Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic - Brasserie Cantillon

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.75/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

750 mL bottle. Bottled: 2 February 2012

A: Pours a sunset yellow color with a fingers worth of head that lasts surprisingly long (at least in terms of gueuze)

S: Nice and tart with a bit of funkiness. Lighter fruits come through as well as an oaky woodiness

T: Starts off with a bit of a puckering sour followed quickly by a refreshing tartness, subtle horse blanket, and light fruitiness. Oak finishes it out, along with a lingering tartness

M: Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation

O: A classic gueuze indeed. All the quality and flavors you would expect out of any gueuze are there as well as great drinkability for a sour beer. Obviously a little pricey, but definitely worth the $15-17 for a 750 mL bottle. A must-try for any gueuze/sour lover

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 00:37:51 | More by BEERMILER12

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

2/5  rDev -55.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Appearance: Peach colored; cloudy; small head that dissipates quickly

Aroma: Tart, sour citrus smells

Taste: Sour, tangy, lemony start; dry mid, with dry finish

Remarks: This style is m not my thing, but it's on my beer list to try

Did not score A, T, S, M at that time; disregard those scores

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 12:04:19 | More by IchLiebeBier

dwren89

Virginia

4.89/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: slight haze, gold color, small white head

Aroma: bittersweet fruit, milder acidity on nose than the pure Lambic, sour notes

Taste: musty, barnyard like flavor, less acidic than 15 month pure Lambic, sour notes on finish

Mouthfeel: medium body, medium carbonation, prickly on the palate

Overall impression: a mellowed version of the 15 month Lambic with sour and acidic notes toned down. Also with the addition of the 3 year Lambic, it achieves that musty, barnyard flavor that is so desired in a proper Geuze.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 21:59:37 | More by dwren89

dar482

New York

4.73/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

The beer comes in a clear golden yellow with a small white head.

The aroma has huge white vinegar. With some warmth, you get a hint of sweetness and white grape. There's some funk, but it's actually quite close to a white wine.

The flavor hits you with berry, white grape, then rolls with tartness. There some sour apple. There's some vinegar in there and really close to white wine.

There is a beautiful longy tartness that is stiff and dry, but also gentle. It doesn't wreck the palate.

This is the second gueuze I've had next to Tilquin. While this is surely more complex and complete of a beer, I would still say Tilquin is extremely comparable. Therefore, I recommend that beer because this is hard to find.

The 375 ml was a perfect amount. I'm still slowly getting into this beer, but this really was a wonderful treat.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 01:09:38 | More by dar482

RaulMondesi

California

4.64/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Out of the classic green bottle at tha joint: The Playground, in DTSA

Like your mama after she puts on cocoa butter, this bad sucker was all kinds of sexi. No vinegar, no off-putting sour, no funky like your sister after the gym... Raul likes it. Raul likes it well and good.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 23:27:30 | More by RaulMondesi

spoony

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

From a 375 ml bottle (dated June 2012) into a tulip.

A-The brew is a solid golden color with a slightly cloudy appearance. There are a few bubbles visible, but the one-finger head of white foam drops pretty quickly to a thin cap and then to a collar.

S-The scent is pretty strong with an earthy funky note up front and vinous acidity in back. I detect a fair amount of white wine vinegar here.

T-Like the smell, the taste is funky and earthy up front. The sour notes come in later with green apples and white grapes and a long, long finish that reminds me of good vinegar.

M-The feel is light with a persistent carbonation that manages to be both crisp and soft feeling at the same time.

O-This is another solid offering from Cantillon. It is well-balanced and the long finish is pleasingly tart. Although I may not rate it as high as my favorite gueuze, Golden Blend, I would happily drink this all day long if my stomach could handle the acidity.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 15:24:09 | More by spoony

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.64/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

37,5 cl bottle from 31 August 2012 into a tulip glass, produced a compact white head, resedes to a layer of foamy film and good lacing. Colour is a bright orange gold with no visible carbonation. 4

S – an immediate sourness edge, grapes, honeysuckle, full of tart berries, unripe blueberries, a dry floral aspect. Souring malt also comes through, granary mill. Wow, this has an amazing array of sour, fruity and complex notes woven together. 4.5

T – a sour sweet lemon, dry fruitiness with a pervasive tart sourness, raspberry, sourness everywhere! But also lots of floral and fruity notes, green apple, earthy pear, a strong yeasty funk, with hay and some horseblanket, very dry toward the finish, mouthpluckering tartness and dry barn. Good full long finish. Balance is steller, just enough sour prickle to coat the palate but enough fruity yeasty character with floral hops to make a very tasty beer. 4.75

