Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.
We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
Quidi Vidi - 1892 Traditional Ale
Unfortunately, I have to add my two cents regarding another Quidi Vidi brew. Last fall I had their Kriek and it was very disappointing. It was a cross of a pale ale (east coast style!) and cherry Kool-Aid. A real chemical taste.
I'm heading out to NFLD next week for some RnR and so hopefully I'll get a peak at the brewery. I'll scope out the George street scene as well and maybe file a report.
I'm heading out to NFLD next week for some RnR and so hopefully I'll get a peak at the brewery. I'll scope out the George street scene as well and maybe file a report.
-
Mississauga Matt
- Posts: 270
- Joined: Thu Mar 21, 2002 7:00 pm
You are being much too kind when you describe Quidi Vidi Kriek as "disappointing." I would tend to describe it as "terrible" or "disgusting."
I have a bone to pick with Quidi Vidi for calling this beer a "kriek."
My understanding is that the kriek is a flat-topped sour cherry grown in Belgium and used in the making of true kriek lambics.
I don't want to advocate an appelation controlée system, like the one the Champagne region of France diligently tries to enforce, where only lambic-based beers from Flanders made in the traditional way with the kriek cherry can be labelled as kriek.
But dammit, if you're going to call your beer a kriek, it should at least be formulated in the spirit of the real thing. Use another sour cherry if you must. Go with a standard ale base if you have to, but give me a sour cherry, preferably dry taste.
I believe that Quidi Vidi uses - get this! - maraschino cherries (either whole or the juice) in the maturation tanks.
I can think of no good use for this vile cherry, not in food, and certainly not in beer. I never liked it as a kid and I especially don't like it now in my beer.
I would have no problem if Quidi Vidi called the beer a cherry beer. But to call it a kriek is ignorant at best, fraudulent at worst.
I have a bone to pick with Quidi Vidi for calling this beer a "kriek."
My understanding is that the kriek is a flat-topped sour cherry grown in Belgium and used in the making of true kriek lambics.
I don't want to advocate an appelation controlée system, like the one the Champagne region of France diligently tries to enforce, where only lambic-based beers from Flanders made in the traditional way with the kriek cherry can be labelled as kriek.
But dammit, if you're going to call your beer a kriek, it should at least be formulated in the spirit of the real thing. Use another sour cherry if you must. Go with a standard ale base if you have to, but give me a sour cherry, preferably dry taste.
I believe that Quidi Vidi uses - get this! - maraschino cherries (either whole or the juice) in the maturation tanks.
I can think of no good use for this vile cherry, not in food, and certainly not in beer. I never liked it as a kid and I especially don't like it now in my beer.
I would have no problem if Quidi Vidi called the beer a cherry beer. But to call it a kriek is ignorant at best, fraudulent at worst.
Okay, yes, I agree it was a shit and I wouldn't feed it to my dog. I seem to remember the label saying "artificial flavour" or something other than plain old cherries. I doubt the maraschino cherry theory has any weight...funny though.
Anyway, as I said I will be in St. John's next week and I will try and get a tour. I'll let you know. The websites below (sorry no hyperlink):
http://www.newfoundlandbeer.com/
Anyway, as I said I will be in St. John's next week and I will try and get a tour. I'll let you know. The websites below (sorry no hyperlink):
http://www.newfoundlandbeer.com/
Last night happened to be an impromptu and unexpected Quidi Vidi tasting for me.
A friend's parents brought back from Newfoundland bottles of the Kriek, Eric's Red Cream Ale & Northern Light.
I don't need to say anything about the Kriek - it's been here before, and it boggles my mind that LCBO turns down world-class beers but let this one in.
Regardless, Eric's Red, a silver medallist at the World Beer Championships (for what it's worth), was a drinkable brew. See http://www.tastings.com/scout_beer.lasso?id=90581 . The Northern Light was also an ok beer, but nothing spectacular. All in all, I'm not rushing to the rock for beer just yet.
A friend's parents brought back from Newfoundland bottles of the Kriek, Eric's Red Cream Ale & Northern Light.
I don't need to say anything about the Kriek - it's been here before, and it boggles my mind that LCBO turns down world-class beers but let this one in.
Regardless, Eric's Red, a silver medallist at the World Beer Championships (for what it's worth), was a drinkable brew. See http://www.tastings.com/scout_beer.lasso?id=90581 . The Northern Light was also an ok beer, but nothing spectacular. All in all, I'm not rushing to the rock for beer just yet.