Very Special Cantillon - Please Help w/ More Info!

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by ethanp, Jun 15, 2013.

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  1. ethanp

    ethanp Initiate (0) May 14, 2011 Georgia

    So I have been in Brussels for the past 4 days and have spent about 4 hours a day drinking at Cantillion. I became friendly with Jean and the last day when I was about to leave he stopped me, handed me a small snifter of beer and said "this is very very special". When I asked him what it was he explained that it was a lambic at 25 platos or 9 abv and that you could keep it out in the open for days. He said some other stuff about the beer that I didn't understand and I didn't want to seem ignorant so I acted like I knew what he was talking about...also a big tour group just walked up to the tasting counter so he was busy. Anways, it was a transcendent experience...like no other lambic I have ever had. More flavor, bolder, less acidity, and a bit more subdued while at the same time being bolder in flavor. I'm not a big beer reviewer and sometimes have trouble expressing what I taste. CAN ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT WHAT JEAN MAY HAVE GIVEN ME?! THANKS
     
    #1 ethanp, Jun 15, 2013
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  2. cookiequiz

    cookiequiz Savant (1,119) Apr 15, 2013 California

    Wow, seems urgent.

    edit: maybe this?
    edit edit: below sounds more likely.
     
    #2 cookiequiz, Jun 15, 2013
  3. devlishdamsel

    devlishdamsel Initiate (0) Aug 1, 2009 Washington

    #3 devlishdamsel, Jun 15, 2013
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  4. devlishdamsel

    devlishdamsel Initiate (0) Aug 1, 2009 Washington

    not sure they have named it yet
     
    #4 devlishdamsel, Jun 15, 2013
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  5. robwestcott

    robwestcott Pooh-Bah (1,767) Nov 3, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    a tip:

    ask jean what he gave you.
     
    #5 robwestcott, Jun 15, 2013
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  6. Pahn

    Pahn Initiate (0) Dec 2, 2009 New York

    #6 Pahn, Jun 15, 2013
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  7. TSAFEVIL

    TSAFEVIL Initiate (0) May 31, 2012 Pennsylvania

    I have heard someone mention something about Jean experimenting with high gravity lambic. Sounds like a Zwanze project, but that's just my personal opinion.
     
    #7 TSAFEVIL, Jun 15, 2013
  8. HokiesandBeer

    HokiesandBeer Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2013 Pennsylvania

    Transcendent experience...lol
     
    #8 HokiesandBeer, Jun 15, 2013
  9. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    1) Go ask, he won't bite.
    2) Please don't shout at us when you ask a Question (or at all) .
     
    #9 drtth, Jun 15, 2013
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  10. grandmachine

    grandmachine Zealot (535) Mar 11, 2010 California

    Jean probably bottled his piss and gave it to you, since he got tired of seeing you there all the time.


    If you're there all the time, just ask him. Or ask on their Facebook page.
     
    #10 grandmachine, Jun 15, 2013
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  11. digdug1810

    digdug1810 Initiate (0) Mar 1, 2011 New Jersey

    They just posted on FB about this beer, there is a link on this page to it. It contains your answers.
     
    #11 digdug1810, Jun 15, 2013
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  12. Gonzoillini

    Gonzoillini Initiate (0) Oct 15, 2008 Illinois

    Our Lambics are beers with 5%ABV.
    Some of our beers, like Vigneronne, Saint-Lamvinus or Iris reach 6-6.5%ABV because of the fruit fermentation and the higher gravity of sugar in the wort.
    The normal gravity in a Lambic wort sits around 12,5°Plato.
    Lambic has always been a very mysterious beer and, at Cantillon, we are very curious people.
    That's the reason why we decided 3 years ago to brew a higher gravity Lambic. We reached 25°Plato, twice the normal gravity of wort for Lambic.
    The result was amazing: A 9.7% ABV Lambic with 8°Plato residual sugar.

    We repeated the experiment again two years ago. Because of the high level residual sugar in the first brew, we decide to produce a wort with a lower gravity to obtain the same alcohol level with less sweetness.
    Lambic works in mysterious ways though, and with the wort at 22°Plato we got the same level residual sugar with less alcohol, 8.7%ABV.
    Because of the high alcohol level, we had no more evolution after 2 years and we decide to blend those two brews and to bottle it in February of this year.

    The result is surprising. The beer is amber, without carbonation, and comes in at 9.1%ABV and 8° Plato residual sugar.

    It's close to a Barley Wine or an oxidized wine like Madeira, Sherry or Vin Jaune. Even more surprising is that when we forgot a half-empty bottle, th beer was still good when we tasted it....after 8 days.
    This beer will be poured for the first time next weekend in Portland (Maine) for The Festival organised by Shelton Brothers and 12% imports.
     
    #12 Gonzoillini, Jun 15, 2013
  13. Cenosillicaphobe

    Cenosillicaphobe Initiate (0) Jul 24, 2011 Maine

    Sounds delicious. Hopefully I can get a pour at The Festival next weekend.
     
    #13 Cenosillicaphobe, Jun 15, 2013
  14. DmouthCaliBrewz

    DmouthCaliBrewz Initiate (0) Mar 29, 2013 New Hampshire
    Trader

    EVERYBODY LISTEN TO MY NOTSOHUMBLEBRAG!!!!!

    actually all trolling aside thats a pretty epic story and an amazing experience. One day I will make it over there..................
     
    #14 DmouthCaliBrewz, Jun 15, 2013
  15. 7clutch

    7clutch Zealot (556) Sep 14, 2012 Florida
    Trader

    Damn. Ethan's one of the nicest people you'd meet and very much deserved to drink a ton of Cantillon at the source. There are much worse things to do than yell questions while presumably drunk on great lambic (I am jealous though that there exists a beer good enough to make you scream questions at people). :wink:
     
    #15 7clutch, Jun 16, 2013
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  16. sacrelicio

    sacrelicio Pooh-Bah (1,838) Feb 15, 2005 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah

    damn, like a lambic barleywine? must try.
     
    #16 sacrelicio, Jun 16, 2013
  17. gueuzedreg

    gueuzedreg Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2013 Colorado
    In Memoriam

    50N4E
     
    #17 gueuzedreg, Jun 16, 2013
  18. westcoastbeerlvr

    westcoastbeerlvr Grand Pooh-Bah (4,115) Oct 19, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    You mean drink Cantillion, obv.
     
    #18 westcoastbeerlvr, Jun 16, 2013
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  19. gueuzedreg

    gueuzedreg Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2013 Colorado
    In Memoriam

    He gave you a freshie of 50N4E... look at the reviews.... it matches what you tasted. Blew your mind on lambics because it was beyond one...
     
    #19 gueuzedreg, Jun 16, 2013
  20. Etan

    Etan Initiate (0) Jul 11, 2011 Wisconsin

    Did you read the thread? The beer has already been identified above. It's an experimental high gravity lambic, not 50N4E. 50N4E is 7% ABV, not 9%.
     
    #20 Etan, Jun 16, 2013
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