Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Beer Review 42: Cantillon Gueuze 100 % Lambic


For a long time now the Belgians have been brewing beer of all kinds. Some would say they are the best beer producing nation in the world, and in some way I agree with that. They have developed so many styles and have become trailblazers in the world of beer. The one significant style that sticks out for me is the Lambic; here we have a style so beautifully crafted and perfected the by the Belgian brewers. Lambics are beers that are spontaneously fermented and then has fruit added to add texture and flavor to balance out the tartness/sourness. After that process it then aged in oak barrels before bottling. Another form of Lambic is gueuze, and this style is made by blending young and old lambics together. This style is said to be the more dry/intense/sour of all the lambic styles. Today's review is a gueuze style beer from the renowned Cantillon brewery. 100 % Lambic is that beer. This being my first one from Cantillon I was more than pleased to have savored such a treat. Like most beers from Cantillon, they are hard to come across in the U.S. as most of them are very limited, 100 % Lambic is one of the most common ones you can find, so if you see it... buy it! At $ 9.99 a 375 ml bottle it totally worth it. Furthermore, this beer requires special glassware to be consumed; I recommend either a tulip glass or an over sized wine glass, this will allow for this beer to open up and release all its aroma. Moreover, a typical serving size of this beer is about 9.6 oz and it should be sipped at cellar temp(55 degrees). Lastly, this beer is meant to be sipped and enjoyed over time. If you wanna pair this beer with something I would suggest Stilton cheese or a blue cheese or cashews and other more oily nuts.

Color: Hazy gold with hints of pale orange at the center. This gueuze develops a nickle thick head and leaves no lacing on the glass.

Nose: Major yeast funk in the forefront followed by light vinegar tones and barnyard scents.  Also present are very mellow oak scent.

Palate: Light bodied and with a perfect amount of carbonation. The sourness is pleasant as it coats the mouth. Hints of lemon and sour apple appear and slowly wine like qualities such as those of a sauv blanc begin to sow.

Finish: Explosive, complex and surprising. It ends a bit dry but with plenty of flavor. An amzing beer,

Rating: 96 out of 100




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