Cantillon Faro - Brasserie Cantillon

77ships

Belgium

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes, tap@Chez Moeder Lambic, only place where you can get this?
Amazing bar by the way, if you are ever near it, check it out:

A: hazy, golden, whiskey colour, no head, small Cantillon glass is cute
S: caramel with the tart & funk of Cantillon underneath
T: sweetness from the sugar & the sourness of the Cantillon have seemingly neutralized each other or are at least in a perfect balance, making this a very unique experience, sweet & tart, caramel, minor oak
M: smooth, velvety, bit dry, no carbonation
D: extremely drinkable like any Cantillon, I suppose, could never get enough

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2011 10:13:57 | More by 77ships

beerpirates

Belgium

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at moeder lambic fontainas in Brussels.

A. Pours a hazy, dark golden amber colour with a Nice head that stayed for a long time ,

S. Strong caramel aroma, with Cantillon lambic undertones of tartness and funkiness.

T. Starts with the taste of oak , sweet oak , which remains throughout. The finish is lightly tart with a light bitterness, some tastes of bread ,

M. Smooth with no carbonation and a lightly dry finish.

D. pretty drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2010 13:16:53 | More by beerpirates

Travlr

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance was dark amber with a two or three bubble head that lasted about a second.
Smell was of yeast and citrus, a bit sweet and a bit sour.
Taste started sweet and progressed to sour then dry.
Very easy to drink, pairs easily with about any food. My third favorite faro (#1 is Grardin, #2 is Drie Fonteinen)

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2009 01:43:06 | More by Travlr

ggaughan

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on draft at Moeder Lambic in Brussels, a night before heading to the Cantillon brewery for another sample of it. The beer was poured from a little plastic jug that looked like a wooden barrel.

The beer poured a light golden color with just a few bubbles around the edge, no carbonation but that is to be expected with how the beer was served and the style. The aroma was sweet, not really candy sweet but borderline. Not as sweet as other Faros in Belgium. The taste was sweet up front but there was some of the trademark Cantillon tartness that balanced this beer out very well. Although not my favorite lambic style but I find it very interesting and everytime I can find one, I go after it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2008 20:58:56 | More by ggaughan

Crosling

Colorado

2.93/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Faro truly is an aquired taste. A taste that I have yet to aquire. Faro is unblended lambic in which caramel and candy sugar is added during bottling time. I believe that Cantillon uses 1 1/2 year old lambic when making this one. I sampled this at Spinnekopke in Brussels, Belgium.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2006 03:31:37 | More by Crosling

dauss

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the in t' Spinnekopke in Brussels. I had visited the brewery the day before and was dissappointed that they did not have any Faro. I have never had one and never really understood what it was. The guy at the brewery said that Faro is only made when large groups come in or something along those lines. He also mentioned that the beer lasts about 2 weeks before the bottles explode.

So after ordering the Pork Loin in Gouden Carolus sauce, I had a Cantillon Faro for dessert. It was served in a thick walled sorta pint like glass, except it had dimples running up about half way the glass.

Appearance: It was a dark brown and completely opaque. No sight of a head. Very cloudy with yeast.

Smell: the aroma had changed from the Cantillon lambic I had sampled at Cantillon. A toffee sugary sweet caramel aroma had overpowered the funky aromas in it.

Taste: Sugary sweet, like a soda. Very low carbonation. A slight bit of that horse blanket and barnyard flavor was there, but faded quickly with a sweet finish.

Notes: Definitely interesting. It was like a lambic for people who couldn't handle the real thing. Candi sugar hides all the wonderful aromas and flavors of the real lambic, but it was a nice dessert accompanyment.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2005 02:19:42 | More by dauss

truthbrew

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed at the in t' Spinnekopke in Brussels. I ordered a Kriek Sorbet and Faro for desert... the Sorbet was SO very tart that this sugary sweetness was a perfect match for it. A DARK carmelly-brown looking liquid that was completely still. Sugary sweet in the aroma and taste. I don't think I could drink more than one on its own, but honestly this perfectly offset the tartness of my desert. Worth searching out in Brussels, though mainly for it's traditional and unique character. Look here for a nice picture: http://gallery.truthbrew.com/brussels2004/DSCN6248

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2004 04:21:10 | More by truthbrew

francisweizen

Australia

4.65/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

When at Cantillon the other week, I was chatting to Mr. Van Roy about where I could sample the draught lambic and faro. He said that no lambic was in Brussels right now, but that the Faro could be found at the Le Zageman lambic cafe in Brussels. So, we walked to Le Zageman and ordered two dimpled mugs of Cantillon Faro for 2 euros a piece. The brew was a dark red colour with no head. The aromas were of Cantillons funky lambicy gueuze, mixed with some sweet candy sugar. The taste was very refreshing. This still had a bunch of lambic funk, and some nice malt to it, but the candy sugar really made this an easy-to-drink, thirst quencher. The mouthfeel is flat, but it lends itself well to this style of beer and the drinkability was very, very excellent! I'm glad that I got to try this...in a very authentic Brussels cafe, no less!

