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

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours honey golden with thick white head. Dissipates pretty quickly into white ring along sides of Teku glass.

Smell is lemony and tart. Hints of green apple with sweeter, smoother notes of honey present in the background and some definite funk.

Taste of Gueuze always catches me off gaurd. Very tart with citrusy lemon notes. This doesn't seem quite as tart as others I have had in this style. Mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel is very dry. Good carbonation.

Overall this is interesting and always fun to try. I am not a big fan of the style but it is growing on me. I think this is a good example of a gueuze/lambic.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 22:36:21 | More by TrappistJohnMD

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours gold with a finger of white bubbly head. Lots of carbonation.

Smells slightly sour with hints of apple, other light fruits and the typical Cantillon funk.

Lots of lemon up front in the flavor. A distinct tartness hits mid-palate and coats the side of my tongue with a weird twanginess which is hard to describe. Not exactly pleasant, but not horrible either. Finishes dry and almost white wine like. Grape-y and musty. Not quite as sour as most Cantillons from memory.

Lighter bodied with lots of carbonation.

In the realm of Gueuze at large, this is pretty solid, but in the range of Cantillon just ok. I still can't figure out that weird flavor I was getting mid-palate and to me that detracted a bit.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 18:56:33 | More by jmarsh123

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.98/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Doesn't get much better than thls! Poured cold, straight out of the fridge with a nice foamy, thick, off-white head that slowly settles and a little lace. Color is a clear amber with some tiny bubble trails. Aroma is yeast, tart, citrus, spice, perfume. Flavor's like nose, tart from yeast and carbonation perfectly married up front, hint of sweet, and grapes in back; very clean. Body and carbonation are perfect. Finish is like flavor, long, refreshing and satisfying. Truly a masterpiece.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 22:06:36 | More by drpimento

rodkin

Missouri

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden color, with a fluffy 1-2 finger head.

Smell of lemon, green apple, citrus, a bit of barnyard funk.

Citrus, funk, a bit of hay, some apple. Nice balance. Lots of sourness upfront, but pretty mellow in the finish.

A little low on carbonation, and a tad thin. Pretty crisp despite the carbonation, though. It's good, not great.

A very good gueuze. Highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 03:48:19 | More by rodkin

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to angrybabboon for this stellar birthday present.

Appearance: Dark, slightly hazed gold. Starts clear, but I just couldn't skip all the sediment. Flavor-town ahead. Head starts of bubbly and bright-white. Drops to a tiny spotty cap in short order. Lively carbonation.

Smell: Wood, funk, and solid sour. Tart and earthy. Loaded with musty basement and deep wood notes. It's a forest. Biting sour pushes toward citric acid. Lemon juice. A little touch of underripe peach.

Taste: Lactic sourness coupled with a big hit of oak. Leather and and lemon juice. Big citric bite, but it's not quite puckering. Some hay and horse blanket, but it's buried under the sour. Biting lactic and citric combo. It all rolls around and around. Deeply woody.

Mouthfeel: Lip-smackingly dry. Carbonation is moderate and the body is incredibly smooth. Refreshing.

Overall: Nice depth and complexity. Hits that sour threshold without pushing in to straight up tart. Has that great blend of Cantillon bacteria. Delightful and well worth finding and drinking again.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 18:23:23 | More by Goblinmunkey7

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.58/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle into Duvel tulip. Ended up with a few of these and I don't know why I haven't had it yet. I love me some cantillon.

A - a little over a finger of just off-white head. Body is a cloudy orange.

S - smell's like a gueuze that has been sitting in a dank musty room for years. Oh wait, it did. Very funky with only slight lemon round sour. Acidic.

T - perfection. Just the right balance between funk and acidity. Stars with a wonderful sweetness and melds into sour lime. As the sour comes, so does the funk which is very rind like. I dont know how to describe the sweet. Not overpowering, just awesome.

M - very good carbonation with medium body. The acidity dries as it develops.