M – A light start leads to a big fat sour presence that leaves a tart coating, almost candylike, and slides down so smooth, little detectable carbonation it is very zesty though and lively. Drinks excellently with a nice prickle to it. 4.5

Worth the hype I would say, Cantillon makes outstanding beers, and are turning me around on lambics and sours! This is surely one of the finest out there with deft complexity and balance. Definitely one to savour and sip, a very pleasing all-round experience. 4.75

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 21:46:19 | More by mick303

ngeunit1

California

4.44/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Slightly hazy golden-orange with a finger of frothy slightly off-white head. Fades normal.

S - Sweet wheat, funk, tart green fruits, oak, vanilla, lactic acid, lemon zest.

T - Wheat, lots of barnyard and yeast funk, tart green fruits, oak, vanilla, lactic acid, lemon zest, sourness.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a dry, tart, funky, and sour finish.

D - Great complex and balanced gueuze.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 06:46:05 | More by ngeunit1

mahak213

New York

4.46/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2012 375ml bottle thanks to Hugonaut13

Appearance- Golden yellow/orange with a fizzy white head that dissipated pretty quickly.

Smell- Big vinegary citrusy notes up front, lemon and green apple, along with funkiness

Taste- Big blast of sour, some wheat and lemon zest, and then some funky, musty notes to finish things off

Mouthfeel- Pretty light and crisp, but the carbonation is a notch lower than other gueuzes I have tried. That's really the only way I can knock this.

Overall- Excellent as expected. This isn't really any better than 3F or Tilquin offerings, but it has it's subtle differences. Either way, it's world class and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 01:54:23 | More by mahak213

kevanb

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

375ml bottle, dated December 3, 2010, poured into a Cantillon signature gueuze tumbler.

The beer pours a slightly hazy copper color, hues of gold, straw and orange with a lovely, billowing white head, fizzy yet soapy that has moderate retention leaving a few spots of lace behind. The aroma is a nice, lots of funk, wildflower, light citrus, white peppercorn with a touch of sweet pale grain. It's delicate and complex, but it's note quite as refined as a Drie Fonteinen gueuze. The flavors are nice, lots of wild funk, grapefruit and lemon citrus with a host of floral attributes, spicy peppercorn with some lively yeast flavors. The body is lively, effervescent, delicate and playful and it has a nice easy finish.

Verdict: A wonderful gueuze from Cantillon and one of the finest gueuzes available. I personally prefer the gueuzes from Drie Fonteinen but find that Cantillon makes the superior fruited lambic, but this gueuze is nothing to scoff at, a delight to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 20:46:27 | More by kevanb

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.71/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

750ml bottle, 2011 Gueuze 100% Lambic Bio

A: Hazy yellow/light orange color with a white head that quickly dissipates.
S: Lots of vinegar and citrus at first. Sour lemons, lactic acid, sweet wheatiness, some apples, some must and a lot of funkiness. Not as strong as I had imagined, but it smelled wonderful.
T: Mouth-puckering sourness. Earthy/musty flavor balanced with some wheat sweetness and lots of lemon acidity. A bit of green apples and apricots in there as well. Has a bit of a woody flavor at the end.
M: Light/medium bodied with decent carbonation. Could be a bit higher. Finishes very dry.
O: This is an amazing gueuze. I prefer the balance in this one compared to the funkier versions brewed up by 3F. Both are excellent though, and I will gladly drink either of them any day.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 06:09:43 | More by standardcherry

Danny1217

Florida

4.51/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The first beer I drank during my trip to Belgium. Poured into the appropriate Cantillon gueuze glass.

Hazy golden appearance with a white head. Medium retention, and some nice lacing. It's nothing special in its appearance, but looks pretty good anyway.
Smell is very funk forward. A slight fruitiness, and a bit of a sour aroma. The smell would be off putting to some people, but to the informed lambic drinker it smells quite good.
Lots of funk in the taste as well, and a good deal of lactic sourness. Very rustic and earthy. A bit of a wheat bread like flavor. The cool serving temperature and medium high carbonation give this a very refreshing quality.