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2004 22:10:58 | More by francisweizen

erica

California

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

OK, I was glad to see other reviews say there is no carbonation in this one, because I thought maybe there was something wrong. Or maybe there's always something wrong. I had a glass of this in the only place one could find it in Brussels last week, Zageman, according to Mr. Van Roy. It was a light brownish colour, no head since it was flat, it smelled sweet and tart, pretty nice actually. It tasted almost like sweetened iced tea actually, had that tart lemony taste, and very sugary. I liked it. Not funky as Cantillon usually is with their other beers. Mouthfeel was just flat, strange to me for a beer, but interesting none-the-less. So drinkability is good, because it's obviously not filling and it's quite refreshing! I was happy to have found this one, definitely.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2004 22:10:04 | More by erica

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sampled July 2010 at Cantillon
The beer arrives with a hazy, amber gold color and some large bubbled, pale looking foam that is wispy and clings to the inner ring of my glass. This smells of juice somehow; a mix of pineapple, grapefruit and perhaps even a touch of apple juices are each noticeable. The Lambic funkiness contributes notes of urea, and an earthy mustiness, while the finish smells of fresh cut wood, and a spiciness as well as something that reminds me of musty cork.

As a Faro should, the beer tastes fairly sweet and it even tastes of pineapple juice and a touch of grapefruit. This last is not as noticeable as the Faro is only lightly tart at this point. There is not quite enough lactic tartness to really cut through / balance the sweetness, but there is definitely some tartness to this beer. Musty cork flavors, ro more likely oaky notes add a touch of bit to help balance out the sweetness and there is some spicy oak character here as well. The body makes this light and quaffable, despite the sweetness that has been added.

This has quite a mellow sweetness for a Faro; it manages to be quite nicely balanced and is definitely very tasty. The light sweetness brings out a refreshing quality that is different from the same character that one sees in a dry Lambic. I would prefer more acidity to this brew, but I am really finding the ample fruitiness here to be quite interesting and enjoyable.

Sampled at the Brewery 2001:
This strangely enough tasted similar to a lightly sweetened herbal tea. Quite flat, a bit astringent, and with a pleasing herbal and flowery character to it. This is the only sweetened offering from Cantillon, and I believe it is only availible from the Brewery, where they add a bit of sugar to it just before serving.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2003 17:48:36 | More by Gueuzedude

Jon

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I sampled this lambic at the Cantillon Brewery. For my first faro, I knew to expect sweetness, but not this much. The beer pours a distinctive glowing golden hue with absolutely no head whatsoever. Carbonation is nowhere to be found, as this one is flat. Candy sugar is present in the nose and certainly in the taste. To me, this one tasted like flat Sprite as it was very syrupy. This is one of Cantillon's more limited offerings, however I don't have much interest in trying it again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2003 12:07:38 | More by Jon

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

After the Cantillon Lambic, the Cantillon Faro is perhaps the next hardest of all the Cantillon beers to find, this too is only available in draft format. So you will have to travel to Brussels itself to sample the Lambic and the Faro in only the handful of Cafés left that serve it.
As with the Lambic, again, I tried the Faro on November 27th 2002 at the Spinnekopke, Brussels (see BeerFly). This Café is located not that far from the Brasserie Cantillon. However, it is also available, and I indeed tried it, at Le Zageman, Brussels (also see BeerFly) which has totally authentic and very traditional surroundings in which to try this hard to find beer style from traditional lambic producers, let alone this version from Cantillon.

Unlike the draft Lambic, the Cantillon Faro has its own distinct serving Glass. Both the Spinnekopke and Le Zageman will serve the draft Faro in what resembles a Half-Pint version of a traditional dimpled English Pint Mug with handle. The Faro is served totally devoid of carbonation, and therefore incredibly flat - there is no head whatsoever to this offering. A medium to darkish brown color with hints of polished chestnut, it resembles a night old pint of English Bitter that has been leftover from a party the night before. Nose is sweet, with a feint musty odor that hints at its lambic heritage. A sweet introduction with a medium mouthfeel, this beer is not typical at all of lambics. Has a sweet-oaky middle that is pleasant, the finish fades also into a musty sweetness. This style was popular at times in the past with the people in the Payottenland that did not like the dryer more acidic lambics. Whilst the younger 1 year-old lambics were served on draft, the older 2 and 3-year lambics have brown sugar added to them to create the sweeter Faro. Cantillon apparently make this beer only on demand for local outlets, and it represents an incredibly small percentage of their production, as these days its popularity is diminishing.

