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.


3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
Pwn3d (1847) - Manhattan, New York, USA - OCT 11, 2011
Bottle 2007 at rattle n hum. Sour and rich... Some florals and dustiness. Delicious.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
BigMilly8 (380) - Holiday, Florida, USA - DEC 8, 2007
From bottle - 2005 : Pours a hazy dark apricot color, with a big foamy white head. Barnyard aroma with some dulled fruits, and sourness. Taste is good, when it first hits the lips it is sour throughout the mouth, then begins to mellow after a couple seconds. A little bit of a bitter ending as well. Palate is sticky, and it is medium bodied.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
flatmatt (737) - Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA - JAN 25, 2011
750 mL bottle, 2007 vintage, bottled in 2010. Pours hazy golden orange with a slightly off-white head. Citric sour aroma with bits of red apple, honey, funk. Flavor is more of lactic acid, with citric acid flavor backing it up, apple, citrus fruitiness. A little chalkiness, grassy flavor, and a small bitter bite as it finishes. Pretty tasty beer.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 15/20
mwelsh13 (499) - Maryland, USA - FEB 14, 2009
Draft at Max’s Belgian fest. Big apple and floral aromas. Taste apple flavors. Slight vinegar. Great lambic.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
nqualls (1452) - Nashville, Tennessee, USA - NOV 3, 2009

Source: 750 mL, 2006 vintage bottle.
Glass: Magic Chouffe tulip.
Appearance: Cloudy yellow/gold pour with a one finger white head.
Aroma: Stinky cheese, and a tart, sour oakiness.
Flavor: Must, dust and soaked wood. Brilliant sour finish.
Palate: Light body with solid carbonation.
Overall: Not a bad beer. Not my favorite Cantillon, but a good selection.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
502Flavors (1001) - Arlington/DC, Virginia, USA - JAN 22, 2009
12.7 oz bottle into snifter. Been looking forward to this one a long time. Hopefully it isn’t unfair that I’m sampling it after Temptation, which was damn good. 2005 vintage (cork says it was bottled in 2007). After filling my snifter I spilled the last 2 to three ounces -- DAMN (!) at least I got the good clear pour and spilled mostly just the dregs. Pours with a bigger head than I would have imagined for an unblended (the 1900 had no carbonation at all). Beautiful still amber body with a bit of a tangerine/orange hue to it. Nice white head that leaves great lace too. Very unique aroma -- funky, barnyard, and peppery in a way I have never experienced (almost burns the nostrils). Both the aroma and flavor are the most unique ones I have encountered in any lambic BY FAR. The flavor is similar to the aroma but there is a very organic flower quality, not like the flower quality that can result from hops, but like a flower was actually sitting in the bottle all this time. So unique I cant describe it any other way. All of this weirdness in the flavor and aroma are lingering of a solid gueuze backbone. Medium tartness. Finished medium dry and pretty quick. Medium bodied with minimal carbonation. Overall: if you are into lambics you MUST try this because this is crazy shit! After you get used to the flowery quality this stuff is outstandingly drinkable.

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
JohnQPublic (387) - Brooklyn, New York, USA - AUG 2, 2008
UPDATED: AUG 7, 2008 Bottle, 2005 vintage. Pours orange with just a bit of haziness, fizzy off-white head that disappears post haste. Aroma is a bit of sharp sourness, fruity - i got strawberries, just a bit musty. Taste is sour, sharp but not overwhelming, softened by the musty, earthy quality that comes in after the initial carbonation burst passes. Finish is a bit of citric, lemony sourness and a bit of a grassy, floral note that emerges from the sourness. Crisply carbonated, light body.

3.9
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
Nickls (1297) - SE DC, Washington DC, USA - OCT 8, 2010
Tap (2007 label). Two fingers of head that is only slightly off-white on a rich ruby red organge, slightly hazy, body. Nice funkiness in the aroma, but not overpowering. Raspberries slightly, funky, tart, and a touch puckering...a bit acidic. Really nice.


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