RateBeer
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.


3.6
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
Beardface (1480) - Eugene, Oregon, USA - JUL 21, 2009
UPDATED: JUL 24, 2009 "Mystery" tap at PIB. Hazy orange pour and one inch white head. Aroma was sour cherry, apple, light funk. Flavor was quite tart with the cherry and horseblanket prominent and an apple finish. Also did note a bit of "sour patch kids" flavor, which was entertaining. Solid beer, but I enjoyed the other Cantillon I had better.

3.4
   AROMA 4/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 15/20
stchloe (568) - Portland, Oregon, USA - JUL 20, 2009
One of the first sour beers I have tried, and so my rating is rusty on them. May I just so whooo boy that is sour. Slightly fruity, but just pretty and puckering.

4.5
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
malrubius (1308) - Valley Stream, New York, USA - JUL 19, 2009
On tap at Novare Res. 2007 (I think). Cloudy dark orange with thick dense head. Tart grainy farmhouse horsey aroma with mild floral essence. Very tart funky horseballs with subtle grassy sweetness and dry finish. Perfect texture. Awesome.

4.4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
boFNjackson (2705) - Portland, Oregon, USA - JUL 18, 2009
UPDATED: JUL 17, 2011 Tap @ PIB... Poured cloudy orange with a white head. Crisp, tangy, tart and fruity aroma. Nice puckering sourness and a light, sweet fruitiness. A little apple and bittering dry and sweet finish. Very hoppy, funk, some skunkiness, tropical/citrus juice tones.

4.2
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
notalush (3617) - Denver, Colorado, USA - JUL 11, 2009
2005 vintage, bottled in 2007 - rusty cap under the foil (where was this kept?) - this is unique for a Cantillon in that 1. it is not over the top sour, and 2. for a lambic, there is a lot of hop character - the nose is actually quite full of the floral and citrus character you expect from hops, and even some of the sweetness of the malt base is preserved - the expected funkiness and smooth oak is there as well, but it’s not as extreme as you would expect from this brewery - really well-balanced and inviting - creamy body, full mouthfeel - quite oaky and bitter and first, with some moderate acidity behind it - then some of the malt shows through, and acts as a base for that complex wildness that Cantillon is so good at producing - this rustic character combines well with some gentle hops and floral/herbal qualities - bone dry, bitter finish - superbly balanced and tasty - one of the few Cantillons I can drink an entire bottle of in one sitting - delicious.

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
Ygberg (139) - SWEDEN - JUL 9, 2009
The aroma is the typical souer aroma of unblended lambic. The appearance is clear and orange. The taste is souer with a nice sweetness and dry aftertaste. This is a very good lambic.

2.8
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 3/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 10/20
MrRoss (646) - Delta, British Columbia, CANADA - JUL 8, 2009
From Bootlegger in Paris; bottled 08 May 2008; purchased and drank 25 November 2008. A good looking beer at least, with a very cloudy orange body underneath a scant head. Aroma was both of citrus and spices. Taste, however, was something I just couldn’t enjoy, being far too sour. Mouth was slippery and the finish was still too sour. I tried to like it and at least finished the bottle - had to, given the price, but this is just not a style of beer I’d enjoy. I will try another in the future, albeit a smaller sample would work better.

4.3
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
Slayer85 (862) - Firenze, ITALY - JUL 1, 2009
750 ml bottle, 2003 vintage. A hazy pale amber beer with a medium sized, lacing and quite persistent white head. Nice aroma, dry and tart, very yasety, lightly hoppy with notes of lemon, earth, cheese and wood. Very complex and quite powerful nose. The flavour has a light sweetness and a medium to high acidity. There’ are grapefruit and apple notes. Medium body, lively carbonation, dry long finish with light to medium bitterness. Complex and rather easy drinking, one of my favourite Cantillon.


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