Hanssens Oude Kriek – All the Sour None of the Sweet

Before opening this bottle (not sure of the vintage on this one) I was expecting it to be similar to their Oude Gueuze I had reviewed earlier  – a little funky, a little skunky, but overall dry and refreshing.

I could not have been more wrong with that assumption.

The Pour: Oude Kriek poured a deep ruby-red, with a thick bubbly white head, which faded down to a thin head that lasted the whole glass.  Lacing was somewhat minor, clinging slightly to the glass between sips.  Carbonation was fairly light.

Nose: Sour, a little cherry,  maybe a hint of vinegar.

Taste: Straight up sour, with a hint of dark cherry on the back-end.  This has none of the slight sweetness that Oude Gueuze had.  It is still very balanced but there is no extra sweetness here.  It is very light on the mouth, extremely complex. No real alcohol presence.

Of the Belgian sours I have had, this is one of my favorites, especially perfect for this time of year.  I would not try to tackle this as a first sour, but if you are a fan of the style this is a must try.

So this wraps up this weekends review of Kriek forward Sours. I hope you enjoyed the trip.  I am not sure what we will find for the next one, I need to go further down the Rabbit hole and see what I can unearth next!