Tag Archives: belgium

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Unblended

Cantillon Oude Lambic

Friday, 12 August 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Unblended)

Brewer Description: From the cask and aged 18 months.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.93
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: From the cask, aged 18 months. Tasted at the brewery, poured from a jug into a Cantillon tasting glass.
Appearance: It was a clear dark golden orange colour with no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Funky and sour with hints of wood and lemon.
Taste: Sour, tart and funky with a touch of hay and lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with pretty much no carbonation.
Overall: Quite nice, but I tend to prefer at least a bit of carbonation.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Fruit

Cantillon Mamouche

Thursday, 11 August 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: aka and first brewed as Cantillon Zwanze 2009

Brewer Description: (from bottle as seen online, US label) Classic Cantillon lambic made with fresh elderflower by master brewer Jean Van Roy in honor of his mother, Claude, granddaughter of brewery founder Paul Cantillon. Store and serve this rare bottle at cellar temperature.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.97
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: 2016 version. A 500ml pour on tap at Moeder Lambic Fontainas, Brussels into a Cantillon gueuze glass.
Appearance: It was a clear-ish golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had excellent retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Nose is mainly sour, flowery and grape. (I have no idea what elderflower smells like, so I’ve described it as a generic ‘flowery’).
Taste: Grape, white wine notes, flowers, grape gummy candy, sour and funky.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and I would drink more, but it’s not my favourite lambic.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Unblended

Cantillon Bruocsella Grand Cru

Tuesday, 12 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Unblended)
Other Notes: Lambic Bio 2012

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The Lambic Grand Cru Cantillon is like a cereals-based wine. It is a Lambic that has matured for three years in oak-wood casks and has been selected for its unique colour, bouquet and aroma. It has a very long shelf life. It should be served in a wine glass at a temperature of 12-15 degrees. Store in a cool cellar. Beer with taste evolution. To be drunk preferably within 20 years after the bottling date.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle bottled on 21st August 2015 and poured into a wine glass.
Appearance: It poured a very slightly cloudy golden orange colour with pretty much no head at all and very sparse lacing if any.
Aroma: Leather, oak, malt vinegar, dusty, chalk and funky. Maybe a hint of apricot but not really.
Taste: Tart, sour, green apple, vinegar, lemon juice, oak and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with pretty much no carbonation.
Overall: The taste was decent and better than the aroma. However with every sip, the aroma kind of gets to me. The dusty and chalky element just wasn’t my cup of tea. In addition, the complete lack of carbonation was not so good. Perhaps this particular beer is just not for me considering all the other world class Lambics that I’ve tried.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Dubbel, Belgium, Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)

Trappist Westvleteren 8

Monday, 11 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren)
Country: Belgium
ABV: 8%
Style: Belgian Dubbel
Other Notes: Blue cap. Trappist beer

Brewer Description: Not much info on their website and obviously even less on the bottle.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.32
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a sell-by date that has unfortunately rubbed off. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark brown colour with some small sediment bits despite a careful pour. There was a one finger beige head that had pretty good retention and eventually settled to a nice thin but puffy cap and nice curtain like lacing.
Aroma: Strong dark fruits of plum, prunes, raisin, fig with hints of dark cherry and toffee.
Taste: Like the aroma, there is lots of dark fruit with raisin, dark cherry and prunes dominating. There’s also some plum, fig, brown sugar and a touch of alcohol that’s not overpowering.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: It’s a very nice Dubbel. Great dark fruit flavours and very balanced. Interestingly though, after trying both many times, I am still leaning towards enjoying Westmalle Dubbel just that slight bit more.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, Brasserie Cantillon, Lambic - Fruit

Cantillon Kriek

Sunday, 10 July 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie Cantillon
Country: Belgium
ABV: 5%
Style: Belgian Lambic (Fruit)
Other Notes: Ingredients from organic agriculture

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Because of its complex flavour and its acidulous taste, the Kriek Cantillon is a unique and very thirst-quenching beer. The ingredients come from organic agriculture. Beer with evolving flavour. Keep and serve at cellar temperature (12-15 degrees). In order to fully appreciate the fruity taste of the Kriek Cantillon, it is recommended to drink it within one year after buying it. To be drunk preferably within ten years after the bottling date. Beer with krieken.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.62
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle bottled on 18th June 2015 (just over a year old) and poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy dark ruby red colour with a two finger dark pinkish-white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet and tart cherry with touches of strawberry. Lots of oak woodiness and only a hint of barnyard funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, lemon, oak and just a touch of funk.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Wonderful, so refreshing and well balanced. I could drink this all day.

words of another dreamy traveller