1001 Beers

Beer No: 6/1001
Page No: 865
Category: Specialty

Throughout the Belgian Beer Festival last Saturday, we had many different types of beers - ales, lambics, gueuzes, triples, blonds, strong ales, and more.  The ones the ladies seemed to go back for over and over again were the krieks.  The Cantillon Lou Pepe Kriek (2007 vintage) seemed to be the one that was ordered a couple times at the festival.  And it's easy to see why.  It pours a dark red with the most pleasing aroma of cherries and raspberries.  It's hard to remember sometimes that these are beers and not fruit punch.

I think with each subsequent Cantillon tasting, it is quickly becoming the one brewery in Belgium that I must visit if I ever make it out there.  It seems like time after time, they put out a superior product to all others.  The Lou Pepe being no different.  In the Lou Pepe family, Cantillon puts out three different styles - a Framboise (should have strong raspberry flavors), a Kriek (should exhibit strong cherry flavors), and a Gueuze (a mix of younter and older lambics - most likely incorporating the Framboise and Kriek).  At Ratebeer.com, all three are within the 99th or 100th percentile, meaning, the three Lou Pepe derivations are better than 99% of all other beers in the category.

In 1001 Beers, the authore mentions that "the idea behind Lou Pepe...was to preserve the most authentic taste of the best old lambic and that of the finest fruits available."  And, in the end, they did it perfectly.  I hope to be able to track down the Gueuze as it too sounds pretty amazing, but it's the Kriek that's in the 100th percentile at Ratebeer, and it's not hard to see why.  It's pure, sweet, sour, cherry, raspberry heaven in a bottle.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Cantillon Lou Pepe Pure Kriek from Cantillon

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 5/5
Flavor: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 16/20

Rating: 4.1 / 5.0

Had from bottle at Pizza Port Belgian Beer Festival - 2010 (2007 vintage).
Poured a cherry color with slight fizzing and a little bit of lacing. The head is mostly white with a bit of a red hue - it last all the way until the last drop. The cherries and raspberries dominate the nose and also the flavors. The nose is amazingly sweet while the beer itself is a bit on the sour side. The alcohol is completely hidden within the beer which finishes with the slightest bit of acidity. A must try.