to begin, but grew smoother after a few sips.

D: At a nice, cool temperature, perfect for sipping. It complemented the warm summer evening quite well. With the strong cherry flavor and initial tang, it's not one you want to rush, but overall it's very pleasurable, especially in the brandy snifter.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2006 17:18:46 | More by ndekke39

Orrshow

Alberta (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this one on tap at the Globe Tap house in Edmonton. Surprised to find it here.

Appearance – Poured a deep ruby red with close to no head. However, small amounts of white lacing were left of the glass.

Smell – The aroma was heavy of cherries and sugar. It reminded me of red wine in a way as well.

Taste – All cherries and quite sweet. The red wine like taste is there as well followed by a tartness. Finishes dry. Quite nice.

Mouthfeel – Very thin with a scratchy feeling from the carbonation. Also leaves a sugary coating on the mouth.

Drinkability – All in all good. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; sweet beers don’t quite do it for me but Belle Vue Kriek was definitely a worthwhile experience.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2006 03:38:32 | More by Orrshow

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This has been a beer that I've had a few time since my stay in Melbourne and has been better every time I've tried it. Poured from a nice corked green bottle into what looked like a brandy glass. Ruby color looked very nice when brought up against the light with a nice white head accenting the overall look quite nicely. Fruit smells dominating, specifically cherries and rasberries...almost a spritzer quality. Taste was very tart, giving a champaigne taste accompanied by the fruit characters. It was also a sharp tasting beer that needed a bit of warming before some other flavors, the most dominant being strawberry pulled through. Mouthfeel was light/medium bodied, with fairely high carbonation. This is a winner in my book, but you really need to like tart fruit to really enjoy this one. I was surprised by how much I liked this brew considering any cherry flavored anything usually turns me off. Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2006 09:28:38 | More by jamie2dope

jayc333

Ontario (Canada)

1.83/5  rDev -47%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a dark ruby red with a lace of bubbly off-white head. A few bubbles rise to the top rapidly.

Cherries? Not in the smell. Sour grapes with a dank character. Not too pleasant at all.

Nasty metallic taste upfront. Getting past that, sour grapes are still present. Reminds me a lot like one of those gross "just add water" wines.

Fizzy in the mouth. Not unlike carbonated water.

I must have gotten a bad bottle. There is no excuse for this stuff. I want my $3.25 back.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2006 01:11:46 | More by jayc333

VoodooBrew

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Aromas include cherry, semi-spice, and children's medicine. The flavors-- wow, quite easy for a Fruit Lambic. It's not overly tart nor sweet-- there is some mild acidity near the finish. Simple but nice! This beer drinks oh so easily, I think I'd like another! Now where to find one...

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2006 03:43:46 | More by VoodooBrew

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The executive bar at a hotel I stayed at in Belgium had this in 25cl bottles. I tried a few for the novelty of it (the other beers they stocked included Duvel, Leffe, Stella, and other beers easily found back home).

Poured into incorrect glassware (Duvel) for the one and only time while I was in Belgium. Tasted like cherry champagne, kind of thin, tart, and dry. It wasn't quite as sweet as the Lindeman's I've had in the past. Maybe less syrup in this one...

Not my favorite style of beer at all, but easy to drink. This is a gateway beer to offer the women in your life. Unless the women in your life are like my wife, who has been known to complain of "watery consistency" in strong imperial stouts.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2006 17:31:25 | More by TurdFurgison

Mandrake

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a fairly dark red/pink with a fairly large pink-tinged head that is thick, slow to dissipate and leaves substantial lacing. Smell is less interesting, with some yeasty funk and a metallic note accompanying the sweetness that dominates the nose. Taste is slightly tart, but not as much as I'd hoped for, and is mostly just sweetness with a hint of cherry and a dry lambic-y finish. Mouthfeel is syrupy, quite thick and not very carbonated, and drinkability is pretty average. This is a bit too candy-sweet and not complex enough to be a really good lambic, but it's not bad.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2006 01:35:35 | More by Mandrake

trevorwideman

Manitoba (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

375ml Corked green bottle, poured into a snifter. Nice looking presentation.

