Craft Beer Spotlight: New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek

Craft Beer Joe

7 years ago

Transatlantique Kriek By New Belgium

Most of you probably aren’t sour fans and I get it; it took me a while to develop a taste for sour ales. But there are certain beers that have helped me along in my journey. Once such sour beer is New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek.

I’ve enjoyed it on a number of occasions and each time I am reminded that sour ales can have wide range of flavors and degree of sourness. Which makes me believe that just about anyone can find a sour ale that they can enjoy.

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Review Of New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek

What I find interesting about this sour ale is the story behind it. It’s a collaboration between New Belgium and a brewery in Belgium.

Oud Beersel in Belgium makes a traditional lambic and adds tart Polish cherries which makes it a Kriek. This is shipped to New Belgium where they blend in their own Sour Golden Ale here in the USA. Read all the details in the description below.

You can’t deny the intrigue of a collaboration spanning two continents.

I also need to note that I am basing this review off of the 2016 version of New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek. They release a new version each year and there might be slight variations from year to year.

It is also common for this beer to be aged so including the vintage on the bottle helps keep track of how long it’s been aged.

The 2016 New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek is 7% ABV and 8 IBUs. It is packaged in 22oz bombers at a price around $20.

Here is how New Belgium describes it:

Transatlantique Kriek begins its life in oaken vessels of Gert Christiaens’ Oud Beersel, a 130-year-old lambic brewery in the Zenne valley of Belgium – home of authentic Lambic beer. After time spent aging in wood, Oud Beersel’s lambic is blended with tart Polish cherries and shipped across the Atlantic to New Belgium. In concert with Oud Beersel’s cherry lambic, or Kriek, we blend an equal portion of golden sour ale matured for 1 – 3 years in our oak vessels called foeders. 50% Sour Golden Ale blended with 50% Traditional Cherry Lambic Ale leads to an intense cherry nose, a sour flash across the palate and a refreshing, mouthwatering finish. Now in its 14th yearly release, Transatlantique Kriek is an American Craft Beer legend waiting to be poured.

Initial Thoughts

Prior to drinking, it’s difficult to not be influenced by style and the stats of a beer. For example, being a Kriek, I anticipate tart cherries and a very sour flavor.

And at 8 IBUs, I know that bitterness will not be a factor at all. While the ABV is moderately high, this style normally carries it well meaning it won’t be boozy..

New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek pours a glossy red with a pink head. It looks more like a sparkling red wine than a beer.

The aroma is all tart cherries but not sweet. Some Krieks can have a candy-like aroma but not this one.

Tasting Notes

The first sip of this one always surprises me. I brace myself for a harsh sour flavor but I am quickly reminded that isn’t the case.

Instead, I get lots of tart cherries. It’s somewhere between a fresh cherry and a cherry candy flavor. Something like you’d taste in a sour candy.

This is followed by just a touch of a lactic sour flavor that the Sour Golden Ale provides. This back and forth keeps your palate interested as you work through the bomber.

What makes this a great craft beer is the blend of the Kriek and Sour Golden Ale. It provides balance. The sourness isn’t harsh or overwhelming but rather very approachable.

The body is light and well carbonated which gives it a nice bite. It finishes dry and clean – meaning your palate won’t get burnt out.

Final Thoughts

Krieks are one of my favorite sour ales. I’ve always enjoyed cherry flavored foods so it’s a natural fit for me.

Adding cherry to the Lambic makes it much more approachable because you expect cherries to be tart so the sourness makes sense. In addition, adding fruit to a beer always helps me find reasons to like a new style.

If you are looking to test out sour ales, this is a great place to start; especially if you enjoy cherries.

For those that have been drinking sour ales for a while, I believe this is one that you need to check out. It won’t have the huge sour levels that other often have but you’ll appreciate the balance.

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Conculsion

New Belgium is a great example of what modern craft beer can be. They give back to their community and produce a wide variety of craft beer – all the way from a Hazy IPA to traditional sour ales.

Transatlantique Kriek allows me to appreciate a traditional beer style while celebrating modern craft beer.

I’d love to see more breweries conduct collaborations like this one that embrace tradition by including the region that created the style.

This is the kind of sour ale that I will gladly return to over and over again since it provides the a real smooth sour level and the cherry flavor that I’ve always loved.