Zwanze (2024) MMXXIV
Brasserie Cantillon in Brussels, Brussels Capital Region, Belgium 🇧🇪
Lambic Style - Untraditional Special Out of Production|
Score
7.26
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A little over a year ago, we were in Brittany to submerge a few dozen bottles of Gueuze in the sea as a collaboration with Sylvain, an abalone farmer in Finistère. These bottles are still fermenting at a depth of 10 meters in the company of his charming creatures.
Once a month, Sylvain brings up the cages to add various types of algae for the mollusks to feed on. We tasted these same algae in tartare during our visit, and the idea came to us to try them in maceration with Lambic to create a partnership between the brewery and Sylvain's company. After several attempts, it turned out that seaweed, specifically the sea lettuce, gave the best result.
The beer is, of course, very different from the fruity, vinous, or floral tastes traditionally found in our products. This Zwanze 2024 exudes aromas of exotic fruits; it has notes of iodine with a slight salinity reminiscent of oysters. In short, a very different beer from what we are used to discovering at Cantillon - a true Zwanze!
Once a month, Sylvain brings up the cages to add various types of algae for the mollusks to feed on. We tasted these same algae in tartare during our visit, and the idea came to us to try them in maceration with Lambic to create a partnership between the brewery and Sylvain's company. After several attempts, it turned out that seaweed, specifically the sea lettuce, gave the best result.
The beer is, of course, very different from the fruity, vinous, or floral tastes traditionally found in our products. This Zwanze 2024 exudes aromas of exotic fruits; it has notes of iodine with a slight salinity reminiscent of oysters. In short, a very different beer from what we are used to discovering at Cantillon - a true Zwanze!
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7.5/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draft at Zwanze. Aroma is crab legs--an ocean in my beer glass. Pours hazy orange golden with bone white foam. Taste is moderately sour (6/10), peppery, slightly bitter, with tons of umami. I had this a couple years ago and I don't remember it being this crazy. Wild.
Tried
from Draft
on 25 Apr 2026
at 18:29
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
0,2l from tap at Ammutson. Amber clear color, small white head. smells seaweed, bit fruity, berry notes, light currant notes, fishy. Nice smell overall, bit weird. full body, soft carbonation. tastes funky, earthy, seaweed, malty, bit fishy, tobacco, currant notes, earthy. finishes lightly dry and lightly sour with notes of seaweed, earthy and malty notes. Ok, bit weird one, drinkable but not totally my thing
8, 7, 6.5, 6, 6.5
8, 7, 6.5, 6, 6.5
Tried
from Draft
at
AmmutsØn
on 25 Apr 2026
at 16:25
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bouteille 75cl lors de la Cantillon Quintessence 2025. Wonderful share by the team, and big thanks to France Haliotis for sharing his bottle, who provided the algae for the Zwanze, but also as food pairing during the Iroise tasting during this year’s Quintessence with the lone bottle of Zwanze 2024 that he had kept under water in France. Thanks also to Bart.
Couleur pale sur des nuances d’orangé. Agréable ajout herbacé venant des algues, cela confère à la base des lambics une note iodée balancée avec des touches sur le fleuri. Rondeur de bouche avec une salinité qui accompagne tout cela sans jamais devenir surfaite.
Couleur pale sur des nuances d’orangé. Agréable ajout herbacé venant des algues, cela confère à la base des lambics une note iodée balancée avec des touches sur le fleuri. Rondeur de bouche avec une salinité qui accompagne tout cela sans jamais devenir surfaite.
Tried
from Bottle
at
Brasserie Cantillon
on 30 Apr 2025
at 12:41
7.9/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 8
Dull amber brown color. Massive salty, briny nose with just a hint of citrus and iodine . The algae has intense depth which I appreciate. This should be super polarizing. Salty, a touch of oak, iodine and seaweed. A very intense beer. I am grooving on it
Tried
on 28 Jun 2024
at 07:47
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
On tap at Zwanze, Moeder Lambic. Cloudy golden with white head. Fruity and refreshing with a nice sea twist. Some stone fruit, somewhat mineral, medium sourness. Liked it.
Tried
from Draft
at
Moeder Lambic Fontainas
on 28 May 2024
at 17:00