7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Had this one years ago as a sample during a tasting hosted by Jean Van Roy himself as a side event of a BXL Beerfest edition - but apparently my review was not registered here, possibly because Ratebeer did not consider it an independent entry, and perhaps justly so: this is, or was, nothing else but a four year old lambic bottled in very limited quantities back in 2021, as a kind of special variant on their staple Bruocsella Grand Cru. Anyway, I stumbled upon my original rating from the event and given that Brewver apparently does consider this a distinct entry, here we go... No head of course and none expected; hazy orange peach blonde robe with 'dust' floating throughout. Aroma of old dry sherry, very old lumber, dry old walnut shells, figs soaked in 'graanjenever', madera, oxidized green apple flesh, dusty book shelves, dry lemon zest and an odd, but very distinct note of canned tuna (oddly!) which persisted all the way through the tasting. Bone dry onset, notes of hard green pear and oxidized green apple but generally mild in acidity and relatively 'clean' in esters, with a dry, deep lactic acidity piercing through it all, a bit yoghurt-like in the most tangy way possible - carried by a supple underbuilt of dry old bread and a smooth, vinous mouthfeel. Old dry sherry accents in the end paired with very pronounced, astringent woody tannins accentuating a kind of deep bitterishness too - becoming almost grapefruit peel- and dandelion leaf-like in the end, about the same time when this weird but fascinating fishy note pops up retronasally, again reminiscent of canned tuna, and a bit of smoked mackerel perhaps. Quite a complex affair, with this tuna accent probably caused by aged proteins - but who can tell, this only contributes to the mystery that lambic is... Very dry, noble and taut, in a way, this was an interesting peek into how Cantillon lambic ages nowadays.

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

750mL bottle at Cantillon, pours a clear bright golden, no head. Aroma has lots of old sweat socks, earthy must, and old leather. Flavour is full of wet wood, some leather, moderate acidity, and oak. Carbonation is flat, which accentuates the acidity and leathery character on the finish. Not my favourite Cantillon but it’s well-made as usual.

7.8

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

750mL bottle at Cantillon. Pours clear gold with no head. Gentle funk and old furniture on the nose. Flavour has dry old wood, some leather, old barrels. No carbonation. Very nice.

8

Sour, tart, funky. Dry wood, stone fruit. Nice.

7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

0,75l bottle at the brewery. Vintage 21. Amber hazy color, small white head. smells wood, oak, nutty, spices, minerality. Very nice smell. full body, light carbonation. tastes wood, oak, nutty, peppery, minerality, lactic, spices, light curry. finishes lightly dry and lightly sour with notes of oak, curry and peppery notes. Nice stuff, loved the smell. Taste is good, a tad too woody

8, 8, 7, 7, 7.5

8

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle enjoyed at Cantillon. Dark yellow pour with no real head. Sour lemon bouquet. Flat, and tart with horse blanket, barnyard, and sour lemon highlights. Yeast and sour fruit with very little malt presence. Good body and mouthfeel.