O - absolutely wonderful. Give me more.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 16:16:28 | More by RuckusDu

Rinkor16

California

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this with my brother, animortician and a buddy from work. 2010 bottle opened 6/26/12.

A: Cloudy orange color. Nice white head that stayed around the edges for a while.

S: Funk. Very oaky and funky.

T: Tons of funk. Lemon and oak. Reminded me of Beatification, but not as sour.

M: Great carbonation. Felt fantastic on the pallet. Very refreshing.

O: A great brew! This was my first Cantillon and it was definitely a pleasant experience. Very woody and lots of citrus.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 22:44:19 | More by Rinkor16

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle popped on 6.23.12.

A - Pours a slightly cloudy honey-orange color with a one finger off-white head.

S - Peach, then some lemon and light funk.

T - Tart barnyard funk, lemony-citrus.

D - Good carbonation and a light body.

O - Tart, light and crips. Lots of lemon citrus and subtle funky horseblanket.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 04:09:26 | More by HuskyinPDX

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 into a matching cantillon geuze tumbler. Bottle date of September 2011. The brew appears a clear golden orange with a solid finger of white froth that slowly fades maintaining a creamy layering atop. The cap is supported by constantly rising bubbles of carbonation. A light swirl agitates more bubbles from solution.

The aroma is funky like moist old oak with barnyard quality almost hay-like in nature that blends into a bit of tropical fruit scents. The fruit is somewhat lemony. For a geuze, it doesnt get much better than the way this smells. The aroma is very well balanced across the board, nothing is dominating it all blends and transitions together so nicely.

The flavor is acidic with classic cantillon funk tasting of wet cork/moist oak. There is a hint of dry bretted quality tasting earthy and nearly barnyard-like however it quickly dissolves into a fruited tropical flavor like lemon. For a gueze, I am picking up on a surprising amount of almost herbal hop flavoring and mild bitterness which really integrates well with the acidic components and dry earthiness.

This is a medium bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. It is light and easy drinking and overall just a very well put together brew with no characteristics downplaying the others. It blends together perfectly and is a real joy to drink. Just when I think ive finally decided on 3f oude geuze as my geuze of choice, I have this and enjoy it enough to reconsider. A blind tasting is in order!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 18:32:44 | More by stakem

Sean9689

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks, dunt! 2011 vintage, 750ml bottle.

A - Pours mirky yellow, white head, wisps.

S - Very funky, very sour, very tart, very awesome. Must, oak, light vinegar, tart fruit.

T - Funky sour fruity, wood, big tart pucker, barnyard, must. It's not overly sour, just about right to sip on and enjoy. Finish is very tart fruits and light oak.

M - Light, crisp and refreshing, dry finish.

O - I think I prefer the Classic over the Bio, but give me a bottle of either and I'll chug it for you, no problem. Would to do a side-by-side of this and the Classic with some age...in due time, I guess.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 17:12:27 | More by Sean9689

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.43/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

375ml, bottled May 4, 2010, nary a sound when I removed the cork.

It pours a cloudy orange with a nice 1 finger head of foam and it leaves some outstanding lacing.

There are big sour notes in the smell, fruity(lots of green apples)with light vinegar, more fruit that's pear like, some notes of wheat, and *something* sweet. A nice nose for the style.

The taste doesn't match the smell to me. Big sour and bitter notes of vinegar, lemon, the green apples aren't hitting my palate at all and, overall, pretty simple and one dimensional. 2 years old and I don't think it has hit its stride yet, if there's a stride out there for this Gueuze to hit.

Nice mouthfeel with a medium body and lively carbonation.

This doesn't match up well with other Cantillon brews I've tried but oh well. They can't all knock my socks off.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 22:29:28 | More by Bitterbill

mulder1010

Australia

3.65/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ML poured into a tulip
Bottle date 9/6/11
corked and capped

A-- Poured a golden straw color. Quite hazy looking. One finger bright white head that fell to a white layer of film. Slightly thicker film on swirling. Couple strands of lacing here and there.

