We interrupt this regularly scheduled Brew Review to bring you a taste sensation direct from Belgium given to us by a fellow beer connoisseur. You may have already guessed by the frothing beer float (that's what I said) floating over there on the right of the screen that today we're drinking a couple of lambics. More specifically, we're looking at Lindeman's Kriek and Cassis.
Zoe, of the dessert-centered blog Zoe Bakes reportedly made a "Rated-R" float using Lindeman's Framboise and blueberry ice cream. It's not hard to see why. These beers have a fruit-infused soul that although not overly sweet, lends itself to dessert applications.
Yet will Lindeman's Cherry and Black Courant varieties lend themselves to the application of drinking?
Taste: The names on the bottle are not lying. Kriek tastes strongly of cherries right down to a sour bite at the end that blends beautifully with the natural sour flavor of the spontaneous fermentation process that makes lambics the unique variety of brew that they are. Cassis maintained the tart flavor of black courant while presenting an almost buttery sensation on the back end of each sip.
I got mine: from a fellow brew drinker who shall remain nameless to prevent him from supplying you instead of me.
Goes with: being solo. I can't think of any food I want to pair a few bottles of Lindeman's with. This is a beverage meant to be enjoyed by itself. However, if pressed I would mention only that I could appreciate the culinary potential of this lambic liquid. Perhaps Colin Redding could turn it into a soup.
Verdict: The one complaint from my lambic-sampling crew is that Lindeman's just doesn't taste like beer. And it's true. A stout this is not, but thankfully a fruit-infused taste sensation it is! If you're craving something hoppy and bitter, leave these lambics alone until you've got half a mind to try something new.
