Cantillon Iris

Bottle (per label 2003 batch – per cork 2005 batch) drank in 2006: Poured a hazy orange color lambic with a quite big foamy white head with pretty good retention. Aroma of hops is clearly detectable and I thought it provided an interesting ‘’mariage’’ with the sour and brett character of the original lambic. It also seems to help balance the level of acid in the beer, which is a real, plus since I sometime find the Cantillon lambic to be too acid. Horse blanket and farmhouse quality are still apparent as well as the citrusy hops. Very nice experiment from the folks at Cantillon.

Bottle. Amber, thin white head, sour lemon aroma, subtle funk and cereal aroma. Trademark mouth puckering from a lambic. Acidic, sour, and more funk in mouth and finish. I mean I do like it. Sourness has mineral/metal quality to it and grapefruit on the finish.

bottle - Very cloudy orange/amber color with almost non-existant head. Aroma is bready, peppary, sour, vinegar notes. Flavor is pretty sour, sharp, acidic, very dry, with a smooth, spicey bitterness.

Wow. What a wonderful beer. Lacks some of the tartness of a normal Cantillon lambic (undoubtedly due to the lack of wheat) while maintaining all of the acidity. Also much deeper gold, approaching orange, in color (again, undoubtedly due to the lack of wheat). Initial fizziness and big, white head disappears almost immediately leaving a beer that is, frankly, not-quite-but-almost-still (which is absolutely NOT a problem with a lambic even if most of the time they’re nearly champagne spritzy) Subdued aromas. Balance between sour and bitter. Bitter back end. Again, wow. Nice beer.

Pours a depp golden color with a minimal white fizzy head. Aroma of a white wine, citrusy, and fermented fruit. Flavor is quite floral, sweet, carbonated, fruity, with a dry finish, im am by no means a fan of this style, but it wasn’t to bad.

This is my favorite lambic/sour/wild beer yet. The heavy use of hops gives a wonderful hoppy bitterness and flavor to the acetic acid and Brett flavors that are characteristic of lambic. Also the use of pale malts give a lovely orange honey color and a further depth of flavor that i haven’t found in other lambics.

Bottle, 96 from the dungeons of lord Pattyn
This beer clearly wants to come out of the bottle - after the top comes off beer bubbles out of the pores of the cork. Pours a golden amber, light pearling carbonation, initially frothy, later layering tanned head. Leathery, herbal, light metallic dry grape aroma. Leathery and wooden base flavor, citrus fruits, earthy notes, grassy bits, hints of cherries and raspberries. Elegant blend of flavors - if there ever were sharp edges they are rounded off now. Light cork notes round it off - the cork was untarnished though. Quite dry mouthfeel, no residual sugar, light pearling on the palate. Thank you so much Joris!

750mL bottle, 2005 bottle date. Hazy orange, large white head that dies down quickly. Vinegar, superb barnyard Brett aromatics. Grapeleaf nose, heavy acetic acidic, wet hay, slightly fecal Brett flavors. Slightly grassy hop finish. Mouthfeel is light medium, bone dry.