RateBeer
Score
9996
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium
Serve in Flute, Tumbler

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution

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RATINGS: 833   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.79   EST. CALORIES: 150   ABV: 5%
COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
The Cantillon brewery is closely linked to Brussels, a city which has the iris as its symbol. As the name indicates, the "marsh iris" is a plant growing in humid areas. The historical center of Brussels is built on swamps where this flower used to grow abundantly.
In 1998, the Brussels Museum of the Gueuze celebrated its 20th anniversary. The Cantillon brewery decided to make a new spontaneous fermentation beer for this occasion, named after this symbolic flower.
It is a completely original beer which, contrary to the other products of the Brewery, is not brewed with 35% of wheat. The Iris, which is only made with malt of the pale ale type (giving a more amber colour to the beer) conserves the typical flavour of the spontaneous fermentation, the complex aromas and the vinous taste.
The hopping is different too. Lambic is made with 100% dried hops, for the Iris we use 50% of dried hops and 50% of fresh hops. The latter cause a superb acidity, the former, due to their tannins, enable to conserve the beer while preserving all its qualities.
After two years in the barrel, the Iris undergoes a second fresh hopping two weeks before the bottling. A linen bag, filled with hops, is soaked in the beer for two weeks. This technique, called "cold hopping", gives the beer a more intense savour and makes the smell and the taste more bitter.


3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
flatmatt (737) - Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA - JAN 25, 2011
750 mL bottle, 2007 vintage, bottled in 2010. Pours hazy golden orange with a slightly off-white head. Citric sour aroma with bits of red apple, honey, funk. Flavor is more of lactic acid, with citric acid flavor backing it up, apple, citrus fruitiness. A little chalkiness, grassy flavor, and a small bitter bite as it finishes. Pretty tasty beer.

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
PhillyCraft (195) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - JAN 25, 2011
Bottle. 12.7 oz. (2007 Vintage) Pours a hazy, murky turbid orange with a thin, white, creamy head. Shiny, reflective surface. Aroma of barnyard funk, sharp cheese, lemon zest, lavender, blueberry, dry hops, wild yeasts, grass, and earth. Full bodied with a smooth, creamy, roundly robust, tart palate. Notes of sharp, savory cheese in the finish. Bit sour too. The age on this brew really balanced it nicely and gave the sour a solid, malty, floral backbone. Excellent lambic.

2.7
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 10/20
Wim (1880) - Weelde, BELGIUM - JAN 23, 2011
hazy orange coloured body with a little white head a spicy yeasty sour fruity aroma a sour fruity spicy herby bitter taste with a sour bitter finish

4.4
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
corby112 (1862) - philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - JAN 21, 2011
From notes: 2005 vintage. Pours a dark hazy amber/orange color with a one finger frothy white head that quickly settles into a thin ring. Minimal spots of lacing. Visible carbonation bubbling up. Funky aroma with a decent amount of barnyard/horseblanket character as well as hints of earthy oak, tannins, vinegar, light fruit and earthy hops. Medium bodied and puckering without being acidic at all. Sour/tart up front with a decent balance of musty/earthy oak along with subtle pale malt, earthy, bitter hops and crisp light fruit. Very complex and well balanced with a nice amount of citrus and other sweet, vinous fruits balancing out the sour funk. In addition, the hops used make this beer very unique for the style. The dry and cold hopping results in a earthier, slightly more bitter lambic than usual, but not to the detriment of the other characteristics. There’s still plenty of funk but this is slightly better balanced and easier to drink than some other Belgian sours. Recommended.

3.1
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
Yves (1553) - Turnhout, BELGIUM - JAN 18, 2011
Light amber orange coloured beer with small white head and only few carbonation. Sour herby aroma. Full sour palate bit sparkling. Finish is sour ending bitter sour. Pour one. (@WE - 14/01/11)

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
Vaiz (1847) - Den Haag, NETHERLANDS - JAN 14, 2011
Cloudy dark orange pour, quickly disappearing white head. Aroma of blue cheese, barnyard and more brett related aromas. Flavor is very sour, some earth and a hint of bitterness. Very lively carbonation. Bubbly texture. Quite overwhelming sourness but still a nice brew.

4.3
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
playitbybeer (118) - San Diego, California, USA - JAN 7, 2011
Pours an amber peach color with a nice head. Smells like barnyard, sour peaches, hops. The taste is more of the same, the sour is amazingly crisp and refreshing. I have had this beer at least 10x, how have I not rated this? Awesome.

3.6
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
flavio_b (210) - ROME, ITALY - JAN 7, 2011
On tap at Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà. Very few frothy. Hazy and amber body. Some metal feeling during tasting, not too much aggressive. The citrus is more noticeable in the finish and it is dry enough. Good!


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Rating Notecard:
Beer: Cantillon Iris Rating Avg: 3.79 No. of Ratings: 833
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