Grand Cru Bruocsella
Brasserie Cantillon

Drank Lambic Bio Saison 2019-2020, on 27th Oct 2023.

A: Pours a coppery body with zero carbonation, zero head.
S: The aroma is providing an hint to barrel aging, oxidation, with sugary notes due to the malts used.
T: The taste is quite interesting as the initial and only fermentation provides notes of citric notes, barnyard and brettanomyces.
M: Body is medium to high in density. Alcohol is still low as usual and the acidity is more round without being overly agressive.
O: It should be noted that this beer is probably the most misunderstood creation of Cantillon, as it's supposed to not have a secondary fermentation and be the link between the worlds of lambic and wine. For that purpose, this is quite an interesting brew. But a small amount of carbonation would probably make it better.

From Nardi's Cellarbrations in Geelong in December 2022. Drunk in September 2023.

L: Dark yellow with utterly no head and no visible carbonation. It looks flat. I know this is how it's supposed to look, but it still looks "wrong" for a beer.

S: Smells like a sour, yeasty barnyard. There's the smell of spring: wet hay, old stone buildings, fresh pollen and old musty earth. It smells like a Belgian farmyard.

T: The beer is vinous and yeasty, and oaky and tannic, like a white wine that's had the carbonation removed. But there's a thin, watery, chalky quality late In the piece that has me scrunching up my face after each swallow. Whatever drives that taste doesn't pair well with the yeasty, farmyard notes of the rest of the beer, and the lack of carbonation (see below) does nothing to hide that effect. It's actually not very enjoyable at all.... 2

M: The beer shows no carbonation or head in the glass and drinks like a still beer. The taste adds a perceived thinness to the body and, as noted above, does nothing to hide that watery, chalky impression I pick up.

O: I have had this one in the fridge since last Christmas, having bought it without hesitation when I saw it, even with its extreme price point ($65AUD is a lot for a bottle of beer, even at 750ml!) and have looked forward to drinking it. I saved it for the first day of a long holiday from work and am quite disappointed with the experience. I struggled to finish my first glass, let alone the bottle. But we live and learn, and on to the next beer!

Cheers!
#309

 

 

On tap at Row 34 Boston. Apparently this is the 2018 vintage.

L -- Golden orange with near total clarity. Still
S -- Cantillon always comes through with this intensely barnyardy aroma that reminds me of a fine cheese. This one has some vinous character as well, without being grapey
T -- Not overly acidic. Really does straddle the line between wine and lambic
F -- Unfortunately I do feel that some carb would help
O -- Bit of a black sheep in Cantillon's lineup. Better than the average rating indicates

81/100
(cr)

750ml bottle from Beer Merchants online shop (£22):
Light golden yellow & fairly clear, no head in sight though. The nose is mainly apple, fruity esters & slightly funky notes, grape & pear with some straw too but it's light & there's not as much tart as anticipated. The taste is quite similar, lots of apple & pear flavours, slightly more tart than the nose with hints of grape & citrus too. It's medium bodied with zero carbonation, a dry tart finish that's slightly vinuous too.

 

 

Bottle, vintage 2002, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Golden to amber colour, no head. Overwhelming barnyard aroma, hints of lemons too. Sour flavour with lemony notes.

Pours a clear, amber coloration with no head. Smells of doughy malt, fruity esters, with notes of red apple, apricot, gooseberry and red grape, musty funk, tannic oak and hints of balsamic vinegar. Taste is a great balance of doughy malt, estery fruit, with notes of red apple, apricot, gooseberry, red grape and elderberry, distinct musty, leathery funk a strong, tannic oak character and some balsamic vinegar. Finishes rather dry, with a light/medium tartness and some estery fruit, funk and oak lingering in the aftertaste. Flat mouthfeel with a medium body and no carbonation.

Traditional, unblended lambic is a bit of an aquired taste, hence the popularity of Gueuze, which smoothes out those strong notes of funk, oak and berries with younger, more tart, fruity and carbonated lambic. The fact that traditional lambic is entirely flat does certainly not help its appeal, but there is something to its dry, strong, rich and vinous character that is defined by that distinct tannic oak, musty funk and balsamic vinegar, while the citric acidity typical of Gueuze is a bit subdued here. I actually slightly prefered De Cam's traditional Lambic, which I remember as being even more characterful than this, but it certainly makes for a fine example of the style nonetheless.

 

750ml bottle at share. Light golden our, kind of flat. Funky aroma, musty, leather. Taste is some light tartness, fruity, musty. Not all that familiar with this style, but I'll take Jeremy's word for it.

 

Brasserie Cantillon "Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru"
€7/,4L alla spina @ Il Birratrovo, Como, IT

Notes: Slightly hazy golden body beneath just a touch of white foam. The aroma is acidic, mineralish, and funky with Brettanomyces and notes of dried straw, apple, pear, berry, white grape, and leather. The flavor follows but much fuller of course. It's more grape-like and vinous, and a touch woody and lightly spicy. If there's any bitterness there I can't find it. It finishes surprisingly short-lingering, and dry with acidity and a light swirl of earthiness. In the mouth it's light-medium to perhaps almost medium in body, and quite smooth despite the mild acidity as there's very little carbonation to it. Seeing as how it's a sour beer I expect it to have little in the way of a head or lacing, but I think a touch more carbonation would have helped it.

 

 

Not my favorite cantillon; but still realllly nice