Feedback on the following beers ...

Hmm, I've mostly only had small pours of the ones I've tried, but my rating would go:

1) Blauw
2) Crianza (one amaze-balls bottle and one that was not quite as mind blowing)
3) Izzy
4) Blabaer 2012
5) Framboos

Not a huge fan of the raspberry jam thing that Framboos had going on, but I can see why people like it. I probably wouldn't purchase any of them to try again for the price I'd have to pay. They are not that much better than the "regular" Cantillon and Drie Fonteinen offerings that I've had.

 

I have had all but the V005 multiple times.

Not a huge fan of Blaaber. Good but not any better than some of the easier to get Cantillons. Same with Framboos. Niether worth the hype. Is new Framboos even a wale? Izzy is a above average American wild. Nothing special IMHO.

Helena and Blaw and Rose are amazing beers. I like Helena the best. I am a sucker for any of Cantillon that was aged in Cognac and Helena has a bit of that in the blend. Rose and Blauw are no slouches though. Awesome guezue blends. They have aged gracefully too by the way.

 

1) Veritas 005 - it absolutely lives up to the hype and is one of the best beers I've ever had, amazing grape sour.
2) Crianza Helena - I love this beer for the unique qualities that the cognac brings to the lambic. Plus, I mean, it's a nearly 10 year old Cantillon lambic at this point, so that makes it pretty fantastic in its own right.
3 (tie) Blabaer (2010) - It's an outstanding fruit lambic. The bottle I had was big on the blueberries and funk and wasn't crazy sour, but it was relatively fresh (1 year old or so) when I had it.
3 (tie) Blauw - One of the best gueuzes out there, though I think my experience in drinking it was somewhat diminished by the fact that I had it next to Crianza and right after Lente, which are two of the best beers I've ever had. It's really damn good too in its own right though.
5) Framboos (2011) - Perhaps the best raspberry lambic I've ever had, but I think it's in a different class than the beers above it on my list.
6) Isabelle Proximus - This is the only beer on here that I would say was really a disappointment. It's far from a bad beer, and it's perhaps the closest an American beer has gotten to an authentic gueuze, but that's all it is. It doesn't particularly stand out from a good gueuze (maybe it's a little sweeter) and there's no wow factor.

 

Helena is 10 years old? I don't think so. It was a blend for J and J' s daughter Helena's birth. She was about 1 year old (and cute as hell btw) when I was at De Heren in Aprill 2010. The Rose and Blauw were there wedding blends and those are probably close to 10 years at this point.

 

Whoops! I was thinking of the release dates for Blauw and Roze. My bad, Crianza's like 3-4 years old.

 

You have been sited by the Gueuze Police! haha.

I make mistakes to bro... no worries.

 

No I live in Mass. I make frequent trips to London to visit my best buddy and Brussels is only 2 hrs away by train. So I am lucky enough to have been to Belgium 4 times in the last 4 years.

BTW 50N 4E should be coming out soon. That is my all time favorite Cantillon. Starrdogg is spot on about the Cognac lambic and that is 100% Cognac. Since it is being re-released soon it will probably be easier to get than some of the other wales you mentioned above. I think the first release (5 years ago?) might still be easier to get than some of the stuff that you listed. It's better than alll those too in my opinion. I plan on stabbin MOFO's for bottles when that comes out!

 

Or get some of the Stille Nacht Reserva that just hit the streets.... I am not Nostradomus but I forsee wale potential with that bad boy.

 

Had a 2011 Blabaer about two months ago. It was very good, but it didn't exactly blow any of the four of us out of the water. I greatly prefer Rose de Gambrinus. And the Vignerronne we had later than night was much, much better. I wouldn't kick Blabaer out of bed...but for how hard it is to get, I'd say it may not be worth it.

 

The old release was distributed here (US). I bought bottles off the shelf. Jean told me the new one was brewery only when the beer was "ready". Others have disputed wether it was brewery only or not. We will see.

Shees... if you are gonna be 4 hours away... GET TO CANTILLON!! lol

 

Where exactly are you? NL? England? I am jealous. I would move there tomorrow if I could legally work there.

 

Oh and just go to DeHeren!! You can tick most of these there while enjoying a wonderful meal. Not to mention other non Lambic wales they got there for your tickin pleasure.

 

They were not "Whales" when I had them(the term did not even exist, thankfully), but my .02:
Blaw
Crianza
Blabaer(07 better than 05)
Rose
005
Isabelle

 

1)Blabaer (depending on vintage, all have been good,but recent, and my last, 09 was amazing.
1b)Blauw (would go ahead of 12 and maybe 11 blabaer, not sure if vintages are better or if its the age)


distant 2)Roze/Crianza
3) Framboos (new)
4) Isabelle

 

1) Blåbær '11
2) Blauw
3) Crianza

 

Blabaer is pretty fantastic fresh, I still dig a fresh LP Fram or St Lamvinus more though.