Cantillon Iris

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Tumbler

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On tap at the Moan and Dove. Apple aroma with hint of hops. Lively carbonation, more hop bite (and wine flavor) than other guezes, very tart. (Not sure how this is classified as a fruit lambic, does it have anything to do with the hops?)

light amber/deep golden color, with a lasting white head (mostly fine bubbles). great vinegary tartness to the nose and very floral/perfumey, hair of lemon in the flavor with the oak really showing up in the finish. damn good, but not as good as the others in this line.

intense sour aroma, cloudy light orange, growing sourness turns into a woody/winey finish, some creamy yeastiness and lots of grassy notes, a liquid flower

The bartender said they stopped serving this because they had a batch with a lot of exploding/gusher bottles, but this one opened without problems (though she took the precaution of stepping outside to open it). What a mouth trip! Peachy, hazy, with a lively white head. Up front there are interesting flavors of watermelon, grapefruit, lime, and a general citric-sour thing going on, most noticeably in the finish at the back of the mouth. Smooth, integrated carbonation, and a long grapefruit finish, although those words are far too simplistic to capture what was going on here. I'm a total sucker for Cantillon, though this isn't my favorite. (bottle at Monk's, Philadelphia)

Ahh, the 100th! I thought long and hard about this, and in the end I decided I wanted to go with an old style beer, as opposed to a hopped up anthem to American brashness. Thus, the Cantillon beckoned me. When I had seen the bottle on the shelf a while back, I had even thought, "this could be The One." It had rested gently in the minifridge ever since, awaiting this moment. I selected a proper glass, and retrieved the delicate Iris from the fridge, bringing it to the kitchen. I carefully removed the foil and the metal cap, and gently coaxed the cork from the bottle with my trusty waiter's friend. Mother $#@%! A geyser of geueze gushed over my hand, spewing like a fire hydrant. I must have lost a 1/4 of the bottle across the length of my kitchen. I think I saw a 2000 on the cork as I was throwing the bottle opener across the room. Swearing under my breath, I caught a good bit of foam in the glass before things calmed down. The aroma was easy enough to rate, the stuff was all over me: Barnyard, sour apples, and urinal from a baseball stadium after about 5 innings. Appearance was what one would find in an unflushed stall at the same ballpark. I consider this to be appropriate for the style, so good marks! The flavor was sour, with some apple notes, cider vinegar, and cheap California Sauvignon Blanc that has turned in the bottle because it was left uncorked for a couple of days. This gave way to notes of green wood, and finally a gentle bitterness. Just fantastic. I wanted something memorable for number 100, and this didn't fail me.

On the pour a pearlescent orange color, the head Brobdingnagian in size, creamy in its texture, the color a magnificent light tan, the lace a satin sheet to drape the glass. Fruit sweetness followed closely by the vinous aromas tart, clean and quite appealing. Start lightly sweet but the stinging acidity and tartness hits your palate immediately, hops are mild and unassuming, also quite dry and lingering aftertaste, in my humble opinion a quintessential “Old Style Lambic”!

Light-amber, little white head, unstable. Nose gives lambic with fresh hops and cheesy odour of old hops. Plus something fruity, and hard exotic wood, wetted. Taste is fruity, a subdued bitterness, then very outspoken lactic sourness. Palate finishes completely like old lambic. No more hops. Third version. Every new one seems better. The dry hopping with extra hops, this time, has marvellously complexed the beer.

hazy yellow with a somewhat firm head. good gueuze aroma with cirtus coming out right alongside the wet hay. i found this beer to be much more mild than many other tasters. i thought that the flavor was very mild, meaning that i thought it had a really good balance between the lambic sour flavors and the citrus notes. the light body made it so smooth and soft too.

Just a total explosion in all respects that catches every part of the palate off guard, thats for sure! It pours a yellowy orange mix...more towards the orange side with no head. Definite aroma's of peach, lemon, citrusy to hell, and other fruits perhaps. The taste begins with a tarty sourness and then EXPLODES into a lemony, citrusy tartness on the sides of the tongue and back of the throat! Completely taste bud draining, thats for sure..it beats the hell out of the palate. Like sucking on an orange sourball and then getting hit by a high carbonated soda explosion. Very sour and acetic..but decent.

UPDATED: MAR 28, 2010 Re-Rate - Had from bottle at Belgian Beer Party at Pizza Port Carlsbad on March 27, 2010 - 2006 Vintage
#51 on the program, this was the 2006 vintage of Cantillon Iris. This was my first bottle of the day, and as such, one of the first ones opened. It was still cold, and uncorked for my tasting. It pours a brown/amber color with a spare, fizzy head and good lacing. The Iris is clear throughout with no particles. The nose is both sweet and sour. Aromas of flowers, hops, yeast, and fruits. A very complex, yet satisfying nose. Flavors are similarly complex, tasting slightly bitter with citrus dominating the flavors and an acidic finish. The Iris is very drinkable and finishes well. A fine start to my morning/afternoon festivities.

Original Rating:
Had from bottle at The 12 Hour Belgian Beer Party at Pizza Port Carlsbad on March 8, 2003
#47 on the program. After sampling the Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus just a few beers prior, I had hoped for something a bit sweeter than what I got. Luckily I got some of the last bottle...but my taste buds were not ready. The beer hits you hard with a strong vinegar/acetic taste. The aroma is similar - a bit sour with a hint of alcohol. A very complex beer with a chalky finish and a soft carbonation. Not my favorite of the Cantillon family (I would have to recommend the FouFoune)...