Cantillon Saint Lamvinus - Brasserie Cantillon

Blanco

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

reviewed from notes. On cask at Teresa's Next Door day after sourfest.

Pours a crazy purple color, similar to the label on Welch's grape jelly. Immediately, it makes you question whether it's beer. No head, but visible carbonation bubbles line the bottom of the glass. Smell is quite clean. Hints of wild yeast, but in no way as powerful as most lambics and particularly weak for a Cantillon. The taste is smooth, almost like a perfect blend of wine and lambic. Grape comes through as well as the wild yeast. Sour, but not the typical puckering that comes from the top lambics. Very light bodied. Wonderful lambic particularly if you want something more mellow and smooth. This is one even a none-lambic drinker could get on board with. Tremendous.

Serving type: cask

05-24-2011 01:40:09 | More by Blanco

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Cask at Teresa's Next Door.

Pours a dark purple/plum color with burgundy/blood red edges when held to a light. Completely opaque with a half finger off-white head that immediately fades leaving no lace behind.

Sweet vinous aroma with a very prominent dark fruit/red wine character. Nice earthy funk with subtle barnyard horsey notes and a prominent earthy oak barrel presence. Bursting with dark fruit, especially grape, as well as some currant and dark cherry.

Full bodied with a tart, mouth puckering sourness that lingers throughout over the sweet vinous and funky barnyard notes into a sweet, slightly dry finish. Bursting with vinous dark fruit, especially the grapes. A perfect marriage of wine and beer. Slight acidity in the finish with a lingering acetic vinegar presence that leaves me drooling for more. This beer is incredibly quaffable considering how funky it is. Perfectly balanced.

Serving type: cask

05-22-2011 02:14:19 | More by corby112

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On hand pump at tnd for sour fest.

A- a small fizzle around the edges upon arrival that diminishes very quickly to a mirror finish. Beautiful glowing magenta in color with surprising clarity.

S- grape flavored fruit roll ups in a good way and a good sour and funk behind. More subtle then some I've had but very clean.

T- red grapes with lots of the must that rolls into a nice funky sour hit. Oak is mellow but lends a nice complexity to the whole. On the sweeter side with the very ripe grapes really stealing the show. There's some lemon juice in the mixed with the tartness.

M- about medium in body and very lightly carbed but its is of the hand pump and there's still a good bit of bite to it. Very tannic and dry, you can feel the grape must on the palate.

O- this is an excellent lambic and on cask its a dream. Glad to have had it this way and can't wait till the next time. Not as sour as some but very complex and at the same time very easy to enjoy even quaffable.

Serving type: cask

05-21-2011 17:09:10 | More by oglmcdgl

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The day before I tried this (6-11-2007), I had to do the heimlich on someone who was choking. They got to live (and gave me a few $$ for beer because we talked about my love for it) and I got to try Saint Lamvinus on cask. Life is beautiful.

On cask at Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn for their special event for lambics and brett beers.

I have reviewed this before on the bottle. So forgive me if I don't get too detailed with the review and choose to just enjoy it a bit more without thinking too much.

Pours a clouded ruby red. A small ring of white head lines the top of the glass. Nose is straight up lambic funk. Taste brings the funk still. Mild sour attributes. At least I think they are milder than they were on the bottle. I am not sure if the cask has something to do with the rounding out of that, but who cares. There it is. Mild sweet tones off fruit and grapes. Obvious, but still slightly subdued grape characteristics there. Oh to hell with it. As you can see from my scores, I think this is as good on cask as it is from the bottles. A joy to be able to have on this special occassion. I'm sorry you weren't there to be able to enjoy it with me.

Serving type: cask

12-31-2007 09:47:40 | More by RblWthACoz

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

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

I could not believe it when I saw that this was on cask last ngiht at the moan and dove in amherst. I usually can't really handle the sour cantillon beers because of their acidity, but this was too good an oppurtunity to pass up. I poured a beautiful red rasberry color into a glass that resembled one used for champagne. No head on this one really. Smell definitely had that baryard funk found in most Cantillon beers, with some sweet tart smells going on as well. First taste was huge on the sour notes. The second sip however, revealed a circus of fruit lying behind the initial sour notes. I think the fact that it was cask conditioned may have mellowed some of the sourness of it a bit. Mouthfeel was simply awesome....the more you let it swish around the mouth, the more intense flavors you get. One glass was enough for me...I would have liked more, but I didn't want intense heartburn, so I switched to something else. Simply a delightful beer. I'm not sure I would shell out the forty bucks for it, but who knows. Well done Cantillon.