S-- Big, bright, crisp and acidic green apple. Followed by straw, vinegar and pear. The acid levels in the nose are quite nice but the crispness in the apple is just sublime.

T-- More like lemonade in the taste. Slightly thin and under sugared lemonade with some lime and lemon grass. Loses the apple, straw and vinegar from the nose.

M-- Bright and crisp with lively carbonation and feel. More like the smell. Lots of tart apple, lemon and other citrus. High amounts of acid with vinegar soaked straw in the mid and back palate. Long lasting tart lemon grass finish. Nice amount of funk with the acid in the finish.

O-- Have had a few of the 09 cork dated bottles and have wanted to have this fresh so can compare. Prefer older vintages as just more complex and rounded. That being said a fresh 750 is easy to drink where an older one is just difficult with the acid and funk that develops. Great gueze but was just lacking in the taste for me. Hit the rest of the notes well. older vintages do have more in the taste though.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 11:46:08 | More by mulder1010

FosterJM

California

4.23/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1294th Review on BA
Bottle to Tulip
750 ml Cap/Cork

30th Birthday Party
Thanks to Smarcoly for bringing this one.

App- The color of lemonade with about as many bubbles in the glass. Had zero cling but what cantillon does?

Smell- A good not great nose on this one. A little to lacking of balance but had a lot of lemon behind it with some earthy hay notes.

Taste- The lack of aromatics did little in terms of keeping the flavors top notch. This had some great lemon, wheat, hay and a little bit of sour/funk.

Mouth- A lighter medium with a medium carbonation level. Residual hay and damp lemon flavors.

Drink- Another great offering from the Cantillon camp. A solid job on this one. They make so many good beers, hard to one up yourself.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:08:10 | More by FosterJM

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from Etre Gourmet
Bottled on June 7, 2011
Poured into a Cantillon gueuze glass

Cantillon's classic gueuze is an excellent version of the style with different focus than Drie Fonteinen, yet equally delicious and enticing. Acidity is let to shine through, although associated fruit and malt sweetness are allowed to balance this as necessary. The oak aging adds notable complexity in the close, which is appreciated. I only wish that the aroma was stronger and that this was widely available.

Pours a 1.5cm head composed of fine, dense bubbles, which quickly descends. No lacing is left by the declining head, which eventually settles to a thin ring around the glass with some sparse islands of foam atop the body. Body is a moderate intensity orange-yellow in color, with gold highlights. Semi-transparent with no intended sediment pour, vigorous streams of fine carbonation rise from the bottom of the glass. Swirling the beer in the bottle and adding the sentiment makes this completely opaque, of course, and more of an orange-yellow in color.

Aroma has lactic and acetic acid components, for a sour presence. Other components are scents like finely grated lemon, floral blossoms (particularly basswood), acetone, a bit of damp basement mustiness, and maybe a hint of butter. Good, not as bold as the Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze, but also completely different in character.
Adding the sediment seems to make this beer less expressive in the nose, also adding a slight iron-like component.

Tip of the tongue picks up light sweetness with a hint of tartness, somewhat like Meyer lemon juice. As the beer descends a bit further on the front of the palate, tartness and bacterial effects become known (light vinegar tempered with sweetness from malt and lactobacillus contribution). By mid-palate, there is a stronger sourness, but also a stronger fruity lemon presence and actually a slight bit of whatever tastes like graham cracker to me, which was more present in Girardin and only glimpses at the palate here. Oak character becomes noticeable near the back of the palate, along with slight acetone. Finishes with a flash of tartness, followed by an oak-influenced, fall-dry-leaves
Adding the yeast makes this beer both more sour (almost mouth-witheringly so) and bolder in flavor.

