History
In order to understand the history of fruited Lambics, one must first understand the long, rich history of Lambic itself. A beer that we would likely recognize as Lambic was being lovingly produced in Belgium as early as the 12th century. In order to do so, the brewer, who was often also a farmer, built a mash consisting of 60% malted barley and 40% wheat. A minimum volume of aged hops was added to the boil solely for their preservative properties. Next the wort was transferred to a coolship, a long, wide and shallow vessel, designed, as the name implies, to cool the wort. In through the open windows, along with the chilly Belgian breeze, came magic. Soon, the wort began to bubble and foam, the result (we now know) of a mixed culture fermentation beginning. Finally, the slowly fermenting elixir was moved to oak barrels for maturation.
Adding fruit to traditionally produced Lambic is a significantly more recent development in brewing history, and likely began as a cottage industry. In fact, the first explicit mention we find of a cherry addition lies in the 1878 manuscript of a tenant farmer named Josse De Pauw from Schepdaal, Belgium. The fact that this tradition blossomed around the village of Schaarbeek outside Brussels is no accident as the cherries of the same name were once abundant in the area. And while cherries were likely the first fruit to be combined with Lambic, they were certainly not the last. The resultant beers have traditionally been named simply for the fruit included.
Kriek is made with a blend of young Lambic-inspired beers and is aged with beautiful, ripe, juicy Van, Bing, Royal Anne and Tart Pie Cherries from Idiot's Grace in Mosier. We lovingly removed each and every stem and added them to our established Lambic at a generous 3.5lbs. per gallon. The fruit and the Lambic were then left alone to mingle for 3 months before bottle conditioning. They are now one.
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby red topped with light pink foam. Aromas of ripe cherry, sweet fruit, and a woodsy nuttiness fill the nose. Bright flavors of cherry pie combined with juicy berries. Finishes dry, tangy, with a hint of Rose.
Food Pairings
Duck, goose, and venison. Pan fried chicken wing/ breast in a Kriek cream sauce. Mexican Mole sauce based foods. Milk Chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate based desserts, cheesecake, panna cotta. Wide range of cheeses-mascarpone, teleme, stracchino, and sharp fresh goat cheese.
Awards
2019 - 96 Points - The Beer Connoisseur
2019 - 94 Points - Craft Beer & Brewing
2017 - 93 Points - Ratebeer.com