Very nice dark, nearly opaque, ruby colour. Pours with a substantial head, and leaves nice lacing when that dissipates. Nose isn't too offensive. The cherry odours are very evident, possibly a bit too sweet and cloying for my taste, and underneath the cherries is an unmistakable yeastiness.

Taste is very much of sour cherries and sweet malt. A bit puckering. Overall I find the taste a bit too sweet and candylike for me. I'm too much of a fan of hops I suppose. Mouthfeel is of sparkling wine or champagne, very fizzy. Dances on the tongue, think in the mouth and dry going down. I'd have a hard time doing more than one of these in a session, but again, this just may not be my style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2006 04:41:08 | More by trevorwideman

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This poured to a ruby red fizzy head that reduced quickly with some lacing. Smells sweet, with a slight sourness of cherries, as it should. Taste is dry, almost like a champagne, not too sweet as to still resemble beer. Mouthfeel is fizzy, like a soda, and very mild. Overall this is very easy to drink and goes down with little effort. A decent example of this style.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2005 02:47:09 | More by funkengruven

cypressbob

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle, corked, poured into a kostrizer glass

Pours with a deep red, pinky body. Creamy pink head with pretty fair retention

Smell, some fromage frait, little bit of yeast on the nose. Mixed berry and fruit, some almondy cherriness

Taste, smooth creaminess, reminds me almost of yogurt. Slight cherry tartness, fruits of the forest

Overall a solid fruit beer, nothing world changing though. If you're looking for an intro to fruit beers try liefmans kriek, if you want something with a bit more rawness try cantillon

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2005 21:17:27 | More by cypressbob

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep red, tall fluffy head, plenty of lacing.

S: Mmmm... cherry!

T: Very well balanced. Initially sweet, finishing with a slightly tart aftertaste.

M: Moderate body and carbonation.

D: Not your average beer, but as fruit lambics go, it's very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2005 02:38:45 | More by Derek

joecast

Australia

3.6/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

enjoyed on-tap at the belgian cafe in melbourne.

looks absolutely fantastic in a belle vue tulip. bright red with little carbonation. poured with a 2cm pink head. ha, its pink! leaves nice lacing down the glass, and the head retention was very good.

left to warm a bit, the aroma came around slowly. pronounced cherry aroma with slight hints of tartness. leaning more towards sweetness than anything else.

being a lambic, i was really looking forward to some sourness to see weather or not i would go for it. this version lacked a bit of sharpness, or it was just replaced with the sweetness from the cherries. the sweetness, while not cloying or unpleasent, made it difficult for anything else to be noticed.

for myself, its tough to call this beer. its just has very little of what i associate with the aromas and flavors of beer that i am used to. obviously by my scoring, thats not a bad thing. the glass i had went very quickly and easily. i was finding it tought to keep from gulping this down.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2005 09:42:14 | More by joecast

texashammer

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Orangey-brown color with only subtle red tones. Minimal head. Lacing is beautiful but almost nonexistent. Here in Houston we can only get Lindeman's lambics, so for years I've been drinking the very fruity ones; this smells like Belgium to me. Sour cherry notes and not too much sweetness. Taste is tart and sweet and sour. The cherry is understated. I like this much better than the fruit bombs. Medium body, light mouthfeel. Finish lingers with sour, tart fruit. It has a good malt backbone, without punching you in the face with sweetened fruit juice. Ends just a little dry. Enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2005 16:15:56 | More by texashammer

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear ruby colour with amber highlights topped by generous, pink foam. Decent head retention after it initially subsides and it left rings of lace on the glass. Tart, fruity aroma of cherries, with some sweetness and bit bit of earthiness. Sweet, almost syrupy flavour with plenty of cherries, but too little sourness to provide a nice balance. Overall, quite mild with a bit of tartness in the finish. Slightly viscous, syrupy texture. Fairly enjoyable fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2005 21:28:12 | More by DrJay

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours dark cherry red, almost purple with a finger of pink head. Lots of lacing, head lasts in the tulip. Smell is tart cherry, wet grass smell(musty).

