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BELGIAN FRUIT ALE

Echt Kriekenbier

Brouwerij Verhaeghe • West Flanders Belgium

Top Fermentation Bottle Conditioned● 6.8% ABV

Verhaeghe's "real cherry beer", built not on lambic but on a West Flemish red-brown ale aged in oak, then refermented with whole cherries from around Sint-Truiden in Limburg. The oak base gives it a vinous depth beneath the tart cherry fruit.

PERFECT FOR
✦ The Curious Palate☼ Good Company☼ Summer Refreshers
Ask the Monk
FLAVOR PROFILE
Sour CherryAlmondOakTartFruity

Fruity, tart and refreshing, with notes of sour cherry, almond, oak, finishing rich and sweet.

SERVING

Serve at 6-8°C in a lambic glass to maintain a generous head and let the aromas bloom.

6-8°C

CHARACTER
DrySweetSweet
LightMediumFull
SoftSoftBitter

Style-based profile from ABV, style & tasting notes.

TASTING NOTES
Appearance
Vivid fruit-stained, brilliant, with a coloured head
Aroma
Fruity
Taste
Sweet, medium-bodied, sour cherry, almond, oak, tart
Finish
Dry.
BEER DETAILS
Style:
Belgian Fruit Ale
ABV:
6.8%
IBU:
0-15
Origin:
West Flanders, Belgium
Glassware:
Lambic Glass
CELLARWithin a year or two

Best fresh. Enjoy while lively; little to gain from cellaring.

PERFECT PAIRING

"Pairs with cherry or almond desserts, roast duck, or a tangy blue cheese."

Aged Cheese

Aged Cheese

Gouda, Trappist, Bruges

Poultry

Poultry

Roast chicken, duck

Roast Meats

Roast Meats

Chicken, duck, beef

Cook this: a wedge of aged abbey cheese (Chimay, Orval), vol-au-vent (chicken in puff pastry), or roast pork with grain mustard.

AVAILABILITY

Widely available

UntappdBeerAdvocateTotal Wine
PRICE GUIDE
$$$$

Classic

A dependable shelf staple.

II

Flavor & Aroma

IOn the nose
  • Sour Cherry
IIOn the palate
  • Sour Cherry
  • Almond
  • Oak
  • Fruity
IIIThe finish
  • Tart

Verhaeghe's "real cherry beer", built not on lambic but on a West Flemish red-brown ale aged in oak, then refermented with whole cherries from around Sint-Truiden in Limburg. The oak base gives it a vinous depth beneath the tart cherry fruit.

III

Story & Heritage

ABOUT THIS BEER

Verhaeghe's 'real cherry beer' predates the modern fruit-beer fashion. Unlike the lambic-based krieks of Brussels, it is built on a West Flemish red-brown ale aged in oak, then refermented with whole cherries from the orchards around Sint-Truiden, giving a vinous, oak-edged depth beneath the fruit.

On the Belgian Fruit Ale style, Stronger, often rich ales infused with fruits like cherries or raspberries, offering a balance of malt sweetness, fruit character, and warming alcohol.

Explore the Belgian Fruit Ale guide Source: RateBeer
BREWERY

Brouwerij Verhaeghe

COUNTRY

Belgium

REGION

West Flanders

STYLE

Belgian Fruit Ale

IV

Glassware & Ritual

The Lambic Glass
THE LAMBIC GLASS

For wild & sour ales

A slender, tapered glass that shows off the bright effervescence and tart, funky bouquet of spontaneously-fermented lambics, gueuze and fruit ales.

01

Serve well-chilled

Cool tempers the sharp acidity

02

Pour gently

Preserve the champagne-like bead

03

Keep a lacy collar

A thin head carries the funk

04

Sip slowly

Let the sourness unfold on the palate

V

Reviews

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THE MONK'S NOTE

Pour it into a lambic glass, served around 6-8°C, and let its aromatics open before the first sip. Enjoy it fresh and lively; there is little to gain from waiting.

Brother Anselm, cellarmaster

ADD TO YOUR JOURNEY

    Belgian Beer Wisdom

    Did you know?

    Many Belgian beers refermenent in the bottle, creating natural carbonation and complex flavors.

    Why it tastes different

    The Monk's Dispatch

    One letter a month from our cellar: a beer worth seeking, a brewery worth knowing, a small lesson in the art. What is this?