Cantillon Bourgogne Lambic

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium

Thanks to Jason for this one. Cloudy yellow body. Aroma is sour, funky like feet. Flavor is dry, sour, bretty like gym clothes. Effervescent and light on the palate.

Bottle shared by kramer17801. Pours a cloudy yellow wheat color with a small white head. Amazing nose of super tart burlap, dried hay, barnyard, white grapes, tart pears - hugely floral and funky and sweaty, I guess like a pile of steeping compost would smell, but really good (hah!). Hugely acetic, a bit like stomach acid but tastier! Bright, sharp, and acidic up front, then more tart and dry in the back. Really unique and interesting, bright and fruity while tasting quite aged.

Bottle - Thanks Jannik. Cloudy golden - white head. Wood, lemon, citrus, sourness, light barnyard, grapefruits, sweetness, light winey. Dry finish. Lovely !!!

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 4     Pale Yellow(1)->Copper(5) : 2     Still(1)->Volcanic Sparkling(5) : 1
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 1     Lasting: 1     Lacing : 1
Aroma:
Intensity : 4  
Yeast : 4   Bread : XX   Dough : XX   Esters : XX   Phenols : XX   Dusty : 2   Spicy : XX   Apple : 2   Banana : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Brett : 3   Barnyard : 4   Leather : 2   Wood : 5   Vinous : 5   Cheese : 2   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX
Malt : 2   Pilsner : XX   Pale : XX   Vienna : XX   Biscuity : XX   Toasty : XX   Hay : 2   Caramel : XX   Honey : XX   Cereals : XX   Grainy : XX   Wheat : 4
Hops : 1   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : 2   Perfume : XX   Orange : XX   Floral : XX   Lemon/Lime : 3   Herbal : XX   Grassy : XX   Piney : XX
Notes : Pepper : XX   Cloves : XX   Coriander : XX   Ginger : XX   Orange : XX   Earth : XX   Vanilla : XX   Oxidation : XX   Bubblegum : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 2   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 1   Sourness : 4   Acetic : XX   Lactic : 4   Bitterness : XX   Farmy : 3   Complex : 4   Length : 3
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 4   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 1   Clean : XX   Sharp : 3   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : 4   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : XX

Comments: I did not expect this to be an unblended lambic. It is a fascinating beer with bursting white wine character, full-on woodiness, grasping acidity and rather pure flavours. Excellent basic citric fruitiness enhanced by oak and more oak. Relatively soft, subtle and smooth for a Cantillon, but the barrel extraction is a success all the way.

Medium amber/orange pour, a deeper hue than the average lambic, perhaps due to age, perhaps to the particular barrel it rested in for so long. Minimal carbonation, the thinnest ring of bubbles at the absolute edge of the glass. Oak dominates the aroma, both with huge floral and white grape scents. Lactobacillus is formidable. Orangey perfumes flitter from the top. Lemon merengue, cream, light sherry, dough are all noted. Refined - extremely full but mellowed by careful aging. Grape notes are of a condensed and elegant juice. Horseblanket notes are moderate to high. The flavor is extremely oaky. Acidity is high, versatile and fully integrated into a tannic backdrop. Dragon tear sweetness ensues - fiery, perfumed and torrential. Soft and fluffy yeast notes lurk behind the sweet affront. Finishes soft, moderately acidic, lengthy, fading out smoothly. Full bodied mouthfeel, very lightly vinous in texture. Very good, a winning recipe for barrel enhancement.

(750ml Bottle, 2004 vintage) Pours a hazy glowing orange body with a spare bubbles for a head. Aroma of lemon, barnyard funkiness, wood, and grapefruit. Flavor of lemon/grapefruit acidity and earthiness with a wood undertone that leads to a dry finish.

Bottle 2004. Dark orange/brown with a medium ring of bubbles. Nose-big horse blanket, dry tannins, dry berries, dusty/mold, perfect funk, winey, apple cider. All in all the noise is dry and funky and quite beautiful. Taste-very sour and acidic with out being overly so. Light horse/funk, medium barn, unsweet apple juice, dusty, light fruity esters, sharp, woody tannins. Overall very sour and woody with a slap of fruitiness. Excellent.

A Mes rate: 75cl bottle at West during RBESG.
Thanks to Jacob for dipping into his amazing cellar ("I only have 8 bottles left of this...") and Tom for holding off opening this until Sim and I returned from Edinburgh. Cloudy and murky, usual inviting Cantillon looks. Lemon, peach, orange and grapefruit. A citric dream. So smooth intitally with plenty of the wine barrel mellowness showing and with a wonderful dry kick at the finish. Fanbloodytastic.