Sprecher's Silver Anniversary Brew: Kriek Lambic

I don't recall seeing Sprecher's 25th Anniversary Kriek on Madison's store shelves in 2010, the actual anniversary year, so I was surprised to see some at Woodman's last weekend. It also surprises me that the brewery would celebrate the quarter century mark by brewing a kriek instead of a German style brew considering the brewery's name and the fact that it has earned its reputation with its lagers. I suppose Belgian ales are all the rage now and there's nothing wrong with Sprecher brewing one up.

When I poured, I got a small, fleeting head. But it's highly carbonated and tiny bubbles clung to the side of the glass. It's a nice deep ruby color but looks even darker when sitting in your favorite flagon. Cherry growers in Door County must be happy these days because every Wisconsin brewer that uses the fruit seems eager to say they're from Door County on the label. And so it is here. Thusly it's not surprising to find out that you can really smell those cherries in this beer. Plus you get a whiff of what I presume are the Brettanomyces. Overall there's a woody bent to the aroma.

Since this stuff is well-carbonated, you get that bright effervescent feeling on your tongue along with the cherry goodness and a hint of malt. I suspect that, without all those bubbles, this stuff would be on the syrupy side. It isn't long before the sour kicks in. While I liked the sour flavor here, it overpowered the cherry. The fruit and malt flavors dissipated quickly and I was left with this flat sour flavor which stayed in my mouth. This stands in contrast to New Glarus' Belgian Red. In that brew, the flavors are like an old married couple - they fight but they will always be together. The fruit and sour do this pas de deux on your tongue instead of one following the other.

I am willing to concede that I was just drinking old beer. Did anyone taste it last year? But, as it stands, I feel that the Wisconsin Fresh Hop Special Amber would have been a better choice to celebrate the brewery's silver anniversary. It pays homage to the Sprecher tradition while adding a new twist and is, quite frankly, a much better beer.

Junk food pairing: Pair this stuff with Garlic Plantain Chips. I got a bag at Woodman's and they should be available at any of the numerous Mexican grocery stores here in Madison.