Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic - Brasserie Cantillon

mattcrill

Ohio

1.73/5  rDev -61.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

I'm assuming I just don't get this beer. To have this be called "beer" seems a bit of a stretch for me. I haven't had a ton of lambics but I can see why they add fruit to this stuff and I probably won't be having more of these.

Appearance: Hazy amber color similar to a pale ale with virtually no head.

Smell: Tart and vinegary. Maybe that wet horse blanket smell that people always talk about but to me it was more like wet arm pits.

Taste: Mouthwatering and puckering. It was like drinking bad lemon juice or sour white grapes. If I had something like this in my fridge and it smelled and tasted like this, I'd throw it out.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied I guess. It was definitely carbonated but it wasn't something I wanted to leave in my mouth that long.

Drinkability: Couldn't do it. It ended up in the drain. I had other non-BA's sample this all with the same nose curling results.

I'm sure this is an acquired taste. It took me time to acquire a taste for IPA' s but even my first IPA I said, "not bad...I can see getting into this". Not so for this. I don't want to be closed minded so I will probably re-visit this style again but it will be an exception no the norm. To each his own but damn...this stuff was rough.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2005 15:24:55 | More by mattcrill

Mar02x

Netherlands

2.15/5  rDev -51.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I was able to try this beer at a brilliant beer tasting at my uncle Peter's place. My nephew Michael brought this beer with him. Thanks for sharing Michael.

A - A hazy yellow beer with a thin white ring that goes for a head.

S - A cherry sour kind of smell. I wasn't expecting this from a Gueuze style.

T - Like I said; a cherry sour.

M - A medium carbonated beer and sour.

O - This is not my style, just to damn sour. I just can't understand that some people love this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 16:42:20 | More by Mar02x

fear025

Illinois

2.25/5  rDev -49.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Aroma:Sour lemon and apple in the nose, with a funkiness.

Appearance:Pale golden orange, weak lacing, weak head.

Taste:On first taste, the sourness hits very hard. After that it gets easier to drink, and I start to get some faint citrus.

Mouthfeel:This one is harshly astringent on the back of my throat, which is helped by the mild carbonation.

Drinkability:This 2009 vintage is still kind of harsh, it probably needs a few more years in the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2010 02:51:21 | More by fear025

wyllder

Massachusetts

2.38/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the Moan & Dove.

Pours light, foggy amber with orange hilights and small white head.

Smell is sour-patch-kids with an underlying character of hay or wheat.

Taste is like a mouthfull of liquid sour patch kids & pixie sticks laced with a somewhat rank wheat or yeasty underbelly.

Mouthfeel, when I wasn't puckering my mouth in reaction to the taste, seemed ok.

Other than the flavor, which has got to be a love it or hate it thing, it was passably drinkable.

There, I drank it. I opened my mind for a pint and decided this stuff just isn't for me. I've got to drink several more lambics, so maybe I'll eventually develop a taste for this, but as of this moment I find this stuff as close to my concept of beer as a Smirnoff Twisted.

Wyll-

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2004 22:47:22 | More by wyllder

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

2.38/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12.7 oz green bottle, corked and capped. cork says bottled in 2010. when cap is removed, there's a nasty black slime on top of the cork. I removed the cork without getting any in the beer.
warmed up to cellar temperature as instructed on the label.

appears a clear golden color, lots of carbonation bubbles stream to surface. smell is funky and musty, maybe a bit of citrus.

taste is extremely mouth puckeringly sour and harsh. lemon rind, vinegar. hard to drink. mouthfeel isn't bad. lighter body, significant carbonation.

overall - just way too sour for me. I've enjoyed other lambic styles, but this is just too much sour.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 05:13:15 | More by jmdrpi

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.99/5  rDev -33%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Not sure when/where I first had this. This review is for a recent tasting on cask at Teresa's, Wayne, PA.

