Image not mine, got our glass on draft at the Thirsty Monk in Asheville
Another beer sampled on our recent Asheville trip was Echt Kriekenbier, brewed by Brouwerik Verhaeghe. This beer was definitely the most unique of the bunch and too my knowledge was the first Sour Ale I have ever tried. The ABV of this drink is 6.8% and, as the picture above shows, the beer has a very reddish color and a pour with little head, which gave it the appearance of wine after letting it sit for a spell. I myself had only a couple sips and allowed feature beer review guest reviewer (was that redundant?) Emily Moore to give her expert opinion on this beverage – Emily?
As far as fruit beers go, it’s refreshing and different because it’s not too sweet. However, it does taste a little flat. After a few sips, you are hit by the very sour cherry taste. The finish is clean, but the cherry just becomes too strong. I would use it as a dessert beer in very small amounts. (4.5 of 10).
So Brouwerij Verhaeghe, you haven’t found your biggest fan in Emily – but I’m sure you make many other fine beers that she would enjoy. Don’t feel too bad, really. It’s not you, it’s her. She’s just in a strange place right now and isn’t looking for your Kriekenbier.
To add my two cents, I would agree that the beer is a nice shift from the overpowering sweet of some Lambic style beers, however overpowering is still what I would say the sour cherry taste becomes. It moves from a nice change of pace to (sorry Brouwerij Verhaeghe) an almost cough-syrupy overkill on the cherries. If you have some, order a bottle and share it with multiple people. Or make sure you’re eating something else at the time to cleanse your palate. You won’t find me arguing with Emily’s assessment!
