Cantillon Blåbær Lambik

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Brussels, Belgium

Batch 1: 2005 and Batch 2/3: 2007 bottles tried side by side at BCTC ’09 courtesy of Miver. Thanks so, so, much for sharing these gems, Joe! Like the others have said, and the commercial description indicates, Batch 1 is much more sour with more distinct Cantillon character while Batch 2 is more balanced and fruity and woody but still very nice. Its all about what you like in a lambic. I like them both, and wonder what they would have tasted like blended together. So glad I go to try these at our epic late night blueberry lambic tasting in the volunteer tent!

Thanks to Jan & Charlotte for this treat! Lovely deep reddish-purple colour. Some haze. Thin purplish head. Bold fruity aroma shows a fair bit of wood and funk. Good balance. Bone dry, with a fair bit of yeastiness. The fruit is restrained, but present, in particular lending a juicy accent to the strongly woody finish. A bit too much yeastiness muddles the finish but overall a decent, subtle example. 2007 bottle.

05 and 07 Vintages samples courtesy of Miver. The colors vary so much from the two. 05 is lighter and not as hazy and the 07 is much red/blue color. I prefer the 07 so it has more fruit and not quite as acidic but still really nice and sour. Less vinegar and lemon than the 05. Both awesome to finally try.

small sample from rudolf at BCTC 2009 couurtesy of ???. Pours a redish pink pour. Earthy musty aroma. Taste was that earthy musty tart cantillon funk. Blueberry flavor seemed slight to be but nevertheless a outstanding beer

2007 Bottle, THANK YOU JAN & CHARLOTTE! Bright deep opaque magenta with fizzy head that does not last. Pure blueberry wafting from the bottle when the cork is popped but in the glass becomes less fruity and more about the Cantillon house character. Has a complex aroma of sour funk and blueberry jam spread on top of a nice slab of wood. Other organic smells also creep in, pineapple rind. Then tart, earthy, and phenolic aromas. The palate is fizzy and prickly. Wow, the beer is lip-puckeringly tart at first and was not noticing the blueberry either. As my palate attenuates it becomes very fruity as well as sour and the beer finishes dry and earthy. As it warms it becomes much more complex and much better as the flavors emerge. More and more drinkable too as the fruits and grains come out to add some sweetness. Lends itself to sipping and contemplation. Excellent.

Bottle. Batch 3. Pours a reddish color with a small slightly pinkish of-white head. Has a fruity tart blueberry aroma. Fruity tart berry and blueberry flavor with some hints of citrus. Has a fruity tart berry finish wit some hints of citrus and blueberry in the aftertaste.

2009 Bottle @ Ölbutikken. Ruby red with a pink head. berry aroma, blueberry sour stable horseblanket sweet citrus earthly herbs.

Thanks a bunch to FogDog and JDub for hooking me up with a taste. This beer rocks. Pours the color of a berry medley stuck in a blender. Kind of a purple, blue and red color. Nice. Aroma is strong sour funk and strong berries. Full of flavor and aroma with a tart berry flavor. Delicious.