Cantillon Vigneronne - Brasserie Cantillon

beerloverofbham

Washington

4.73/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Enjoyed at Brouwer's Sour Fest. Served in a snifter.
I'll have to apologize in advance for any verbosity and poetic musings. This was my first taste of anything from Cantillon.
Color of unfiltered apple juice, with a small, pure white head. Smells like melted rubber in a wet basement. Tastes incredibly complex--I might have to say a wine snob's beer if that makes sense--lots of layers here: dark fruit, red wine, a little barnyard funk, with a slight hop flavor here and there. Very drinkable. Strong harmony of flavors lingers before fading off the tongue, like an orchestra's perfect decrescendo. Alright, enough bullshit; this was just a great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 08:37:53 | More by beerloverofbham

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2006 vintage on draft at Monk's Cafe.

Pours a slightly hazy, pale golden straw color with a thin white head that quickly dissaptes.  Not much lacing to speak of.

Slightly funky, vinous aroma with hints of musty funk and wet hay along with earthy oak and vinous light fruit.  Lots of grape in the nose.  

Medium bodied with a nice mix of dry, tart/earthy funky notes and sweet light fruit. Dry and very puckering without being harsh or acidic.  Sweet acetic vinegar lingering complimented by sweet vinous fruit notes.  Grapes are still prominent five years later.  Hints of dry, earthy oak and musty funk are perfectly balanced with a lingering sweet vinegar finish that leaves me thirsting for more.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2011 02:20:28 | More by corby112

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

on tap at monks during the cantillon mad monday - 06 vintage

Pours an almost crystal clear golden color with a bright flair in the light. Little to no head, some wispy film rests on top.

A rush of fruit combined with tartness in the nose, notes of green apple and pear. White wine grape (in this case, muscat) and some noticeable sweetness.

Fairly sour up front with some funky undertones. White wine and fruit notes combine with a decent sweetness. There's a definite smack of muscat grape, which I almost immediately didn't like. Finishes a bit sweet, dry, and sour.

Lighter medium body, well carbonated, slightly sticky and lingering on the tongue. This was probably the only beer (out of 12) that I wasn't really into at the event, although I don't enjoy muscato in the first place.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2011 04:11:08 | More by xnicknj

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 Bottle, 750ml

A - It pours a turbid peach-orange hue, with a short lived head; subsequently, it looks fairly still. Several times I declined to drink this beer because it looked like too much yeast/sediment had been disturbed, and I assumed the bottle had been jostled. Prior to opening this, this bottle was undisturbed for over a month, which did nothing to drop the haze out of suspension.

S - The nose suggests tart lemon and lime, musty basement, farm-barn-hay and fairly strong lactic notes. I do not discern anything particularly vinous of note, aside from that which would normally be present in a Gueuze or Lambic; if there weren't grapes on the label (and I didn't know about Cantillons) I would not guess that this was a Muscat Lambic.

T - The taste is bracingly sour, more so than I was anticipating. There is, again, not much grape; the flavor is more towards lime pith and sour lemon, with musty wet wood and dank basement rounding it out. Lactic notes are evident much more than Brett. Some apple skin is noted as it airs out.

M - Fairly still in appearance, it is surprisingly lively on the tongue. The relatively low carbonation accentuates the sour flavors, allowing them to linger without mitigation.

O - Not Cantillons finest, but damn good anyway.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 15:40:33 | More by ktrillionaire

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in white wine glass)
A- This beer has a slight murky deep orange body with a thin ring of white around the rim. There is a very gentle carbonation of one or two bubbles that are visible.
S- The cheese rind brett note is followed by a soft tartness and a nice white grape skin aroma finishes.
T- The light cheese rind flavor has a smooth tartness to follow with a mild white grape tannin note in the finish. There is a nice pucker and a muscat grape note that linger.
M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a slight slippery texture and no alcohol heat.
D- The bright tartness with the subtle muscat grape flavor and cheese rind work great together. This is easy to drink and crisp and the tartness is smooth enough for another glass.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 01:28:07 | More by rhoadsrage

alfrantzell

California

4.43/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This golden fluid, the 2009 vintage, is delivered from the tap at Moeder Lambic Fontainas with a fleeting head. It off-gasses scents of nectarines, spiced apricots, chardonnay, inexpertly cleaned white peach pits, and tastes austere, but not as caustic as the bottled form -- aided, no doubt, by the keg format, which thickens the mouthfeel and focuses on the fruit. The funk and sourness are left by the wayside, but it's for a good cause.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2010 21:18:38 | More by alfrantzell

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Binny's South Loop tasting room

Appearance: orange/yellow in color, cloudy, minimal head

Smell: sour mix and apple cider

Taste: sour mix, grapes, and green apples

Mouthfeel: very sour with sweetness in the background to mellow the taste some, tart, light body with low carbonation

Drinkability: One of the better Cantillon sours I have had. The initial taste is very mouth puckering. The apple and grape tones mix well with the sourness. I would drink several glasses of this if I knew my body could handle this.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2010 16:19:55 | More by tigg924

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.85/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap poured into an 8oz flute at Ebenezer's pub during the 6th annual Belgian Beer fest.

