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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?  
 cheapdark (2011), Monacatootha, Pennsylvania, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/519/20
Jan 16, 2008    Updated: Jul 11, 2008
Just got this from hopscotch, THANKS! Big Green champagne 2005 corked bottle with a cork that was difficult to remove. My first blended lambic. Lambic beers symbolize the epitome of the beer world, the original style beer is still the best style. As far as looks go, this is some what like cloudy pink brown yellow reminiscent of raspberry gingerale. The smell is a tart aroma, which I think I can smell it even before the slowly moving cork is totally removed. Raw unrefined odors abound. With the first taste I notice perfect amounts of tingle on the palate. Taste is beautiful tartness that is tempered by a goodly amount of what I dare to say is grapefruit rinds. However, it is not the medicinal dull bitterness of typical hops, it is more rough and simple, or possibly the word I’m looking for is basic. Overall, I’m surprised lambics can be so hoppy, I rather didn’t expect such bitterness in a sour beer. Left me with the impression of coarse fresh grapefruit juice from grapefruits that were not really ripe. The hoppiness distracted me a bit from the real sour tart attributes I desire and this kept me from rating it really high. Even tho this was a big bottle, I got to the bottom of it with very little effort, it was gone and I was sad. Has an almost undesirable bitter linger.


 hopscotch (5440), Vero Beach, Florida, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/59/103/516/20
Jan 15, 2008  
Bottle (2004)… This beer rocks!... Hazy golden ale with a mid-sized, creamy, white head. Good retention. The funky aroma is full of acetic and earthy notes… horse blanket, wet leather, sharp cheese and white wine vinegar. Medium-bodied and abrasive with soft carbonation. The flavor is of underripe fuzzy fruits. Medium sourness, moderate bitterness and little to no residual sweetness. Lengthy, medium sour, mildly bitter, drying finish. Another world class lambic from Cantillon!


unrulythings (73), Portland, Oregon, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/103/57/103/512/20
Jan 14, 2008  
a clear golden body with a foamy white head. aroma is very vinegary, with some citrus and floral notes. flavor is super tart and astringent, with hints of lemon peel and damp grass.


 DSG (1501), Tel Aviv, Israel
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/515/20
Jan 9, 2008  
Bottle. Vintage 2005. Clear, sparkling, deep golden color with a pretty white head that disappears rather fast. Acidic and earthy aroma, some barnyard notes, flowers and lemon. A rather dry sour flavor with citrus and some subdued malt sweetness. Finishes with a slightly weird mix of sourness and bitterness. Medium-bodied. Very good stuff.


 UselessGdTaste (363), Long Beach, California, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/105/517/20
Jan 7, 2008  
2004 Delicious. The sourness is very present in the beginning when chilled, but mellows a lot upon becoming warmer. I really like it warmer. I think it could deal with a bit more aging. If you can hang with the sours, this is one that should be on the try list.


 LinusStick (1831), Moon Twp, suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/103/56/103/517/20
Jan 5, 2008  
Thanks Maria for helping me complete my styles. 2003 vintage. Aroma was so so. Mostly funk and wet blanket with a hint of vinegar. Pour was a nice hazy burnt orange with no head. Taste was a little thick with a nice tart bitterness. Lemon and vinegar but more subdued that a guezue. Slight acidity on the tongue. The bottle has 5 years on it so maybe it has mellowed. A nice lambic.


 Enjoyit (1697), Vadum, Denmark
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/516/20
Jan 3, 2008  
Unclear amber of color with a beige head. A aroma of wood, spice, horseback, wet dog, dry and sour. A flavor of sour fruits, bitter, wood, spice, sour malt, bitter and sour finish.


 BossHossBikes (147), Tennessee, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/516/20
Dec 31, 2007  
Bottle vintage 2005 opened at 000 hours on New Years 2008., served at room temperature. It pours a cloudy golden orange with a quickly diminishing pale-orange head. Due to a recent head cold, one nostril is backed up. So, I’m having some slight difficulty assessing the aroma. I do sense some clean, sour notes with a light caramelly sweetness. Spices also seem to be pretty apparent. The flavour has a real nice mix of sour and bitter, somewhat like a lemon rind. Sourness becomes more subdued in the finish as the hops become a little more prominent. I would like to revisit this when my senses are at 100% working order. But I promised myself I’d open this on New Years. As for now, this is an enjoyable first beer of 2008.



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