Supermarket kriek

Nearly a fortnight of blue skies has given the impression that spring might be here at last, sub-zero temperatures notwithstanding. The change of the seasons requires some silly al fresco beer to mark it. I opted for the Liefmans knock-off they sell in Sainsbury's which I assume* is an own-brand since I've never seen it anywhere else.

Bacchus Kriek is a promising dark red colour. I was afraid it might come out the lurid red of syrupy fake kriek, but it looks good and the aroma offers delicate, and real, cherry notes. The taste is rather less delicate, seeming stronger than 5.8% ABV would suggest and full of sweet cherries with virtually no underlying sourness, unfortunately. For all its big-bodied weight, it manages to avoid being syrupy or artificial, but there's no getting away from all that boozy fruit. On a good day you might say it tastes of cherry liqueur; on a bad one, cough mixture.

It's not a classic by any manner of means, but I quite enjoyed it. If I had regular access to it I'd probably buy it again, though the nearly-£3 price tag is a tad hefty for Sainsbury's, given the great stuff they usually have for under £2. It's not that much of a novelty to justify being priced as one.

*[Wrongly -- see comments -- thanks Michael!]