Pours a hazy pale straw color with no head at all. Nose is funky, sweet and a bit fruity. I ordered this thinking it was Saint Lamvinus so I was thrown off at first.

Taste is sweet, funky and quite grapey. It's very tart and puckering. Fairly light mouthfeel but nice sharp carbonation. Quite drinkable for a sour because it doesn't really have that horse blanket taste to it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2010 14:02:02 | More by kingcrowing

fear025

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Bavarian Lodge, Lisle, IL.

Aroma:Balsamic vinegar.

Appearance:Sightly hazy pale orange, with minimal head and poor lacing.

Taste:Upon first taste, this beer has a medium sourness as compared to other Cantillons. On second taste, more balsamic vinegar tastes come through. On the foretaste, it tastes like a sweet lime soft drink for just a moment, and then the midtaste comes in with sourness and musket grape flavor. The aftertaste then fades pleasantly.

Mouthfeel:This beer has a light mouthfeel, without the harshness present in many sour beers.

Drinkability:This Cantillon is quite drinkable and pleasant. My palate has a tough time with sour/tart beers, but this one is quite nice.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2010 05:32:17 | More by fear025

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Bavarian Lodge

Hazy yellow pour into a goblet

Nice sharp tartness, funky yeast, and sour grapes

Crisp tartness, sour white grape skins, pleasant sourness, lemon, some funk at the end that is complimentary and subtle and not overwhelming. Tannins quite evident on the finish.

Nice pucker with a seemless meshing of many pleasant characteristics of a solid fruit lambic. Wish I had enjoyed another.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2010 03:12:53 | More by BarrytheBear

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Blue Dog a few times, had to get some more. It's been years since I had this.

A- A nice white gold color with some small tans in between. Somewhat of a white fuzz on top semi soapy, dies down quick.

S- My god this is sour scented. Big wine grapes of the muscat type. Vinious, sour funky,earthy, Cantillon. It really jumps out at you, more than St. Lamvinous does, these grapes is ripe. It just smells good.

T- It is good. This is the stuff. Grapes coming in under a big sour apple blast. Wine grapes. Funky and tart. Semi earthy. Not getting a lot of moldy cheese and feet, just grapes and funk.

M- Puckeringly good. Just enough pucker though. The grapes are big in taste and winey and stay a bit. This finishes quite dry. Light bodied nicely carbed and a mouthfull, of sour.

D- I love this stuff, off tap it's just amazing. Woukd love to age a bottle of this for a decade. It's not overly sour, I had a few without much trouble. A bit acidic. It's nothing short of amazing.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2010 01:40:33 | More by onix1agr

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at blue dog landsdale.

A- comes to me with a slight wisp of head nothing much to speak of. Hazy dull yellow in color that gives a nice glow when lit from behind.

S- hugh funky barnyard and crushed muscat grapes. Dusty and musty. Lemon juice.

T- tart and sour with under ripe green grapes, lemon juice. Nice lacto character. Funky oak and a hint of white wine vinegar and other vineous hints.

M- medium to light in body with a small tingly carb that slowly builds and adds to the nice pucker. Dry finish.

D- very tart and sour with bugs galore. Oaky and juicy. Very enjoyable indeed. With two glasses in me and some nice cheese life is good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2010 23:39:02 | More by oglmcdgl

jrallen34

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap into a tulip at Local Option.

The beer bours a murky gold with light head, looks like a typical gueze.

The aroma is on the lighter side which is surprising for a lambic, light tartyness not funk dominates. The finish is light oak and grass.

The taste starts off nice, a little sweet on the front then some nice tartness, easy to drink to start. You can really tell they used grapes here as it is very similar to drinking white wine, a pinot grigio and sauvigon blacn. I really liked this beer to start but the more I drank the less I liked it. The finish is very pronounced and gives off a very weird oak/grass almost scotch like finish. Its very distracting, too much alcohol.

