Cantillon 50ºN-4ºE

750 ml bottle ’07 opened June ’09.

Rich if light caramel with a small light head. Splendid Cantillon aroma: tart leather and light wood. Cognac is understated but definitely there. An early grape sweetness from the cognac, tart apricots in the middle, dry cedar close. This is not one of the more powerfully sour Cantillons, and the funk is somehow restrained as well, dialed in both by the house character and by the addition of the cognac which slightly sweetens, deepens, and mellows the whole concoction. The result is a very accessible beer and also a spendid one; the cognac is subtle and well-integrated, not a BA-showoff in the least. Beautiful.

750ml corked bottle (cork says bottled in 2007) served in a tumbler. Hazy golden/orange pour with a thin head of bubbly white foam that quickly settled into a thin, lasting film. Easily the best head I have seen on a lambic. The aroma had bright sour tangerine, citrus fruits, figs, wet oak, and a surprising amont of wheat. Bright, citrusy and tart. I didn’t really get any cognac notes, but this was pleasingly complex. The flavor was quite tart, but only with a modest, lingering sourness. Notes of wet wood, hay, lemon, toasted wheat, and a trace of orange/tangerine. A subtle amount of cognac seemed to dull the sourness a bit. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied (modestly sweet) but still quite easy to drink and fairly refreshing. Lightly carbonated. Very nice, but the flavor didn’t quite pique my interest like most gueuze.

Bottle sampled on 6/3/08: Pours a slightly hazy golden bronze with a thin ring of wispy-lacing white head. Semi-tart earthy dry leathery nose has some light fruity notes and oak complexity. Body starts fairly full and semi-viscous with a nice lightly sweet biscuity malty presence and good oaky tart balance. Fairly smooth and less tart than some other Cantillons, which is a good thing.

Bottle from Zinister at the Houston sour tasting. Thanks, man! Pours a cloudy mac ’n cheese orange with an aroma of plastic table mat like Mom used to have, cedar, and lemon. Flavor is woody cedar that finishes with essence of old woman smell. Tingly mouthfeel. Might set another course with this one.

Hazy golden/light amber with a thin white head. Strong toasted wood citrusy barnyard aromas with a whiff of brandy. Light carbonation. Tart lemon and earthy barnyard flavors with a prominent boozy, lighty sweet brandy barrel taste. The gueze and booze don’t mix well in this brew. Thanks to Brad for this bottle.

Had this wonderful brew during the Champion League final Barcelona-Man.United with some other beers and it lasted two days. I must admit that for the first time in my beerlife a beer was okay, or just another, the next day. Ok, the carbonation was almost disappeared, but much of its flavor still existed. Fantasic notes of citric, lemon, grape, sourness and great carbonation. Very wellbalanced and with a great, great finish of sharp dryness.

Pours a golden orange with a small head. Smells of green apple peel and vinegar Taste is crisp, lots of green apple, tart, not too sour at all, vinegarry, dry, not too heavy on brett, but has some nice brett notes on the end.

750ml bottle. Pours a lightly hazed medium golden color, small fizzing off white head, good carbonation throughout. Great nose of tart citrus fruits as well as light vinegar and some tart Chardonnay grapes. Picked up light oak in the flavor along with fresh citric acidity and a crisp funky Belgian finish. Another great one from Cantillon.