Cantillon Iris from Cantillon

	Percentile
	96
	overall

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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Ratings Average Score ABV Style Pctl Serve in
593 3.76/5.0 3.75/5.0 5% 93.8 Flute, Tumbler
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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.

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Ungstrup (14762), Frederiksberg, Denmark

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	4/5	8/10	3/5	16/20

Dec 25, 2008

Bottled. A dark golden beer with a slight haze under a huge bubbly off-white head. The aroma is tart with notes of wood, horseblanket, and flowers. The flavor is tart with notes of wood, brettanomyces, horseblanket, flowers, and a bit of caramel, leading to a tart finish. Nice.

bobinlondon (786), Harrow, Greater London, England

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	7/10	3/5	9/10	5/5	18/20

Dec 23, 2008

Bottle at St. Albans beer festival. Hazy amber with short lived white head. Musty but appertising aroma. Typical Canyillon taste explosion of woody sourness. Some hops detectable in a tart finish. You cant go wrong with this brewery..

tarjei (1741), Bryne, Norway

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Dec 18, 2008

37,5 cl bottle, bougth at Bierkoning in Amsterdam. Vintage 2005. Shared with Roger and Kjetil B. Amber color, white head. Aroma is lovely fruit an sourness, wood. Flavor is sour with a touch of wood, dried fruit. I like it a lot.

hombrepalo (748), Chicago, Illinois, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	15/20

Dec 17, 2008

On tap @ Maproom. My first unblended lambic. Pours a medium amber and orange color. Wild yeast, strong malt, and subtle hops-aroma. Sourness and cidery apple blend in the taste and there is a sharp, dry finish. Takes a bit of getting use to the sourness, but after a while this is a nice dry, traty and pleasent brew. I liked it.

unclemattie (2370), Georgia, USA

4.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.5	8/10	4/5	10/10	5/5	18/20

Dec 12, 2008

750ml corked bottle. Cork stated that it was bottled in 2004. Gargantuan aroma of must and acidic tartness. Just the slightest touch of grandmas attic. GOD herself cradled this bottle. Heavenly aura of everything a Belgian Lambic should possess. Color of an autumn orange. White fizzy head. Tart, heavy acidity. Still smooth character. nice malt complexities. Some mustiness along with the strong lemony citric acid tartness. So very lovely. Happy Birthday, Mom. Her name is also Iris.

Travlr (700), Washington, Washington DC, USA

4.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.4	8/10	5/5	9/10	5/5	17/20

Dec 10, 2008

Deep cloudy orange with medium head. Aroma of cobwebs and spiders. Acidic sour taste with citrus overtones. Lovely.

PilsnerPeter (2598), Flushing, New York, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	7/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	15/20

Dec 8, 2008

Bottle 2004 at d.b.a. Pours a murky deep orange with a fading head. The aroma is dusty with notes of cork, lemon, leather, soft scidity and a flowery note. Fluffy on the palate. The flavor has a tartness upfront, with old "old" quality to it. Dusty tasting with malt undertones of almond husk and a mild acidity. There are some oak flavors that mesh well with a flowery/honeysuckle-like hint. The finish is fairly clean with a touch of residual old wood. Fairly complex example.

smith4498 (829), Miami, Florida, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	8/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Dec 5, 2008

Vintage 2004. Pours dark golden orange color with minimal head. Tart, funky barnyard aroma. Flavor is tart and musty with a touch of sourness and earthiness. Medium body with soft carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel with a dry finish. Very nice.

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