Cantillon Iris

First sample of this style. 2005 bottle. After pulling off the foil I noticed it was wet under it, seems the beer was almost leaking. I was on the verge of getting upset since I paid about 15 dollars for this 750 ml bottle. Upon pouring the carbonation showed its head, and I was relieved. Yellow brown colored pour. Smells sweet, malty, sour, and like oak - alot like oak. Taste is sour for the first half of the glass leaving way to a rather bitter, awkward finish. It took me a while to drink this beer but over all I was very satisfied with it and I can only imagine what it would be like in several years. Really nice, Lambics are becoming my favorite style of all, as they are scarce enough to cellar but when the time comes to drink them, there is nothing that can fill the void. Quite a good beer, something I would buy again if I could buy it locally, but not something I would mail order again. Very nice in its own right though.

2005: Initially poured a clear orange body with a small head, later as sediement went in it got cloudy. Average lacing on the glass. Aroma was leather, barnyard action, some tartness, lemons. Something about this felt off or empty, but it was still very enjoyable.. this is Cantillon after all.

Botted in 2005. Poured an amberish color with a small head that laced ok (nothing spectacular, although the deeper color was notable). The aroma was for sure funky, some burnt rubber, wild farmhouse and barn aromas, light on citrus and no cheese. The flavor was enjoyable, revealing a definite departure from classic lambics with the all barley malt. While the wild flavors were all there, the tartness was much subdued and the funk took over with leather and rubber type flavors on display over the citrus notes. The finish had a firm hopped barley bitterness, quite nice. Mouthfeel was light to moderate, quite refreshing.

Bottle. Orange-copper with a small white bubbly head. Great punchy brett aroma, barnyard, socks, just lovely. Grapefruit and citrus flavours, very refreshing and tart. The finish is long, tart, and quite funky. There is even a touch of bitterness too. Excellent drinkability in a relatively soft body. Sampled at the Københavnske Øldage 2006 on May 20, 2006.

2005 vintage. Deep orange beer, very hazy/cloudy with a thin white head. Musty, earthy aroma, some horseblnket, lemon/citrus, brett and leather, dust, cologne. Nice dry malt with hints of pear and apple. Earthy/dusty with a soft vanilla note. Lingering earthy hoppy finish. More bitterness than is typical of lambics, but is still pretty tasty. Sour start and bitter finish. Light perfuminess toward the end.

Light hazy gold, small fine top. Classic nose, barnyard, fruity raspberry character, grassy and citric fruits. Superb. Straight palate, even a bit spicy with sour green young gooseberry character. Great nose promised more complex character. Still great lambic.

From 750mL Bottle. Pours a translucent golden yellow, a shade lighter than apple cider, and topped with a copious amount of fine bubbled champagne head. Old, musty smell of lemon juice squeezed over a crumpled horse blanket. Some herbal notes as well, carried by a breeze of desert pollens. Medium bodied, almost creamy mouthfeel that’s loaded with danish blue cheese and unflavored yogurt. Actually, it tastes almost like I imagine blue cheese mixed into yogurt and topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon would taste like, only the blue cheese disappears toward the end of the sensation. Some woody flavors support the cast as well, providing images of fresh aspen bark and oregano stems. Quite interesting overall, and much less sour than I had originally expected. I want to say I would enjoy this more without the blue cheese flavors, but then again, that’s what gives this brew the unique thouch that I enjoy contemplating.

2005 bottle. This golden lambic poured with a fluffy off-white head. The aroma is acidic, but also floral. Tastes a bit like gueuze, but with a lot of citrus (grapefruit) and not at all sweet. There is a very bitter hoppy finish.