Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic-Bio (Organic Gueuze) - Brasserie Cantillon

popery

California

4.44/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Draft, City Beer Store. A wonderful beer and an excellent take on the style. This isn’t my favorite gueuze in the world, but that’s hardly a real complaint. This beer pours yellow-orange and fairly cloudy with a tight white cap. There’s a ton of funk, fruit and grain in the nose. It smells of barnyards, lemons, sour apples, hay, grass and leather. The taste is dry with a big sour bite. I’ve had a couple bottles of this beer in the past, and the keg seemed a bit tarter, though I have no idea of its age. The beer tastes like lemons and brett. It’s deep and earthy. It doesn't seem quite as complex as the best of the style but still lots going on and it could well be an issue of batch variation. More importantly, it’s a pleasure to drink. I finished my glass much too quickly and would have loved another (for a lower price).

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2013 02:19:47 | More by popery

alfrantzell

California

3.88/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

On tap at Moeder Lambic. Strange, being able to get gueuze on draft. Stranger still that it tastes cleaner, crisper, and less funky.

Maybe it's the temperature. I warm the glass in my hand and revisit it. The oaken horseblanket still takes a backseat to the sourness. It's refreshing. Not quite as smooth as Cuvee Saint-Gilloise, but along those lines.

Another masterful liquid from Cantillon.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2010 08:31:43 | More by alfrantzell

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours a hazy bronze-yellow color with a half-finger white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of barnyard funk with very slight hints of nondescript fruit sweetness.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sharp acidic flavors up front smooth out into a funky tartness. The level of tartness is actually a bit lighter than what I was expecting from Cantillon for this style. Tart green apple and unripe pear flavors lurk in the background. The ending is crisp.

Mouthfeel is good. It has a moderate thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished the glass fairly quickly and could have another.

Overall as I mentioned before this wasn't terribly over the top in sourness and was actually quite well balanced. Worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2009 00:38:18 | More by glid02

cjgator3

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap 

A- On-tap at Redlight Redlight in Orlando, FL. I was really excited to see this on-tap. 

S- The aroma is fantastic! There is some floral notes, along with a lot of sour and oak. Damn near perfection!

T- The taste like the aroma gives you that nice sour flavor I have come to love in a good gueze. I love it, great stuff!

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a good amount of carbonation. 

D- Simply put, this stuff is amazing on-tap. I could drink this all night long!

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2009 23:30:43 | More by cjgator3

PhillyStyle

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap (8/6/09) at the Brick Store Pub, .25L serving in an oversized wine glass:

A - The beer appeared a hazy golden color that produced a finger's worth of head that was not retained, but as will be noted below, the beer had very little carbonation in it anyway, so I don't think that I can really ding it too much.

S - The aroma was different, as expected, lemon and lime perhaps and maybe some other fruits, grapefruit maybe, but a definite sour-ish aroma coming through. I really liked it.

T - At first the sour really hits you over the head, but after the initial shock, it has a really nice flavor, follows the nose almost to a T. The freshness/youngness of the beer is really noticeable on the pallet. It is kind of tough to explain how you can tell, but you just can.

M/D - I would say that the beer had a light medium feel to it, sweet and a little sticky, dry and once you get past the sourness of it, extremely easy to drink. Overall, very well done and a beer that I will most certainly have again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2009 19:08:04 | More by PhillyStyle

jrallen34

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I drank this from the tap into a pint glass.

It pours light brown with a white head, and decent lacing.

It smells sour, with hints of grass and citrus.

The taste is ok, its very sour, almost to sour to drink. I tried it as a taste before I got it, and I'm glad I did because I probably couldn't have finished the glass.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2009 15:22:34 | More by jrallen34

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the Brass Rail deli and bottle shop. Served chilled in a wine glass.

A - A honey amber w/ very light white speckling the surface w/ visible carbonation and a ring on the glass w/ pin points for beading.

