Parkway Raven's Roost

Raven's Roost is a fine Baltic Porter. 

Beer Advocate

Brewer's Notes
With a robust and roasty aroma, Raven’s Roost Baltic Porter has notes of chocolate, caramel and toffee. Searching for the perfect porter?

Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”

Tasting notes
February 24: I keep buying the beer and I keep liking it. Enough flavor to be interesting and easy to drink. I delightful dark beer that doesn't try to impress or overwhelm foods. I am upgrading the rating a titch.

Rating = 5 glasses. 

March 23: Rating = 4.5 glasses.

Three Ring Hi-Wire Keller Pils

Keller Pils is an unfiltered version of a German Pilsner.

Beer Advocate: The ONE rater likes it. 

Tasting Notes
Feb. 2024: Ed likes it: nicely balanced, easy drinking, and flavorful. The unfiltered haze adds a titch of bohemian to the brew. I could see keeping this in my refrig as a regular - $11.49 for a 4-pack of 16-oz. cans. 

Rating = 4.5 glasses. I may revise in either direction with a second can.

3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek Intens Rood

Intens Rood is a delicious "imperial" kriek.

Beeradvocate: "Made from 40% cherries."

Label notes: "Sour cherries were macerated on young peeted lambik and partly on two-year old straight lambik in a stainless steel tank. We blended with young and three-year old (!) lambik. 55% of the blend is old lambik and the final fruit intensity is 567 grams of sour cherries per liter. .... Ingredients: water, barley malt (60%), wheat malt (40%), sour cherries, old hops.

Tasting notes
February 2, 2024. I drank a bottle given to my by BG when she and SJ visited us for dinner. Wow! I really liked it. It is tart and the cherries give an additional punch of sour in the finish. Initial tartness stimulates the salivary glands. Some vinegar pops through, too. The cherry flavor is definitely noticeable but  does not overwhelm the taste. I liked it so much that I went to the beer store to buy another bottle. (I also picked up a bottle of Oude Kriek, Rodenbach Vintage 2018, and De Ranke Kriek).

I am giving it a rating of 7 glasses after one tasting.

Postscript. Having tasted Oude Kriek, I am downgrading the rating to 6.5.

Rating = 6.5 glasses.

3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek

Brewer's Notes: 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek is the result of macerating hand-picked whole sour cherries on young lambic for at least four months, in a proportion of one kilogram of fruit per litre of lambic. The kriek lambic is then blended again with more young lambic to obtain a minimum intensity of 35% fruit, and is bottled immediately afterwards. These bottles are then stored in our cellars for at least five months so that the kriek lambic can develop into a beautiful, traditional, and refined Oude Kriek. With a pleasant tartness and organic notes of almond and cinnamon as it warms in the glass, 3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek, will age perfectly but may lose some of the vibrant red colours and forest fruit aromas. This unfiltered and unpasteurised lambic is all-natural with no artificial juices, syrups, or sugars added. Traditional Lambic is living, cultural heritage rooted in the Zenne valley!

Tasting Notes

Feb. 2024: Simply fantastic. Tart, vineous, with a touch of cherry. I think that it is better than Intens Rood.

Rating = (still) 7 glasses

Aug. 2022: See Feb. 2022. I am hooked. Bottle dated 06/02/2020 which I think means 06 Feb. 2020. 

Rating = (still) 7 glasses

Feb. 2022: Wow. Tart + Sour Cherry + a titch of vinegar and je ne sais quoi. 

Rating = 7 glasses, upgraded from 6.

Oct. 2019: Oude Kriek is a great example of the style: lambic that sits atop sour cherries in oak barrels, is blended with more lambic, bottled, and referments in the bottle. Sort of gueze with a dash of tart cherry flavor. The color is dark pink. The flavor is complex: tart with hints of sugar, cherry, and other fruit flavors. Yummy. A rare find obtained by the good folks at Corks and Kegs.

Rating = 6 glasses, and may be knocking on the door for 7.

Rating = 7 glasses

de Garde The Kriek

A weak attempt at making a wild ale taste like an Oude Kriek.

Beeradvocate: "A Spontaneous Wild Ale Aged in Oak Barrels for Two Years with Montgomery & Morello Cherries."

Label notes: A sponteneous wild ale with tart cherries aged in Oak barrels for two years.

de Garde

Tasting notes
February 3, 2024: I picked up a bottle based on the reviews on BeerAdvocate and its price - $9+ for a 375 ml bottle. I was buying three other sour beers and felt expansive. The beer is not bad but was a disappointment. It lacked punch and excitement. It had plenty of carbination. It was a cloudy pink color. The flavor was a titch bland for a wild ale and a little sweet. OK, but not what I want. 

Rating = 2 glasses.