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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 
5933.76/5.03.75/5.05%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?  
 petermadsen (391), Vesterbronxxx, Denmark
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/513/20
Mar 13, 2007  
Pours clean and yellow. The aroma is funky with dirty old hops. That goes for the flavour as well, but a nice mellow sourness kicks in and it ends dry and bitter.


 SSSteve (2049), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/103/515/20
Mar 3, 2007  
pours a hazy orange with a small white head. sour, musty, funky, horseblanket, woody aroma. flavor is of apricots, funky horseblanket, peaches, and sour white grape. no date on bottle. gave me real bad heartburn.


 Bartzilla (441), San Diego, California, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/516/20
Mar 2, 2007  
Whoaaaaa nelly!!!! I love me some sour beers and this set the bar far higher than I’ve ever had the pleasure of taking it. There’s no fruit flavors to get into the way of a pure blast of pucker-your-ass-up lambic. Easily the most sour ale experience I’ve had. Ups the bar from the previous record holder, Lou Pepe Kreik. And I’m sure my quest is not over yet. One of these days someone is going to make a lambic that just seals my throat shut upon tasting. Then my work will be complete.


 mabel (2530), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/103/511/20
Feb 28, 2007  
[162-20061228] 1pt9.4floz. Fruity lemony aroma with an interesting blend of grapefruit. Cloudy brown orange body with a long-lasting creamy white head. Lemony alcohol continues in flavour with a zingy aftertaste. Light-medium body has a tangy palate. Unfortunately too zingy after it warms up.


 Moz (613), Gothenburg, Sweden
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/518/20
Feb 22, 2007  
Bottle, 75 cl (rating from 2005). Orange colour with a tiny white head. Superb lambic aroma with grape fruits. Sour grape-fruity flavour.


 Grovlam (3790), Copenhagen, Denmark
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/514/20
Feb 21, 2007  
Bottle. Head was average white and fizzy which mostly diminished. Colour was golden with a clear sparkling body. Aroma was horseblanket, grapefruit, mule, some malt, vinegar. Medium bodied with a average carbonation. Flavour was moderated acidic with notes of sweet to balance it. Quite nice and my first Unblended.


 kmweaver (2398), Sebastopol, California, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/514/20
Feb 20, 2007    Updated: May 27, 2008
Rerate, 750mL bottle, 2004 vintage, courtesy of wickedpete. Thanks, Pete! Pours a bright, hazy golden-orange color; very light tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. Intensely funky, sour citrus and horseblanket in the aroma; clear, dense, tart and funky citrus-dominated nose. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: following the nose, loads of tart, funky citrus, salt, lemons and overripe fruits; intensely flavorful, nicely carbonated, salty, and funky citrus-dominated lambic. Lengthy, sour finish: citrus, funk, lemons, and breadiness; solid levels of acidity throughout. Tasty, generous stuff. 8.4.8.4.15=3.9

Draft, Max’s 3rd Annual Belgian Beer Festival, courtesy of artusory. Clear, yellowish-orange appearance; headless. Huge amounts of funk, horseblanket in the aroma; lemon and tart citrus. Huge, tart acidity; uncarbonated; tart citrus and barnyard funk; quick, citrus and funky finish. 8.3.6.3.13=3.3.


 ryan (1774), Beltsville, Maryland, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/515/20
Feb 19, 2007  
Clear amber/peach with no head and no apparent carbonation. The aroma is lactic, light horseblanket, vinous and yet quite light. The flavor is bright acidity, vinous, lemon and tobacco. Medium/light body, crisp and refreshing.



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