Brasserie Cantillon Zwanze (2024) MMXXIV

Zwanze (2024) MMXXIV

 

Brasserie Cantillon in Anderlecht, Brussels Capital Region, Belgium 🇧🇪

  Lambic Style - Untraditional Special Out of Production
Score
7.21
ABV: 5.5% IBU: - Ticks: 35
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!
 

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7.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Tap. Hazy orange color with small white head. Aroma is distinctly iodine, seaweed, a bit tropical too. Taste is oysters, seaweed, iodine, a bit funky, not too dry, weird but interesting. Medium carbonation. One to taste, I probably wouldn't want more than a small glass of this.

Tried from Draft on 26 Apr 2024 at 19:27


7.3
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Pours rather unclear blonde. No head. Scent is very funky, seaweed OP's. Very complex and culinary. Taste is acidic, but very mild. Maltyness is pretty intense, young lambic like. Nearly no carbo. Seaweed is intense (umami) but far more balanced than the aroma. Works well, even though it's not my thing.

Tried on 25 Apr 2024 at 16:14


4.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4.5

Zwanze Day pour at Moor Brewing Co, Bristol. Pours clear orange golden with white foam. Pungent aroma of the sea, seaweed, quite overpowering, also some lemon. Taste is slightly more palatable, lemony tartness, the briny vibes mellowed a bit as it warmed. Medium body with spritzy carbonation. It was odd, wasn't a fan.

Tried from Draft at Moor Brewery Tap on 22 Apr 2024 at 19:37


7.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

On tap at Armsby Abbey with Paul and Josh. Lightly hazy golden orange color with a small ring on top. Earthy funk with a bit of saline in the aroma and flavor. Lightly brine like. Different, good, maybe a hint more lactic sour fruity notes could add some complexity. Liked it just the same.

Tried from Draft on 21 Apr 2024 at 20:54


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Keg at the hanging bat. Pours hazy golden amber, nose is lemon zest, funk, floral, Parma violet, taste is barnyard funk, citrus zest, floral, something savoury, salty.

Tried on 21 Apr 2024 at 18:55


7.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Salty, slightly funky and tart with some earthiness, musty yeastiness and hints of seaweed and soapy notes. Interesting, quite untypical --- Beer merged from original tick of Zwanze 2024 - MMXXIV on 20 Apr 2024 at 21:15 - Score: 7. Original review text: Salty, slightly funky and tart with some earthiness, musty yeastiness and hints of seaweed and soapy notes. Interesting, quite untypical

Tried on 21 Apr 2024 at 10:10


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

Draught Small white head, rather stable over copperish golden beer, clear. Remarkable nose, seasalt, sealettuce is over-obvious, iodine. Hint at green grapes. Dry. Not salty, but... mineral, sea-like. Maybe think of a jetty overgrown with seaweed and mussels, just uncovered by the tide. Finish carries lactic acid. yet, there's a certain sweetness, as from young lambic. Finish also displaying a very light, near-astringency. Light body, very mild to little detectable carbonation. Special!!!

Tried from Draft at Café Pardaf on 21 Apr 2024 at 09:24


6.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

On tap at Garden Path, pours a clear bright golden with a small white head. Nose is insanely briny and seaweedy, with intense seaweed character, brine, salt and a touch of funk poking through. Flavour is much funkier than it smells, with signature barnyard funk, seaweed, some citrus, and leather. I'm not really sold on this, but it's sure unique and I guess as good as a sea lettuce lambic can be.

Tried from Draft on 21 Apr 2024 at 01:55


8.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

From tap at Zwanze Day at Ammutson. Deep orange body, with a small, dissipating head. Aroma with quite a lot of seaweed, lots of stone fruits, some citrus, almost no funk. Tastes beautiful, very fruity and complex, with more saltiness from the seaweed and a bit more funk. A bit oily mouthfeel, with a moderate carbonation. Finishes fruity, a bit funky, a bit wooden, citric, a bit salty. Very unique stuff! The seaweed is all over the place, but it still works great. I'm also surprised how fruity this is. Very quaffable stuff, drinks really smooth! Score: 8 / 4 / 9 / 4 / 16

Tried from Draft on 20 Apr 2024 at 23:55


8.4
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 8

Olive brine, citrus, malt, seaweed, and grass aroma. Hazy golden yellow iwth minimal head. Lightly sweet citrus, malt, moderately sour vinegar, and mildly bitter grass flavor. Nice body - light briny/seaweed finish. Nice balance.

Tried from Draft on 20 Apr 2024 at 23:50