Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium

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.

2002 Vintage - Clear golden body with a white head that leaves very nice glass lacing. Sour acidic nose, some oak aroma also. Flavor is sour apple, oak, lemons, etc... verfy complex and yummy. Very dry, almost puckering finish. Very nice lambic.

Ever-so-slightly hazed bright gold, a scotch color that is deeper. No real carbonation... just some big bubbles. Aroma is abusive dry horseblanket, sour wood that would take the paint off a building. But at the same time, there is some hidden complexity as it warms that is hard to see. Some light fruit and honey. Very unique lambic taste. It has a bit of a stale wood component, quickly followed by a moderately sour taste. If you let it drift over your tongue, it gets very sour and woody. Pretty good. Trying not to get to jizzy on it... but it is good and mellow.

Hazy golden brown headless liquid funk. Sour musty eathy citric funky offering - just what I wanted. Grassy straw funkiness throughout and then that great lingering tart sourness. Mmmm.

Golden cloudy. Flat with no head. Damp aromas, reminiscent of humid caves and rotten wood. Fruity esters (green apples) and sulfur. Thin, very sour and complex. Too complex to describe.

Young bottle (2003). Lightly hazed golden liquid with a lid of a few big bubbles. Dandelion, ragweed, mild citrus, yogurt and light stewed raisins float about in the aroma. Smooth palate. Mellow flavors of light malt, touch of wood and hopsack, and a little must. No doubt this will be much better in 10 or 15 years.

1999 vintage: Pale golden coloured. Crystal clear. Acidic nose. Very tart, cask character, some salt. Complex like a fine whiskey. Very sour.

I have only managed to try a few lambics, but they do have an addicting quality to them. This one poured a cloudy yellow-orange with just a tiny off-white ring of carbonation. The sour musty aroma was immediately noticeable from several feet away. Had the classic sour/musty lambic flavor that always reminds me of the rind on brie cheese. This was enjoyable to sip, although I do agree with the reviewers who mention this would be better if it had stronger carbonation. Regardless, one sip begged another.