The feel is light and warm. It starts off drinkable then fades as the alcohol finish becomes more pronounced.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2010 17:47:33 | More by jrallen34

tpd975

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: pours a light golden yellow small puffy white ring. Lite retention with some spotty lace.

S: tart green grapes. Oak with some mild wine tartness. Citrus as well.

T: citrus and green grass. White wine and oak. Crisp and mildly tart.

M: lighter side crisp and tart.

D: awesome tasty and damn drinkable

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2010 18:22:11 | More by tpd975

drabmuh

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I feel very fortunate to have had this on draft at Churchkey side by side with Saint Lamvinus. Beer is yellow and completely hazy, no head really, lacing is low as well as carbonation.

ARoma is tart with a citric based sourness and a mild funk (less than the St. L).

The beer is grapey for sure, sweet and smooth, low body and a late sour with a tartness that gets me in the corners of my mouth. There isn't a lot of carbonation in the mouth, but this beer is suppose to be thin and the sour comes from acids. This is a great beer. The more Cantillon I have the more I love them. I would serious recommend it. I need to find a bottle so I can compare them.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2010 17:20:33 | More by drabmuh

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I enjoyed this on tap at Brass Rail 3/4 - served in a snifter.

A - A hazy peach juice color w/ basic white ring of a cap w/ tiny beading. The ale has a moderate amount of visible carbonation

S - The aroma has a mild sour nose w/ subtle fruit note -grape-like w/a light tartness and classic wine grape vinegar sourness you expect from a Cantillon lambic

M - The feel is more sour than anything with a intense tart puckering feel w/ lingering juiciness and mild dry sour astringency w/ moderately high level of carbonation and slighltly high acidity level

T - This lambic has a subtle acidic white grape juiciness at the start w/ slight pucker inducing sourness as indicated in the feel that carries over to the taste which brings a light peach and mild plum aspect w/ tanginess and tannic elements displayed. There is a bitter lemon and cherry tinge at the back of the throat w/ mild citrus flavor w/ bold tropical fruit like kumquat in a sweet tart taste that lingers long after the swallow

D - For such a sour lambic it is really a drinkable one w/ the fruit notes very fresh and vibrant and the evolution of the taste profile as it gets warmer is great. The temp brings out more asrtringency and also light sweetness. I sipped on this for awhile - top notch!

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2010 16:29:51 | More by Slatetank

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.78/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Church Key last night. Pricey, but absolutely worth it, much better than any bottle of this I've had.

The pour is a hazy, murky yellow with no real head. I've had better looking beers, but few have smelled better. Just a massive white grape character, fresh, juicy and vinous. The sourness is quite pronounced too with a sharp acidity, mostly lemony, and this works brilliantly with the fruit, making for a vinous beer. Funk is modest with a bit of musty basement and dank earth.
The flavors on the palate are through the roof. There's so much juicy, fruity, white grape character that it's incredible. Like a dry white wine, the fruit character is explosive, but the lack of sweetness makes for a very refreshing beverage. The sourness is quite prominent, surprisingly so, with a big lemon character along with a touch of funk. Medium-light in body with a low level of carbonation, this beer finishes dry and pucking, palate cleansingly so, with a lingering lemon juice and white grape character. Truly phenomenal.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2010 13:25:45 | More by DefenCorps

Beerbuddha

Louisiana

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This beer came to me a VERY hazy golden color with no head at all. Lacing was present but minimal.

Smell: Huge hints of citrus and banyard funk.

Taste: Amazing taste. The hints of lemon along with a wonderful funky sourness. This also had an amazing sweetness to it. Almost a little too sweet.

Mouthfeel:Medium body with low carbonation.

Overall: An amazingly unigue beer that I am happy to been able to try. Thanks to Polly at Avenue Pub for bringing this one in. Not one of Cantillon's best beers but still a good one. At $9 for 10 oz considering the rarity of this beer not a bad price either!

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2010 13:28:53 | More by Beerbuddha

ToasterChef

Maine

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from my notes. Served in a goblet as part of the Lion's Pride Belgian Beer Fest. The beer has a cloudy, opaque peach appearance, like a glass of juice or nectar. There was no head, per se, but I could see some individual bubbles on top that kind of looked like specs floating in the beer.. It coats the sides of the glass slightly. It has an aroma that is both musty and sour. I can smell some peach as well. The taste has some sourness, but not too much. It is a bit cider-like. It tastes aged, kind of like an old oxidized beer, but not quite. There were some ripe fruit flavors as well. It has a light body. There was a good tingling sensation from the sourness. I also felt a slight puckering after I swallowed. It was very drinkable. I could easily go through an entire bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2010 14:55:17 | More by ToasterChef

Lldeegan

Louisiana

3.95/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Avenue Pub.
Pours a hazy dirty orange color

Smells of mostly vinegar, sharp citrus acid notes.

