Brew: Monomoy Kriek

Brewery: Cisco Brewers Inc.

Style: Sour/Wild Ale

Pours a beautiful crimson violet that permeates the head creating a rosy tint.  The nose is packed with tart cherry.  The cherry flavor has a broad spectrum ranging from crisp and ripe to sweet and sour.  The barrel aging adds an oaky edge to this impressive creation.   The tartness is mouthwatering and epitomizes a great sour.  The acid adds a fine balance to the fruit flavors. This kriek* is an undeniable testament to the style.  I was pleased to find a serendipitously fresh batch of this in Northampton, MA at a bar called the Dirty Truth.  Lambics and associated fruity sour beers tend to have low ABV but this beer registers at an honorable 6.7%.   This kriek is a great choice for a night out or as a morning companion for a plate of chicken and waffles.  According to the seller this cherried Flemish sour was aged for 2 years, 10 months on sour cherries, I must say it was worth the wait.

* Kriek is a word of Flemish origin that refers to a cherry-infused style of Belgian beer, fermenting a Lambic (Belgian fruit style) with sour Morello cherries.