Body is medium weight, with very fine carbonation bubbling up quickly to create a smooth and fairly creamy mouthfeel. Closes dry, from acid, with a bit of stickiness around the lips, and with fair burning sensation from acids on the throat.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 20:44:34 | More by falloutsnow

Treebs

Illinois

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

2011 corked and capped 750 ml bottle served in a Portsmouth tulip. Big thanks to Tnudish for the share.

A: Pours a hazy golden yellow color with a whispy film that hovers the whole way down leaving some splotchy lace.

S: Nice funky notes with a tart green apple and some white grape skins.

T: Tartness is up front with green grape skin, slight puckering sour and some nice funk on the finish.

M: Light and refreshing with some spritzy carb and a slightly sour finish.

O: This a delicious beer and my pour left the glass very quickly. This is a very balanced beer and I would love to have it again and again.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 01:18:51 | More by Treebs

spdyfire83

Ireland

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

208th Review
37.5cl bottle
Poured in a 3F Geuze glass
Bottled: 2010

Old vs. new world (Round 1): Enjoyed side-by-side next to Russian River Beatification B5.

A: Bright orange yellow. Big, fluffy 4+ (white) fingernail head on medium pour.

S: Very sour. Old must, cheese, funk, barnyard, and lemon zest. So inviting, it's hard not to just smell; however, beer is meant to be drank...

T: Farmhouse funk through and through. Loads of intense sour from the start followed by dry green apple and unripened peach - nice subtle fruit profile to accompany crisp dryness. Touch of lemon and brett is nicely balanced!

M: Light bodied with plenty of carbonation.

O: Such a good beer (even without much age). Classic Cantillon here and just down-right tasty! Well done. This stands above Beat B5, hands down.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 20:23:37 | More by spdyfire83

jibbyvonjibb

California

4.98/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

bought from BeerPlanet
drank at home

A: golden sunflower color. clear. beautiful.
S: impeccable balance. oak barrels. some pollen sweetness. citrus (pomelo). mmmm
T: just the right amount of awesome sourness. Delicate bitterness in dry finish. mmm delicious.
M: medium carbonation. dry to the bone. acid forms backbone of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 22:17:39 | More by jibbyvonjibb

shleepy

California

4.68/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served from 750 mL bottle into wine glasses.

A: Light orange, opaque. Small, white head.

S: Mmm... Can't wait to drink. More floral funkiness than usual from a gueuze (and if I remember correctly, more floral than the standard Cantillon gueuze). Very pleasant.

T: Such a great balance of lambic funk, sourness, and fruitiness. Delicious and complex.

M: Acidic, but not too much so. And of course, it's quite light and drinkable.

O: It's fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 02:08:33 | More by shleepy

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Bottle pour sampled at mrbubbler's tasting.

Pours a murky yellow with a tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is slightly skunky after it's poured but sour and funk aromas come out as well. Taste is sour, tart, and funky with some grain and citrus flavors I am picking up as well. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a a good gueuze but it's different from the classic version.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 00:29:28 | More by UCLABrewN84

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

All breweries have a brand. But what makes Cantillon unique is that theirs isn't so much a logo or a name or even the nostalgic and sentimental mindset, but rather a smell. And a stinky and sour one at that! Just popping the cork took me back to the musty attic, the cobwebs, the spiders, the dusty cellar and rusted machinery of Rue Gheude 56.

The beer looks as murky as it smells musty. Even shadows are hardly visible on the other side of the glass and the beer's rather lucid golden colour seems a most unlikely culprit for the visual obstructions. Usually something that shines this much allows a little more transparency. Despite some 'pop' from the cork, the beer is plainly flat.

I don't just like the taste of Cantillon - I live for it. Gueuze 100% Lambic Bio has the flavor of a sour peach. It is at once sweet (though no sugar is added) yet tremendously tart. This mouth puckering sourness is no doubt the flagship of the brewery, and indeed the style writ large. It may be an acquired taste but one that is irrevocably incomparable.

