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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.


4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
PhillyBeer2112 (2328) - Oviedo, Florida, USA - NOV 14, 2009
2006 bottle, 2008 cork. MMM mmm. Dull copper color with a light carbonation but no head. Aroma is acidic lemon, grassy or wet hay, and notes of cherries or something vinous. Flavor is lemony, notes of acetic acid, very dry finish although up front it has a good combo of sweet and sour. Good acidity but not overwhelming sourness, very refreshing. Not strongly funky but for maybe a hint of barnyard at the finish. I can’t seem to detect much of the hops, though there’s a light bitterness, but its a year old bottle.

4.4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
y0cola (361) - fremont, California, USA - NOV 11, 2009
gripping my throat with the clutch of citrus death, ass completely kicked by the sour acid flavor of this Burr. Wet hay, lemon, sour cherries in the aroma. This flavor has citrus, vinegar, manure in the aftertaste. Carbonation of a sprite - perfect palate pimping.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
satan165 (1003) - River Grove, Illinois, USA - NOV 10, 2009
vintage 2005, 750ml bottle. tons of black crud all over the cap and neck of the bottle. cork however pops cleanly. aroma is vinous mix of booze and vinegar, sweet/sour interplay. lemon drop candy. ladies perfume characteristics. stench of must and nearly mold but not at all in the typical wild yeast notes i am familliar with. flavor is big tartness, lemon and more vinegar. not as soft as a gueuze or perhaps that is the intense (for the style) hopping at work. fruit rind/pith bitterness and sourness. gigantic beer that has alot to say, though i think i prefer my mariage parfait if i must choose a favorite lambic.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
TaktikMTL (4133) - Montréal-Nord, Quebec, CANADA - NOV 9, 2009
Cuvée 2007. Bouteille verte, avec bouchon de liège, de 375 ml dégustée au Cheval Blanc (Montréal, QC). Arôme: Odeur de citron et de foin avec une pointe de vin blanc. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goûte de pommes vertes légèrement acide et de citron. Longue durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement vineuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. (Rating #2741)

4.3
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
JAXSON (356) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - NOV 4, 2009
750ml 2006 bottle. Darker orange pour with a large beige head. Shows much of the typical Cantillon brashness on the nose. Lemon, grapefruit, and some really funky herbal note. Not too bracing in the mouth. Very soft, in fact. Full-bodied for a lambic. Extraordinary balance, finish is long and beautiful. I prefer this to the harder Cantillons, it may be the best lambic I’ve tried in fact.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
nqualls (1452) - Nashville, Tennessee, USA - NOV 3, 2009

Source: 750 mL, 2006 vintage bottle.
Glass: Magic Chouffe tulip.
Appearance: Cloudy yellow/gold pour with a one finger white head.
Aroma: Stinky cheese, and a tart, sour oakiness.
Flavor: Must, dust and soaked wood. Brilliant sour finish.
Palate: Light body with solid carbonation.
Overall: Not a bad beer. Not my favorite Cantillon, but a good selection.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
Argentine (11) - Walla Walla, Washington, USA - OCT 27, 2009
Aroma: Dank cedar swamp, slightly nutty. Taste: Sauvignon Blanc and burning acid. Too bitter/astringent and not tart like I hoped. This one doesn’t "beat champagne at it’s own game" like other gueuzes. Flavor improves as you drink and as it approaches room temp. * Bottle labeled 2005, cork labeled 2007.

4.6
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 20/20
JulienHuxley (1061) - Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, CANADA - OCT 24, 2009
UPDATED: OCT 27, 2009 0.75l bottle @ Beerbistro, Toronto. Appearance is clear copper with persistent white head. A good foot away from our face, we already got a solid apple aroma when the waitress was pouring it into our glasses. Close up, a solid tart aroma mixed with grassy hops that gives off an aroma of fresh wet hay, sweat, barn and some winey aromas. Upfront taste is white wine grapes, herbal and fruity esters. Both bitter and sour at once with a long bone dry finish classic of the best lambics. The smooth champagne bubbles carry this perfect mouthfeel and great balance of infinitely complex flavors. This is as darned near perfect as I will go before the nirvana of beer.


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