4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20In short: An uper-dry, uper-tannic, fruity (more than just grapes) and not so funky & sour lambic. Complex and excellent beer, an average Cantillon.
How: Bottle 750ml at Akkurat, Stockholm.
The look: Cloudy glowing amber-orange body topped by a small white head with low retention.
In long: After five long minutes looking at my waitress worked on the cork on of this thing I finally have my beer. Nose is unexpectedly fruity considering the age of the beer with fresh citrus, fresh grapes and lemon zest over a moderate funk and fresh oak. Certainly not the most funky Cantillon ever, to the contrary. Taste is very smooth for a Cantillon, fresh fruits swimming in mild funk, grape skin, mouth drying tannins, mild acidity, relatively low sourness level. Finish is very very dry while not losing the fruity flavor. The yeasty last glass from the bottle was developing strawberry-like fruitiness. This is bone dry, probably the most tannic Cantillon I’ve ever had, actually probably one of the most tannic lambic I’ve ever had. That saliva sucking stuff even brought a light salty sensation. An excellent beer, an average Cantillon. This was my first beer of my first visit at the world famous Akkurat, I was so excited, I couldn’t control myself, I had butterflies in my stomach, I shouldn’t have eaten those butterflies, I eat weird stuff when I’m excited and can’t control myself.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
750mL bottle at Akkurat, pours a hazy dark golden orange with basically no head. Aroma of dry grape skins, medium barnyard funk, dry red wine notes, and some other dry apple skins further back. Flavour is super dry and vinous, with loads of puckeringly dry red wine notes, very dry purple grape skins, and some moderate barnyard funk. Really, really, really dry. Moderately vinegary, with a low-to-medium acidity. Almost as enjoyable to me as the Muscat version.
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Bottle @ Akkurat shared with Ludvig.
This is one of my favorite Cantillons. Just beautifull i love how the pinot noir grapes just shines through.
4.4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
oh lord this is a beer you would like to drink all day and night! the grapes tinge your tongue and the beer gives a nice dry finish. a must have if you visit akkurat!
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle at Akkurat. Hazy red/brown liquid with minimal off-white head. Aroma of lemons, red grapes, some spices, herbs, apple skin and wood. taste is dry and medium sour with a tannic feel and notes of lemons and apples. Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation. Well tasting but a bit characterless. The Muscat version stands out more from the crowd so to say.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
The pour is a purple-red color with a small pink head. Intense red grape and fruit aromas. A lot of pinot noir, some blackberry, and a hint of raspberry. The barrel notes really come through as it warms. A moderate funk with a light herbal tea aroma in the background. The flavor is quite tannic and dry. Some hints of fruit sweetness from the grapes as well as some dark berry notes. Quite tart and acidic with lemon and green apple flavors. A hint of red wine vinegar, leathery dryness, and light herbs.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle at Akkurat. Pours out a dark, clear amber with a touch of white foam that fades to a ring rather quickly. Nose: deep earthy funk, sharp acidic tartness, and some raisins and currants. The currants and earthy funk give this a hint of tea in the nose.
Taste - shockingly sour. Acid has overrun the bottle, making it hard to notice anything else. There’s a touch of fruit - again with the currant and tea flavors - stronger than in the aroma. Not a lot of funk. Just bracingly sour. After drinking this bad boy, I had heartburn - a first for me from a sour beer, and I’ve had my fair share. Feel is solid, fairly thick, low carbonation. I’m thrilled to have tried this, but it’s not as good as a number of other bottles available on Akkurat’s holy cellar list.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
2005 bottle at Akkurat. It pours amber, with a thin white head. The nose is farmyard, chamonmile, sweet white grape, apricot and Granny Smith apple. The taste is sharp green apple, lemon sherbet, vinous, white vinegar, tangy, sour white grape and floral notes, with a sour, tangy finish. Medium body and fine, spritzy carbonation. Very fruity indeed. Only slight negative is the high level of acidity, stopping it from being highly drinkable.
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle @ Akkurat Stockholm. Somewhat hazy, dark golden appearance with an off white head. Very tangy, dark grape vinous, light leather, fairly floral, perfume, a touch boozy, tart fruity nose. Very rich (and in your face) fruity, dark grape, funky lemon, mild oaky, very sour flavor. Fairly dry, vinous, lemon, acidic finish. More sour and intense than the muscat version and while it was enjoyable, the muscat version was far superior in my mind.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
UPDATED: JUN 7, 2012 750ml bottle at Akkurat, cork date 2005
first pour: clean, mild and soft red grape notes come across very dry and tart and aged, and the grape seems to blend into a generic red fruit / cherry / raspberry here and there. assertive acid, medium carbonation, largely dry, a bit too chalky and rough and brash.
middle pour: addition of some yeast brings about more mustiness and minerals (concrete mix / drywall / calcium) and the fruit is much more faint. yeast is sharp, chalky and pasty on the tongue; harsh acid is far too aggressive and rough, and alcohol begins to be noticed (perhaps it’s the warming). the acidity begins to become fatiguing and difficult to bear - caustic even - leaving the whole thing unbalanced. fruit is muted currant and dried / shriveled red grape.
late pour: muddy and dull brick red appearance and more faint nose with more yeast added, but finally the acid begins to be tempered somewhat. it actually begins to "blossom" - opening up with musty, dusty tart grapes and currant and plum, and it’s much more perfume-like. even turns a bit bloody and metallic at times, which is actually an improvement over the disassociated acid and faint fruit of the early pour. dried strawberry and melon even come into play here. leathery, savory texture and medium-low natural carbonation redeem it in the end.
the verdict: certainly better with more yeast mixed in, but still not a favorite druiven geuze, mostly due to the brash acid. fun to try, but doesn’t come close to the wonder that is Reed Geuze Muscat, which is at another level entirely.
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