Cantillon LH12 - Brasserie Cantillon

tpd975

Florida

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice golden hue with a small white head.

S: Aromas of green apples, light straw, oak, and a touch of white wine.

T: The apples are there mildly tart, but crisp like wine. Hints of wet hay and a prominent flavor that I can't quite put my finger on. The cognac maybe?

M: Light in carbonation, a bit dry in the finish.

D: Just okay not crazy about this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 01:28:49 | More by tpd975

GRG1313

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

05-14-2013 04:44:25 | More by GRG1313

beerpirates

Belgium

3.88/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle at Moeder Lambic Fontainas. Cheers to jbeatty for this beautifull afternoon !
Pours an amber, cognac color with no head.
The nose provides strong funk notes along with a distinct honey from the Cognac barrel and some apple .
Palate is medium sour/tart with smooth, non astringent mouthfeel with no (obviously) carbonation. Barnyard, musty oak, apple and a faint wisp of the Cognac spirit are the prevalent tastes , no alcohol taste at all !

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 14:07:22 | More by beerpirates

pperez38

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

12-18-2012 00:45:23 | More by pperez38

Fux

France

4.85/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Clear copper with orange glints. Fine bubbles, small white head which leaves thin lacings on the edge of the glass then gives way to a limpid, bright liquid. Very similar to a long time sipper barleywine.
S: Light, smooth sourness, vanilla, light citruses (oranges). Characteristic smell of a young lambic, nuanced by a woody scent. While warming, the smell becomes more and more fruity (plums).
T: Woody, malted palate upfront. Light touch of sourness, never overwhelming which enhances the pronounced notes of cognac. Very very nice length on the palate with flavors coming by waves. In the course of the tasting, notes of dried and soaked fruits appear (grapes, plumes, blueberry). The sourness and warming on the finish are wonderfully balanced by a consistent smoothness.
M: Thin carbonation, nice length, very drinkable and refreshing with a nice dry aftertaste.
O: Wonderful beer, complex, smooth, to savor slowly as dictated by its evolution. Very balanced, rich, this lambic season H, brew 12 is a true success!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 12:10:04 | More by Fux

tarheels86

California

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

750mL sampled at the Lambic Summit. Pours a flat, clear, glowing orange that could actually be mistaken for cognac though is missing the legs and viscosity. Aroma is cheesy, sweaty, loaded with feet, vinegar, apple cider, sherry, and then as it warms moves to candied tamarind and Grand Marinier soaked cake. Then the aroma starts to move to white wine sulfides. It is obvious this is very old lambic. The taste is musty, cobwebby, cheesy, funky, and has a hint of dried orange peel and wet oak. Still is light, soft, quick on the palate. I’m a big fan of 50N 4E so I’ll be a bit biased here, but what else can you ask for besides what is essentially the unblended version.

750mL thanks to Jonah at our RateBeer table at Spuyten Duyvel. Why is this so good? At first you could pass by this beer and say, flat, thin, not much going on. But if you give this lambic time, you will discover how awesomely soft, understanded, and beautiful this creation really is. The pour is flat, watery amber that looks like diluted cognac. The aroma is better than 50N 4E we had side by side. Rather than spicy cognac inherent in the 50N, this is earthy, musty, subdued with curacao and dried orange peel. The taste is soft as first then ends wildly complex: so many minerals, dust, soft lactic sourness, oak, dried lemon, orange perfumes, spices, salt water. Really is incredible. 9/20/2010 8/4/9/5/16=4.2

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 19:37:55 | More by tarheels86

pixieskid

France

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

04-16-2012 19:57:45 | More by pixieskid

BucketBoy

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Opened by forgetfu - thanks Bill! Side-by-side-by-side with 2 other cognac lambics, 50N-4E and Crianza.

Your typical still lambic, with perhaps some cognac notes in the mid-palate. Not bad at all, and fairly tasty, with straw notes, barnyard, and the expected lemon sour that is not quite as brisk as I'd like. The rarity really helps the flavor, but otherwise somewhat forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 00:28:43 | More by BucketBoy

sideshowe

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +18.2%

11-15-2011 13:37:18 | More by sideshowe

HopStoopid120

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +18.2%

11-15-2011 04:18:59 | More by HopStoopid120

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -23.2%

11-15-2011 01:54:23 | More by ygtbsm94

SummitVA

Maryland

5/5  rDev +18.2%

11-14-2011 15:33:24 | More by SummitVA

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -5.4%

11-14-2011 12:55:43 | More by Ineedabeerhere

mikey711

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle thanks to Joe.

A: Pours a straw gold with no head or lace.

S: Slightly floral with hints of tart lemon. A bit of oak and cognac in the background.

T: Extremely mellow, bot much sour or tart flavor, but mild apple and lemon fruitiness. a bit of earthiness and wood as well. hints of straw and hey as well

M: A nice spritzy feel, with the earth and tang of the apple being very refreshing and smooth

D: This is a great beer to have to sit and sip on during a hot summer day like a chardonnay. It certainly drinks lighter than the 7% indicates and was much more mellow than i expected.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 14:16:12 | More by mikey711

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.33/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A huge thanks to Ineedabeerhere (Joe) for this one. 4oz. pour from a corked and capped 750ml bottle into a Cantillon tulip. Had at a tasting on 6/4/11. Reviewed from notes.

A: Beer pours no head and no lacing. Barely carbed. Color is a clear goldenrod. Just below standard even given the style.

S: Nose is slight hints of floral perfume, spicy alcohol in the back, straw, and a spritz of lemon rind. Mellow and not very aromatic. Appropriate though.

T: Opens lemon, straw, hay, tartness builds a bit towards the middle. Some plastic and band-aid round out the experience. Finish is lemon rind with some subtle bitterness and no aftertaste. Some unexpected heat towards the end also. Nice. Very drinkable.

