Cantillon Iris from Cantillon

	Percentile
	96
	overall

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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Ratings Average Score ABV Style Pctl Serve in
593 3.76/5.0 3.75/5.0 5% 93.8 Flute, Tumbler
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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.

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Ungstrup (14764), Frederiksberg, Denmark

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	4/5	8/10	3/5	16/20

Dec 25, 2008

Bottled. A dark golden beer with a slight haze under a huge bubbly off-white head. The aroma is tart with notes of wood, horseblanket, and flowers. The flavor is tart with notes of wood, brettanomyces, horseblanket, flowers, and a bit of caramel, leading to a tart finish. Nice.

Papsoe (14643), Frederiksberg, Denmark

3.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.4	6/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Nov 23, 2006

(Bottle 75 cl) Slightly hazy amber golden with a tiny, off-white head. Fresh but rather mellow acidity in the aroma. Medium body and very dry but with a - for Cantillon - subdued sourness. None of the real dirty horse sweat notes either. 291006

omhper (12155), Stockholm, Sweden

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	9/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Jan 15, 2002

Orange coloured, hazy, firm head. Tart, dry, restrained sourness, slightly grassy, hint of bitterness. Very tasty!

yespr (11649), Copenhagen O, Denmark

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Jul 7, 2007

37.5 cL bottle (2003). Pours deep orange to amber with a little lacing head. Acidic and slight woody aroma, no sweat notes - nice :) Flavour has some distinct wood notes together with a nice sourness. Maltiness is identifyable beneath the sourness and in the finish. This maltiness makes the finish together with a woody/smoke note and bitterness. Nice dry, citric and sour. A floral note keeps lingering long after the finish - very interesting.

fonefan (10868), VestJylland, Denmark

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	15/20

Nov 4, 2006

Bottle. Hazy orange body with a large frothy white head. Sweet slightly sour aroma. Slightly puckering sour flavor with some light fruity hints. Dry, bitter finish.

oh6gdx (8802), Vasa, Finland

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	7/10	3/5	7/10	4/5	14/20

Aug 7, 2006

Bottled. A bit hazy, orange colour with small white head. Sour fruits in aroma with some nutty hints. Flavour is quite the same. A quite wellbalanced Cantillon. Finally I managed to find an unblended lambic, this has been the final missing beer style for a while ...

MiP (8793), Sønderborg, Denmark

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	3/5	8/10	3/5	18/20

Jun 1, 2005 Updated: Oct 20, 2007

2003 bottle, two years old. Mild, dusty aroma, acidic and earthy. Hazy golden colour, no head. Sourish bitter flavour. Nice tart bitter aftertaste. 6 3 7 3 15

2005 bottle, two years old. The aroma is quite acidic, making my mouth water. Also a little moldy and with a hint of urine. Quite cloudy orange colour, very small frothy head. The flavour is not a acidic as the aroma suggests, even though it is nicely acidic. It starts off with a little lemony acidity, turning into a bitterness which could also be associated with lemons, but then the peel. After this, the acid builds up to a nice and cleansing level. Very refreshing. 8 3 8 3 18

joergen (8430), Frederiksberg, Denmark

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Jul 8, 2005 Updated: May 27, 2008

Bottle. Hazy amber coloured with a small white ehad. Fruity aroma of hops, pine needles and brett. Fruity flavour of hops, apricots, pine needles and brett with acidic notes, Tart and hoppy finish.

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