“Our Oude Kriek is a blend of old and young barrel-aged lambic in which 400g/l of cherries have matured. Bottle refermented, its cherry aroma is intense, the acidity sharp yet balanced by the roundness of the fruit.”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: What a thing of beauty. Pours halfway between mahogany and deep cherry with a short fizzy head which rapidly disappears. No head = no lace!

Aroma: Exactly what you’d expect from a high quality Belgian Oude Kriek; bursting with sweet yet tart cherry, dark fruits like blood plum and dates and a nice musty oak that’s integrated so harmoniously. Big funky and sweaty notes, yoghurt-like sourness with a flutter of red wine vinegar and citric acidity. Subtle red wine tannin running through it as well. Really high quality stuff.

Flavour: Pow! That’s close to eye-watering sourness…and we love it! It hangs on too, and doesn’t subside until well past the mid-palate. Alongside the intense sourness are heady notes of sour cherry, red wine vinegar and musty oak with some mild support from a somewhat Noble hop herbaceousness, manky/sweaty funk and eventually a sharp acetic finish which draws out nicely.

Mouthfeel: Sharp and acidic with a hint of minerality. Pucker rating is off the charts. Quite firmly bodied, sparkling Co2 and the 6.7% ABV is well buried.

Overall: Damn fine stuff. And one of the more affordable Belgian Lambics on the market too. Solid offering.