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.


4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
cpetrone84 (629) - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA - JUN 28, 2010
2007 Bottle A-pours a beautiful deep hazy golden amber color with a dense thinner off white head. S-very nice nose, fresh damp wood, lots of peaches and tangeriness with hints of sourness to it, faint touch of musky cellar funk in the back. T-soft subtle peach, notes of oaky wood, a little leather, funk subtle but does seem to be there, a good acidity in the back. M-a little grainy, strong carbonation, light body, dry in the back. D-pretty solid brew, nice oak aging with a good level of acidity to it, nice balance and not too sweet at all but still a good flavor and some earthy characteristics. Very good!

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
nickd717 (3242) - San Francisco, California, USA - JUN 27, 2010
750ml bottle thanks to alfrantzell on BA. Pours a brilliant clear copper color with a small white head that fades to a thick ring. Excellent aroma - funky and malty with some sweet malt presence as well as some oakiness. Excellent flavor, nice and malty (no wheat in this one) with oak, barnyard, funky cheese, and even a little salt. Significantly sour, this one is. Sharp and biting on the palate with medium body and average carbonation. A really excellent beer, even compared to other Cantillons. Very drinkable.

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
callmemickey (710) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - JUN 17, 2010
2004 Vintage at Capones’ 2009 Black Friday Event A: Medium golden-orange-amber body. Not much of a head, but a nice tight ring maintains its form throughout. No lacing left behind. S: Grape skins, lemon, light vinegar notes. Good sour/tart hints. T: Similar to the nose with light, subtle notes of grape skins, apricot, and lemon. Green apple notes start to come out as the beer warmed. M: Smooth and medium bodied. Light, but sufficient carbonation. Nice sour twinge in the back end. Lightly puckering. D: This tasty brew was a nice demonstration of some age mellowing the power of the sour/tart notes. Refined and somewhat delicate. Nice offering from Cantillon

3.8
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
arminjewell (2445) - Parker, Colorado, USA - JUN 13, 2010
2007 vintage, 2010 bottle. Pours hazy orange with thin eggshell white head. Aroma is musty cork, some apple, pear, and other fruits, and some barnyard. Taste is really nice and balanced, not a sour bomb by any means. Some nice sour apple, pear, tiny bit of cheese leads into the lacto sour with some wood, must, and a nice dry finish. While not as awesome as other Cantillons, it is still a very nice brew.

2.6
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 4/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 10/20
jaghana (1804) - Strasbourg (France), FRANCE - JUN 11, 2010
Bottle 75cl. A fuzzy orange ale with medium head ans no lacing. Smell is typically acid and moister like. As other lambic from Cantillon this product is very sour, very dry, very bitter, without intensive fruit flavor and with moisture aroma. So for me they products are very less interesting.

3.7
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
Leighton (3598) - London, Greater London, ENGLAND - JUN 11, 2010
Bottle at Jimmy’s No. 43 during a Lovullo Tasting Session. Pours amber-gold with a soft, lingering white head. Plenty of bread and yeast in the aroma, along with light fruitiness. More fruit in the tart flavor, specifically lemon and strawberry. Some mild hop bite in the tail. Very dank. Lightly warming with soft carbonation. I found it akin to drinking flowers, which may or may not be your cup of tea. Pretty good, to give a highly subjective summation

3.8
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
DuffMan (4242) - the land of bitumen, beef & beer, Alberta, CANADA - JUN 3, 2010
Bottle, shared with Dave and Parksy. Pours a hazy burnt orange with a short-lived fizzy white head, leaving no lace. Very intriguing aroma: sour fruit and raw wood, some funky musty cork. Palate is on the lighter side, but the flavours are intense and interesting: sour apples, dry unripened pear, musty basement, oaky wood, leather, and subtle floral perfume. Finish is bitter and tart, like the soft pit inside the stone of a peach. I really enjoyed this.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
VikingHammer (447) - Lynnfield, Massachusetts, USA - MAY 30, 2010
Pours dark Orange with a medium size white head. Aroma of citrus hops and vinegar. Funky goodness. Lively carbonation. Nice beer


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