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5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Geuzestekerij De Cam, Lambic - Fruit

De Cam Kriek Lambiek

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Brewery: Geuzestekerij De Cam
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Lambic – Fruit
Other Notes: 2015 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Kriek Lambiek schuimt niet, doordat hergisting op fles minimaal is om de fruitaroma’s maximaal te proeven. Oude Kriek lambiek ontstaat door het samen vergisten van jonge lambiek met een hoeveelheid zure aromatische kersen. De zure kersen, Prunus Cerasus L., worden in hun geheel (geen sap) met pit in bewerking gebracht. Het gehalte aan zure kersen bedraagt ongeveer 40kg per 100 liter kriek.

(translated to English) Kriek Lambiek does not foam, because refermentation in the bottle is minimal to get the maximum taste of the fruit aromas. Oude Kriek lambic is created by fermenting young lambic together with a quantity of sour aromatic cherries. The sour cherries, Prunus Cerasus L., are processed whole (no juice) with stone. The content of sour cherries is approximately 40 kg per 100 liters of kriek.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.51
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750m corked and caged bottle, 2015 vintage, with a best before date of the year 2035. Poured into a De Cam stemmed glass.
Appearance: A deep ruby red colour with a one finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, oak, cherry pit, funk, lightly tart, with almond notes.
Taste: Lightly sour and tart, cherry, cherry pie, almond, oak, funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very enjoyable and easy to drink. Lots of great cherry flavours balanced with almond, oak and funk.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Mikkeller Baghaven, Wild Ale

Mikkeller Baghaven Kriek Vanilje

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Brewery: Mikkeller Baghaven
Country: Denmark
ABV: 7%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Blend 1, aged 18 months

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Oak fermented Danish Wild Ale with cherries, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.83
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, blend 1, with a best before date of July 2024. Poured into a Mikkeller Baghaven Zalto Bordeaux stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy deep reddish purple colour with a one finger purple head that had decent retention but eventually settled to a thin cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, cherry, cinnamon, vanilla, and oak.
Taste: Lightly sour, tart, cherry, cinnamon, cherry pit, almond, oak, with hints of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Wow, excellent and really enjoyable aroma and flavours that align to my palate. Must buy in my opinion.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Netherlands, Tommie Sjef Wild Ales, Wild Ale

Tommie Sjef Druif (Kekfrankos)

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Brewery: Tommie Sjef Wild Ales
Country: Netherlands
ABV: 7.5%
Style: Wild Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer fermented and aged in wooden barrels with wine grapes (Kekfrankos).

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.48
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, with a best before date of 13th April 2028 (10 years). Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A slightly hazy reddish purple colour with a one finger pinkish head that had decent retention and eventually settled to a thin cap while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, grape skin, vinious, red wine, hay, oak, with light herbal and funky notes.
Taste: Lightly tart, grape skin, vinous, red wine, oak, hay, cherry, blackberry, with light tannins.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Only my fourth bottle from Tommie Sjef, but this was easily my favourite so far. Wonderful aroma and flavours with lots of grape, vinous and oak notes. Very enjoyable.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Gueuzerie Tilquin, Lambic - Fruit

Tilquin Oude Cassis À l’ancienne

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Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 6.3%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: 2018-2019

Brewer Description: (from bottle in Dutch) Bier met spontane gisting, de Oude Cassis Tilquin is verkregen door het gisting van 200 gr zwarte bessen per liter van lambiek. Niet gefilterd en niet gepasteuriseerd, dit bier is hergist op fles.

(translated to English) Spontaneous fermentation beer, the Oude Cassis Tilquin is obtained by the fermentation of 200 gr black currants per liter of lambic. Not filtered and not pasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.72
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 375ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2018-2019, and a best before date of 25th March 2029. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy reddish orange brown colour with a slightly more than one finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly to a very thin but replenishing cap, while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Wonderful blackcurrant, with light notes of funk and oak.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, blackcurrant, oak, with notes of funk.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It may not be as complex as other great lambics, but I really love blackcurrant flavours and this has it in spades. Super enjoyable and easy to drink. I could just keep drinking this over and over again.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Gueuzerie Tilquin, Lambic - Fruit

Tilquin Oude Pinot Gris À l’ancienne

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Brewery: Gueuzerie Tilquin
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8.4%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: 2017-2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Pinot Gris Tilquin is made from the fermentation of 280 gr of Pinot Gris grapes by liter of lambic. Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this beer is refermented in the bottle.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.74
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, with a neck label of 2017-2018, and a best before date of 21st December 2027. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A clear golden orange colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly to a small lasting collar around the glass, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Apple peel, yeast, doughy, green apple, white grape, vinous, oak, with some light funky notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, white grape, vinous, oak, straw, funky, apricot, with some light pear and citrusy grapefruit and lemon notes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Excellent, super enjoyable. The aroma was perfect, followed by great flavours, complexity, lots of fruit, and vinous, balanced with oak and funk. Looks like I’ll need more for my cellar.