Zélige
Brasserie Cantillon

 

 

Pours dark red with almost lilac hints, very saturated in color, while producing a small, foamy, bubbly head.

Funky, musty, leather and a faint vinous grape addition define the nose, with an unusual heaviness of the aromas alluding to the beers fuller body, in reminiscence of a full bodied red wine.

Has a pungent acidity, perfectly enhanced by the dry finish of the grapes among soothing, earthen wood, which ensures an intense but smooth mouthfeel. Its sourness lingers on the back end of the palate for ages, transforming to an even further fermented stage.

Dry, overripe fruits from the beginning establish a sour fruity interplay, which lasts till the finish, with the beers pungent sourness prevailing. Acidity level is high, mingling into a dryness of heavily fermented grapes, which turn almost more bitter than sour after the swallow. The beer, despite its pungent intensity, remains smooth on the tongue, with a faint minerality adding to dry grape piths, wrapped up by old wood and blue cheese.

This, to me, is closer to being a wine than a beer. It is beautifully though, creating a nice blend between rich, dry grapes and the sour, funky base of the beer. Its aftertaste sticks to the tongue for ages, while producing a flowery fruit peak, which compliments the other flavours very well.