Cantillon Classic Gueuze
100% Lambic, brewed and bottled by Brasserie Cantillon in Brussels, Belgium
ABV – ??
Serving – 12.7 oz. bottle
$9.00
Lambics: not for the faint of heart
For many beer enthusiasts, Lambics are the proverbial holy grail of beer. They are mysterious, complex, and they carry with them a long brewing history. They are also brewed through a process that completely contradicts modern-day brewing practices.
Most beer, and especially commercial beer, is brewed in a sanitized and highly controlled environment. It is kept away from the light and air, and made with relatively fresh ingredients. Commercial breweries have perfected their ability to recreate the exact same beers over and over again through complete control of the entire brewing process.
Lambics, on the other hand, throw caution to the wind. They are brewed with old, stale hops, and left out in open vessels to be fermented spontaneously by wild yeast and bacteria. They are often stored in wooden barrels, and left to mature, becoming increasingly sour as the years pass. In the case of Cantillon’s Gueuze, three year-old lambic is blended with one and two year-old lambics. The younger beers are less sour than the older beers, helping to balance the sourness of the final beer.
For more info on this beer visit http://www.cantillon.be/br/Cantillon.php?lang=3&page=101
Aroma
Musky and sour
Appearance
A little cloudy, golden, and a little off-colored – as if it were warning you that it’s not your typical brew.
Taste
If you’ve ever had a lambic, you know what to expect. This on is lightly carbonated, with intense sourness. It certainly does not taste like beer. It almost bites your tongue with sourness and tang. There is a pleasant sweetness coupled with some earthy spice which emerges after the sourness subsides. The beer has a musky and dry quality to it which is hard to describe. The sourness seems to coat the mouth in much the same way as a sour candy.
Would I buy it again?
I am a fan of lambics so I would probably pick this one up again, but I would probably prefer trying a different version, or perhaps a Kriek (a lambic brewed with cherries).
Found at:
D’Vines
3103 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010
http://www.d-vines.com/