While people are going crazy trying to get all the rare Cantillons with various fruits and barrel treatments, I find that the flavor of the classic gueuze is already pretty much perfect. I could drink this forever.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 08:19:13 | More by Danny1217

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Waited a long time for this and got a chance when I was least expecting it. Very smooth and flavorful, not funky or overly tart. And yet, not too mild or tame. Just the right amount of sourness and fruits. Great mouthfeel and very satisfying from beginning to end. In fact, it's so smooth and delicious, it goes down too fast. Which is a bit of a problem considering its high price tag. But if you like this style, it's worth trying at least once. Maybe a sharer in the future as a beer appetizer. Superb.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 23:04:25 | More by Beer-A-Lot

GuzzLah

Illinois

4.36/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - pours a hazy yellow-light orange with an ephemeral head. A little lace. No bubbles.

S - green apple, leather, light barnyard, acetic, mild lactic.

T - green apple, lemon, mild cider vinegar with a peppery finish.

M - light-medium body. Creamy. Mouth watering sour, but not super sour.

O - a little sweeter and fruitier than its peers. I prefer Drie Fonteinen, but this is certainly a well made Gueuze and a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 19:25:03 | More by GuzzLah

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle from 06/13/2012

It pours an opaque/hazy goldenrod to orange in color with a finger of white champagne like head that quickly dissipates and does not lace. All in all a pretty typical looking pour with nothing that sets it apart good or bad.

Aroma is all wet horse blanket and hay. A touch of sweetness may exist in the very back end but generally speaking it is one solid, expected, note, however a great one at that. To sum it up in one word, dank.

The taste is an immediate mouth puckering sour which slowly falls off to reveal a surprisingly sweet yet dank hay flavor that lingers until the next sip. The continued up front sour washes away the last sip momentarily and continues to repeat this. However, as the beer warms and the continued drinking builds upon the past lingering flavors it seems to improve in flavor over time which is always nice when a beer changes as you drink it.

Once you get past the immediate intense sour action the body yields a nicely medium balanced beer that finishes surprisingly crisp and refreshing that gets you ready for the next sip.

Overall this is a very solid representation of the style that is certainly not for everyone, but with that said, I found myself thoroughly enjoying it, especially as it built upon itself and began to warm.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 14:18:46 | More by ElderPuma

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.29/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 Ml poured into a snifter
The cork says bottled in 2012

A- A hazy straw yellow. A one finger of a very quickly dissipating white head.

S- A ton of wheat in this. A pungent spiciyness that seems to open your nose. A bit of rye and grass. A touch of lemon and possibly some grape. A very pleasant nose but not a bold one.

T- An intense start to this beer. Seems to expand the taste buds. A huge dryness sweeps over the beer. The back end of this beer is very sour and intense, really keeps you on your toes. The beer has a very earthy flavor profile. There is a ton of wheat and lemongrass. A bit of a garlic and onion note. A spicy clove and peppery quality. An intensely, yet subtly flavored beer.

M- A mouthwatering sourness keeps your tongue alert at all times. Beer has a lot of flavor given the 5% ABV.

O- I'm new to this style of beer but this one is a winner regardless of style. A well made and delicious beer that can and will get people interested in sours.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 23:21:07 | More by TwelveOunces

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2005 vintage. Poured from a 750 ml cork n cap bottle into a 12 oz snifter.

A- pours a bright orange with a 1 finger white head. Small bubbles around the surface of the beer.

S- lots of vinegar with big citrus notes (lemon mainly) and barnyard.

T- pale malts, vinegar, lemon, with almost a peach/apricot flavor

M- medium body and carbonation. Very nice feel for a sour, and I think the age on this beer mellowed the carbonation and acidity.

O- great Geuze, nice lemon zest flavor and very mellow feel and high drinkability for a sour.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:08:58 | More by kawilliams81

Duff27

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Short lived thin white head leaves thin collar. Cloudy honey-dew colored body.

Funky but with a slight lemon grass note on the tail end of the nose.

Mountain Dew-like citrus note up front. Sour comes in second...and wow! I'd give it a 7.5 on the sour scale. Has a "woody" note.

Medium mouthfeel. Low but fitting carbonation.

One of the top 5 wilds/sours I've had. This was a real treat, thanks a ton kawilliams81!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 04:03:47 | More by Duff27

tectactoe

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks, Mike. The original Cantillon gueuze has evaded me for long enough - but not anymore! Pours an almost perfect copper color with great clarity upon warming - the initial pour warrants a very slight chill haze throughout the middle. The foamy white head escapes quickly, but not before leaving a few rings of lacing at the top of the glass.

As I slowly bring the glass to my nose, an incredible tartness immediately begins to invade my nostrils and plague my senses. Very tart smelling, even a bit lactic-like with a heavy amount of acidity. Apple skins, lemons, white grapes, and an accompanying trace of malt. Slightly vinegar-like, too.

