Cantillon Cuvée des Champions

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Brussels, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

Lasiin kaatuu oranssinen ja hyvin samea olut valkoisella vaahdolla. Tuoksussa on happamuutta huokuvaa greippimäistä hedelmäisyyttä. Maku on hapan ja hedelmäinen, hieman makea. Hapan ja kevyt olut, jonka hiilihappoisuus on melko korkea.

750mL 2009 ed thanks to ryan. Pours a hazy deep peach, glowing, with a smaller white head. Not as rocky or billowing as the Saint Gilloise. Nose is much more subtle than Saint Gilloise with fruity tangerine, mango, pineapple. Getting some of those epic Cantillon tropical geuze notes that I love from 1998 Cantillon Geuze and Cantillon Loerik. Taste is wicked grapefruit in bitterness and acidity, mango, tangerine, lots of Russian River Beatification character. White pepper, long moldy grapefruit finish. Really good. Super sharp and bitter fruit leather palate. Excellent. Pretty much a combo of near superlative Cantillon nose plus Cantillon Iris/Russian River Beatification bitter grapefruit. Just as good as the Saint Gilloise just a better nose and less aggressive hoppiness. Fantastic.

Big thanks to FooFaa aka Dan for opening this one up at Ffej of July IX. No idea of the year. A - Pours murky amber yellow with a small one finger tall white head leaving light lace down the glass. S - Smells of wet grassy hops, lemon and other bold citric fruits, dry oak, and the typical wet basement funk. Complex yet simple. T - This one isn’t as sour as some of the other Cantillon beers I have had. Starts off with a nice bright citric kick, mostly lemon, slowly giving way to a mix of musty basement funk, moderate sourness, and some dry wood tannins. The finish is a mix of dryness and lingering tartness. M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Tart, musty, feel with plenty of it lingering through the finish. O - Overall I really liked this one. It wasn’t an over the top sour like some of the other Cantillon offerings I have had and it really hit the spot on this hot afternoon.

75cl bottle. Hazy gold with a big white head. Big lemony, brightly acidic and dusty, musty Brett aroma. Very sour and dry like fizzy water with half a lemon in it. Lots of bright citrus and a little grassy earth in the finish. Dry, light bodied, and highly carbonated. maybe a little more lemony than classic gueuze, but pretty similar. Don’t get much from the dry hops, but this bottle has to have some age on it my now. Very nice, very refreshingly sour lambic. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Thanks to blazer06 for sharing this one. Cheers, Zack! Pours a hazy yellow with a small white head. Nose is floral hops along with some malt, and a nice hit of vinegary tartness. Flavor follows those lines. Light to medium in body and a nice gueuze overall.

Bottle. Golden, hazy, small and fully diminishing head. Moderate, dryish and sour aroma, citrus fruitiness and some bitter hoppyness. Moderate, dryish and sourish flavor, citrus - grapefruit fruitiness. Finish is average, dry and sour, citrus - grapefruit fruitiness, light hoppyness. Too much citrus for me - light hoppyness is interesting though.

Bottle thanks to Owen. Pours golden straw with slightly off white head. Aroma of fresh grassy hops offset byu some green apple / lemony sourness. Really nice. Flavpours are perhaps a little more gueuze like with good sourness and only a touch of hop bitterness on the finish. Lively carbonation. Good stuff.

Sampled from 750ml bottle. Poured a hazy orange color. Notes of sour fruits, apple, berries. A bit sour, but not too sour. I hate to sound completely uncultured, but beyond it being a decently crafted brew without any offensive notes, I didn’t find anything that outstanding about this particular brew.