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Cantillon Iris

Cantillon Iris - Lambic - Unblended

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 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 
5923.76/5.03.75/5.05%93.8Flute, 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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 harmfuldrunk (288), New Jersey, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/514/20
Feb 25, 2008  
PURCHASED AT WHOLE FOODS MANHATTAN BEACH 750ml. the very floral and sweet nose and it’s soury and bitterness make this a delicate drinking brew. id say spend the money if you like lamics or if you are just a baller and need to try it all...


 RCL (1443), Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/516/20
Feb 21, 2008  
375 mL bottle of the 2005 vintage. Aroma has the funk, but it manages to keep a clean citrusy edge to it. Nice smooth flavor is not too sour nor bitter. Has a distinct grapefruit juice flavor to it. Palate is a bit thin, but it is pleasant to drink.


 jason (1620), Easton, Pennsylvania, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/517/20
Feb 18, 2008  
Bottle - 2004 vintage bottled in 2006. Poured a dark golden orange body with thin head. Aroma is horseblanket, pineapple, floral. Flavor is a slight acidic sour, light pineapple, mangoes and tropical fruit. A malty after taste. This went down to quick. I loved it.


 Skyview (4007), Papoose Jct., Minnesota, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/516/20
Feb 14, 2008  
Sampled a 2004 vintage via 750 ml bottle at Cellar’s Wine & Spirits’ Wednesday evening tasting, and shared by brewfiend. Pours a hazy reddish amber brew with a thick fizzy off-white head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring. Aroma of strong barnyard yeast funk, tart dark fruits, a touch of lemon, and tart peach. Taste is extreme spritzy, medium bodied, with flavors of tart dark fruit, a touch of peach, and some dry yeast. Finish is semi-dry, tart fruit with a light aftertaste of lemon and peach.


 Stine (1380), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Feb 14, 2008  
Poured from a 750 ml bottle, generously opened by the Cellars team. Cloudy body of a burnt red color. Sharp, tangy aroma is a bewilderment of funk and oddity; balsamic vinegar, raw lemon juice and the most fire like of red peppers force a searing sour heat. Field grass, solvent and used band aid, and some zested citrus underneath. Wild. Taste is more of the same, with lots of punchy acetic and lactic acid, raw spice and wood, and animal stink. Palate is jagged and bright, with sparkly effervescence and a burning acidity on the back end; a flame of lime juice and wooden dryness. Even for lambic, this is a shocking experience, as being left cold and naked in the violent wilderness. Intense, imposing and truly visceral; awesome. Makes you feel alive.


 pintsize (1042), Austin, Texas, USA
2.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/102/511/20
Feb 9, 2008    Updated: Feb 14, 2008
2-3-08 bottle shared at tasting
Yellow orange color with little head. Sour orange smell with some funkiness in there as well. Fruity smell and flavor. Smell is actually nice. It has a tart, almost watery flavor and a thin and watery palate. Nothing too fantastic here for a Lambic.


 jacobwennbom (274), Uppsala, Sweden
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/55/102/514/20
Feb 9, 2008  
Hazy and golden with almost no head. Very dry, and also with a significant bitterness to it. Grassy aromatic notes, almost like the dry leaves you can find in end of the summer. The smell is very "out doors". Lots and lots of acidity. I have a hard time making up my mind whether I like this or not.


 GaltScat (195), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/105/518/20
Feb 7, 2008  
2007 Bottle experienced at Cantillon itself. Floral hops punctuate the tart, highly woody, vinous and cider bouquet. The pour is almost headless, of a rusty golden tone. A fair bitterness adds a dimension to the already interesting beer, pushing the dryness even further. I imagine the sour, but not aggressively so, nature contributes to the overall balance with the aromatic hops. Medium bodied, tart, moderately high carbonation. The result is a pleasant experiment with powerful wood flavors and magical unexplainable moments. Another wonderful offering from Cantillon.



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