Cantillon Iris

750ml bottle: 2000 bottling sampled 11/15/05. Pours to a murky dark browish yellow with a huge, well retained light beige head. Initially this one appears almost muddy, but when held to the light it really glows warm amber with some red highlights. The aroma is bitter with light wet grass, earth, barnyard with herbs, mild cheese curds, mild lemon zest, and a hint of sweaty malt. If you smell it while cold, immediately after being poured, the fresh hops are just detectable. The taste has that initial sour kick, though it doesn’t quite hit with the intensity of some other Cantillon lambics. There’s some sour lemon, medium acidic grapefruit, vinous grass, light wheat, barnyard, and at times there’s almost chardonney flavors. Medium bodied, lively carbonation, finishes dry and lightly sour, with mild acidity. It seems slightly sweeter with more body than usual for a lambic from Cantillon. Excellent beer.

Brewed 2003. Didn’t really get into this the last time I had it - in fact I poured most of it out, though in fairness I was drinking it warm in a Brussels hostel. Nice clear amber-gold, with a nice thin head which lasts. The initial aroma is difficult to describe, but there’s something in there that I just don’t like. Quite herbal, cheesy hops, with a fair whack of pineappley esters, cream cheese and lots of plasticy, sweaty phenols. After a while it improves with that heathery Styrian character and more of the musty Cantillon imprint. There’s a smooth, biscuity, vanilla milkshake malt flavour, with a mild, vinous (Riesling) acidity and a ferrous bitterness with a rasping aftertaste which kind of mimics the feeling in the back of your throat after vomiting. Some apricot juice character, and it’s sweeter than the usual Cantillon. Features elements which are pretty reasonable in their own right but they don’t work too well together. More an interesting experiment than something I’d like to drink regularly, though towards the end of the bottle I began to like it a whole lot more - like an old Orval or something (and yes, I’m aware I compare every second beer I drink to Orval.)

Hazy copper/orange. Big, bubbly, white head. Wild yeast, strong malt, and subtle hops-aroma. The sour yeast predominates the flavor, underneath the malt and hops are well balanced, more so than in the aroma. Dry finish, sour aftertaste. Some wine like character in the texture. Medium body. Excellent.

2002 edition. Smelly grassy, floral hops ponctuate the tart, highly woody, vinous and cidery bouquet. The pour is almost headless, of a rusty golden tone. A fair bitterness adds a dimension to the already interesting beer, pushing the dryness even further. I imagine the sour, but not agressively so, nature contributes to the overall balance with the aromatic hops. Medium bodied, tart, moderately high carbonation. The result is a pleasant experiment with powerful wood flavors and magical unexplainable moments.

Strong sandalwood, spicy, floral, aroma is quite hoppy and grassy. Opaque, orange-tan body is topped by a low but lasting, off white head that leaves some nice lacing. Fruity, apricot, pear flavour offers fair bitterness, grassy, herbal hop notes and undertones of vanilla and oak. Not a lot of barnyard or brett character but wood, wax and leather make up for it nicely. Medium light body with moderate to lively carbonation. Bottle (2000 vintage) sampled at Den Tatorverede Enke in Copenhagen.

Bottle 2001. This is our 6th bottle of Cantillon Iris, so we obviously like it. Our first three bottles were from the original 1998 brewing and came in hand numbered bottles - cool touch. Every single bottle has had a grotty, rusty bottle top - some with liquid bleeding through the cork. Never mind, beer is fine. You are wise to remove the metal top and wash the bottle top with cool water before removing the cork. The aroma is wonderful and immediately announces that Cantillon lambics are no ordinary beer - huge citrus, lime skin and light hints of flowers and spruce. Pours with a nice head that diminishes. The color is an absolutely gorgeous amber - very appealing to the eye. The initial flavor is huge sour citrus with a long, astringent, bitter finish - think GRAPEFRUIT. The bottom of the bottle, with increasing yeast, really changes the character. Not for everyone, but I like it.

Cloudy orange beer with a firm white head. Peach and citrus aroma with a little sweetness. Sourness and cidery apple blend in the taste and there is a sharp, dry finish. I think this would be a good introduction to the Cantillon range, being more familiar in its taste than some of the others.

Yellow nice white head. Quite mild sourish aroma with some leather and some rubber.Flavor from sulpherleather, grape and citrus. Sourish and quite fresh.