Much like the normal tap version, this was a slightly hazy golden-yellow liquid, served in a stem glass; a small fizzy white head quickly dissipated leaving a few stray bubbles on top. Aroma was distant, hints of barnyard funk, grass, light citrus. Lots of lemon rind in the taste, more bitter than tart, very woody, unpleasantly so actually, barnyard funk and horseblanket, moldy cardboard, cobwebs, and stale Champagne; sourness factor was not very high, leaving the finish dry but bland. Very unbalanced. About medium bodied, mellow carbonation. I'll probably never get this again...see past the hype.

I've had several vintages of this, most notably, 1978. While I'm sure others would go ape over such a beer, I found it very unnecessary.

Serving type: cask

10-22-2012 13:31:02 | More by Rifugium

connecticutpoet

Connecticut

3.13/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sampled at the CT River Brewfest 2005 in Holyoke, MA.

This was a dark yellow, hazy beer with not much head. OK, I suppose... only had a few of the style before. Hard to judge.

Aroma was vinous and VERY SOUR!!! That was about all I got.

Taste was mainly sour, a little tart, not sweet at all. Not well balanced for my tastes.

Mouthfeel was a little astringent, and a bit fizzy. OK, not stellar.

Not the most drinkable gueuze I have ever had. Glad the mug only cost $2.00, rather than having to buy a bottle for $10.99.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2005 03:36:11 | More by connecticutpoet

Floydster

California

3.23/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2006 12.7 ounce vintage bottle purchased from Liquid Solutions in Oregon for about six dollars

Split with my girlfriend while watching a movie, poured into my Dogfish Head snifter

A-Light golden orange with an even lighter color in the light, small 1/2 inch white bubbly head, small bubbles rushing to the top, no retention or lacing

S-Tarty aromas, acidic, lots of wood, straw, oatmeal, grains, sour yeast, lemons, limes, grapefruit, huge barnyard funk to it, smelled like hay at times, maybe some vinegar as well

T-Big sour flavor at the beginning all the way through, filled with vinegar, the middle had some chewiness and nutty flavors, big biscuit presence, finish was dry like a white wine, granny smith apples, watered down as it warms even more, served at room temperature intially, white grapes, grassy and bitter, all over the place but not complex in a good way necessarily

M-Sour mouthfeel, chewy at times as well, big chewy malt backbone for a lambic, lots of carbonation, taste lingered for a few minutes, thin body

D-Could not drink much more than a bottle of this even though it is only five percent, little heavy on the stomach, taste gets old, not very smooth, hard to drink at times

First Cantillon brew, not overally tarty like many people claim them to be, not as good as Giridin but not bad overall, would try another year if it came along, other than that different gueuzes are better for the price, recommended if you are a fan of blended lambics

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2008 06:10:30 | More by Floydster

sleazo

New York

3.3/5  rDev -26%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap Blind Tiger.

A-Pours a cloudy orange yellow. No head. Minimal lacing.

S-sour apples wet blanket sour lemons. Pretty potent but in a good way

T-sour and medicinal. This doesn't even taste like beer to me.. Mineral water sourness and some green apples completely dominate the taste. This really dries the mouth out. The tartness really does somehow draw me in.

M-relatively light with a low carbonation

D-hard for me to rate as I haven't had the style before. I will definitely try this again and possibly rerate. However drinkability is definitely low as this is too sour to have more than one of.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2007 07:06:51 | More by sleazo

deanhead

Vermont

3.38/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Enjoyed May 2008

Poured a very pale beer, with a head that reduced rather quickly.

Aroma is horse blanket, and barnyard with a hint of ginger.

Taste is sour and horseradish, with some barnyard essence

Thin bodied and very light.

I wasn't crazy about this beer. I like freaky stuff, but this didn't really excite me.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2008 03:08:19 | More by deanhead

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.43/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled: 22Feb08 Rated: 05Nov09
Golden pour with a small head.
Aroma is very fruity, with tart gooseberries, elderflower and unripe raspberries along with funky and goaty notes hiding underneath. Mild oaky notes show themselves later on.
Upon tasting, first of all I've gotta say, this is pretty damn tart, almost bitter, like biting into a lemon through the skin and all. A fair whack of acidity, with little in the way of balancing sweetness. Once you've got used to it some oak and funk comes through. Not bad after a couple of sips!
Light body and carbonation - I would have liked it to be more lively!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2009 09:01:45 | More by CrazyDavros

Phelps

Arizona

3.45/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed during a tasting with tlay10. Poured into a snifter.

