RateBeer
Score
9996
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium
Serve in Flute, Tumbler

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution

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RATINGS: 833   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.79   EST. CALORIES: 150   ABV: 5%
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.


4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
Gusler (2655) - Tucson, Arizona, USA - MAY 14, 2003
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”!

3.6
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
GregClow (2645) - Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - SEP 13, 2006
Bottle shared with blankboy, tupalev & HogTownHarry - tupalev’s bottle. Reddish sunset gold with a small white head. Tart funky nose with some prominent herbal hop notes. Flavour is simple by Cantillon’s standards, but is still very nice - has a subdued funkiness and mellow tartness, with some lemony notes, a bit of malt coming through, and a lingering bitter finish. A very interesting variation on a lambic - glad I could try it.

3.8
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
DSG (2635) - Tel Aviv, ISRAEL - JAN 9, 2008
Bottle. Vintage 2005. Clear, sparkling, deep golden color with a pretty white head that disappears rather fast. Acidic and earthy aroma, some barnyard notes, flowers and lemon. A rather dry sour flavor with citrus and some subdued malt sweetness. Finishes with a slightly weird mix of sourness and bitterness. Medium-bodied. Very good stuff.

3.8
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
Jeppe (2633) - Ølbutikken, DENMARK - JUN 29, 2005
Labeled 2003, bottled 2005.
Pours hazy orange golden under a fine white head. Some sourness in the aroma, but differently from the common Cantillon, a dry hoppy bitterness dominates. Tones of hay and herb also. Tart sour flavor, again with obvious hop notes. Quite dry and woody with lots of grapefruit. Different and interesting though not my favorite Cantillon.

4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 17/20
ucusty (2619) - Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA - AUG 8, 2008
UPDATED: JAN 7, 2009 Vintage 2005. Hazy orange pour with a quickly dissipating head. Nice tart aroma. Loads of citric sourness combined with a hint of grassy hops, and banana

2.6
   AROMA 4/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 10/20
Bockyhorsey (2590) - Mesa, Arizona, USA - MAY 8, 2005
Aroma smelled like a fermented barnyard. Body was cloudy orange with a big head that left lots of lacing on glass. Bitter and sour taste was a downside for me. Reminded me of drinking cheap rhine wine some years ago. Had a dry aftertaste to the beer. Alright after work but not the best.

4.2
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
willblake (2587) - Bel Air, Maryland, USA - JUN 10, 2008
20080610 750ml bottle, cork says bottled in 2004. It’s hot in hrrr, so I thought it was a good time to bust this one out. I’m a bit surprised I’ve never rated it. Also a bit surprised to see that Paul never rated it until just a few days ago! hazy dark amber with light greenish motor oil tinge. Little to no head, whatdya expect? Aroma is musty, floral (clover), funk with light bit of dust and hints of wet wood. Palate is a bit on the full side for a lambic, but also unexpectly effy. The requisite Cantillon sourness is most apparent and yet it’s not overly sour, more like a sharp funk that lasts. After the first few sips, this beer is nothing but refreshing and the finest choice I could have made from what was on hand tonight. the astringency is not at all overwhelming. Lingering bitterness, grassy (weeds, lemongrass), and woody sourness.

2.8
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
GonZoBeeR (2581) - Ste-Eulalie, Quebec, CANADA - JUL 12, 2006
Aroma:citric and acidity aroma... Appearance:Hazy gold-orange,small head... Flavor:acidity,citric,light watery for a cantillon.....


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Rating Notecard:
Beer: Cantillon Iris Rating Avg: 3.79 No. of Ratings: 833
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