What does ripe saurkraut taste like, anyway?

[kdmama33]

Because I can never let mine go long enough to be really ripe. We all love it when it's young. We love it so much that we can't ever seem to let it ripen for four weeks or longer. I think the longest we've ever gone was maybe two weeks. I keep thinking that I'll make two big batches at once, so that we can eat one while we wait for the other one to ripen, but I haven't gotten that far yet.

So, is saurkraut even better when it's been fermenting for awhile?

[saratc]

Well, it just tastes... very fermented.
I guess when compared to young sauerkraut, ripe sauerkraut is much more sour without being unpleasant, with the salt being much less prominent. There is a quality about it that makes the smell a large part of the taste. It also has a slight hint of alcohol without tasting like alcohol. It is very, very complex with layers of flavor (like most fermented foods) and very addicting.