S - An intensely sour citrus note w/ mild rind aroma w/ a nie complement of funk, hints of spice and mild melon aromas. The bret yeast is up front and the odor is very captivating

M - An acidic yeast yet spritzy feel. The malt is slightly nutty and the beer finishes clean w/ a subtle spiciness. The tart lingers on as the vanilla/toast notes of the wood are noticeable

T - a huge tartness w/ lemon and citrus rind and melon flavors. The vanilla oakiness which leaves a subtle nut and caramel taste w/ tangerine flavor and the pith w/ hints of grapefruit and slightly lactic sourness.

D - I can only have a glass at time since this has a certain intensity. This is a beer to savor for me. The gueze has more complexity than any lambic I have tasted and would return to this example again many more times. I think this is one of the most enjoyable of the style I have had-very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2008 18:53:18 | More by Slatetank

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: This was a slightly hazy, pale golden color. It was served to me without a head.

s: Classic gueuze funk, but with a little something missing. This lacked the "prickly" quality I've found in all the bottle conditioned gueuzes I've tried.

t: Here again, this tasted fine, but there wasn't that yeasty "ooomph" I was expecting. It was tart and mildly acidic with flavors of apple cider vinegar. Still, it just didn't seem to be all there.

m: Moderately fizzy carbonation and an average gueuze body.

d: So this wasn't as good as bottles versions of this style that I've tried. I was still tempted to order another.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2008 21:29:46 | More by DIM

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at the Brass Rail deli in Campbelltown, PA.

A: The geueuze is light orange, fairly hazy with little head. In fact, the ale barely looks carbonated.

S: The nose is tart, sour with citric acid. Grainy bread flavors are evident after the initial tartness passes.

T: Tartness, lemony and citric, is intense with a high pucker factor. The tartness is acidic not acetic, funky but not vinegary. As the funk passeed, a strangely medicinal flavor emerged. It took me a while to pin it down but the taste is that of penicillin.

M: The transition of tart to medicinal is abrupt and that finish leaves a bit to be desired.

D: One glass was sufficient, but I do have a bottle that I'm anxious to try. If only to see if the penicillin flavor is there.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2008 02:00:43 | More by akorsak

futurefjp

United Kingdom (England)

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Not bad, but a real experience. Not a session ale, but a step outside the comfort zone for me. This to me is Cider/Wine/Beer...I find the taste confusing and its so tart...but its very crafty and refreshing. I think this is a really skillful beer to produce as there is simply so much happening so hats off to the Master Brewers in Belgium yet again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2008 14:34:59 | More by futurefjp

ROMER79

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had to post this beer. I had this beer for the first time ever at a bar in Philadelphia called Jose Pistola's. They actually have this treasure on tap. Not only is it on tap it comes in an imported glass from Belgium which holds 10 oz for your enjoying pleasure. It is $13 dollars for a 10oz, but that is not bad considering what the owners have to go through to keep this beer on tap. I suggest that if you get a chance to try the beer, try it! Don't let the price scare you away, it is well worth it.

A: A nice golden yellow with a white head and bubbly like champagne.

S: Very sweet like a fruit salad or cotton candy.

T: Sour, bitter, and dry. Champagne like.

M: Very dry almost like wine, yet bubbly like champagne.

D: If you conquer the bitter/sour feel, you can drink this like your favorite wine. Bubbly!

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2008 18:02:14 | More by ROMER79

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2012 Vintage 375 bottle at beerbistro.