There is just a touch of funk and a little bit of brettanomyces on the nose, but not as much as I would usually expect from a beer like this. That might be a good thing, though, because this aroma is pretty much fine as it is. A touch of wood on the tail end, fading out with the heaps and heaps of sour and tart fruits. This is the type of beer that gets your saliva glands moving, long before you even take a sip.

I take a taste and there's really no surprise here - this baby is sour and tart as can be. A puckering incision of apples and grapes just cuts across my palate and devours every last corner of my mouth. Mild astringency for a brief moment, due to the insane tart flavors, quickly followed up and mellowed out a bit by the oak. The oak is more apparent on the palate and provides a nice dryness to help sooth everything and bring the wild running sourness back to earth.

From middle to end, the funk pops out and the Brett works its magic. Light enough as to not distract from the tartness, but heavy enough to give you that little bit of barnyard you're looking for. Finishes super dry with a mild vinegar tone, some oak and funk, and a dash of dying fruit - thin bodied with lots of carbonation.

There's no wonder why this stuff is so highly praised - it's fantastic. There's truly no recreation or replica of a beer like this. Masterfully done, definitely a benchmark of the classic gueuze style. If this were readily available to me, you can bet that my fridge would be stocked with it all day. I might have a stomach ulcer from all the acid, but it might be worth it for this.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 20:04:03 | More by tectactoe

jeonseh

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle at Local Option.

A - Golden color with a clean body and only a small amount of carbonation. Had a small head that settles down to a small layer of foam.

S - Tart lemon and lactic acid with slight funk that adds complexity to it

T - Tart white vinegar, sweet tarts, and lemon up front that give it a nice bite. There is a light funk that comes through near the finish. Good complexity and balance between the two.

M - Light body with good amount but not too much carbonation. Light dry finish with a slight tingle from the carbonation

O - Solid with great balance between the tartness and funk. I thought this was tarter but had less funk that the 3F Gueuze

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 01:11:38 | More by jeonseh

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.21/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle purchased in Victoria. Bottled on 31 August 2012.
Poured in to teku glass.

A - Completely cloudy bright orange colour with a thin layer of off white head.

S/T - Tart with lots of barnyard funk. Musky. Some vinegar and grape notes. Sourness is restrained but present.

M - Medium body with some chew. Light carbonation.

O - Still getting in to the style and this was one of the more enjoyable ones I have had to date.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 18:33:44 | More by TheSevenDuffs

JamesShoemaker

New York

4.18/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 ml poured into two wine glasses. Thanks to khumbard for this bottle - I've wanted to try something, anything from Cantillon since I started getting into craft. Decollated, uncorked, ready to go.

A - not unlike a DIPA, bright orange on the pour, settles a little deeper in the glass. Perhaps slightly more head than one would expect, a little cloudy, and a nice film follows the top of the beer on the way down.

S - much subtler than I expected, sweet and sour. The vinegar dominates at first, but it fades into a candy-like sweetness. Not much fruit in detectable, but this is only my second sour (the first being Supplication; bring on the big 'uns).

T - yum, there's a big burst of sour acidity right at first, but it lingers in a delicious way. My girlfriend is puckering; I don't think it's very sour, just very mild.

M - big carbonation and a (slight) puckering character, but it's not unpleasant. I'm not a huge fan of 5% alcohol, but it's still very tasty.

O - I have yet to be totally blown away by sours, but I'm not going to let two beers characterize an entire style for me (unless it's AALs). I wish there was a little more booze in it, but it's definitely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 22:40:57 | More by JamesShoemaker

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted at the Cantillon brewery next to their lambic.

Beer is brite, much clearer than the lambic, golden in color with a small white head.

The aroma is of straw, wheat, barn, and funk. Much more complex than the unblended version.

Sweeter than the lambic in flavor but still rather sour, with an acidic bite.

Less sharp, sweeter, better blanced than the lambic. The carbonation really helps with the acidity and makes it much more refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 22:21:43 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

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

tewaris

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 12/2010, so a little over 2 years old.

Golden and clear with hints of red-orange and a bubbly head; champagne-esque effervescence. Medium retention. Funky, musty, somewhat sweet aroma. Slightly metallic. Lemon and oak tannins in the taste with a drying sour finish. Very clean and crisp with a lingering presence of tannins and slight pucker. Very nice, but I think I like 3F's better.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 08:03:18 | More by tewaris