Lindemans Kriek Lambic: Cherry wine that works well as a beer
Written: Dec 31 '00 (Updated Jun 23 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unique style, novelty, nice flavor
Cons: May be too sweet for many
The Bottom Line: Another great fruit lambic that's not too overwhelming. Great for non-beer drinkers and aficiondas alike makes for a great date beer.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Lindemans Kriek Lambic (Belgium) 12oz |
I have much to learn about Belgium’s fine array of brews. Until recently I knew very little of this country’s long brewing history. Lambic is a style, which I had heard much about but had never tried. So in my local, I ordered a Lindemans Kriek, the only lambic they carry, and boy was I in for a surprise.
What is a Lambic?
Lambic beers are brewed mainly in Payottenland, southwest of Belgium, in the River Zenne valley. Lambics are not ales or lagers, but fermented with wild yeasts, as all ancient beers once were. Sometimes lambics are called wild beers. They are among the world’s rarest beers and most difficult to bring to the market, taking several years to produce. Anybody looking for detailed brewing information should check out the Merchant du Vin website.
http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/lindemans.html
Lindemans Kriek
Kriek actually translates as cherry. So no surprise here, this is a cherry flavored beer. Lindemans make their fruit beers by blending the lambic and fresh fruit before bottling. They also make a Framboise (raspberry), and Pêche (peach). When the brewery makes Kriek, whole fresh cherries are added to the casks, triggering a third fermentation and a spritzy carbonation that gives the finished beer a champagne-like character.
This beer is available in a 750 ml or 375ml bottle. That’s champagne sizes funnily enough, and keeping within the same style the bottle is sealed with a cork and a foil. I was drinking the smaller bottle.
The fist thing you’ll notice when you open up this beer is the cherry aroma. It’s very dominant, you don’t need to swill the beer or wake it up in any way. As you drink it you’ll get the full nose of cherries with every sip. It’s a rose to red in color. The drink itself is sparkling but very smooth. Again the dominant flavor is a cherry sweetness, you would hardly believe that you’re drinking a beer because it’s hard to get any other flavors. It does finish slightly dry with a hint of oakiness.
I was very curious while drinking this one. I’d never experienced anything like it before. When my buddy tasted it, he remarked that it was more like a champagne. I did finish extremely satisfied and almost ordered a second, but I had other beers to test. I have been craving this beer a little today and will probably try and pick a few up for the fridge.
I can’t see a food match up for this beer unless you want to take it with dessert. It would work perfectly well as a dessert by itself. The website suggests it as an aperitif in place of dry sherry, with carbonnade a la beouf, mussels in white wine or Gueuze, and flavorful cheeses. I also had the idea in my head afterwards of mixing this with a Guinness.
This certainly is a unique beer style and one that I recommend everyone should try at least once. While some may hate it, I have to say it’s one of the best beers I’ve ever tasted.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
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