Pale orange colour, ring of white head, no real lace to mention, decent head retention. Smell is funky with lots of fruit, lemony with some tart green apple skin, acidic with a bit of wet hay as well. Taste is ful of sharp tart lemon, funky, mild acidity, light balsamic and grape skin flavours, sour mid palate and puckering, clean finish with a light sweetness. Medium high carbonation, crisp medium full body. A really nice and refreshing beer, great acidity without being too sour, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 13:56:58 | More by peensteen

hopoilcrazy

Tennessee

4.29/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

So excited to see this busted out at Yazoo Embrace the Funk Fest

A - Great hazy straw color

S - "horse blanket" and barnyard. I almost got some really ripe bleu cheese or maybe manure. I guess that may be called "baby diaper"

T - Really great tang. Guessing that it is around 3.9 pH, but it suggests more. Awesome flavor, it really achieves the semblance of being a blend of very old lambic and young: tart lemon zest notes coupled with funky cave-y tannic qualities

M - Very dry and medium bodied. If I weren't so drunk by the time I got to this beer at the fest I would have enjoyed it much more, but it was still a treat.

Thanks, Embrace the Funk!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 23:03:40 | More by hopoilcrazy

beerpirates

Belgium

3.99/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

75 cl bottle poured into my cantilion tulip glass

Appearance - A nice solid, light gold color. The2 finger head is the faintest soap bubbles, dissipates into a thin ring. Looks nice.

Smell - All kinds of funk. Wet hay, horse blanket. Vinegar, is probably the first smell. Tart apples make an appearance. Smells very nice.

Taste - Very dynamic. Tart apples up front. A real sourness, almost lemon, follows. There is some lime as well , wet hay , musty spider webs

Mouthfeel - A tad thin. I would really like a little more carbonation to balance this out. The lack of bubbles is making it a little hard to drink. Too much like sour water.

Drinkability - Not bad. It's nice and tart, But the carbonation is very fine, and not as aggressive as I'd like.

This is a very nice beer. Sort of interesting and funky. I'd enjoy it again, but it's not my favorite of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 18:50:41 | More by beerpirates

MCain04

Illinois

3.84/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Split with a buddy, 12/3/12 bottle poured into a 10 oz snifter glass.

A: cloudy, murky yellow/orange body, minimal white head with rimming around the edges.

S: Sweet and fruity, sour cherries and grapes, with a good amount of funk on the nose. Some bready and yeasty notes.

T: Modest sour grapes and lemons, funky aftertaste, but a little thin on the overall taste.

M: Surprisingly dry and overcarbonated. Thin body.

O: First beer from Cantillon, I'm a little disappointed overall, still a decent sour but I've had much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 22:06:36 | More by MCain04

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.06/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

375ml Bottle from Good Spirits Co., Glasgow (£5.20):
Bright and cloudy, orange amber colour with a one centimetre tall, short lived head that was bubbly and disappeared fast leaving only a few bits of white lace around the circumference on the glass.

Tarty initally with some sourness and a fair amount of lemon and sour grapes. There is a lot of different fruits noticeable on the nose; these include some apple and peach along with a strong acidic aroma.

Acidic and tarty up front with a nice mix of lemon, some vinegar and sour grapes. There is some lemongrass and a nice acidic bite with plenty of additional sourness. The flavour is one that enhances tenfold once left to settle for a few minutes too.

Very smooth, sour and tarty on the palate with a light body, plenty of carbonation and a crisp finish.

Quite a good beer, but only after it opens up a little and has been left to settle for a couple of minutes to left the extremly sour and tarty flavours die down some. It was a great beer though with plenty of depth and character, it was also pretty much what I was expecting for the beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 16:29:30 | More by flyingpig

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at Moeder Lambic

Comes served in the Cantillon tumbler glass.

White head and a hazy dark golden body.

Lots of funkiness in the aroma. Green apples and vinegar.

Green apples, vinegar, white grape, and a funkiness that lingers that is musty and a touch cheesy.

Mild carbonation and super smooth.

Triple G beer here...great goddamn gueuze.

Serving type: cask

01-14-2013 08:54:59 | More by MattSweatshirt

SpeedwayJim

New York

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage. Japanese 375ml bottle into a Cantillon flute. Shared with schen9303. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a .5 finger foamy white head with poor retention. Beer is a clear goldenrod. Oily legs with little to no lace. Average.

