Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic - Brasserie Cantillon

Ego

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2004 vintage..

an absolutely stunning day here in the lovely garden state (stop snickering).. a day deserving of a nice bottle to top off a day of work work work.

eyes...
this pours like many a cantillon, flat and it looks like fruit punch, murky hawaiin punch, the carbonation is sneaky as it streams up the side and feeds a micro o-ring. these are not usually spectacular looking brews, especially cantillon from my experience but this is fine looking.

nose...
for a second I thought of rodenbach, then it got deeper... earthy rotten wood, not the kind you run across hiking the kind in an old house, sort of musty, cherries that run into bubble gum.. sourness courts your sense and entices a sip

taste etc...
first sip is bracing tart, almost saline.. ahh, cantillon. I can understand why a lot of people will never get their beers but if you liked sour patch kids you should be at home here, 4 years in the cellar and this sucker still delivers. the carbonation is the usual perfection from cantillon, so light and airy .. prickles just enough to carry across your mouth. This makes you salivate like a mad dog with all the crazy sourness abounding. once adjusted to the sour you get the cherry notes clear, and they dominate for about 2-3 seconds fading off into sourness/bitterness/salivation... so damn refreshing, an amazing product. the body works as a nice light drinking thing but the flavor is so powerful it just strikes a balance. I could drink this all afternoon in the summer....

verdict?
superb.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2008 02:25:57 | More by Ego

YobroitsJoe

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-18-2013 07:35:03 | More by YobroitsJoe

hotsudge

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-18-2013 02:59:51 | More by hotsudge

Mattias

Sweden

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-17-2013 20:38:00 | More by Mattias

SDG1070

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-15-2013 01:11:07 | More by SDG1070

pk18

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-14-2013 03:01:33 | More by pk18

Boilerfood

Indiana

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-13-2013 12:12:36 | More by Boilerfood

jsurfs82

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-12-2013 22:43:10 | More by jsurfs82

Danny1217

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-12-2013 20:58:05 | More by Danny1217

IHyphySF

California

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-11-2013 01:11:02 | More by IHyphySF

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.54/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip. Bottled (May 27, 2011) drank (May 9, 2013). Gave a nice spritzy pink head, receded relatively quickly leaving some light lacing. Colour is a rich cherry read, with lots of visible carbonation. 4

S – sour cherry, viney-ness, macaroon?, bakery sweets in anycase, some macerated sweetness. Honey cake, smoky chestnuts, a definite full yeastiness, slightly toasty (with cherry jam on top obviously). Very interesting, with well-integrated subtleties making a very characterful aroma. 4.25

T – A thoroughly mesmerizing experience. A balanced cherry sourness, a lot of fruitiness coming through, with light biscuity maltiness and an underlying macerated sweetness. A pleasant earthiness, almond, farmy hay, with a pleasant ‘meaty’ yeasty character, some blood orange. Sourness is not as intense as I might have expected, more of a deliciously balanced tartness. Yet it remains refreshing and very full on the palate. 4.75

M – Pleasant and light, with an upfront tartness, pleasant refreshing carbonation, but a full body of balanced sour cherry flavor that coats the palate, finish leaves a coating cherry sweetness, almost filmy on the palate, lingers on nicely, vineyard character. 4.5

My first Cantillon and the best lambic-style I’ve come across, I think that’s because the sourness is not as intensely in-your-face, this offers a balanced, intricate tart, semisweet flavor profile, with amazing feel and complexity. A work of art in every sense, this will definitely entice me to try more from Cantillon. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 18:56:11 | More by mick303

davistabuff

New York

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-09-2013 03:39:09 | More by davistabuff

GuzzLah

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - pours an opaque pinkish purple with a pink head. Some lace. No bubbles.

S - dry cherry, soft leather, mild floral, wood.

T - dry cherry, acetic, wood, slightly salty.

M - light-medium body. Semi-oily and creamy. Mouth watering. Moderately sour.

O - a very good example of a traditional Kriek, but Cascade Kriek is still number one for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 19:39:37 | More by GuzzLah

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-08-2013 00:03:11 | More by cadaugherty

dalepryor

Kentucky

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-07-2013 20:18:17 | More by dalepryor

Jeremy6566

Arizona

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-07-2013 20:02:45 | More by Jeremy6566

wer3w01f

Russian Federation

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-07-2013 09:17:11 | More by wer3w01f

JulianB

South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-06-2013 12:49:41 | More by JulianB

laxer8811

New York

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-06-2013 01:40:32 | More by laxer8811

scotv

New York

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%

05-06-2013 00:58:56 | More by scotv

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%

05-04-2013 19:21:37 | More by leftstagebrew

MSandahl23

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-04-2013 05:21:35 | More by MSandahl23

AndrewSmith

California

4/5  rDev -6.1%

05-02-2013 15:46:20 | More by AndrewSmith

jegross2

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-02-2013 03:47:58 | More by jegross2

Pete27lax

New York

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%

05-01-2013 15:08:20 | More by Pete27lax