The Kriek (Batch 6)

de Garde brewing — Tillamook, OR

28 Dec 2019 · Stephen

Wild Ale de Garde brewing

6.5% ABV

Ruby red Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character ✓

Experience ✓

Return ✓

4 / 4 I'd order another

Tasting Notes

Appearance Ruby red to hazy mauve, pinkish when backlit, with a flash of pink foam that dissipates quickly to a thin ring. Translucent, beautiful, and unmistakably fruit-forward in the glass. This looks like something aged in a cellar, which is exactly what it is.

Aroma Tart cherry leads immediately — concentrated, real, and vivid. Montmorency's brightness upfront, Morello's darker vinous quality underneath. Behind the cherry, the two years of oak contribute attic wood, a touch of leather, and a light vanilla note that de Garde's oak barrels consistently produce. The spontaneous fermentation brings its characteristic barnyard and cellar-like funk — Brett character present but restrained, in service of the fruit rather than competing with it. One BeerAdvocate reviewer nails it: tart cherries, vinous musk, cellar-like conditions, attic woods, saddle leather. That's The Kriek.

Palate Dry, bright, and complex. The tart cherry carries through the middle in full concentration — not sweet, not syrupy, but the real fruit character of cherries that have spent months in contact with a spontaneously fermented base. Lemon, brown sugar, funky red wine, smooth oak, and tart cherry all identifiable in layers through the sip. The acidity is assertive but restrained — bright without being puckering, which is de Garde's consistent achievement across this series and what separates them from sharper, more aggressive American sours.

Finish Dry, tannic, and long. The oak tannins from two years of barrel aging give the finish a grip and structure that's distinctly wine-like — cherry skin, light caramel, toasted almond, and a lingering tartness that resolves slowly and completely. The funk fades last, leaving a clean, complex, thoroughly satisfying close.

The Verdict

One of the most respected spontaneous fermentation programs in America, doing what it does best. Two cherry varieties, two years in oak, a 97-point blind tasting score. The Kriek Batch 6 is a landmark American wild ale from a brewery that quietly competes with the best lambic producers in the world.

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 28 Dec 2019