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If you haven’t visited Alpine Beer Company’s new website, there is an excerpt regarding the new Kriek:
“The bottled beers are very special. These beers have been aging for 15 months in oak barrels formerly used for red wine. We have about 75 cases of a Belgian Kriek called ” Chez Monieux.” It comes in a 750 ml Belgian-style capped bottle and weighs in at 5.8%. We used 2 varieties of cherries with a dominate amount being the tart Montmorency Cherry from Michigan. You don’t want to know how much the cherries cost. The Kriek bottles are not bottle conditioned, no sediment at the bottom, so long aging (more than 2 years) is not recommended, but who knows.”

There is also mention of kegs of this beer (and Briscoe) being saved for the opening of the new pub in the same building as the brewery right next door. Rumor has it this will be a barbecue joint…Now on to the beer review!

I picked up a bottle of Chez Monieux from Alpine on Tuesday, April 15th, the “day after taxes” release party. Split the bottle with three friends to ease the financial pain of purchasing a beer of this caliber. At $26.95 a bottle, this may be a tough one to swallow for those not used to paying for perfection!
This was one experience that I couldn’t pass up, as industry insiders have called this new release from Alpine Beer Company the best Kriek in the United States. Who am I to argue?

I was not disappointed. This beer pours a clear reddish color. An ample amount of carbonation illuminates this rosy hue. Not much head on this as it was poured into a stemless Riedel tulip.
The first taste was tart, sour, and not overly cherrified. The second felt smooth, with a light mouthfeel that doesn’t linger on the tongue. Notes of wine, wood, and spices; this was a tasting unlike any other that I have experienced before. For those of you that love Supplication, Red Poppy,and Kasteel’s Kriek, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this beer. If you haven’t tried this beer yet, SHAME ON YOU!

Official BoozeReviews Score:  90/100

 L’Chaim!

(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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