Light tangerine in color and hazy with a fuzzy one-finger head of off-white. It eventually becomes a thick, filmy top layer with a thick ring. Nice spotted lace.

In the nose: lime, lemon rind, a light graininess and moderate tartness, like margarita salt. Some floral character: roses, lavender.

The flavors reminds of lime salt from the ice cream truck -- Baby Lucas. More than moderate tartness. Salty, with notes of lemon and lime juice. A moderate dryness sneaks in at the finish.

Light massaging carb with an increasingly heavy tartness and a light, watery body.

The sour character gets a little overbearing as I go. The tiny glass I had is definitely enough.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 20:24:44 | More by Phelps

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed the wrong beer 2-24-2010, so copying it to the right place.

My first sour, so someday with more experience under my belt I may come back to review this...

Bottle was shared and poured into small glasses, and I was surprised by the rose colour of the beer, with a white head that left light to no lacing. A very fruity apple nose to the beer, smells like an apple cider rather than a beer. When I first sipped it was evident why they call these beers sour, WOWZA! That's not to say I didn't like it, I just had trouble initially discerning other flavours from it. Over time, the bitter sourness lets some of the fruitiness come through. Interesting, but tough on the palate and tough to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2010 02:27:09 | More by kjyost

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.53/5  rDev -20.9%
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

03-05-2013 17:01:43 | More by Jeffo

AgentZero

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours with a huge head, had to back off on the pour a little to keep it from becoming overwhelming. A gold color that is just a little bit hazy. Lots of bubbles.

S - Just a minor bit of funk, nicely tart, mostly apples in this smell. Slight bit of acetone/phenol in there, but smells very good.

T - $*@#!! This is the most sour, tart, thing I have ever tasted in a beer. My mouth is puckering. It's good, but damn, hard to get past the sour. Some apples, little bit of barnyard funk, and more sour. It's getting mour sour throughout the drink.

M - Lighter side of medium, good carbonation that helps this beer out nicely.

D - Couldn't finish the entire (large) bottle, which is unusual for me. Too freakin sour and my tastebuds just couldn't take it after a while. Good, but in small doses.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 14:23:06 | More by AgentZero

Trilogy31

California

3.6/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy hefeweizen orange with slight sunset crimson tints, no head to speqk of and very lightly carbonated. 2010 on the cork. The nose carries overipe melon, bright acidic citrus, barnyard funk, a touch of rancio wraps up the nose. The taste nd mouthfeel is pure mputhpuckering sour with sour patch kids bringing a slight sweetness, citric acid, along with a dash of red fruit, and almost a wild, feral quality to the beer. Light in abv and carbonation, ate it with spicy food that was a poor match leading to terrible heartburn. A very good sour unfortunately my palate just does not understqnd them yet.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 06:01:42 | More by Trilogy31

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Thin full white head on a cloudy yellow orange body.
S- Big sour and tart blend of fruits. Wood comes through very strong also. Light apples manage to come out.
T- Faint fruit flavors. Almost tastes a bit watered down (underneath the huge sour and wood flavor). Really sour and tart flavors come out with some light hops (for them to come through maybe there is a ton of them in there). Wood flavor is known and comes through very nicely. A light peach sneaks in there some how also.
M-Thin body with low carbonation.
D- It is good but just might have gone off a little. Tastes like something isn't fully there. Not sure what it is but I would like to taste a fresh one and see if there is a difference.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2007 03:29:53 | More by BlindPig

goodbyeohio

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

pours like a slightly-darker, slightly less-carbonated champagne.. smells of fermentation with fresh cut grass and other outdoor botanical scents..

the taste is hard to describe, with the fermentation flavor carrying over to dominate the beer's character. there is definite sour citrus in the finish, left on the back of your tongue after swallowing. perhaps the mystery of this beer is its uniqueness, and not something i can easily review.

drinkability is mediocre, but stunningly high for the usually-tart cantillon products.. not that this lacks tartness, but it is much more appropriate with this basic version. i'll stick with gambrinus but this was a nice, afternoon pairing with asiago and crusty bread.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2005 22:01:48 | More by goodbyeohio

organicbrewer

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cork says bottled 2008. Classic Gueuze,yellow label with drinking man falling out of chair. No mention of organic on the bottle so i'm going with this beer.
Warmed beer up per instructions. Poured into a De Dolle "wine" glass

A-full gold. Brilliantly clear. Very low ring of a head.