Nose is lemon zest, hay, and wet wood. Some mild funkiness though very clean overall. Appetizing and aromatic.

Opens tart lemon zest, yeast, oak, cobwebs. Sweet fruit upfront. Hay. Finishes tart and dry with a little to no aftertaste. Simple and clean. Great reflection of the nose.

Light to medium bodied with ample carbonation. Prickly and lively in the mouth and goes down oily and slick. Finishes dry with no aftertaste. Near perfect for the style.

Decent overall and clearly one of the better made gueuzes. However, considering this is from Cantillon, I'm a bit disappointed. There's a lack of a cheesiness and this is, all things considered, a touch too sweet for the style. Still worth having though.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 03:31:31 | More by SpeedwayJim

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Momar42 for all three gueuzes (and the kriek surprise afterwards!) This was part of the gueuze showdown, pitting Tilquin's gueuze against the juggernaut duo known as Cantillon Gueuze and Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze. Part of a 750mL bottle poured into a Cantillon tulip. Notes from last night's Skins/Cowboys game.

A: Pours a hazy golden color. The head is a half finger white color with poor retention.

S: This one had the most balanced hybrid between winy fruit tartness and earthy funk. A very expressive aroma, and the best one of the three (by a small margin).

T: Acetic sourness comes on the palate fast and hard, and then afterwards cheesy, earthy funk...finishes the flavor profile fast and hard. This was the boldest and most complex of the three, yet it wasn't that much harsher than the 3F (certainly it was somehow more subtle than Tilquin's offering). Shockingly easy to drink for me.

M: The finish is the 'dirtiest' and most tannic of the three, closing the palate with big dryness, yet minimal harshness. This one is actually pretty thick in its texture, accentuating a fuller level of carbonation than the 3F Oude Geuze.

O: This was the winner in my book - but I wouldn't dare recommend this one to beginners. There is a sense of subtle delicacy to it; however the bigness of the acetic sourness, wet hay, and cheesy funk WILL scare off the average Fat Tire drinker the way a celery stalk scares off a fat kid. And moreso than the other two gueuzes, in fact. To those acclimated to the style's idiosyncrasies, this one's hard to beat.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 17:29:02 | More by ThisWangsChung

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 37,5cl corked and capped bottle into a snifter. Bottled dated August 31, 2012. Cellaring a second.

A - pours a glowing golden/peachy color; a significant head of foam and lace dissipates within a couple minutes to just about nothing; carbonation present up front but again, disappears quickly

S - really musty; pungent of sour fruit; peach and strawberry notes; lemon and sour grapes; green apples and that funk that comes with the beer (I suppose)

T - up-front, it's all sour green apples; the barnyard funk and basement musty come secondarily; a bit of vinegar but overall, well-balanced flavors that spam the spectrum of sour fruits to stankonia funk

M - light, drinkable; 'easy'-bodied; lightly carbonated; the sour notes bring some puckering elements upon consumption; dry, slightly acidic

O - this was my very first foray in to the eminent gueuze style; I've enjoyed traditional fruit lambics but have never accessed or noticed on the shelf anything in the gueuze style until the last couple months; I'll explore others and imagine there are tastier offerings. This beer is certainly a departure from my normal roster of consumables, but it's balanced, interesting, and leaves you curious and slightly dazed without the bloat or heavy characteristics of other dank (and popular) beer styles.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 01:01:16 | More by SkeeterBoganski

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.53/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Part of a nine gueuze lineup the other day. Fun and education night it was. Got this one at De Bierkoning in Amsterdam.

From a 37,5cl corked and capped bottle into a mini snifter
Bottled 1 December 2011

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, one finger, medium-thin, white head with decent retention. Head fades rather quickly to a thin wisp. Clear gamboge orange or dark amber in color with medium levels of carbonation evident. Head fades to a small half wisp and hangs around for the duration of the glass.

