Cantillon Soleil de Minuit

Formerly brewed at Cantillon
Style: Lambic - Fruit
Brussels, Belgium

1.5L bottle, shared at Akkurat on Sept 25 09 with my cousin, ggaughan. 1999 Vintage. The bottle arrived covered in dust, with a very small label on the neck.
Pours straw to golden color, with a slight haze. The off-white head begins one-finger thick, and gradually fades to a thin ring that persists to the last sip. The tart berry aroma is fairly intense and can be picked up from a few feet away. Tart berries take the forefront, and are nicely complimented by lemon, wheat, earth and a firm lactic backbone. The flavor was moderately tart and fairly acidic, with the cloudberries integrating quite nicely with the gueuze. Lemon, brett, and earthy character compliment the tartness and add depth. The berry character clings to the soft palate for a lengthy finish, and seem to become more pronounced as they linger. This was a great experience, and one of the biggest highlights of my beer travels.

I have been waiting to try this beer for so long and was dissapointed to find they did not have 75cl bottles of this at Akkurat when I visited in August 2008. On a return trip in September 2009 my cousin krkearney and I split a 1.5 litre magnum of it ourselves! Vintage 1999. The beer poured a slight hazy golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Bottle appeared flat as there was no pop when the cork was removed but there was definite life left in the bottle. The nose had a very unique and interesting berry character. A bit tart as well. The taste had a strong tart and acidic character. Lovely berry notes, a bit of wood and pepper in the background. The cloudberries are very present in this beer and make for a fantasticly unique beer.

Bottle 75cl. [ Vintage 1999 ].
Unclear medium yellow orange color with a average to large, frothy, good lacing, fully lasting, white to off-white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy barnyard, gastric acid, wet yeast, cloudberry. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet, heavy acidic and bitter, vinegar, and heavy sour with a long duration, dry and very sour finish. Body is light to medium, texture is watery, carbonation is soft - flat. [250908]

(Bottle 75 cl) Hazy amber golden with an off-white head. Very unusual aroma from the cloudberries. Medium body, strange dusty touch and again these very unusual berry accents before a massive acidity in the finish. 061008

Hazy amber with tiny off white head. Sour aroma with berries, grapefruit and accidig notes. Sor flavour with barnyard, accidig and sour berries. Ends sour. Lovely!

Bottle at Akkurat. Clear amber - white head. Cloudberries (multebær), light sweetness, light disolved white sugar, light dusty, "amber", nice round mouthfeeling with medium dry/acid finish. OK - It is supposed to have been better !!!

Akkurat bottle A man tries not to be influenced by those things, but the staff needing half an hour to fetch the beer you were looking forward to, the INAO Cantillon glass it comes into, th classy basket that is used for service, the unlabeled bottle, the still noisy pop upon opening... they make a lasting impression and sets the mood for what one may call a beer experience. Following, the opaque golden to pale orange pour wears a lasting, finely laced 1cm cover despite its 8 years. Fantastic fresh nose then keeps you on your cloud.Delicate and refined hay flavor (a trait that this particular rater particularly adores), complemented by various fruits, the usual lactic qualities, yogurt-like and a very frank, by Cantillon’s standards, citrus attack, lemony and orangey all at once. The barnyard soft farminess that forms the landscape is not without a certain crispness despite a minimal corkiness that hints at cellar conditions. Very smooth champaign like carbonation, comfortable... Well, this one meet the equilibrium between dryness, tartness, freshness.. between lactic and citric acidity. All the while, generous grapeyness borders cranberries. Lots of words, but it’s not the most complex beer, it remains focused and on elegance at that. Vinous. An utmost classic, classy and seemingly untouched by the years. A favorite from Cantillon I would say. I’m anxious to try Per’s cloudberry jelly now:)

Bottle. Pours a hazy golden/roange color with a small thin white head. Tart fruity cloudberry aroma, with some barnyard hints. Sweet malty tart fruity flavor with some weak hints of cloudberry. Tart fruity finish with some bitterness in the aftertaste.