RateBeer
Score
9996
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium
Serve in Flute, Tumbler

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag | edit barcodes |
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.


3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
Snojerk321 (2954) - San Diego, California, USA - JAN 6, 2010
2006 bottle. Pours a cloudy deep golden orange with a small off white ring. Zesty citrus and faint underlying hops on the slightly tart nose. Flavor was mildly tart with bright citrus and an acidic finish, tasty!

4.3
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
Mora2000 (2732) - Dallas, Texas, USA - JAN 5, 2010
UPDATED: AUG 24, 2010 Bottle provided by ericandersnavy. 2007 vintage. Pours and orange color with an off-white head. Aroma is a very tart, sour. Some spices and floral qualities also. The flavor is vinegary with some great tart fruit. You get some wood notes in the flavor as well as a good mix of citrus and some barnyard funk. High carbonation and extremely drinkable.

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
mar (3547) - Dallas, Texas, USA - DEC 29, 2009
big thanks to ericandersnavy for my final style. 2007 bottle. crisp amber with a nice off white head. nose is wood, tart, yeast and funk. very nice on the palate with flavors that are very tart, funky and woody.

3.8
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
Cavie (3249) - Fort Worth, Texas, USA - DEC 21, 2009
Bottle courtesy of ericandersnavy. Clear orange pour with large head. Fat tart smell. Some sweetness but tart fruit upfront. Such as kiwi and citrus. Wow crazy tart flavor! Salty tartness with grain. Crazy tart. Wow! Thanks for my first unblended.

4.1
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 16/20
HonusWagner (767) - Florida, USA - DEC 18, 2009
Not my favorite from Cantillon, but it’s still frickin’ great. Aroma is incredibly funky, you can smell your mouth puckering! Very well carbonated, nice and bubbly just the way I like my sours.

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
Pawola22 (1993) - Chicago, Illinois, USA - DEC 15, 2009
12.7oz bottle. 2007 vintage bottled in 2009. Pours a lightly hazed, golden-orange body with a big, two-finger width, rocky and fizzy, off-white head that dissipates at a moderate pace and leaves a layer of bubbly foam on the surface as well as the glass upon swirling. Aroma is flowery and bright citrus with some tart funk over a light malt. Woody and dry with some apples, gooseberries, and barnyard. Pleasant, abundant aroma that never gets too sour or funky. Flavor is pretty complex. Some gentle sour, earthy flavors up front before flowery, tart, citrus takes the forefront. The barnyard funk presents itself more in the finish along with a pretty cool woody bitterness. The bitterness is light, but stands out more because this is so dry. Flowery, even citrus tartness, and wood linger for a moderate duration with the dry hoppiness. Pleasant, bubbly carbonation. Overall, I liked this one. Lots of tartness, but never gets overly sour or too mouth-puckering. I like the amount of funk that comes out at the end and the dry, woody hop bitterness is quite unique. I wanted to try a "fresh" bottle of this (bottled in 2009) before opening an older one. I look forward to tasting older vintages.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
jcwattsrugger (8701) - Florida and, New Jersey, USA - DEC 10, 2009
‘04-750ml bottle @Pauls Gathering-pours a white head and cloudy yellow color. Aroma is barn/funky, light malt, sour. Taste is very tart, barn/funky, light malt, sour lemon.

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
Savvy1982 (1320) - Lethbridge, Alberta, CANADA - DEC 9, 2009
UPDATED: APR 10, 2010 Bottle, with a million thanks to Mike! Poured a lovely medium yellow, with a pillowy white head, and lovely lacing. The nose is the classic sourness you expect from a Cantillon, with brett, sour apples, and delicate dried stonefruit aromas, plus yeasty bread, and the fresh hops make a very noticable, and pleasant addition to the nose. The palate is classic, very tasty, with the added spiciness of the hops. I can’t wait to try this again.


We Want To Hear From You



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!

Join Us »



View Page
1 « 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 » 84


Tick this beer
  • Currently 0/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5



Rating Notecard:
Beer: Cantillon Iris Rating Avg: 3.79 No. of Ratings: 833
Copyright © 2000-2012,
RateBeer LLC. All rights
reserved.
about us
About RateBeer
FAQ
Feedback?
New Beers
add
Advanced Search
Add A Beer
Add A Brewer
Add A Place
membership
Log In
Edit Personal Info
Premium Membership
Your Messages
the best
100 Beer Club
The Top 50