Grand Cru Bruocsella
Brasserie Cantillon

Grand Cru BruocsellaGrand Cru Bruocsella
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Brasserie Cantillon
 
Belgium
Style:
Lambic
Ranked #21
ABV:
5%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,470
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 11.68%
Reviews:
343
Ratings:
937
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 24, 2024
Added:
Jul 24, 2002
Wants:
  141
Gots:
  255
Formerly "Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru".

Vintage lambic. All the beers are from the same brewing season and mature in barrels for three years.

Beer with a highly complex structure that has a wine-like and somewhat oxidised taste, the slightly acidic structures mingling with more mellow aspects. Powerful yet elegant, Bruocsella can be considered the missing link between the worlds of wine and beer. Since there is no secondary fermentation in the bottle Bruocsella is a flat, non-sparkling beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.26 by smi69 from New York

Jan 24, 2024
 
Rated: 3.5 by Noelito76 from New York

Dec 22, 2023
Photo of joaopmgoncalves
Reviewed by joaopmgoncalves from Portugal

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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.
Oct 28, 2023
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

2.53/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
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
Sep 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.89 by CAcker from California

May 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.21 by The_Kriek_Freak from Pennsylvania

May 07, 2023
Photo of Holderness
Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts

4.01/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4
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)
Apr 05, 2023
Photo of flyingpig
Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland

3.84/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
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.
Dec 24, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by blisscent from Rhode Island

Nov 26, 2022
 
Rated: 4.15 by o29 from Texas

Oct 03, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
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.
May 01, 2022
Photo of Snowcrash000
Reviewed by Snowcrash000 from Germany

3.89/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
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.
Apr 30, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by RMW66 from Australia

Mar 17, 2022
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.96/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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.
Dec 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.21 by Montanabeerz from Montana

Nov 22, 2021
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
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.
Sep 16, 2021
 
Rated: 4.34 by Eman17 from Illinois

Jun 12, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

May 05, 2021
Photo of Bandfresno
Rated by Bandfresno from California

4.21/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Not my favorite cantillon; but still realllly nice
Jan 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4.06 by moltch from Massachusetts

Dec 05, 2020
Grand Cru Bruocsella from Brasserie Cantillon
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 937 ratings