Serving type: cask

02-09-2007 20:46:23 | More by jamie2dope

ngeunit1

California

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

A - Slightly hazy red with a touch of orange and a thin finger of slightly reddish head. Fades normal.

S - Sweet wheat, merlot grapes, oak, vanilla, barnyard funky tart yeast, tartness, sourness, with some other sweet berries.

T - Sweet wheat, merlot grapes, oak, vanilla, barnyard funk, funky yeast, tartness and sourness, other sweet berries, and lactic acid.

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

D - Fantastic complexity and balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 05:57:11 | More by ngeunit1

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to AnotherJoe for bringing this bottle to a tasting... 2012 vintage...

A: Pours a vibrant red, with deeper purples mixed throughout. There is only a tiny bit of light-pink head that fades quickly.

S: The nose is red wine funk, mild grape skin, slight blackberry sweetness, and funk. It smells great.

T: The beer starts out with a good bit of wine and grape character. It's sweet yet sour. It's clean, yet funky. As the beer moves to the back end I get a a bit more lingering sourness and a touch of yeast. Really solid.

M: Medium bodied beer. It hit the palate hard, but transitions off nicely. It's tart and slightly bitter. It's drying in the back end.

O: Another excellent beer. I have through the roof to have been about to try this beer. I hope I'll have another chance to try it again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 17:01:38 | More by trxxpaxxs

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.36/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

thanks joe

pours a hazy raspberry color with no head, some sediment. the nose is potently red winey vinous, funky, and a touch sweet. it tastes the same with great grape and oak, slight wine/vinegar, and finishes with a bit of yeast. medium, bodied, under-carbonated, lingering grape skin bitter/tartness, drinkable and dry. this beer is excellent, worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 00:06:31 | More by ThePorterSorter

ehammond1

California

4.41/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2012)

Acquired via online purchase!

Bright, slightly murky crimson and violet. Thin head of off-white/near pink. Spots of stick down the glass. Pretty

Lots more funk, grass, and barnyard in the aroma than compared to the flavor. Dried hay and grass, juicy berry and plump grape notes, and a bit of dank basement.

The flavor is more vibrant and fruit forward than the aroma. Lots of lactic sour presence, good, juicy, and earthy grape flavors, along with some of the musty basement character found in the aroma.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Fantastic, and exceptionally drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 15:56:19 | More by ehammond1

ahalloin

Virginia

4.66/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brought to our tasting by Will, thanks buddy.

Pours a dark blood orange flesh color with a white head with tight lacing and bubbles. Cloudy fluid.

The smell is quite complex with super fruit and lactic sourness. Lush oak richness.

Taste is superbly balanced between sweet fruitiness and sourness. Full oak tannins create a puckering.

Medium high carbonation and silky mouthfeel.

Overall, this is excellent lambing style.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:18:11 | More by ahalloin

Beerenauslese

California

4.61/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Body color is a translucent brownish garnet, pours with a good head that quickly dissipates to a ring. No lacing.

Nose is classic Cantillon notes of old wood, spice, brett band-aid, fruit, and other funk.

Tastes deliciously sour with tart red grapes, green apples and lemon with a wheat malt backbone and malt sugar balance. This one has been aged 4 years since it was bottled in 2008, so it may have lost some fresh grape taste, but it is still tasting delightfully sour and grapey. Finishes dry and lightly spicy with wood and grape tannins.

Body is light and carbonation soon evaporates, providing a flat tart mouthfeel typical of lambics.

Overall, this is a delicious drinking lambic beer. The addition of merlot grapes crosses into wine territory and thereby invites comparison to wine. As it gets flat in the glass, it starts to look like a rosé wine. But the main impression I get is the strong presence of brett, considered an infection by wine makers, but welcomed by lambic makers. No place to sort all that out here, but this is an excellent complex sour beer to sip while pondering the commonalities and differences between lambic beers and wine.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 00:04:46 | More by Beerenauslese

pmarlowe

California

4.39/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 2011. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a brilliant, pinkish red with a finger of white-pink head. Excellent ring of retention which lasts the entire glass. Not much lacing to speak of.

S: Super funky barnyard notes with hints of oak, vanilla, raspberry, and cherry. Some of the funk recedes as the beer warms.

T: Raspberry, strawberry, tannic oak, a very nice moderate sourness, with a long, sour-warhead-like finish with slight sweetness and red wine.

M: Medium body and carbonation with a creamy texture.

O: Exceedingly drinkable, the sourness is balanced with the fruit nicely. Oak and merlot grape flavors/aromas are much subtler than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 17:17:07 | More by pmarlowe

Florida9

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Ultra rare 37,5 cl bottle. Ha, ha, ha! Taste the rareness....

