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.


4.4
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
NickTheElder (25) - California, USA - APR 10, 2009
A hazy yellow color with a thin head. Lots of floral and citrus aroma with some wood. Very acidic with lemon and grapefruit. A great lambic beer for the fans of the citrus, bitter and acidic beer.

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
daniele (2529) - ITALY - APR 6, 2009
oro buona schiuma quasi abbondante piuttosto persistente note classiche di una labic legno citrico in armonia con una nota luppolata floreale in bocca ritornano lke note acide legnose con un finale piacevolmente amaro non abbondante un gusto un po insolito ma piacevole

4.3
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
mspindler (489) - Alta Loma, California, USA - APR 4, 2009
Bottle shared with NickTheElder at The Back Abbey. Pours a hazy orange/yellow/red like a sunset with a thin white head. Aroma has plenty of barrel and funk with floral and citrus notes. Flavor is sharply acidic with loads of lemon, some oak, fresh fruits, a slight hop bitterness, and a very dry, citrusy finish that makes you want more. Palate is light and carbonation is prickly making for a very tasty, refreshing lambic.

4.2
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
esox (686) - Oulu, FINLAND - APR 1, 2009
375 ml bottle. Orange to amber lambic, some sparkling. Minimal off-white head. The aroma is acidic, earthy and stable-like, slightly grainy and clearly hoppy. Some delicate ripes , oak, nuts and some citrusy and floral hops. The flavor has oaky dryness and well acidic character of Lactobacillus-bacteria. It is very bitter for a lambic, with a clear flavor of fresh, green hops in the finish. Wonderful. The palate is very, tart and lingering. Medium bodied, some carbonation but not much. A spectacular lambic if you like bitterness in this style.

4.4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
Rciesla (5500) - Exit 15W, New Jersey, USA - MAR 30, 2009
UPDATED: FEB 22, 2010 Vintage 2005 Bottle. Pours a hazy orange golden body with a white lacing. Floral funky earthiness, some sour notes and a hint of flowers, wood, and burlap sacks. Dry citrus and a tart finish. I thought it was delicious. 4.1 Vintage 1998 shared by BrianK. Pours a hazy orange amber with an off white head. Floral, funky effervescent citrus and woodiness with a light acidity and some funk’d honey and lemon. Awesome. 4.4 Vintage 2000 I was just floored by this one. 4.5

4.8
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 19/20
nuplastikk (2445) - Madison, Wisconsin, USA - MAR 28, 2009
UPDATED: APR 10, 2009 750ml 2005 vintage drank in late March of 2009. Wowsers. The aroma on this one is perfect, stanky brett-wheat funk dreaminess. Deep orange color, not all the way opaque though. Foamy head. Classic lemony wheat crushes your taste buds. Wow, no wheat in this one? Achieves supreme sour and funkiness nonetheless. This beer is phenomenal, no trace of old age, holds up perfectly. Hyper bitter, full on Lambic.

3.6
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
nimbleprop (2126) - SouthWest, Washington, Washington DC, USA - MAR 26, 2009
Sampled this on tap at Max’s Taphouse in Baltimore during Max’s Belgian fest. Pours a amber gold with very little head. Funky, sweet, slightly tart nose with some light flowers. Flavor is the same, slightly musty, light sweetness, more funky and flowers. Slightly chalky. Very nice.

3.6
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
That1Guy (1491) - Lyons, Colorado, USA - MAR 13, 2009
Crushed with Jakebra. Musty, sour but incredibly sweet nose, too. Interesting balance in the nose. Flavor is pretty nice, but a little too subtle. Sweet and sour flavor, but my saliva glands aren’t gushing and that’s a problem. My first unblended lambic, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Pretty high considering Cantillon brewed it, but it was pretty aight for me.


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