RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Cantillon Iris

Cantillon Iris - Lambic - Unblended

* picture credits
copyright may apply

 Percentile 
96
overall
Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended

Brussels, Belgium

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
5913.76/5.03.75/5.05%93.8Flute, Tumbler
View Statistics  P 

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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Blom (390), Odense, Denmark
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/512/20
Apr 18, 2008  
[Vintage 2004]. Pours orange into the glass with a small low head. Sour and flowery aroma, dominated by perfumed hops and a bit of sweat. Nice balanced flavours, wood, grape, pine and lemon being present with a sour-acid ending.


 csbosox (1076), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/517/20
Apr 14, 2008    Updated: Jul 11, 2008
July ’07 tasting. Orange gold color with a light head. Aroma of horseblanket, hay, and light citrus. Initial taste is honey, citrus, leather, and earthiness followed by a tart acidity and hops bitterness along with earthiness and citrus.

I shared a 4 year old bottle of this with JB from Boulevard last night and I was reminded how wonderful it is. The beer is dripping with wonderful brett flavors and the extreme sourness I was bracing myself for, since this is Cantillon, was not there. It was sour, but pleasantly so. Thanks JB!


 pepsican (883), The Student Ghetto, Iowa, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/103/512/20
Apr 14, 2008  
Amber pour with a big white head. Aroma is lemon citrus and funk. Flavor is strong leather, woody tobacco, lemons, earth, funk. Very sour finish. Interesting.


 garthicus (1215), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/518/20
Apr 9, 2008  
Thanks to Harry and it is my final style! Shared with Harry too: Vintage 2004:- Dirty orange caramel colour, zero head. Aroma: Sour, tart, malt, pepper- wow,so much going on, really amazing! Flavour: Wood, citrus, honey - huge hints of lemon rind, each mouthfull just a totally different experience, so organic,, really amazing, thanks so much Harry!


 stefanje (937), (Santee) San Diego, California, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/517/20
Apr 6, 2008  
375 ml bottle from south bay drugs. Vintage 2004. This one pours a cloudy orange-gold color with a small white head that rapidly vanishes. The aroma is strong and complex with citrus, grapes, thyme and some funk. The flavor is wonderfully tart and sour with lemony citrus, grapes, sweet malts and a light spiciness. The mouthfeel is silky smooth with lively, prickly carbonation. The finish is long with lingering sweetened lemon drops. Overall: This is a great beer for lovers of sour beer--very drinkable.


 kp (8400), Woodstock, Georgia, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/513/20
Apr 5, 2008  
Date: 04/03/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta

Appearance: cloudy orange, wispy white head,
Aroma: big funky malt aroma with lots of cobwebs,
Flavor: big tart flavor, touch of sweet malt balanced by lots of funky earthy character, light sweetness adds the balance, long tart finish,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **+/4


Piggy (27), Chicago, Illinois, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
4/103/55/103/515/20
Apr 4, 2008  
medium frothy off white head, nice golden pour with min carbonation, smells very fruity, kind of hops with a barn yard smell with a hint of lemon, very dry in taste something that sticks in your mouth not making it want more but making the taste longer.


 Acknud (770), Morganfield, Kentucky, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/513/20
Mar 30, 2008  
Vintage 2005. I am still trying to get used to sour beers. Poured an orange haze with a big foamy head. Aroma is sour with a breath whiff of barnyard funk. This is sour. Every drink makes you pucker. The citrus edge comes through nicely.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More Lambic - Unblendeds

Cantillon Bourgogne Lambic (3.93)

Lost Abbey Phunky Duck (3.87)

De Cam Oude Lambiek (3.75)

Cantillon Iris (3.75)

Girardin Jonge Lambik (3.7)

Girardin Oude Lambik (3.7)

Cantillon Jonge Lambik (3.68)

3 Fonteinen Oude Lambik (3.68)

Cantillon Oude Lambik (3.66)

Flossmoor Station Anno Unum (3.64)

Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru (3.61)

Iron Hill Lambic (3.52)

Mort Subite Oude Lambik (3.49)

Oud Beersel Oude Lambik (3.44)

Hanssens Oude Lambik (3.43)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC