Cantillon Iris - Brasserie Cantillon

tewaris

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Here it is, the most weird of all 'loons. Thicker and murkier and more amber than other lambic, it is easier to spot among others of its kind. Funky, duh. Honestly, I did not detect much uniqueness in the aroma but taste is a whole different game --- much more malty but not sweet, I am having trouble finding the right adjective. And then there's the bitterness. In this layman's terms, it drinks like a blend of a lambic and an... IPA?

But finish is usual Cantillon --- sharp and dry! Interesting and unique but not necessarily my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 08:45:02 | More by tewaris

rapidsequence

Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle. Bottled Feb 20, 2012. I picked this one up at Cantillon earlier this year.

Appearance: Other folks who said this pours hazy either had old bottles, or drank it cold. There is initially some chill haze, but it clears almost completely. Pretty amber, very short lived head, no lacing.

Smell: Tart and funky. Lemon and musty old shed. Some pale malt sweetness.

Taste: As above. Pretty tart, but not overbearing. Very nice combination of malty sweetness, tart lemon, and funk. While I smelled no hops, there is a nice herbal/grassy hoppy flavor that extends though the finish.

Mouthfeel: Lower carbonation than the gueuze, which I would change. Finishes dry and bitter.

Overall: Very nice twist on a normal lambic. The extra pale malt and hops add makes it different and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 00:51:23 | More by rapidsequence

mdaschaf

Washington

4.26/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 Vintage.

A: A slightly hazy orange-golden color with a very large white head on top, very sudsy. I could actually hear the bubbles pop as the head reduced to a thin cap on top. Lacing forms on the glass and lasts momentarily before receding down into the beer.

S: Surprisingly, I get a bit of earthy hops right away. This gives way to tart citrus and flowery aromas with a heavy funk/cheese aroma at the end.

T: Less funky/musty than the aroma, much more fruit forward and floral. More green grape, sour apple, lemon, and a bit of peach. Has a slightly sweet, puckering finish.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation, not as tart as other Cantillons, this one is very balanced in that regard.

O: Different for Cantillon, definitely hoppier from the fresh hopping that they do to the beer. Definitely like it, would be interested to taste it with some age.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 01:39:47 | More by mdaschaf

Tnudish

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at Stoutfest. Label says its a 2007 vintage, but the cork says its 2010. I am gonna go with this being a 2007. Thanks to whoever brought this.

A-Pours a hazy orange in color with maybe a quarter fingers worth of tight white head.

S-Nose is exceptionally balanced. There is lemon and a fair amount of floral character to it. It resembles a Cuvée des Champions or Saint Gilloise in my opinion.

T- Flavor starts out with some bright lemon and then immediately turns to the floral aspect of the beer. It’s gentle grass and tartness....exceptionally balanced.

M-Mouthfeel is light, carbonation is gentle, as well as the acidity, a moderate finish.

O-Never had this before, but I am a big fan of this. I enjoy the floral character of the beer quite a bit and it adds some nice complexity to the lambic.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 17:32:23 | More by Tnudish

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.78/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Dec 2011

The beer pours a rich looking, cloudy amber with a thin, yet consistent, blanketing of a tan head. The nose is herbal and tart with just enough sweetness. The taste is rather harsh and the herbal characteristics in the nose are blunted by the beer's intense sour tartness. The mouthfeel is tart and acidic, but not overwhelmingly sour. The aftertaste is a mix of sweet and sour with a slightly lingering bitterness, and tons of acidity. Not the best cantillon I've had and I'm not sure what the hype is...still a good sour.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 21:51:29 | More by ThePorterSorter

merc7186

New York

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled: December 2011

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Minimal Lacing

S: Funky, Hay, Grassy, Tart Apples

T: Tart Apples, Funk, Yeasty

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter

Overall, a nice unblended gueze but definitely a step behind in flavor from the classic gueze

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 21:08:06 | More by merc7186

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle Opened on 8.27.12
Bottled Feb 20, 2012

A - Pours a medium to dark cloudy orange with a fizzy one inch yellowish-tan head that fades quickly.

S - Lots of barnyard funk and some wild flowers.

T - Lots of funk, tart red apple, dandelions, earthy.

D - Good carbonation, light body, very lively.

O - Very tasty, lively and tart. Try it if you can, you will enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 05:05:05 | More by HuskyinPDX

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours hazy orange with a finger of perfectly creamy white head and a few bubbles.

Intense hay like funk in the aroma. Some white wine, grapes, lemon and a whiff of flowers.

A little boring up front. The initial sip feels like it lacks a bit of punch. Floral flavors comes out a lot in the middle and finish. Finishes sour and floral with slight bitterness. I really enjoy the finish, just wish there were a bit more up front.

Smooth carbonation. A bit on the low side compared to some pricklers I've had, but still acceptable. Light mouthfeel.

Solid beer and one I'd be glad to pick up any day.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 21:46:38 | More by jmarsh123

maximep

New York

4.43/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

another fantastic beer from the masters of Lambic.

A- pours a hazy, almost unfiltered IPA color of a pale brown/amber, with a lager like head that settles quickly. nice lacing.

S- zesty, rotten egg, a bit sulfuric, fruity, floral, acidic

T- a bit disappointed here. not enough malt sweetness as i expected for an all malt unblended lambic. nonetheless delicious, however not the sweet tartness i expected. more tart, grassy notes of floral lemon.

M- very warm, lovely lightness of a worldclass Lambic. reminiscent of all great wild ales, thin yet not light, lovely small bubbles, a truly alive beer.

O- i tried this side by side with a 2005 Iris and the 2005 was much more subtle. this was review is of the recent bottle. had i reviewed the elder, it would have been near perfect. judgments are relative to the side by side comparison.

again, another smash home from Cantillon. I've only had two of their beers, can't wait to explore them all.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 17:52:51 | More by maximep

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle 5,0% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an oversized wine glass.
2007 Sticker date, 2010 cork date.

Appearance: What a beautiful pour! Moderately hazed golden-orange body, topped by a large white head. The head lasts well for a lambic, but sadly doesn't leave much in the way of lacing.

Smell: Mmmm, this smells absolutely delicious and to my surprise, there is actually still some hop character. Notes include: Tart citrus fruits, oak, orange marmalade (distinctly reminiscent of English hops), cider vinegar, old wood, hay, overripe peaches and a touch of farmhouse cheese.

Taste: As with the nose, the flavour here is absolutely fantastic! Tart fruits (citrus, white grapes, green apples and a hint of apricot ) dominate the flavour with notes oak, musty basement, old wood, hay, orange marmalade and some overripe stone fruits also present.
Iris is actually pretty tart and borders on being puckering - one of the tarter Cantillons I have had recently. The finish is pretty dry and displays a light bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body, with a fairly high level of relatively smooth carbonation. Thankfully the carbonation settles down to a medium level pretty quickly.

Overall: Iris is a fantastic lambic - I will certainly be having a ton more of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 20:18:21 | More by Thehuntmaster

yamar68

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I believe this is the first unblended lambic I've had. Not sure what to expect. This bottle has exactly 6 months on it. I should also mention that the ABV listed on the bottle is 6%... must be specific to the batch? Anyway...

Poured from 750 to tulip. Gorgeous peach gold body with a lively, short-lived finger of white head. Nice lacing too.

The nose is pretty damn tart but tame at the same time... fresh pear, sour grains, very well balanced I think.

Ooo... that's tasty. Tart berry character, white grapes, smooth as can be. It finishes very dry, begging for another sip. Wonderful stuff.

Very impressed by this. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for others of this style.

Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 23:50:35 | More by yamar68

kevanb

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle, 2012 vintage. Poured into a Cantillon stemmed glass.

Pours a great honey amber color, very cloudy, hues of copper and orange rind. A slightly off white head rises quickly, but recedes into nothing, barely a hint of film with no lacing to speak of. The aroma is very nice, a bit soft, but start with great fruit character, tart apple, citrus and white grapes. Lemongrass bridges the barnyard funk, hay and a bit of vinegar that come out so nicely behind the fruit, fantastic balance and integration, I just wish it was a bit more pungent. The flavors are wonderful, the fruit character really pops. The addition of the fresh hops really gives this beer something unique and special, great earthiness and grassiness plays with the tart fruits, lemons, apples, sweet oak acts as the bridge here and leads so well to the mild funk, straw, and yeast. Great body, nice and lively, but not overly carbonated, great drinkability that finishes smoothly, yet very dry.

Verdict: Absolutely wonderful lambic from Cantillon and I feel like a broken record saying that. The hops really make this a unique treat, it adds a great fruit component that goes so well with the milder funk character.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 04:03:15 | More by kevanb

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Simply beautiful. Had a 2010 Iris on tap tonight at Hair of the Dog on Washington Ave. in St. Louis. Pours a yellowish, golden hue, with a terrific head that retains and laces the best I've seen. Smell is of sour notes intermingled with slight hints of lemon and citrus as well as the tiniest bit of hops.

