Welcome back to another Sunday Session Craft Beer Lover’s. Today’s beer is non other than Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic bio 2015 season.
That’s right! This is one hard to find beer and regarded as one of the best barrel aged Lambic beer’s in the world. The Cantillon brewery in Anderlecht, Belgium has been brewing Lambic’s since 1900 and their beer’s are truly exquisite.
I really took my time with this one and gave it the time it so rightfully deserved. There will be a lot of description here and those reading should remember that I’m pulling every little nuance out of this beer. Some description may sound off putting but believe me their not upfront in your face aroma or tastes and work together to create a beautifully funky Belgian Lambic beer.
So here we go,
Appearance – Pours hazy medium gold with orange highlights, head is spritzy and short lived leaving a slight ring which also disappeared after the first sip. Effervescence of champagne as with all Lambic beer’s. I used a Belgian Crystal Gueuze glass for this tasting so everything should be on the mark but it’s not the best to determine appearance.
Aroma – lemons squeezed over sugar on pancakes, mandarin, earthiness like a summer sun shower, stale spices, wet hay that’s followed by more complex barnyard aromas, wet horse, horse blanket but not quite sweaty, some vinegary acids, old cheese, licked skin, wet wood and tart acids. Beautiful Lambic nose.
Taste – Wet hay followed by tart lemon, mandarin, green and brown earthiness, woody spice, some vinegary acids but mainly lactic, sweaty cheese, aged hops, salty drift wood, horses/horse blankets,faint apricot, trace sugar and a vaguely vegital intermittent mild bitterness, old bedding in the winter months, dusty oak barrels. Spritzy champagne like body. Beautifully funky with that Lambic sourness I so crave. This is a schooling in old world Lambic beer, impeccable.
Overall- I’m in heaven! I sniffed and sipped this Gueuze over the course of an hour, the changes in it as it warms are astonishing. I’m a freak when it comes to sour beer’s and Gueuze’s are one of my favorites. This was never going to disappoint, lets be honest. If you ever get the chance to purchase a Cantillon don’t pass it up. This was a religious experience and hopefully one day I’ll get to have it again.
So I’m off to curl up into a ball and rock backwards and forwards while mumbling something about Cantillon…….
Well thats a wrap for this week my beer brethren, So stay tuned, drink up and brew strong! I’ll catch you all next week on the Sunday Session.
Cheers Swannie,
The Alechemist.