S-Old wood. Some stomach acid. Some band-aid phenols. Not as much going on as previous bottles I've had. Still nice, but just not special

T- Super tart. Strong lemonaid. Some musty oak. Some funk, but not as much as other cantillons. I guess I'll have to have my second bottle to be sure.

M-Fairly dry. Not much carbonation or should I say not as much as other gueuzes i've had. Could use a touch more. Would help lift the flavors off so that you would want another sip.

D-Dispite some of my complaints, this is a great beer. Just not as funky and complex as other cantillon gueuzes i've had in the past. Could use a touch more carbonation and more brett (seemed almost one dimentional, or at least with less dimentions then usual).

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 00:52:22 | More by organicbrewer

cooch69

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cantillon Gueuze pours a bright golden orange with a small loose head. It is pretty clear, but then again I left most of the sediment in the bottle.
The nose is very refreshing. It is vibrant, acidic, and earthy. It has a mellow sweetness in the smell as well.
This beer is one of the more sour and acidic Gueuze's that I've tried, comparing it to others such as Girarden or Oude Beersel. I had it with garlic mussels(with no Frites) too bad. Next time I'll have to be better prepared.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 05:34:10 | More by cooch69

megahurts4

Louisiana

3.68/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cantillon Classic Gueuze

Appearance: Yellow-orange, small head, and some good lacing.

Smell: Grape skins, grapefruit, and slight yeast.

Taste: Sourness with a bitter sweetness, citrus, and a hint of grassiness at the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium and bitter.

Overall:
This is very interesting. It is very tart and flavorful. It is also very acidic.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 04:13:44 | More by megahurts4

BierReise

Florida

3.7/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml Bottle capped and corked. 5th Bottling October 2000Poured a light clear gold color with minimal head and looking very Champagne like. Aroma is slightly sour, musty, yeasty and with notes of grapes. Mouthfeel is clean and crisp and somewhat lighter bodied. Flavor is as close to champagne as a beer has eve tasted. Tart and grape like with a dry finish and quite sour. Overall a very good Gueze.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2004 22:45:37 | More by BierReise

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Very Sour but smooth, a beverage requiring food to balance the acid. Amber haze. Apple aroma and sour green apple taste. Mid sip sweetness Not for popularity, and must be shared. Dries throat and leaves a sour with sugar and salt aftertaste. Drink for the experience and then have something to remove the taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2004 02:22:51 | More by northyorksammy

bennetj17

Arizona

3.73/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours leaving no head, only a few tiny bubbles linger before dissolving to a razor thin, edgy ring. The color is a brilliant orange/gold, very clear. Tart vinegar/oak smell with lemon/peach notes and some typical barnyard funk. Very straight forward example of a Gueuze aroma.

The taste is a bit slow to hit me on this, not what I expected after the aroma. Lightly tart with some acidic astringency, the flavors border on lemon fruit although remain subdued. The finish is a bit unpleasant leaving a medicinal like character on the back/top of the tongue. Light dryness. The alcohol is not detectable.

Mouthfeel is thin, the carbonation very fine, would liked to have it be a bit more bubbly/champagne-like.

Overall it's not one of the top beers for the style. It's raw flavor is underdeveloped although it fits the mold for the tartness/acidity. Worth a try considering the thin selection of Gueuze out there...

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2007 07:20:54 | More by bennetj17

bishopdc0

Maine

3.73/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared with my wife at Novare Res on Zwanze day.
The beer is golden pale with a thin lace head

The nose is tart and sour like cherries or raspberries but without the distinction of each.

The taste is dry and sour to start very sour it becomes fruity like fresh apples and finishes with more of a cider sour apple taste

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 13:55:31 | More by bishopdc0