Taste is superbly balanced. Sour up front with lots of lactics. As it progresses towards the back of your mouth and warms a little the citrus and lemon flavors ring through. Slight hops bite towards the end, but not bitter by any means. Great balance throughout, with a creamy smoothness going down, yet still light and refreshing for a sour.

Definitely among the best beers I've ever had, as evidenced by the straight 5's. I think this being aged a couple years and on tap puts it over the top. If you get the chance, try it; you won't be disappointed.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 05:48:54 | More by boilermakerbrew

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.49/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle served in a Flute glass.

Bottled in 19th of January 2010. By the way, a 6% ABV and not 5%, as described above.

A: Pours a deep orange to amber cloudy color forming a big fizzy bubbled aired beige head. Medium to low retention and many lacings and chunks of foam around

S: Sweet and fruity with the strong presence of the characteristic Lambic yeasts. Tart, but not aggressively

T: Really smooth and intense. Mild sweet caramel upfront. You can actually feel the caramel malts and hoppy bitterness. Fruity, with notes of white grapes and apples, mainly. Metallic. Excellent sweet-tart-bitter combination

M: Light to medium body. A bit creamy and heavier than her sisters. Upfront is mild sweet passing through the tartness and leaving a pleasant mild tart-bitter aftertaste

O: Absolutely drinkable. One of the best Cantillons I've ever had

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 20:14:33 | More by eduardolinhalis

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

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

Iris 2007. Bottled January 21 2010.

Beer is amber in colour with a moderately sized and very fizzy off-white head. Head dissipates very quickly, fizzing away to nothing.

Smell is seriously funky. Horse blanket, yeast, lemon, grass. A deep fruit smell accompanies it, apple sticks out. Wood. Clearly sour from the scent. Quite complex. Outstanding.

Taste is similar to the nose. Very funky, with lemon and yeast playing a big role. Sour, but not as intensely as expected from the nose. Apple. Vinous, some grape and cherry. A slight bitterness in the finish, but generally very dry. Aftertaste is barnyard funk.

Medium bodied, very low carbonation- almost none. Quite puckering.

Overall, a very complex and interesting beer. Body is limp but I suppose that is how it is supposed to be. Smell and taste are great. Pretty remarkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 01:32:07 | More by jrenihan

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Good beer. Opended the bottle to find a little liquid beer on top of the cork and a little gas fizzing out thru it. Poured at good temperature with huge, fluffy, thick, cream-colored head that settled after a bit and some lace. Color is a clear amber with a single lazy bubble trail. Aroma is tart sweet with a barest hint of hop. Flavor's like nose and again hop is in the background, more bitter. Body is a little soft as a result of low carbonation. Does have a few high point from the bitter/yeast combination, but it's not offensive. Finish is like flavor and relatively long.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 02:02:39 | More by drpimento

DovaliHops

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Says 2007 on the label. Cork says bottled 2009. Pours a murky, amber-reddish orange with a large white head that takes some time to go down. Scent is very funky (it's Cantillon, what did you expect?). Floral hoppiness with some sweet stone fruits and green apple. A bit of grass along with intense sour aroma. Taste is very tart at first. Very sour in the middle, with a surprisingly bitter/hoppy finish. The most hoppy Cantillon I have ever had, but work really well as it remains extremely funky and sour. Slightly earthy and grassy. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, somewhat fizzy, and highly carbonated. Drinkability is very high. Overall, this is another great Cantillon. They never let down.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 05:57:20 | More by DovaliHops

brystmar

New York

4.13/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been a LONG time since my last Iris. Was a total sour (and Cantillon) newbie last time, glad to re-visit! 2011 cork date.

A gorgeous looking lambic: hazy caramel body with plenty of white head and tons of sticky lace. Floral, funky yeast aroma. Sour fruit too, smells acidic.

Tart and acidic, bitter earthyness with some hops at the end. Yeasty as hell, crazy complex. Wish I bought more of these when they were abundant on the shelf :(

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 00:03:17 | More by brystmar

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and capped bottle poured into tulip 22/6/12

A slightly hazy amber with just a few slow tiny bubbles feeding a thumbs width of well retained light tan head that leaves no lace

S very earthy nose, wet wood, barnyard funk, there's some citric notes with some apple cider and just a little caramel apple to go with it, complex stuff that's working well for me

T more vinegary apple and heavy amount of oak compared to the nose, slightly herbal aspect that I don't quite understand and some rind, quite good but I preferred the nose

M its not turning my mouth inside out but it's tart and slightly sour, quite slick and it has some body too it. big aftertaste of woody funk lingers forever

O very interesting brew and the 750ml bottle wasn't big enough, not overly funky or sour like I expected and lots going on in all areas

2007 vintage and I'm curious to how a fresh bottle or a very old version would differ, not cheap in these parts so I may or may not find out

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 01:11:18 | More by wordemupg

scottfrie

California

4.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into 3F stemware. 2007 sticker, bottled in 2010 (cork).

