Grand Cru Bruocsella Brut - BXLBeerfest V.2022
Brasserie Cantillon

 

 

sick! rare cantillon, what a pleasure. i was never the biggest fan of the original beer, the stillness turned me off. i have since come around on that one a bit as my lambic palate has matured, but i was pumped on this one riffing on the original but bringing the high carbonation factor into the mix, i think it really transforms the beer, and to me this seems way more refined than the original, but i may be in the minority on that. thankful for my friend sharing this bottle, think he scored it online, sexy label art and sexy in the glass, golden and near clear, high radiance and a pleasing inch plus if airy white head with pretty good retention in out flat bottomed white wine glasses. i can see my own reflection in this thing. aroma is clean and tight at first but it opens right up after a few minutes, nice mature funk, heavy oak and white wine, piquant acidity, old wheat, a little musty basement thing going on, neat minerality and tang, and hints of elderflower, lemon zest, and cooked pear, some paper and cardboard too, a little iodine, wild and old. the flavor is floral and bright to me, more tartness than funk, a whole lot of wood, some light sherry character, vermouth even too, herbal bitterness, honey grainy sweetness in the middle, dry and zippy at the end, orange peel, jasmine, white bread, pils malt. the mouthfeel makes this for me, even though the base beer itself seems lighter and brighter than the original too even without all this nice bottle conditioned liveliness. the bubbles are tiny and theres a million of them, they pop and burst and race and bring this to life. almost refreshing at first, increasingly vinous and full as it warms, really neat twist on the classic. i am thankful to have been able to enjoy this one, really polished now, impressive!

 

Golden yellow appearance with a sparse head that recedes to a collar. Mild brandy, oak, lemon, grape. Moderate to light body and carbonation, creamy mouthfeel.