First Cantillon

I'm lucky enough to be able to buy Cantillon off the shelf up here, but it took me over a year to finally try one. Lou Pepe Framboise and admittedly I couldn't even finish the bottle. A few years later and Cantillon is my favorite brewery... a tribute to our ever evolving palates.

 

I know, I know. Really lame and bad post. After all the beer I was drinking I thought it was funny. I immediately realized it wasn't.

 

Yum.

 

I was the same way until about three weeks ago, when I walked into a store and asked if they had any gueuze. The guy told me he had a Cantillon in back. I jumped on it (it was Classic Gueuze). He then told me to check back in a week, because the distributor had given him heads-up that more was due. I got a Kriek. The next day, Saint Lamvinus in another store. A few days later, 2008 Kriek from a friend. Today, I walked into a store 20 minutes after the delivery of 6 bottles of Classic Gueuze**. I got the last one.

So, in three weeks, I went from "I'll never get my hands on it" to "when am I going to drink these?"

FWIW, Saint Lamvinus and one Classic Gueuze tomorrow, both Krieks will go with me to Darkness Day, and the other Classic Gueuze goes in the cellar.


**The actual words that came out of my mouth when I saw it on the shelf: "You have got to be fucking shitting me."

 

My first was a Kriek at Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn NY earlier this year. It made what you'd call a "lasting impression".

So much so that I just flew to Brussels to visit the brewery twice over my 3 day stay there, buying three of the variety packs (gueuze/kriek/lamvinus) to bring home in my luggage.

Says Mr. Customs guy: "Do you have any alcohol to declare?"
Says me: "No sir. No sir, I don't."

They are now in my cellar aging nicely and each will be poured soon into one of my new Cantillon glasses, also carried all the way back from Belgium.

Let's be honest, it's an incredible lambic. It's completely distinctive and nothing like 3F, Boon, Girardin, Tilquin or Hanssens. It's just monstrous, flavorful, funky and brash. I obsess over it like a teenage girl with a Justin Bieber crush.

 

This dude can TROLL!

 

First gueuze from them was their Classic– took me back-to-back days to finish a 375ml when I first started. But once I got an 750ml '08 100% Kriek, I promptly finished it right up.

 

I have 2008 LP Kriek I've been waiting to crack, but holy shizzle, I won't post a pic. Somebody might rip on my Night Ranger poster in the background!!!

PS Just Kiddin' I don't have the poster.

 

After finishing up dinner at Union Trust last night (killer 14oz bone in filet topped with king oscar, east coast oysters paired with Flying Fish Exit 1 oyster stout, a couple amazing apps and sides) my wife and I decided to walk down to Monk's. After a few fine beverages I expressed to the lovely barmaid that I hadn't had any luck with sours but wasn't quite ready to give up. She suggested a few Berliners, a few different Flanders and I told her nothing she mentioned really caught my interest. After browsing the Beer Bible a few more minutes I decided on a Loon Kriek. She told me she would have suggested it but was afraid it was a little expensive for not being sure I'd like it. Well... Needless to say, I'm in love and will be joining you all in the never ending loon hunt!

 

my first cantillon was a pour of blabaer... needless to say, i was doomed from the start. opened a bottle of lou pepe kriek for a friend that loves sours a couple of weeks ago - it's fun to hook'em!

 

:O That was your first one?! Thats like my ultimate search...

 

Fou Foune was my first one. After that I've had Bruoscella, Mamouche and Blabaer and they were all amazing... Fou is still my favorite so far though.

 

People who lie for no particular reason (it's incredibly legal to bring alcohol back and at those quantities below the threshold where anyone would even consider taxing you) going through customs are strange.

I guess Cantillon does weird things to people.

 

Well then why did they give me grief about this scorpion whiskey in Portland?

 

My first was a classic gueuze I drank with my breakfast (too excited to wait). I then played basketball for a few hours and played the best I've probably played in my entire life. I honestly was convinced it had to do with the loon. Dumb story, but it made for a good first time.

 

I was lucky enough to have my first lambic be a Canillon. Went to Belgium with my father and brother this summer, before I went to study for a month and a half in Bonn, Germany. First brewery I saw in Belgium was Canillon, toured it before I had a taste, and wow was it a fantastic experience. I bought a few bottles, but I wish I had grabbed more. It is so amazingly cheap when u get it from the source.

 

why test for roids....test for the loons

 

Is that a cobra too?

 

Yeah a baby cobra, and some ginger root.

 

My first was the Rose, which was a very enlightening experience for me. Have since had the Bruoscella, Gueuze, Kriek, and just acquired Vigneronne.