What characteristic identifies sweet lambics?

The characteristic that identifies sweet lambics is related to interrupted pasteurization. In the production of sweet lambics, the beer undergoes a process where fermentation is halted by heating the beer, which allows for residual sugars to remain in the final product. This results in a sweeter flavor profile, distinguishing sweet lambics from their drier counterparts.

While high alcohol content can sometimes be found in lambics, it is not the defining characteristic of sweet lambics. Sweet lambics can have varying alcohol levels, which does not necessarily correlate with their sweetness.

The use of dark malts is not a typical feature of sweet lambics. Most lambics are made with pale malts, and any color variations typically come from the aging process or added fruits rather than dark malts.

Exclusively wild fermentation is a hallmark of all lambic styles, as they rely on spontaneous fermentation with wild yeast and bacteria. However, this feature applies to both sweet and dry lambics and does not specifically identify the sweet variant.

Thus, the interruption of pasteurization is key because it is directly responsible for the sweetness in these beers, giving them a unique profile in the broader category of lambics.