One of the stranger members of the lambic family, a bit too sweet for me to drink more than one or two, but I always drink it whenever I get the chance. According to people that like Faro, Cantillons offering is very traditional and one of the best versions of this old rare style.
Cantillon Faro is therefore unique, and really quite rare these days.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2002 15:55:40 | More by TheLongBeachBum

DoubleJ

California

4.14/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On cask at Moeder Lambic. On to the beer:

This faro is a toasted orange color with a thick sopay head which retains forever. The aroma has a little stink, and some rotting fruit, but in an appealing way. The taste is a little more forgiving; a kiss of grassy hops paired with rotting fruits, one part pineapple juice, not too tart and not too intense. It's a light bodied beer with a very easy going mouthfeel, little carbonation.

That was good to try. Being less intense as other Cantillon's, it might be a good starter to somebody trying to work their way into the brand.

Serving type: cask

05-23-2013 03:49:18 | More by DoubleJ

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.86/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-cask at Moeder Lambic Fontainas on 4/7/2013. Pours a burnt orange hue with a fluffy, 2.5 inch bright white head. Nose smells a bit like feet, followed by a sweet quality. Taste starts of sweet, somewhat akin to caramelized sugar, followed by an earthy/herbal quality, citric acid and some medicinal notes towards the back with a hint of artificial sweetener at the finish. Mouthfeel is light in body with a still carbonation; however, there is a bit of substance to body as well as a slightly creamy texture. Overall, this beer is good for what it is - a sour beer infused with candi sugar. Not a beer I need to revisit, but I found it considerably better than my first impression of the style (Lindemans).

Serving type: cask

04-15-2013 22:38:19 | More by Jwale73

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this at the brewery and is poured out of a small looking brown keg plastic thing...dunno how to classify that.

Slightly transparent yellow in the light. More orangey out of it. A small ring of bubbles clings to the glass.

Not really funky. The added sugar mellows it out. A little caramel.

Light bodied and smooth. Slight sweetness takes off most of the tart bite usually present in lambic.

Easy to drink as there is no sourness, but it loses a lot of the best characteristics of most Cantillon beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 06:04:22 | More by MattSweatshirt

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On cask at Moeder Lambic Fontainas.

The beer is light copper hued with a half inch of head. The aroma is funky and smells like cantillon, with the addition of some sweet, fruity tones. These scents carry over into the flavor. Sweet, but not cloying, with tartness and funk playing supporting roles. Light bodied and fizzy on the palate, with lingering sweetness, reminiscent of a soda. I'm not a huge fan of faros, but this is likely the best I have had in the style.

Serving type: cask

10-30-2012 02:48:36 | More by Huhzubendah

Radome

Spain

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Served from cask into a wine glass at the brewery following the self-guided tour. Brewery employee told me it has to be drunk quickly after blending, or the added fermentables will cause bottles to explode.

A - Color is a light amber with some red highlights. It is mostly clear with a hint of cloudiness. No head; in fact, no bubbles at all.

S - Aroma is an unusual mix of sweet and spicy smells. It has a slight, lemon-like tartness. It reminds me more of ice tea than beer, but it is still somehow inviting.

T - Sweet and tangy up front, followed by tart acid at the back of the throat. Again I am reminded of room temperature ice tea. Not like any beer I've had before.

M - Medium body. No carbonation at all. Overall smooth and creamy feeling. No alcohol detected.

O - A strange beer in regards to aromas and flavor. Not very pleasant to me. I will not seek it out again. I love the brewery and the tour, but this beer is not one I could love, despite my best effort.

Serving type: cask

10-19-2012 22:32:57 | More by Radome

oline73

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on cask at Moeder Lambic Fontainas in Brussels. Served in a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a slightly cloudy amber with a finger of off white head and good retention.

Smell: Sweet as expected with a slight funk. There is also a citrus tartness and some Belgian yeast spice.

Taste: Sweet like the smell with some tart and funky notes. Reminds me a bit of a sweet champagne. The finish is tart and a little bit bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I admit that this isn't my favorite style, but I enjoyed this one enough. The sweet and bitter is weird when combined this way.

Serving type: cask

05-13-2012 19:03:08 | More by oline73

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cask at Moeder Lambic Fontainas, served in a Cantillon tulip. Style tick #103(? - I can't be totally sure, since my stats are unavailable during the site overhaul, but I'm pretty sure this is the penultimate style I've yet to review).