A: dull, oxidized purple color. Forms a small, faintly purple tinted whitish head. Little retention. No lacing.

S: bright and acidic with strong grape skin notes. Smells like a fermented Concorde grape juice.

T: taste is similar, that is it tastes like fermented Concorde grape juice. Vinous, but distinct from wine itself. Moderately tart, mildly acidic, grapy tannins. Getting a lot of grape skins. Finishes with a mild astringency.

M: medium bodied, tart, mild astringency.

O: a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 02:41:17 | More by Florida9

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle at 3 penny taproom to hfs sniffer

A: a red plum color that I can best describe as Scarlett with a thin White lacing it is semi cloudy but not near opaque with no floaters

S:it's cleaner then I expected it to smell not a whole lot of funk though its there the grape must definitely comes out a very balanced smell

T:wow this is where this bee really takes the cake it is sweet sour and tart up front there is lot of fruit flavor of grapes and green apple it lasts all throughout the finish which is also very sweet

M: smooth and crisp goes down very easily lots of sweet but not overpowering the bubblyiness makes this really drinkable

O: probably the best sour I've ever had a balance d great sour/tart flavor with fruit grape and a crisp bubbly really drinkable feel I understand why cantillon is number one

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 23:03:43 | More by Pinknuggets

Jonada

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottled on November 21, 2012

Appearance: Pours a dark ruby red color with hints of purple. Small, light pink head which dissipates to a thin collar and leaves little to no lacing.

Smell: Musty basement, with some barnyard funk. Notes of sour cherry, red grape, and lemon, vinegar.

Taste: Lemon acidity, grape skin, oak, more barnyard funk, creamy lactic sourness, green apple. Sourness is medium.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied. Medium/low carbonation. Dry finish.

Overall: Another great lambic from Cantillon. Not mindblowing, but definitely worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 17:58:55 | More by Jonada

bashiba

Iowa

4.23/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured a clear strawberry red with a light white head.

The nose is dominated by tart lacto along with a touch of ripe fruit.

The flavor is full of a crisp clean tartness along with an underlying bit of dark fruit

The mouthfeel is very tart and dry.

Solid classic sour.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:04:08 | More by bashiba

Tnudish

Wisconsin

4.8/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

2011 vintage poured into a Duvel art glass.

A-Pours hazy brilliant red of shade with a tight, thin white head. Head quickly dissipates and doesn’t leave any lacing.

S-Nose is grape, oak, some band aid (this might be because I didn’t wash my glass from the last beer), lemon, and must.

T-The flavor is where Lamnivus shines. It’s balance between the lemon and grape is superb, they complement each other perfectly. In addition, Lamnivus has some nice mineral characters as well as a good amount of must.

M-Light mouthfeel, moderate acidity, prickly carbonation, and a nice enduring finish.

O-One of the best fruit lambics around, I’m hard pressed to name many I would take over this. Really wish bottles weren’t so hard to come by.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 06:42:35 | More by Tnudish

Treebs

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 ml corked and capped bottle served in a Zwanze Day 2012 flute. 2011 cork. Thanks to kevanb for sharing.

A: Pours a hazy pinkish and grapefruit-like color combination with an off-white pinkish head forming on the pour.

S: A ton of Cantillon funk, light cheesy aspects with a nice dark grape tartness. Nice red wine tannins going on as well.

T: Big sourness up front. Grapey, red wine drying tannin. Oaky, with a light sweetness on the finish. Not as funky as the nose, but it is underlying throughout. Acidic as well.

M: Enamel stripping, bubbly and lively carbonation with a light body.

O: Very delicious. Sour, funky and really drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 16:04:11 | More by Treebs

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

magic. pours raspberry pinky color, a little hazy, with a finger or more of tiny white bubbles stacked together. very very puckery sour nose, lambic funky, plenty of yeast, mouth watering aromas. i smell grape must in there with the tart lemon acidity. the flavor is true to the nose, with the sourness being every bit as intense. almost hurts the jaw its so sour. fruit provides more flavor than sweetness, and this may be the best grape or wine based beer out there. its dryish in the finish, but still mouth watering at the same time. brightly carbonated, very active, which helps to cut through some of the acidity, which is huge. the body is very light, but i dont think id feel good if i drank a whole 750ml bottle of this on my own. the acidity and sourness would turn the stomach. overall though this is awesome stuff from cantillon, one of my favorites ive had from them. the legend grows for me...

