Cantillon Zwanze (2011)

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Brussels, Belgium

Serve in Flute, Stem glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Cantillon, Brux, B. Bottled, 200312. light amber with no head. Aroma of cellar and citrus. Flavour with grapes, sourness and berries.

On tap in Ølbutikken. Pours a clear pale yellow with a diminishing white head. Sweet and fruity, balanced by a mellow tartness. Hints of abricot. Light carbonation. Light body.

UPDATED: APR 16, 2012 Bottled. (Rating #700) Pours a bright red, with a thin white head. The aroma is very complex, lots of red fruit and grapey notes, spicy, pepper, hints of roasted coffee, wood, grass, brett, earth, straw. Bone dry, medium bodied, low bitterness, low CO2. Tart, acidic, complex taste, spicy, grapes, red fruit, grass, pepper, wood, faintly toasted, funky brett aromas are quite subdued, earth. Another fantastic beer from Cantillon. (2011-04-12)

Zwanze Day @ Ølbutikken. Pink red with pink-white head. Cherry, barnyard, pepper. Tartness, sourness on palate, high carbonation make for medium-strong body.

Bottle at the brewery, shared with Paul and James during Paul’s Pre-Wedding Beer Weekend. Pours clear, muted red with a fluffy, white head. Big peppery aroma. Light sweet flavor, lots of pepper and spice, some fruit, restrained sourness, and light perfume-like floral notes. Light bodied with fine carbonation. Lightly dry finish with some subtle fruit, spicy pepper, understated tartness. A very interesting lambic with all the pepper notes. Really nice.

As an aside, while slowly working our way through our beers we realized we had about five minutes to get to our train at the nearby station. My two companions, lightweights that they are, couldn’t manage to slam the rest of their beers quickly so opted instead to leave some unfinished (it was before noon). I wouldn’t stand for this, you’ll be happy to hear, and downed the remaining Zwanze in two brief flourishes. We then scuttled off to the train, which we made it to on time.

Zwanze day 2011 at west lakeview liquor chicago. Poured into stemmed cantillon glass. Pour was a light ruby red. Very similar to watermelon juice. Very little head but some. Head was light pinkish. Lots of soured red grape with a nice funky and spicy mix. Soured red grape with a lemon bite. Through out the middle was a spicy bite, like black or chili pepper. Oak was faint. Very dry through out with a light to mild carbonation. Nice light pucker. At first i was not feeling this but i quickly started loving it. I want more.

Had this at Cantillon brewery. Pours deep red with a very small head the quickly recedes to nothing more than a few bubbles in a ring around the glass. Nose is fresh berries and grapes with lemons and freshly tilled soil. Taste is sweet and sour with a gread balance of acidity, bitter comes through more than any of the other cantillon beers with the exception of Iris. Very complex. Mouthfeel is crisp, yet smooth. Enourmous long lasting aftertaste.

Enjoyed at Cantillon. Ruby orange with off white head, fades to thin ring, light lacing. Nose is dominated by the peppery grapes, light wood and horse blanket finish it out. Taste is light grape juice with the pepper coming through yet again, some cheesy bretty flavors, and very lightly sour. Creamy carbonation with a light clean finish, not very dry at all. Not my favorite fruit Cantillon by a long shot, nice to try, but this grape doesn’t do anything for me.

From notes. First reviewed 9/20/2011. Zwanze! Served on tap in a Cantillon tasting flute at West Lakeview Liquors for Zwanze Day 2011. The center of Zwanze has a raspberry hue with grapefruit surrounding and transparent edges. Typical for the style, a quick fading white head maintains only a ring around the glass. The aroma is pretty phenomenal. Nice moderate barnyard funk, light cherry, tart lemons, and a little stinky cheese. A light malt flavor is present up front. Lactic sour cherry, white grape sweetness, a little balsamic vinegar, with a little bit of straw and white pepper toward the finish. This has a light to medium body, pleasantly funky and sour while still retaining balance. The finish has more vinegar acidity than the start. This was an incredible beer, pretty squarely my favorite of the day. I would still be going back for another pour if there was any left. Zwanze has all of the requisite characteristics of a great sour without needing to bash you over the head with any of them. The gentle balance was appreciated.

Gedronken in Brussel, bij moeder lambic, ruikt fris en naar zure appelsap. Wel lekker, beetje zuur maar vooral zoet.