Cantillon Framboise

1979 vintage found at one of the bars in Belgium, didn’t write down which. Pours a reddish color hints of an almost pink... with a whisp of head, not much left of it anymore. Bitter fruits dominate the aroma still leathers and wood are biggest a bit of wet blanket and a bit of tart apple skin maybe. Full well coated and quite tart palate. Very mellowed and well blended flavor, I’m guessing this came from age.. kept the tart from being to over the top while it was still a kick, I still think bitter green apple skin a definate wood and dry finish on the tongue, notes of leathers and some acidic pieces that make me think this is about to become to old... this stuff was very good though.

On tap @ Hamilton’s Tavern San Diego. Pours a lite pinkish purple color, with a fizzy soda like head. This has a lot of sweet and sour flavors going on, but mostly overly tart and sour, with a little bit of fruit lying just under the surface. Some flower scents in the aroma, with fruity woody notes in the aftertaste.

On tap at Hamiltons. Ruby red color with almost no head. Big raspberry and slightly sour apple aroma. Tart raspberry taste with a crispness to the finish.

Bottle @ Heeren van Liedekercke, Denderleeuw, Belgium. [Vintage 1988]. Clear medium orange color with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, fully diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to light heavy, wood, sour, vinegar, tart, raspberry, vintage, lovely aroma. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet, light to moderate bitter, sour with a long duration, and a dry finish. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. ;o)) (290208)

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 3     Pale Yellow(1)->Copper(5) : 4     Still(1)->Volcanic Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 2     Lasting: 1     Lacing : 2
Aroma:
Intensity : 4  
Yeast : 5   Bread : XX   Dough : XX   Esters : 2   Phenols : XX   Dusty : 4   Spicy : XX   Apple : 2   Banana : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Brett : 3   Barnyard : 3   Leather : 4   Wood : 4   Vinous : 5   Cheese : XX   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX
Malt : 2   Pilsner : XX   Pale : XX   Vienna : XX   Biscuity : XX   Toasty : XX   Hay : XX   Caramel : XX   Honey : XX   Cereals : 1   Grainy : XX   Wheat : 3
Hops : 1   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : 2   Perfume : XX   Orange : XX   Floral : XX   Lemon/Lime : XX   Herbal : XX   Grassy : XX   Piney : XX
Notes : Pepper : XX   Cloves : XX   Coriander : XX   Ginger : XX   Orange : 2   Earth : XX   Vanilla : XX   Oxidation : 2   Bubblegum : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 2   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 1   Sourness : 3   Acetic : 2   Lactic : 3   Bitterness : XX   Farmy : 3   Complex : 3   Length : 4
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 4   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 3   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : XX

Comments: A 1986 vintage: fully yeasty, musty, cellary lambic with softened fruits, leather and barnyardy tones. Still sharply citric, grapefruity more than anything else and has grown quite oaky which has overtaken the fruit a bit. No juiciness left and assumingly not as lip-smackingly sour as it once was. Still quite fresh though, but more in a vinous way and remarkably full bodied at that. A tender beast.