9.3/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
The literature first. This beer is NOT the same as the ubiquitous bottled Liefmans kriek - nor the more common draught version of the same. It is a much paler kriek, not blended with the darker young beer. Once the highlight of an Antwerp beerpub, the only place I find it today is in a pub/hotel in Brugge. the sweeter version is NO match at all. Beautiful deep-red colour with cyclamen shine. Slight, pink head. Nose of real sour cherries (the darker kriek is woodier). Taste are real sour cherries again, but with something in the finish of a maraschino-cherry, but with no sweetness at all. The mouthfeel is expressly tart, with an outspoken drying-out effect. Long lasting, dry fruity aftertaste. Yes, they still can do it if pressed hard enough. The oud bruin -notes are missing, but so is thankfully all that superfluous syrupy sweetness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Mar 2003
at 03:13
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Colour: very dark brown with reddish shine/very rich creamy head, yellowish-brown. Nose: very fruity, wooden-tart notes, sour fruit; also aroma as from oak casks having contained wine. Taste: immediately very winey, slight sourish taste - unmistakably lactic acid; woody, tannins; Maillard reaction (as of brown bread crust) and iron oxide (both signs of long cooking proces). Mouthfeel: light, thinnish, possibly accentuated by the acids; yet the aftertaste is chewy enough; again very oxidised tones as of Madeira or Port vintages. The mouthfeel notwithstanding, it is hard to believe, when tasting, that this beer has only 5% ABV!
Tried
from Cask
on 01 Mar 2003
at 05:49
6.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottled May 2002 Beautiful dark amber color; thick, generous head. Sweet, sour, vinous aroma; less fruity than other favourites (Duchesse de Bourgogne, Bourgogne des Flandres...). Strong body, without any original character, some sweetness, cork, wood, sour bitterness.
The other Flemish Sour Ales that I prefer have a different bitterness and most of all a well defined fruity character.
The other Flemish Sour Ales that I prefer have a different bitterness and most of all a well defined fruity character.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Feb 2003
at 14:58
7.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
750 ml. Nice bottle, no etiquette, just wrapped in paper. Litlle treble colour. Aroma: sour, fruity. Very sour flavour, better than al those sweet kriek-beers.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Jan 2003
at 04:25
6.6/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Intense fruit aroma. Little sour flavour...................................
Tried
on 24 Jan 2003
at 13:41
5.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Sweet malt beer. This beer also remembers me that Jan Van Gent is as a matter of fact a water-bird.
Tried
on 08 Jan 2003
at 16:07
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
opaque red with pink head.Smells like wine. Tart cherry taste. Sour puckery finish.
Tried
on 25 Nov 2002
at 11:10
6.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Sampled draught at Akkurat, Stockholm, Sweden.
Clear red. Balsamic nose withloads of cherries. Malty and sweet. A refreshing fruit ale.
Clear red. Balsamic nose withloads of cherries. Malty and sweet. A refreshing fruit ale.
Tried
on 15 Sep 2002
at 00:53
8.2/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Beautiful ruby color, good lacing. Smells like red wine. Tastes like red wine. Is this red wine maybe? Hmm, no the paper around the bottle says Liefmans Goudenband. Ok, well, i could have expected this i guess, with a style like Flanders Red Ale. Taken together this one is better than Rodenbach Grand Cru, which exceeded in cherrie taste. The Liefmans Goudenband has a classy wine-taste, nothing more i can make out of it. But hey, red wine is drinkable!
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Aug 2002
at 11:10
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Sampled on tap at the White Horse, Parson's Green, London...and I can't believe you missed this Per. Muddy brown with purple highlights; rich currant aroma and flavour, sweet malts and an acidic finish - bursts with flavour. Complex, refreshing, probably my favourite of the Liefmans beers now that the Goudenband is half of what it used to be.
Tried
from Draft
on 24 Aug 2002
at 17:21