Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium

Cloudy Orange Coloring. Big White Head. I Don’t Know How Else to say it But a Cloudy Flavor. Sweet..Some Citrus, Then Sour/Tart. Little Dry and Agreeably Pulpy a the End. Definitly One to Keep Around. Very Enjoyable to Drink.

Bottle at Ommegang, 2005. Yellow, clear, no head, and little in the way of carbonation. Funky juicy sour aroma and flavors, typical of cantillon. Well balanced and drinkably delicious.

Hazy golden orange with a big foamy white head. Aroma is sour apples and barnyard. Very tart and sour. Sharp cheese like flavor beneath the tartness. Finish is dry bitter and tart.

Bottled in 2003, so says my cork. Marvelous, golden, peachy color, hazy as she comes, with no head to speak of...nose is sour, lemony, musty, a bit of vinegar and orange peel, and some spiciness...and stil a little dry...some complex stuff, so far! Oooo! Sourness grips the tastebuds, claws fast like an eagle’s talons as it hits the tongue, bumps and climbs and cavorts all over the palate, one restless little brew we have here....it mellows some, plays gamely in the mouth afterwards and settles, sour has put down it’s pistols and is laying it out lightly now...but, with each subsequent sipping, the dance begins again, a blitz of a ballet in the mouth, a whirl of a dervish... body is light, but flavor is huge, and the impact on the senses is enormous, with a softly sour lingering finish. A relentless masterpiece, this Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru, a bold, yet benevolent fellow. My mouth won’t know quite what to do with itself when the bottle is gone.

Bottled 2002, Sampled February 2004
The cork pulls with an apparent lack of carbonation. An immediate sour musty aroma wafts from the bottle. When poured into my glass the complete & total lack of carbonation is quite apparent. Cool just like having a traditional Lambic straight from the barrel. The aroma is of course dominated by sour acidic notes but there is an apparent woody aroma and a sharp note of urea as well. The beer itself is a hazy light orange color, and because of the non-existent carbonation there is no head at all.

Strong notes of grapefruit are in the taste of this beer. At first I did not think this beer was all that acidic, but as the beer moved past the front of my mouth the full acidity of this Lambic kicked in. This beer has a very light body, which is accentuated by the lack of carbonation. I get notes of bergamot in the middle, and notes of tannin in the finish. This beer has the full suite of funky Lambic characteristics, though the musty-leather/ barnyard character is perhaps a bit subdued compared to some others. There are some notes of a good stinky French farmhouse cheese, as well as some woody funky-wild mushroom characteristics in my glass. This particular bottle of Lambic is not all that acidic compared to most of the Cantillon range. It is of course surprisingly sour at first, but, unlike most, the acidity seems to reign in after a bit. This is so complex, you can sip and try & dissect all of the competing flavors until the end of your glass, then you wish you had more because you feel like there were a couple of things that you missed.

This is a great (and one of the few) examples of a traditional Lambic. This beer is one of the few chances for most to sample an unblended Lambic, and for this alone Cantillon is to be applauded. I do like this beer quite a bit. A bit of warning though, these flat bottles of Lambic need to be served warmer than usual, about 60*F (15*C), as I find uncarbonated Lambic needs to be a bit warmer than usual in order to fully express it's charms.

Bottle (from Cantillon, ’03 Bottle ’07). Rich golden orange apple juice appearance. Soft slightly cheesey cellar aroma with light citrussy acidity. Mild earthy fruitiness in mouth and restrained sourness for Cantillon. Laid back and very drinkable but with backs of flavour. I imagine this would be more aggressive after longer in the bottle.

Pours gold with some minimal carbonation. Smells of tarte lemon, farmyard funk, dust, oaky and perfumy. Tastes of tarte lemons and not overly sour which was a little surprising. Some underlying hints if earthiness emerge throughout the drinking. Mouthfeel is light and airy with the finish a nice refreshing tarte lemonness that lingers forever. This is a truly amazing beer I wish I could drink every day.

Wow...FLAT. Great sourness, but the rest seemed a tad watery. Greatly refreshing without effervesence. I wish I had a better supply of unblendeds that I could compare, but for now, this will do.