M: Light to medium bodied with almost no carbonation. Smooth and oily in the mouth and goes down the same with a slight touch of heat. No aftertaste is a nice touch.

O: A very solid beer overall but given the demand and mystique behind it, not all that impressive. While its an unblended lambic, its pretty on par with the standard gueuzes out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 12:05:04 | More by SpeedwayJim

grub

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

lantern corps beer summit 2010 - day 2, oct 9/2010.

750ml corked and capped bottle.

pours nearly crystal clear gold with no head or lace.

aroma is nice. vinegar. int of solvent. bit of prickly acidity. cider vinegar. horse blanket and leather. white bread and cracker. toffee and vanilla. apple.

taste is nice. similar to the aroma with almost no sourness and everything else feeling very mellow or watered down. lighter everything. bit of solvent.

mouthfeel is nice. light body. low carbonation. drying brett finish.

drinkability is nice. decent, but not all that interesting or exciting. certainly doesn't hold up against the other sours in this tasting.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 17:12:15 | More by grub

gn0sis

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

LH12 has been on the top of my list, especially after how pleased I was with 50ºN-4º. I really could not wait to try the 'unblended' version side by side with 50º, and recently I got the chance... Very slick golden pour with little cloudiness, though when held up to the natural sunlight it was far from translucent. When agitated, sticks to the glass leaving a quickly dissipating oily sheen. The aromas of cognac are present, but hardly overwhelming. Taste is reminiscent of an eau du vie, after a few moments I was hit with that comforting barnyard essence. Minimal carbonation, vs. the moderate effervescence of 50º. That familiar, lingering sourness is present in the finish, though with this one it's all about subtlety. Oak is present in the taste, however there's not much of a booziness overload considering such a long exposure in the casks. This was one of the most unique Cantillons I've experienced, very balanced and great to enjoy over the period of an afternoon tasting. We blended some of the LH12 with several other lambics, and it complimented some of the fruit lambic (pinot d'anuis, malvasia, hommage) quite nicely. Would love to try this again, regretfully that may never happen so I'm glad I had the chance. Upon closer inspection of the empty bottle, this is the first Cantillon I've seen with no residual dregs or sediment.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 15:37:19 | More by gn0sis

jedwards

Rhode Island

4.72/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle at Spuyten Duyvil.

Pours clear and coppery... actually looks a bit like cognac. Nose is musty, earthy, and slightly boozy -- taste is dry, tart, huge oak, tannic and extremely vinous. The cognac is there as a note in the flavor but not overt. Mouthfeel is rich and smooth, surprising given that it is completely uncarbonated. Wonderful unblended lambic, and another great example of what leaving a lambic in the barrel for more than three years can do.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 17:30:46 | More by jedwards

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Crystal clear, copper color. Bottled still. Soft cognac aroma and oak is most noticeable. Earthy brett and light acidity. The flavors and aroma are the most subtle I've ever found in a Cantillon. Mellow cognac, oak and unblended lambic create a perfect marriage. Slightly tart, taste is smooth. Reminds me of a chardonnay without the very dry finish. It's interesting how the flavors mimic white grapes. Mouthfeel is unreal. Thin, delicate, and not oily.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 00:43:05 | More by BearsOnAcid

alfrantzell

California

4.55/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Brewed in 3/2005, bottled in 4/2010
(L = lambic, H = the year, 12 = batch number)

One in a series of experiments by Cantillon to brew a 10%, decade-old lambic. It assumes the shape of the glass and sits there, copper-colored and still.

Oak, vanilla, and roses in the nose, and, as it warms, some spirit tones. Aside from the white grape essence, it's reminiscent of the two year old lambic occasionally available at the brewery. Fortified cologne, basically.

The taste is not that sour, though there are chardonnay tartness and tannins. Despite the stillness the feel is smooth and supple. A winner.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 21:50:07 | More by alfrantzell

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Lambic aged 61 months in a cognac cask" at lambic summit. Clear gold, no head or lacing, quite still. Pungent, earthy nose of white wine vinegar, the only Cantillon beer this evening which had much white wine vinegar component. A bit of cat urine on the nose, heavy sulfur. Really pungent flavor, sulfur, white wine vinegar, lemon. Intense mouth and really sour on the back palate. Not getting a ton of cognac in that it's so dry and the barrel really brought out these funky qualities. Reminds me a bit of Lambicus Dexterius, but a bit more refined. An interesting treat, but it would be difficult to drink a whole bottle of this. Could use a bit of time to mellow out.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 02:32:27 | More by JAXSON

rfgetz

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The Great Lambic Summit..

Golden Orange, crystal clear and flat. Scent is of of soured white wine vinegar, touch of watery apple, grape and orange and mild funk. Taste is acidic, vinous and filled with watery tropical fruits. Medium body, flat and smooth. Interesting, different and definitely unique.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2010 16:13:32 | More by rfgetz

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Jean shared this with us at The Great Lambic Summit. Thank you! This is a lambic aged in a single cognac cask for 61 months, yielding 300 bottles.
The nose is flat orange amber with no head, on par for an unblended lambic. The nose is compelling. Stinky, this smells a *little bit* like ass. Coupled with the funky base lambic, it's unique, and the cognac character is quite pronounced. Sulfury, mildly cider-like and with some vanilla, this is mildly vinous.

The palate is super sour with a beautiful fruit bouquet with tropical fruit and a noticeable ripe jackfruit character,especially on the finish. Sour and lingering with some acetic sharpness, this is rather cheesy and funky. Moderate cognac character, there's some grape and tannins. Medium in body and rather flat, this is great stuff. I preferred the 50N4E more, but I would not turn this down if offered to me!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2010 15:52:46 | More by DefenCorps