Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium

Upon it disembarking the 750ml green bottle resides in the glass a beclouded straw color with a smallish off white head and the resultant lace a thin but sealing sheet. Nose is tart, with hints of sour apples, citrus like in its crispness; start is dry and sour with the top light. Finish continues the devastatingly tartness, dry as a bleached desert bone, and the aftertaste lingers long, a true lambic lover’s brew that you will love or hate, I love it, but beware its not meant for everyone even if you like most lambics.

A very interesting brew. No carbonation whatsoever, completely flat. Pale gold in color, apple juice aroma and perfect balance. Flavor is lacking but balance is not.

2000: Acidic champagne taste, with an intense end. 1997: Light yellow. Much more complex than its newer brother.

The Lure:
The Cantillon Gueuze signature is definitely present, although it seems to be a bit tired as there is less carbonation to push it. A sugary component also appears to make it distinctive.

The Festivities:
Musky pineapples and orange pulp merge with the lemony tartness, starfruit sourtalks the honey sweetness, as the cask ale feel makes the brettyness feel gentle. This is a white wine/table lambic combo, with subdued tartness and acidity for a Cantillon.

Transcendence:
Dormant from the distance obviously does not prove to be a reliable source in such a case.

bottle. my first Cantillon (and of the style), finally!! smells slightly sour and also of pears and apples. clear golden, flat head. WOW! complexity that you wouldn’t imagine just from the aroma. mouth puckering sourness, acidic. some fruitiness. very tasty, I’m quite impressed.

Bottle 2005 vintage: Pours an orange golden color, with virtually no head and no carbonation. Aroma was sour, with some funkiness. Flavor had a lemony tartness to it, some oak. The mouthfeel was what really threw me off with this beer, the complete lack of carbonation gave it an almost wine like texture, with a very dry finish. It was just bizarre and took me a while to adjust to it. By the end of my glass I was starting to enjoy it, though I think I still prefer the blended lambics.

Wow. Never had anything like this before. Had at Max’s on Broadway in Baltimore during the Belgain Beer Festival. It looks like any other pilsner or pale lager, light and golden. Lots of carbination. Smells of gasoline and sour lemon. Tastes the same. Reminds me of Lock Jaw candies we ate as kids. Very sour. Surprisingly it doesn’t have an offensive aftertaste. The initial blast of sour lemon is pretty much all you get. Great to share amongst friends but not recommended for a night of drinking.

Bottle 2005:Cloudy deep orange with just about no head. Nice nose. Overall citric acidity, with leather, soft grapefruit notes, musty damp basement. Not much carbontation, very slick. Flavor is less sour than expected. Tart lemon character with an overall citric acidity. Has some leather, dust, oak tannins and a clean acidic finish. Not the most complex Cantillon but nice. This is only my second unblended and I don’t think I enjoy them as much as blended Lambics.