The taste is sour mid palate with some lemon and young white grape tartness. chardonnay oak to tart tones with a tart finish.

soft mouthfeel with very little carbonation following.

A nice refreshing drink great for an aperatif.

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2010 11:33:08 | More by Lldeegan

botham

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

on tap at the Local Option in Chicago. pours an amber orangish color with a single finger of eggshell colored head that has good retention and leaves no lacings.

aroma is acidic with a light cherry note and a base of the famous Cantillon funk. the acidic note is vinous in character and envoelops the other aromas as the brew warms a bit.

taste follows the nose with a finish of a sharp bite that carries through to the aftertaste. wonderfully funky on the palate with a farmhouse quality and a very subtle note of distant fruit. vinous in the nose and on the palate, which adds a bit of sharpness to the back end. an excellent lambic.

mouthfeel is medium bodied and perfectly balanced between funk and acidity. the sour note keeps the palate honest, while cleansing the palate upon finishing.

drinkability is excellent. a tasty mix of sour and funk, with a very drinkable aura and a finish that cleanses the palate. a bit less sour than the Classic Gueuze, but just as drinkable. there is a subtle note of cherry and a touch of pear as the brew warms a bit, giving it some complexity, but in the end it takes a back seat to the funk. cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2009 15:42:38 | More by botham

Nickls

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(From notes)

A - Darker, but vibrant orange color; poured with no head whatsoever

S - Lightly vinegary; vinous; citric; tart; skunky like grape aroma

T - Tart and vinegary at fist with plenty of acidity; very wine-like from the muscat grapes; dried fruit finish

M - Thinner, nearly no carbonation

D - Nice enough, but not the most drinkable I've had in the style or even from Cantillon, but still damn good

Overall, enjoyable and interesting and certainly worth a look.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2009 00:40:21 | More by Nickls

rhinos00

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had two glasses of this at Falling Rock Tap House in Denver.

A- Pours an orange, gold hue. Very similar to a peach crayon you find in 64 crayon Crayola Box. Produces a fingers width of white head that dissipates pretty quickly.

S- Nothing overpowering, yet semi-complex. I'm getting a nice cornucopia of sour apples, oak, and grape skins. Would have been rated higher if it was more potent.

T- Damn was this delicious. Had a nice subtle sourness with a complimentary oak flavor. Also in the mix was sour apple and various fruits. What I really appreciated about this beer is that it was sour just to the right point so that it was not overdone.

M- Well carbonated and light to medium bodied.

D- The fact that the sourness wasn't overbearing really made this drinkable. Probably one of the most drinkable sours I have had in a long time, and I have had my fair share of sours.

Overall, really glad to see this is on tap. Haven't really had the chance to have many Cantillons on-tap, but this was well worth it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2009 04:17:19 | More by rhinos00

thirdeye11

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

My first experience tasting a Cantillon, and on draft no less. Got this at the Falling Rock Tap House in Denver, CO. Poured from tap into a chalice.

A: Not an appealing looking beer really. Cloudy, pale sickly green/yellow pour with very little head that recedes quickly.

S: Smell is very vinegar like, some sour muscat grapes without much funk to be smelled here. I like it!

T: Very straightforward with the muscat grapes. Sour, vinous, apple cider vinegar, and very sour. Since I like sour it's good, but maybe too sour without anything to balance it out.

M: Undercarbonated, but not too thin. Really just average, but somewhat style appropriate.

D: Hurt by the abundance of sourness. Good thing this was an 8oz pour as it would have been tough to finish more I think. Makes your cheeks pucker when you drink it.

Overall I liked it, but not sure I would seek it out again given the price of Cantillon beers.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2009 18:19:11 | More by thirdeye11

kenito799

New York

4.47/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

10 oz pour at Memphis Tap Room, Fishington, Philly.

So wonderful to have a chance to drink a Cantillon brew on tap. Pale rose-tinted golden brew, no head to speak of, in keeping with the style. A Champagne-type fine-bubbled carbonation. Aroma of lovely tart funkiness, characteristic Cantillon vinegar-brett aromas. Love the tart flavor from the first sip...fairly mild when compared to other Cantillon offerings, very drinkable, with a lightly grapey finish. Excellent aperitif, could easily drink a lot more with a meal.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2009 03:09:54 | More by kenito799