Cantillon Lou Pepe Gueuze

Brewed by Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Gueuze
Brussels, Belgium

Was able to order a bottle of the 2005 vintage by special request from the private, off menu, stock of Brasserie Beck in Washington D.C. Wasn’t cheap but hell, it was my birthday. Corked wine bottle pours a translucent, hazy orange color that looks a bit like grapefruit juice with a cloudy, swirling white head. Aroma was amazing, slight, zesty citrus with grass, hay, tart fruits, pears, earthy, a little malty, meyer lemons, white grapes, with plenty of Brett coming through early and often. Flavor is similar, the wild yeast complexities come through nicely and the marriage of flavors is more reminiscent of a pricey bottle of wine rather than a pint of ale. Flavor has more of the grass and hay, more earth, lemons, grapefruits, spice, white pepper, white grapes, lemon-lime soda and sweet tarts. Soft, a little chalky, with some slightly zesty bitterness lasting in the mouth. Wish I had a case to age in my cellar because it’s clearly progressing well. I’m not a big sour/geuze fan but this was one of a kind.

2007 bottle, with weird crap on it that smells awful. pours a mostly clear golden amber with a thickish off-white head that fades quickly. mmm what a smell. lemon and orange citrus zest, with a sort of earthy/woody/grassy character that reminds me of a forest on a cool fall day. a hint of mustiness, and that sharp sour cantillon funk. a bit more mellow, though, than others i’ve had from cantillon. less fruity and citrusy in the taste, with more of a wheat-like flavor coming out, mixing well with the light malt. a bit of straw and barnyard hang around, and the lemon finds its way in at the end. sharp sour finish, until you get used to it, at which point you notice a light bitterness and a lingering dryness. great mouthfeel - slightly oily, thin enough to be quenching, but never watery. spritzy, as the bottle says, but the carbonation is so little, it doesn’t add much. more mellow than i’m used to from cantillon, or from any gueuze really. it still has that biting acidity, but it’s toned down. great stuff.

This is only my third or fourth geuze, but I think it is the best so far. Striking aroma of musty sour fruit. Sweet straw-like foundation with crazy yeasty fruit and a funky barnyard-like quality that combines the sensation of dried straw/hay with an earthy mustiness. Sour, with high acidity giving it a tartness and dryness to the finish. Interesting and very good.

75cl, exclusive brew Anno 2005, from De Hopduvel Gent, complex brew, balanced, hazy, small head, good sour brew, but too expensive

Thanks to xmarcnolanx for sharing this beautiful gueuze. Pours orange / amber with an off-white rocky head. The aroma is powdery and floral with smooth malt, some tartness, dry lemon zest and a cleanness and fresh aspect that isn’t generally associated with the style. Medium crisp clean powdery feel with light gentle carbonation. The flavor starts quite tart with lemon zest, powder, wild yeastiness, barnyard funk, citric acid and only the slightest hint of lacticness. The finish continues the tartness and is quite complex. An excellent gueuze that I look forward to revisited with a few years on it.

(bottle, 2000 vintage) Pours clear gold with a white head. The aroma is very earthy, musty, with some funky cheese, oak, and some light smoke. The flavor is quite salty and briny for a gueuze, with some mineral flavors, which switched to an oak and yeast finish. Not bad, but this really lacked that subtle sweet fruit undertone which better gueuzes possess.

Brewed ’04. Light hazy yellow, small white head. Mixed mushroom salad nose, some tartness and lactic acid. Quite mellow. Tart and acidic, grapefruit seedy flavor, same mushrooms and sour milk. Just not all that interesting, mellow and lactic.

Very good like everything Cantillon, but this is not one of their best products. Gold color. Barnyard flavor with an astringency. Sour, but light palate, like champagne. Low carbonation.