A: Pours a clear light honey-amber color with two fingers of fine bright white head that actually held great retentions. A fuzzy, rather thick, film lasted until the glass was drained. Beautiful.
S: Heaven in a glass. The nose is dry, lightly tart, earthy, musty, funky, barnyardish and contains notes of caramel malt. Woody and dry oak is heavy as well, and there is even a splash of golden fruits, white grapes, and citrus.
T: The first thing I thought when I tasted this was “distinctive.” This beer very vinous and dry as expected, but there is something bitter mixed in with the funk and sourness that is akin to citrus pith and rind, but not as harsh. Hops could be the culprit, I’m not smart enough. There is a leafy earthiness to the brew. Maybe a bit of green fruit as well. The finish is vinous and full of light malts and straw, and the aftertaste is dry, lightly tart, bitter and mildly acid and citrusy.
M: Clean and refreshing body, crips, dry and smooth mouthfeel, with soft and delicate carbonation.
O: Another awesome beer from the masters of the style. I could drink this every day. Perhaps I should move to Belgium… Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 02:56:30 | More by scottfrie

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle, bottled on 15 December 2011, best before 2015, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours a hazy golden orange color with a finger of white head, leaves some spotty lacing.

S- Very funky nose, hay and must, also a bit of fruit, wood and acetic tartness.

T- Quite tart, although not as much as other Cantillons, has a light lemon and apple character, some white wine and vinegar, big funky hay, horseblanket and wood flavors.

M- Medium-bodied leaning towards light, very smooth and crisp, very dry with a bit of astringency.

O- A really interesting beer, highly drinkable, great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 07:44:09 | More by WillCarrera

warnerry

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled Dec 15 2011

A – Pours a ruddy golden brown with tinges of orange. One-half finger of off-white head dissipates quickly, but maintains a collar, No lacing.

S – Nice Brett-y funk aroma, with wet hay, some grapefruit rind , oak, and earthy hops.

T – Nice earthy funk tart up front, combined with a very nice herbal hop bitterness. A bit of lemon and grapefruit rind. Finish is earthy, tart and bitter at the same time, and lingers for awhile.

M – Medium mouthfeel that starts a bit puckering, but a nice hop bitterness throughout.

O – I really enjoyed this. Not as “clean” as some of the lambic blends, but I’m glad I tried a relatively fresh bottle, as the hop bitterness complements the lambic characteristics very nicely. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 13:16:52 | More by warnerry

Trizzle

United Kingdom (England)

4.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Amber body with minimal head. Hazy with some fine carbonation.

Delicious aroma of citrus peel, grape skin, old wet hay, subtle grassy fresh hops and tart apple cider.

Medium light mouthfeel, dry up front, some green apple tart develops with a decent malt body. Great bit of grassy hop action on the back palate. Mandarin peel, more green grape skin, dry orange liquor, good hit of brett barn funk with a long tart finish. Maybe the brett could be funkier but thats about it. Hugely complex. Something new on each sip.

Will definitely be going back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 14:47:57 | More by Trizzle

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

iPad review from sour tasting. 2007 sticker, December 2010 bottle date.

A- Cloudy dark apricot body with moderate yeast haze, bUbbly and foamy white head forms and falls to a cloud and ring fairly quickly, spotty lace patches.

S- Tart sour lemon and apples upfront with hints of oak, wine, vinegar, cheese funk barnyard (somewhat mild for Cantillon).

T- The hop addition adds a slight pine, floral aspect to the regular Cantillon flora, great and full flavor notes of sour lemon, apple, white grape wine,  oak barrel, pepper, lactic and acetic hints, hops add just enough.

MF- Silky and bubbly lighter overall body, slight spicy bitterness in the finish, great higher level of tart sours.

Drinkable sour and extremely flavorful Cantillon. Reminiscent of the gueuze but the differences are certainly there.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 01:56:28 | More by cbutova

dln646

Sweden

4.33/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled (75cl) February 2011, the beer pours hazy amber with a blond tint of dissipating head. The nose is clean and complex of floral jasmine, juniper berry perfume, citrus fruit, hops and wood. On the palate Iris liberates razor sharp acidity, a well structured medium body, slight bitterness and even a subtle sweetness. Characteristics of grapefruit, lemon peel and jasmine comes to mind followed by a long aftertaste of perfume and hops. Balanced and refreshing! http://quaffable.org/?p=11

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 11:03:18 | More by dln646