Questions from a Cantillon n00b...

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by Cenosillicaphobe, Aug 3, 2013.

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  1. Cenosillicaphobe

    Cenosillicaphobe Initiate (0) Jul 24, 2011 Maine

    I was fairly recently lucky enough to procure a 750ml bottle each of Classic Gueuze, Iris, Saint Lamvinus, and Vigneronne. I have tried the Classic Gueuze, and loved it. I've heard that gueuzes age very well, and I've tasted a fifteen year old 3F gueuze, which was just beautiful, so I'm planning to sit on that one for quite some time. My question is regarding the others. Does anyone have experience aging them? Are certain ones better fresh? To what degree will they benefit from time in the cellar?
     
    #1 Cenosillicaphobe, Aug 3, 2013
  2. maximum12

    maximum12 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,686) Jan 21, 2008 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm probably in the small minority, but I'd drink them fresh.

    We were just in Brussels in July & even though we're not big fans of Cantillon, we stopped in the tasting room. Good lord. I realized as I was sipping a beautiful fresh Kriek that the only Cantillon I've had was bottles my idiot friends have been aging for years. In time, the bottles become more & more sour & lose the freshness, fruit (in some cases) & vibrancy. So you end up with biting sour & not much else. Fresh, they're entirely different beers.

    So yes, while these will no doubt age well for years if you're a sour-head, if you don't love things teeth-rendingly sour, drink them sooner rather than later.
     
    #2 maximum12, Aug 3, 2013
  3. stupac2

    stupac2 Pooh-Bah (2,031) Feb 22, 2011 California
    Pooh-Bah

    The Kriek does that a lot more than most of the fruit beers (except Fou Foune). The aged Vigneronne and Lamvinus that I've had haven't been terribly sour. In general I think you're right that fruited lambics are better fresher, but those two grape ones are sort of middle cases to me.

    OP, you're probably best off drinking them soon, but it's hard to say.
     
    #3 stupac2, Aug 3, 2013
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  4. tbadiuk

    tbadiuk Pundit (814) Feb 9, 2009 Canada (MB)
    Trader

    Regular Kriek and Gambrinus I've found do it the worst. The Lou Pepe Kriek does it much less (I prefer mine aged), assumably because of the extra fruit that is added.
     
    #4 tbadiuk, Aug 3, 2013
  5. Anonymous1

    Anonymous1 Initiate (0) Mar 19, 2012 Illinois

    Three of the best beers I've ever had were a 17 year old Cantillon Cuvee de Florian 1996, an 8 year old St Lamvinus 2005, and a 6 year old 3F Hommage 2007.

    I've only had Iris fresh and didn't care for it much, but I've heard it's great after 10+ years.

    I've only had Vigneronne fresh and with one year on it. Honestly I couldn't taste much of a difference fresh vs aged because even fresh Vigneronne is quite tart/sour. So I'd say drink that one fresh, and age the rest.

    Also despite what maximim12 said above, these beers generally do not become "teeth-rendingly sour" as they age. Yeah, most American sours mostly turn into acetone and vinegar when they age, but guezes are much more complex/nuanced and generally improve*.

    *notable exceptions (aside from Vigneronne) are Cantillion Kriek, Rose de Gambrinus, and Fou Foune which I always consume fresh
     
    #5 Anonymous1, Aug 5, 2013
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