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 21:31:44 | More by StonedTrippin

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cantillon Saint Lamvinus

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.
Best before: 12/2012

Pours a nice deep purple/pinkish color with a nice very light pink colored head. (4.0)

Aroma is delicious. Chalky yeast notes with some good fruit tartness. There are some great vinous notes. Wine, wine and more wine notes with some oak in the nose. (4.5)

There are some slight Chardonnay acidity to the brew with some deeper berry notes from the deeper red grapes. I’m not sure what grapes they use but I can pick up on those flavors. Some nice tart berry notes with some good woody notes are present with the great dry fruit tartness. This is a pretty tart lambic but with the addition of grapes there are some slight sugary sweet notes in the background. Mouthfeel is light and crisp with an extremely dry finish. (4.5)(4.0)

Very good lambic. Great vinous notes with tartness and dry tannins. (4.5)

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 01:36:16 | More by JoEBoBpr

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

'11 vintage
Thanks to Lauren for opening this at the Dec. '12 Philly suburbs bottle share!

Cranberry-tawny-colored pour, slightly hazy, with a minimal, fizzy head. Musty fruit aroma, grass, hints of acetic acid. "Something tells me it'll be a sour." Pretty tart on the tongue, strong flavors of grape and apple skin, thin wine, horseblankety, but not overblown in that aspect, grassy and very dry; the intensity of the fruit tartness overthrew any major acetic notes that might have been present. Medium body, again, crisp and very dry, a bit puckering, low to moderate carbonation, overall texture comparable to chewing on grape or apple skin, which made it a bit uncomfortable, but relatively appropriate for the style. Pretty one-dimensional, but delivered what was expected. Not bad overall, and I was glad to have tried it. It's not something I'd pay Cantillon pricetag prices for, however.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 07:37:22 | More by Rifugium

brystmar

New York

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

Fresh vintage on tap at Zwanze Day '12.

Fizzy purple body is dark and ominous, supporting a thin layer of protective off-white head. Acetic fruits and bright, spritzy yeast dance among my nostrils. The marriage between soured grapes and oaky red wine barrels is perfect. Finishes clean and dry with just the right amount of puckering tartness.

We opened an '06 alongside this fresh pour and were surprised how vastly different the two were. This metamorphosis is unlike any other aged Cantillon I've tried: the other fruit lambics still typically retain some fruity characteristics as they age, but the grapes are totally gone in this bottle of Lamvinus. It's instead transformed into a cheesy, super funky, gueuze-like lambic with grassy, farmyard funk and high acidity. The color has even faded to a more amber color compared to the deep purple of the original.

Both are absolutely delicious; still hard to believe how wildly different they are.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2012 18:35:12 | More by brystmar

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 ml @ lord hobo in Cambridge MAserved Ina snifter

A: pours a Purpley reddish pink, remonds me of a plum with 3/4 of a finger of slightly off white head, dissapates quickly, no lacing to speak of.

S: lots of funk going on here, musty oak, sure dry red wine grape/cheery skins, smells tart.

T: this is very tart, much like the nose i get alot of tart grape skin and cherry along with some dry barnyard funk an musty oak notes, very well balanced and tasty.

M: medium body and bone dry, leaving you with almost wine like mouth drying tannins.

O: this is a beautiful done sour, very tart and very delicious. Don't really know what else to say here

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 02:42:51 | More by PeterIngemi

codysjb

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cantillon Saint Lamvinus
Bottled on October 12th, 2011 served in wine glasses on November 22, 2012.
A: First glass had a decent head, each following glass had no head. Cloudy rose color reminiscent of a blood orange.
S: Sour yeast and some vinegar notes. Some light citrus notes and lots of fruity berry notes.
T: Sour, vinegar and well rounded fruit round out the taste.
M: Bubbles and sourness with some light berry notes.
O: Interesting, reminds me of the kriek or the rose de gambrinus. I’m not finding a lot of grapes here but its very good.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 00:30:47 | More by codysjb

dasmusik

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle bought in Rome, dated October 2011.

Pours smooth into a tulip, thin head develops as it pours and aerates. lacing quickly runs to the edges of the glass before disappearing completely. Beautiful red/pink color, appears clear until it accumulates, and becomes opaque.

Classic Cantillon smell, starts fruity and juicy before overwhelming barnyard funk overtakes it. Almost smells rotten. I love it.

Fruity and oak, dry champagne type of alcohol taste, not cloying at all but the natural grapes add a bit of natural sweetness. Sourness creeps in and overtakes the sweetness.

So totally smooth and crispy on the finish, coats the whole mouth with a puckering sense throughout. The longer between sips, the more I want.

Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:28:38 | More by dasmusik