Taste is cherry, with some sourness to it, reminds me of pixie sticks. Like a fruit punch that has been spiked. Aftertaste is a sour/bitter cherry, overripe.

Mouthfeel is a little sticky, with good carbonation. Drinkability; not great due to the strong flavour. Good for ending the night, but wouldn't want another

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2005 13:03:26 | More by elricorico

NEhophead

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Delicate bubbles gather to the sides in place of head and carbonation. Very faint, thin lacing at best. A thin murkiness of maple in color with flashes of burgundy.

A bright and ripe smelling cherry tartness; a dark sweetness aside from the lambic's sour quality; like a cough drop. Whaffs of warming alcohol.

Sweet, mellow cherry and plum flavors that are quickly overtaken by a sharp and mouth puckering tartness. Hints of raisin and dates in the background. Little to no carbonation makes this one rather slick. Remaining tart aftertaste with a touch of light chocolate.

Light bodied; tart, refreshing, and slick on the palate.

A style I could never drink more than a few at once, and this one is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2005 14:46:56 | More by NEhophead

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark burgundy coloured, almost red wine red. Soft pink head, pretty big and laces nicely. Smell is sweet, cranberry, horse blanket. Taste is sweet right up front, fruity cherry sweetness glides to the back of the mouth. Dry, tart finish, very nice. Pretty full mouth, low carbonation, really coats the whole mouth. Goes down smooth, little bit cloying though because of the sugars. Nice though.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2005 23:10:04 | More by Viggo

tomthumbsblues

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Yeah, my 100th beer review! I must admit, when I had this beer for the first time at Le Roy D'Espagne on the Grande Place in Brussels I pretty much gulped it down. It was a hot day and the sweet taste and the pinkish almost cotton-candy like head of this beer were exactly what I needed at that moment. Before I left Brussels I vowed to buy a bottle to take home with me so I could review it properly. I purchased a 25cl bottle and tried to save it as long as I could. Here is my review:

Appeared a light opaque burgundy color atop which sat a frothy two finger head light and airy like cotton candy. Aromas of sweet cherry and wheat along with a light sourness. Tastes of sweet wine, cherries with a sour backbone and light malt. This beer was light in the mouth, not too sweet, not too dry either. For my money no other beer could quench my thirst better. However, I must admit it was much better on tap.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2005 17:22:34 | More by tomthumbsblues

BeerNutta

Australia

4.13/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the belgian beer cafe in Melbourne.
I must admit that the first time I had this beer, it was from the bottle and I felt that it was a little lacking. Good but it was missing something to make it great.

However, on tap its great. Pours a dark ruby with a pink foam head. The awsome looking beer is backed up by the sweet and sour smell of cherries.

The taste is very nice. You first are hit with a cherry tartness which then mellows to a dry sweet fruitty finish.

Not overly carbonated so its easy to drink. Good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2005 01:29:21 | More by BeerNutta

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pinkish red, with retaining thin lace. Dry drink, drier than dry wines.Definate true cherry flavour. Strong carbonation tingles mouth and tongue. Satisfying and semi-sweet, but not for everyone. Chocolate would incredibly work with it. For the meal's end.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2005 05:56:24 | More by northyorksammy

GreatLeo

British Columbia (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Came in a 42.5cl corked caged bottle with best before date of 06-16-2005
A really dark ruby red color with an average head given when poured into its traditional Belle Vue Kriek glass.
A strong woody like aroma given coupled by a very strong fruity smell of cherries. A dry sour feel was given as an aftertaste not nearly as sweet as I expected it to be. Definately the alcohol content of 5.2 percent is not evident at all in this.
I am not the biggest fan of lambric style beers but given the complexity and fruityness which makes this a great after dinner drink. Nonetheless recommended to those who enjoy rich red wines or fruity style beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2005 05:13:23 | More by GreatLeo