In both flavor and aroma, the beer has a lot of borrowed white wine-like characteristics, including a cutting acidity, remnants of oak wood and a very dry finish. Fruity hints of rotting pineapple and lemon accompany the towering presence of sour peach, which is undercut by grassy and dry wood notes. It's almost like champagne meets vinegar.

The Van Roys are prolific fathers. A generation of new brewers have attempted to carry on their Lambic lineage with mixed success, but I doubt anyone outside of Brussels will ever come close to enacting the complexity, quality and personality of Cantillon. There simply aren't enough words to capture the experience of authentic Lambic such as this.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 19:24:04 | More by biegaman

warnerry

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2003 vintage; Bottle into geuze glass at Bier Circus in Brussels

A - Pours clean golden brown with minimal head and spare carbonation.

S - Very musty with hints of citrus. Very nice.

T - Intensely dry tartness, with a lemony aspect. Nice dry earthiness and horse blanket funk. I had a fresh batch at the brewery, and while that was very good, this is a whole different level. I think the fresh batch is more refreshing, but the depth of flavors and intense tartness of this vintage is pretty spectacular.

M - Medium mouthfeel, but very crisp, tart and dry throughout.

O - Having the fresh and aged bottles close together gives me a great appreciation for aging geuze, as this was excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 00:25:00 | More by warnerry

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. Bottled February 13, 2009. BB September 2029 (!).

Beer is a clear light golden, with a fairly small white head resulting from a pretty careful pour. Seems quite fizzy as it is being poured. Head dissipates quickly.

Smell is a nice, sour funky scent. Grapes, lemon, tart apple. The wheat comes through a bit.

Taste is similar to the nose. Tart, sour lemon and apple, tastes like brett, with a liberal dose of funk accompanying, especially in the finish, where the 'barnyard' flavour really comes through.

Beer is seriously astringent, the sour puckering the mouth and drying it right up. Fairly light bodied, moderate carbonation.

Overall, seriously enjoyable. Great on a nice such as this. Exactly what I was in the mood for. Always nice when things work out that way.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 21:04:55 | More by jrenihan

Cozzatoad

Italy

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle, bottled june 2011

A- Golden yellow, maybe just a bit darker than golden, slightly torbid. a finger of very fine white head disappears in the span of a couple of seconds

S- Great. Strong citric tartness, with lemon in evidence, though notes of apple and grapefruit can be noticed as well. Then some wonderful subtle hints of vinegar and also a slight earthy/barnyard feel. Sweet and rustic

T- Sour of course. Both on the tart/fruity side and on the lactic side. Tartness has dry, pleasantly astringent notes of lemon, apricots, grapefruit, apple and a lively touch of spiciness. Lactic notes bring some balance with an earthy feel and a light funk hint

M- Light bodied, medium carbonation brings a bit of a lively feel. Dry, Sharp and astringent, expecially on the palate. A bit more on the juicy side on the tongue

O- A beer that represents a style a very good one at doing this. Very complex, nice balance and drinkabilty despite strong tartness. Excellent

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 11:39:12 | More by Cozzatoad

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4 May 2010 375

Appearance. Pours a somewhat clear, light gold-amber with close to a finger of thick white head that fades fairly quckly.

Smell. Nice lemony tartness with a little bit of green apple and some nice funk.

Taste. Big sour lemon ...some more sour lemon. Maybe a bit of under-ripe green apple. A hint of bitterness. Dry with some light, woody funk.

Mouthfeel. Fairly light body with below medium, fine carbonation.

Overall. Good stuff. Pretty simple and nicely sour. I could drink this often.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 03:19:27 | More by Rutager

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

A: Poured a straw yellow color with good carbonation and a nice white cap

S: Holy horseblanket and sour lemon lacto

T: Dry, tart and loads of barnyard funk, horseblanket. Lemons and green apples being the dominant fruitiness

M: Light to medium body, big carbonation, tart and acidity lingers on the palate

O: Good

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 13:35:18 | More by barleywinefiend