Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Unblended
Brussels, Belgium

1997vintage sampled 6/2004: Musty and sour nose. No carbonation. Supreme sour end that stayed on the lips and sides of the tongue. GRAND CRU 2000: Slightly nutty aroma, with many sour notes bouncing around the mouth. Little carbonation, but enough to add an alco-pop sensation. Certainly not as complex as the older version.

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 thanks to puzzl. Surprisingly sweet. Really strong fresh pineapple and grapefruit. Finishes dry, but not as dry as I expect for the style. Sourness is far from overwhelming. Some woody notes. Lacking some complexity. No carbonation at all. Medium body. Pretty good beer, but not killer or anything.

Bottle at the Thirsty Monk. Pours a translucent gold with no head. The nose is tart and musty, nice yeasty barnyard aromas, acidic, mild phenol with some warmth. Flavor is tart and acidic, a little more one dimensional than a blended lambic, acetic, funky and yeasty, some phenol and astringency on the palate.

Pours hazy orange-yellow with no head. Aroma, like the taste, is pretty standard: citrus, yeast, hay, sourness. Nice dry finish. Not an altogether outstading beer.

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.