Cantillon Groseille à Maquereau

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Brussels, Belgium

Bottle, at One Pint Pub, Helsinki (12 euros). When at the One Pint, one must drink the special Cantillons, even if it is a rather expensive experience. The name is a little confusing for us Brits as it would appear that Groseille can be translated as either Gooseberry or Redcurrant. It seems that Maquereau is also a slang term for a pimp. Judging from the label this is made with red Gooseberries. I think I agree with Joris that this isn’t the best fruit to use in a lambic. They don’t seem to provide much in the way of fruit flavour, just an additional hit of tart acidity. The overall impression is overwhelmingly sharp, almost lemony. This produces a firm and refreshing beer but the flavour lacks a little depth. The aroma is classic Cantillon farmyard but the addition of fruit is none too apparent. Colour is golden amber. Still a good beer, but, by Cantillon’s high standards, I didn’t think it was one of their best, to my palate at least.

Originally serious amberish head, gone fast, but transparant rim stays on; very high carbonation in rusty-orange beer. Typical Cantillon nose with leather, Brett and very fruity - but in this case, the fruit is unrecognisable; could be anything, including sloeberry with lemon. Dry, very tart fruity - again lemon, lime and lemonrind. Brett is obvious, but the tart fruit is really all-determinant. Adstrigent in the finish, long lasting fruity flavours. Very dry, very tart, hint of adstringency, acidburn. Not on this database, but I have also tasted the green gooseberry lambic (not commercialised yet) for HBL (these are red-purple gooseberry), and the verdict stays the same: I think gooseberries are not athe best option to be married with lambic. The aroma & flavour are not recognisable, and they are just blowing up the tartness.

Bottle. Pours a pale red with a small head. Aroma is tart, funky and red goosberries. Taste is sweet fruit, tart, sour and cantillon funkyness

375ml bottle brewed in 2003 from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/finland/ target=blank>One Pint Pub in Helsinki, Finland. Golden-orange in colour, thin white head ring around the glass, some lace. The aroma was sweeter then the regular Groseille, some gooseberry tartness, light sourness and some barnyard. The flavour is tart and sour (albeit less then the regular Groseille), sweet gooseberries, cranberries, barnyard, acidic. Mildly dry mouthfeel, medium/light body, high carbonation. Finishes quite dry but seems to go away to quickly. Very refreshing. More accessible and much sweeter then the Groseille, but it all seems to work very well in this case.

(Bottled) Hazy dark peach color with a small, white head. Very berry-fruity, earthy an mildly tart aroma. Quite tart, but slightly sweet gooseberry juice flavor with wheat and a fading cucumber finish. Light to medium-bodied, quite dry and astringent palate with low carbonation. Quite easy for a Cantillon - not as sour and dry as some. Still a good, hand-made and healthy-feeling lambic.

Bottle. Orange color. Sour, leathery, sulfury and mineral aroma with mild parfymy gooseberry notes. Lactic sourness, leather and sulfur dominates the flavor. Berries come back in the finish. Could use a bit more fruit. Sulfury flavor narrowed down some points.

Bottle (2003). Hazy orange brown colour, mediumsized white head. Cantillonish sourness with some other berries. Same in flavour. Good as all Cantillons, but felt quite easy to drink, just like the Red Currant one (Groseille). 7 3 7 3 13

Bottled@One Pint Pub, Helsinki. Golden colour, small white head. Aroma is big wooden sourness, and wood along with some really nice. Flavour is sour wood, some mild sweetness. Extreme dryness. 8 4 8 4 16.

Bottled, made from vintage 2003 lambic
Hazy amber pink color, small head. Sour, not very strong aroma with leather notes. Fruity , of course dry, flavor. Raw red gooseberries are there with earthy notes. Juicy and "easy to drink" - Cantillon.