A: Clear orange-amber body with a thin head of large impact bubbles. Looks nice in the tulip.

S: Sweet + sour, with green apple, toffee, lemonade, and some grassiness. Balanced, fresh, enticing.

T: Follows the nose: lots of tart apple, some sweet brown sugar and caramel, a bit of oakiness, some lemon, and a sticky sweet-tart finish. Exactly what I expected a great Faro to be.

M: Still, slick, and a bit sticky. Appropriate.

O: This didn't deliver the depth of funkiness I love in a Geuze or straight Lambic, but the sugary notes gave it great complexity and superb approachability - I shared my glass with several people at my table who were highly skeptical about my love affair with Lambics, and one of them even ordered his own Faro. A fascinating beer in its own right, and a potential gateway for those just beginning to show interest in the broader family of spontaneous brews.

Cheers!

Serving type: cask

04-04-2012 12:49:45 | More by woosterbill

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy orange-ish color with an off white head. In the aroma, a bit sugary and a pear fruitiness. In the taste, just like the aroma, a bit sugary and pears, but not too sweet at all. A smooth and medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a dry tart fruitiness in the aftertaste. WOW! Love it all day, sour and a nice fruitiness with a dry end.

Serving type: cask

09-29-2011 21:19:54 | More by OWSLEY069

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask at the brewery during last week's trip to Belgium. Reviewed from notes.

Served in a Cantillon big-bowled wine glass, poured from a jug.

Pour yields a brew that looks a bit like apple cider with a few bubbles. No real head or lacing, but that's normal for the style, so I won't dock there. The nose is slightly cidery with some earthy must. Maybe must more than cider. A bit of funk. Light sweetness comes in during the taste. Light body with a faint bit of sugar and mild funk. No real acidity. Nice enough to try, but I'd much rather have the young lambic without the sugar.

Serving type: cask

09-15-2011 20:45:58 | More by Thorpe429

crusian

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Kriek with brown sugar.
Poured from a plastic jug at the Cantillon brewery, so I guess I'll call that a growler? No head, as intended, I assume based on the container.
Nose is odd. A bit of rotten apple, cider, raisin, rotten peaches... and a bit of tart. I actually don't pick up the brown sugar.
The taste is , believe it or not, a bit more odd. There is a strange warmth that coats the mouth quickly, then fades. I contribute this to the brown sugar, as it has a sweetness to it as well. It then unfolds the gueuze nearer the back of the throat, with the typical tartness. The brewer told me this is the kriek with brown sugar, but this has to be the gueuze or lambic. Just asked again, this is lambic...
This is interesting, to say the least, I wouldnt go out of my way to buy this, but I am glad I tried it. It has an odd sweetness that I don't really feel works for it. He said they don't advertise this, but it is a traditional style so they make it.
B-

Serving type: growler

04-28-2011 23:49:32 | More by crusian

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on cask at Moeder Lambic. I usually don't get Faro, and there are a lot of GREAT things on tap at Moeder Lambic, but I realized that I probably will never see Cantillon Faro anywhere else (including the brewery). So time to try it.

This was dark gold color, light haze, with a thick foam on top. It smelled strongly of grain, very wort-like. I guess I expected more surgar in the aroma but that wasn't the case.

Very sweet tasting, just a little more sugar and this would have been TOO sweet. A little tartness but it definitely is offset by the sweetness, very balanced in that regard.

Good body despite the low (no) carbonation, I guess the sugar reverts many attributes to the mean. I liked this, very happy to try it, but it's not something I'm likely to reach for again. I really prefer the more sour creations.

Serving type: cask

04-09-2011 23:27:38 | More by TurdFurgison

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

March 2011, on cask at Moeder Lambic

A: Deep amber with golden hues. Small bubbly head that quickly receded.

S: First notes are caramel and burnt sugar, lambic funk, and wood.

T: Like the nose, burnt sugar and caramel. The sourness and woody tartness of a straight lambic is also present throughout.

M: Medium bodied. Decent amount of carbonation and zip considering this was on cask.

O: Of the few faros out there, this is one of the better ones.

Serving type: cask

03-19-2011 04:42:15 | More by callmemickey

rtepiak

Poland

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

in cask at moeder lambic in june 2010

pour was chestnut with a smallhead that quicklz dissipated. now was herbal funk like that of old chamomile tea that had been sitting out. it had an interesting zest of herbs that was backed by a interesting sweet. a bit astringent... but more sweet. seemed like a digestive aid. it was a tad on the tart but it was a smooth flavor with a backbone of sugar. a bit sweet to have more than 250ml. but still an intersting experience.

Serving type: cask

06-13-2010 00:41:47 | More by rtepiak