St. Louis Kriek Lambic
St. Louis Kriek Lambic© BeerTourism.com
The Brewery
(Ingelmunstersestraat 46)
8870
Emelgem (Izegem)
+32 (0) 51 33 51 60
Beer Style
Fruit Lambiek (Fruit Lambic)
The Beer
The St. Louis Kriek Lambic is a traditionally produced kriekenlambiek. It is different from the St. Louis Premium Kriek in that, instead of krieken juice, a proportion of 15% of real krieken cherries is added to gueuze lambiek. The krieken will mature along with the beer for at least six months.
Another essential difference from the St. Louis Premium fruit beers is, that after maturation, the beer is mixed with old lambiek. Sugar and sweeteners are added.
Originally this beer had an alcohol percentage of 5% but this was reduced to 4.5% and subsequently down to 4%.
This is the only remaining Castle Brewery van Honsebrouck fruit beer which is still brewn in an alternative version since the introduction of the Premium range in 2001.
Like Gueuze, Kriek has received a warrant from the European Union and can now boast to be a guaranteed traditional specialty.
Alcohol
4.0 % ABV
Fermentation
Spontaneous fermentation. This Kriek Lambic is brewn on the basis of artisanally produced gueuze lambiek. This lambiek is brewn in the traditional way and will then mature in oak barrels.
Ingredients
The St. Louis Kriek Lambic is based on gueuze lambiek brewn with barley malt, unmalted wheat and hops. Sugar, krieken and old lambiek are then added.
Colour & Transparency
This is a beer with a deep red, almost burgundian, colour, less clear than the Premium Kriek. Thanks to the added cherries, the beer yields a recognisable and distinguished pink collar.
Serving Temperature
6 °C / 42,8 °F
Serving Glass
The Kriek Lambic from St. Louis has been allocated its own glass, in the same way as the Gueuze Fond Tradition. These glasses are different from those used for the beers in St. Louis Premium range.
Character, Tastes & Aromas
The beer gives an intense taste of krieken with subtle almond-like touches. This aroma comes from the cherry stones and determines the taste of this fruity delicacy.
Less sweet than the Premium kriek.
Culinary
The St. Louis Kriek Lambic presents a sourer character compared to the Premium Kriek. Needless to say, this gives a different dimension to taste pairing. Up to the beer lover to start experimenting.
This beer, like many other fruit beers, is suitable to enjoy with dessert or for culinary purposes. Also good as an ingredient for sauces with, for example, fried goose liver.
Keeping and Storage
Most Van Honsebrouck beers do not require further storage. St. Louis Kriek Lambic is no exception.
It is reputed that beers of this type will survive laying up over many years but we will let each individual beer lover judge for him or herself.
Availability
Bottle ✔ On Tap ✖
St. Louis Kriek Lambic is brewed in far smaller quantities than Premium Kriek. In Belgium you will find this beer in well-stocked off-licences and in specialist beer shops and cafés.
A fair amount of the production of Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck is destined for export. So, outside of Belgium, you should be able to get hold of a bottle without too many problems.
Other Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck Beers
Kasteel TripelKasteel Tripel is a West Flemish tripel through and through, enriched with Belgian hops. Brewery CEO Xavier Van Honsebrouck firmly states that this Tripel is as solid as a castle, and let’s be fair, there are few Tripels that achi ...
[ read more ]
Bacchus FrambozenbierBacchus Frambozenbier (Framboise) is similar to Bacchus Kriekenbier as the base for both fruit beers is Bacchus Oud Vlaams Bruin. Fresh raspberries are added to the beer which will continue to mature before leaving the brewery. T ...
[ read more ]
Trignac XIITrignac from Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck was introduced in the spring of 2013 and is far more than a tripel matured in oak barrels. It is, in fact, the first genuine tripel matured in recycled French cognac barrels. These spe ...
[ read more ]
St. Louis Kriek Fond TraditionSt Louis Kriek Fond Tradition is a pure, traditional, kriekenbier. This fruit beer made by Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck with krieken cherries (sour Morello-type cherries) is truly a beer for the connoisseur. Traditionally, the ...
[ read more ]
Kasteel BlondKasteel Blond is a real thirst quencher. A refreshing, characteristic blond Belgian beer with a 'relatively' low alcohol content, especially in comparison with the average alcohol content of some of the other beers in the “Kastee ...
[ read more ]
Comments
You must be logged in to leave a comment
SHARE:
You Might Like
The Duvel Moortgat Brewery caters to everyone’s tastes with 3 different brewery experiences. From complete novice to experienced beer lover, Duvel has the brewery visit package for you.
Everything you ever wanted to know about (Belgian) beer under one roof. You get to feel, smell and taste ingredients and discover the typical Belgian beer styles. Come celebrate Belgian beer culture in heart of historic Bruges! Shop and bar are accessible without visiting the museum.
The ultimate book on Belgian beer; a 704 page illustrated hardcover written by Erik Verdonck and Luc de Raedemaeker. Discover how brewing works, how to tap, pour, taste and store your beer; which beer styles and types there are, how to pair beer and food, must-try beers and what about the new craft beer trend? The Belgian Beer Book covers it all.
Brewery Van Honsebrouck - Bierkasteel
Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck, well known for it's "Kasteel" beer range, now offers their Bierkasteel beer experience; brewery visit, event location, restaurant, bar and shop. Open from 10th August 2016.
BLOG
POSTS
'Het Bierkasteel' - My home is my beer castle
IZEGEM - Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck is proud to present ‘Het Bierkasteel’ (the Beer Castle); a brand new multi-purpose space designed and built for events, relaxation, brewery visit and beer experiences. ... [ more ]
Belgian beer styles: Gueuze & Lambic
PAJOTTENLAND - Lambic (lambiek) is one of the oldest beer styles in Belgium. It is a spontaneously fermented beer, a so-called flat beer, coppery blonde to a... [ more ]
Masters of Brewing: Hans Mehuys from Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck
INGELMUNSTER - Hans Mehuys has been wielding the mashing stick at the Van Honsebrouck brewery for over a quarter of a century. Six years ago he was appointed as Brewmaster and Head of Production. ... [ more ]
Brewing for the future with Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck
IZEGEM/INGELMUNSTER - Summer 2015: the first test brews are flowing out of the tanks at Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck’s new brewery in Izegem. There have been no rash or rushed decisions from these brewers.... [ more ]
Xavier Van Honsebrouck, a rebel with a cause
INGELMUNSTER - The inhabitants of West Flanders are known as entrepreneurs. The region around Kortrijk is considered to be the ‘Texas of Belgium’. Exaggerated? Read the story of Castle Brewery Van Honsebrouck and you wil... [ more ]
More Beer
A Kasteel Donker is preferably poured into and experienced from the appropriate Kasteel glass with the golden rim.... [ more ]
Beer Tourism Newsletter Signup
Enter your name and email address on the right and click "SignUp" to join.