SMELL: Very mouldy and musty on the nose. Dank basement, with old cheese, fungus, and some light lemon esters and green apples. The fruity component is a little outplayed by the musty aromas, unfortunately, but this shows some balance.

TASTE: Musty and mouldy up front, with barnyard notes, hay, and a light hint of lemon sourness at the swallow. Not acidic or vinegary at all. Some more fungus, barnyard and mouldy, musty basement after the swallow, balanced out with a tartness and hints of lemon sourness as well. Quite puckerinly tart. This one shows some balance for sure, though I'd prefer a little less must and mould in favor of fruity tartness.

PALATE: Medium body and lower levels of carbonation. Smooth on the palate, thought it goes down a little watery, finishing quite dry and puckering on the palate. Probably the most puckering of the bunch.

OVERALL: This was a step in the right direction for me, but not quite the flavor profile I prefer in a gueuze. There is an attempt at balancing the mouldy, musty flavors with the tartness, which is much appreciated. It is a quality gueuze with a very good feel to boot, but just not quite my style. This mixed really, really well with the Tilquin though, so don't be afraid to give that a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 19:14:17 | More by Jeffo

smakawhat

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a tumbler at Churchkey on Zwanze day 2012. From notes.

This is very similar in appearance to Fou' Foune, some nice rising columns of carbonation come up through a pale orb glowing lemon amber body. Simple off white head on top with a creamy looking top. Very nice.

Nose is a little bit closed though. Moderate funk aromas. Clean, but not much else going on and kind of mild.

Palate hits with a very sharp bite on first sips. Hot brett? on the swallow bringing sour lemon qualities in the mouth. Peppery. Stinging white hot pepper. Body is very vinous in feel and comes across much like wine. Afterfinish is incredibly long and staying. I could feel pepper on my tongue for minutes even after I finished this.

Overall a fun gueze, and enjoyable drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 14:26:44 | More by smakawhat

cbeer88

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Tasted blindly in Blind BIF #7 as 1 of 5 gueuzes. Poured into snifter.

A: Golden, medium head, spotted lacing, thinnest looking of the bunch.

S: Barnyard funk and wheat balanced, with a strong sour note

T: Moderate to high sour level, more funky, with a bitter backend. Nice wood.

M: Thin bodied and medium carbed.

O: Great gueuze. Complex and balanced. Really good. I gave this beer the victory as the best of the 5, by being very tart but balanced, and impressively clean.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 04:21:41 | More by cbeer88

wd40

New York

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

18 September 2011 bottle date. Sampled 3 November 2012
Cantillon makes fantastic beer so this one is no exception. This is a very clean and pure gueuze without some of the impurities or less desirable smells and tastes that other producers have in their gueuzes. It is actually so pure tasting that it ends up being a very understated beer.

Slightly hazy appearance. I get some lightly acidic fruits in the frangrance like apples with a hint of peach. The taste is lightly acidic and tart with a dry finish. The carbonation is noticably less vigorous than I expect for this style. I kind of like a little more oomph to my gueuzes, but this is tastey that I feel silly even critiquing it!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 02:18:35 | More by wd40

davey101

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

9/13/2011 vintage. 750 ml into a tulip glass. I've already reviewed the Classic Gueuze but hey....tickers gonna tick!

A - Pours a clear golden amber body. Fleeting fizzy off white head. Sits in the glass very still with no lacing at all. A swirl produces just some large bubbles.

S - Sour lemon rind and overripe green apples. This is an especially funky batch. Very earthy with notes of mushroom, cheese, leather and rotten hay. Lactic acid on the finish with some warmth from the oak.

T - Lemons and mouth puckering apples on the front, then comes some funk in the form of wet hay, leather and old cheese. Finishes very smooth and sweet with no residual sour notes. Mouth feel is crisp and light.

O - A surprisingly smooth and funky batch. When I had a relatively fresh Classic last year it was closer to a sparkling apple cider. Age has really allowed the brett to evolve. Simply one of the best gueuzes.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 01:35:49 | More by davey101